Rolling Stones discovered Here

Andrew Loog Oldham uncovered the greatest Rock'n'Roll band here

Location: De Hems, Soho, 11 Macclesfield Street, W1D 5BW

Description: It was during the early 1960s that this great 'specialist beer' pub was notable for other 'exciting' reasons. During the 1920s it was a bit of a gangster hangout but turned over a new note and became the watering hole for British Music Business.

Journalists, managers, agents and promoters would meet here to seal deals or swap gossip - and for Andrew Loog Oldham - it was the perfect place to hustle for clients. And so it was on that on one of Andrew's visits that he hooked up with the Record Mirror editor, Peter Jones, who spread the word about a new R'n'B band called the Rollin' Stones, and an article that would appear in the following week's Record Mirror issue.

The write up by Norman Jopling exposed a band that had that 'special' something and a 'wild' sound that was unheard of at the time, even though they were still without a record deal.

With Andrew Loog Oldham already into the scene and making noises across the industry, he was more than aloof about the band and situation - but like all great managers - kept the name and talk in the back of his mind.

And a good thing too, as he soon discovered, managed, and guided the career of the greatest Rock 'n' Roll bank in the world.

And the moral of the story...go to De Hems, get a drink, and think of what took place in this great bar!

Tours: Music sites

Tours: The Rolling Stones London Tour

Themes: Music Music Theme