In honor of Howlin’ Wolf’s birthday (June 10th, 1910), we here at The Tender Years want to share with you our new single, “Without The Wolf”; a slice of Rock ‘n Roll folklore, social commentary, and yes, a fist-pumping sing-a-long. All proceeds from downloads of the song will go to the folks at Voices For Racial Justice:
voicesforracialjustice.org/who-we-are/
Thanks for your support!
The Story of “Without The Wolf”
Everyone loves a good Rock ‘n’ Roll story. The best ones are those that retain their initial joy, excitement, and relevance despite the passage of time.
In May of 1965, the Rolling Stones were on their second tour of America. “Satisfaction” hadn’t been officially released yet. Perhaps they sensed they were on the cusp of a massive infusion of fame. Perhaps they came to understand the debt they owed to the black R’n’B and blues artists responsible for their incredibly good fortune. Whatever the reason, they were about to do something extraordinary.
Booked onto the show Shindig! they insisted that their idol, Howlin’ Wolf, be added to the program. Network executives were already bristling with disgust at the inclusion of younger, popular, and polished black performers on the show. What the hell were they to think of a giant 55 year-old former sharecropper who sounded like he gargled with battery acid? Yet, the Stones kept insisting until they got their way. After they played their cover of Wolf’s “Little Red Rooster”, The Wolf himself was ready to step before the cameras. One can’t help but marvel at the giddy and impatient fanboy Brian Jones as he cuts off producer Jack Good in mid-sentence, “I think it’s time we shut up and have Howlin’ Wolf on stage!”
The Stones cede the spotlight and sit in complete reverence as Wolf strides to the mic and proceeds to put on a clinic performing his song “How Many More Years?” The kids clap and go nuts and are clearly won over by Wolf’s blazing harmonica and pure showmanship.
When I first saw the clip in high school, courtesy of the Stones documentary “25x5”, I was bowled over at the sheer intensity of the Wolf’s voice. In an era before Youtube, It would be awhile before I saw the whole performance on some bootlegged VHS tape. Over the years, I continued to read up on the performance in different rock books and magazines. The more I learned, the more meaningful it became. My understanding of it as “a cool rock moment” transformed into a “respect your elders and acknowledge your roots” moment. In the last few years, I’ve come to understand this performance as a moment with profound implications in terms of race in America.
Watch the performance again. Though seemingly directing his plaintive scorn at an abusive and uncaring partner, Wolf may as well have been jabbing his massive index finger through the TV screen and into the sternums of white America:
“How many more years have I got to let you dog me around?
I’d soon rather be dead, sleeping six feet underground.”
And here we are in 2022 in the midst of renewed national reckoning on race. What’s past is present and what’s present is past.
For all the decadence, ego, and excess that would come to characterize their career, here are The Rolling Stones - some skinny white boys in their early 20s acting with clarity, humility, and justice. They knew it was right to use their privilege to give the Wolf his due; to ensure that he had a place at the table he himself helped build. They didn’t try to center themselves and act as Wolf’s backing band. They didn’t mug for the cameras. No. They sat down and shut up.
It’s a powerful example and reminder for any of us who fancy ourselves as “Allies”.
-Scott
The Tender Years
Video: Howlin' Wolf on Shindig (1965)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWBS0GX1s9o
released June 10, 2022