Launched on the 1971 album Each Image Tells A Story, ‘Maggie Could’ by Rod Stewart particulars one of the vital momentous moments within the younger singer’s life: shedding his virginity. That may sound just a little crude for a pop tune, however Stewart’s lyrics are removed from gratuitous, portray a warts-and-all portrait of a lady he appears to have identified for a really quick period of time certainly.
Stewart was 16 and attending the Beaulieu Jazz Pageant close to the New Forest. When you assume a jazz competition on the grounds of Lord Montagu’s nation property sounds just a little staid, assume once more, buster. In 1960, the 12 months earlier than Stewart attended, thirty-nine revellers have been injured when a riot broke out.
In accordance with one BBC commentator, issues “obtained out of hand” when younger jazz followers began clambering over the scaffolding platforms holding the tv arc lamps in place. Three folks have been taken to hospital, a woman was hit by a flying beer bottle, and two boys have been critically injured when the scaffolding lastly collapsed, which in flip brought on the piano to collapse.
This was the form of chaotic revelry Rod hoped to expertise when he set off to the competition, carrying a backpack lined in CND badges on his again. When he arrived, his expectations have been greater than met. Younger, dumb and hoping for tent-bound motion, the aspiring musician quickly discovered himself rolling round with an older girl.
In his memoir, The Autobiography, Stewart describes the expertise in some element: “At 16, I went to the Beaulieu Jazz Pageant within the New Forest,” he begins. “I’d snuck in with some mates through an overflow sewage pipe. And there on a secluded patch of grass, I misplaced my not-remotely-prized virginity with an older (and bigger) girl who’d come on to me very strongly within the beer tent. How a lot older, I can’t inform you – however sufficiently old to be extremely disillusioned by the brevity of the expertise.”
Apparently, Rod was reasonably nervous and later confessed that the intercourse was over “in a couple of seconds.” Nevertheless, he selected to not reveal that info in ‘Maggie Could‘, the title of which comes from a Liverpudlian folks tune a few Lime Road prostitute. The observe was written whereas Stewart was working with guitarist Martin Quittenton from Steamhammer. The 2 met at Martin’s home in Muswell Hill, London, and began tossing round some concepts. Quittenton got here up with a tough chord development, at which level Stewart started singing the phrases to ‘Maggie Mae’ over an improvised melody. Reminiscences of that night time in 1961 got here flooding again, giving start to this basic observe.
You’ll be able to try Rod Stwart’s remoted vocals for ‘Maggie Could’ above.
