Poeple are interesting. Throughout the tour, I would be grabbed by Stone’s fans and asked for my autograph. I, in the very straight looking suit (okay the side burns are scary but at that time they were like today’s tatoo’s…not that unusual to see on a person). I would say that I wasn’t an artist but they would still demand my signature while blocking my way, as I was ‘with the band’. I mention this now because the term Stone’s fans garnered me entree into some very interesting situations. These run from the gamut of being at a table with the major of West Hollywood, the daughter of Xi Jinping, the person that controls the news and TV satellites in China, at party honoring the Governor of the state of Shanghai. It was tradition for the host’s wife to cook the food for all the people. There were over 60 people in the Chinese delegation and the wife and I, and the major as the only none Chinese speaking people. She barbecued lobster and steak. Prior to the party my host took me aside and told me of another tradition. Get the American drunk, so he makes a fool of himself tradition. She knew that at that time I was under doctor’s erroneous orders not to touch a drink of alcohol. She said that she would bring a Scotch bottle over that would be filled with iced tea and that every time people looked over to me and raised their glasses to toast, I should drink the tea. I was also told that every time a glass was lifted to me I was to lift mine to the Governor. The Governor would have to drink and that was good, as the other tradition was that as soon as the boss gets drunk everyone can party. Now for why I was there.. Different people were being introduced to the party and when they came to me, I heard a lot of non understandable, for me, Chinese and the only words I understood were, “Rolling Stones”. Who said you need money?
From that example I will, later, go into some other fans in the same ilk except they were in the Mafia or else they were drug dealers…. That led to many scary adventures..It ‘s the adventures I got from using those words..Rolling Stones more so than Beatles..and I had some adventures there as well..
Later
PS.. when leaving the Chinese party we passed one of the entourage being held up, literally, held up as he was fall down drunk. The embarrassing, fall down drunk people are taken outside the party and leaned against buses to sober up and not embarrass further.
