The Death of Brian Jones

The Wild and Wycked World of Brian Jones

I would like to thank everybody most sincerely for contributing to our forum set up way back in June 2004 to discuss the Stephen Woolley film 'The Wild and Wycked World of Brian Jones'.

Initially we expected the forum to run, at the most, for a couple of weeks and then slowly wind down but to our amazement it's still generating interest and good, solid information - well over a year later! A core of contributors, and you all know who you are, have generated comment from others and the debate has, in certain areas of this convoluted story surrounding Brian's death, been most rewarding. Thank you.

As most will know, the BJFC has been looking into the circumstances surrounding Brian's death for some time now and progress has been made. This forum was initially set up to gather views on Mr Woolley's film after a meeting I had in his London offices in June. At that time the completed script was in pre-production and casting had started. Incidentally the part of Anna Wohlin has recently been reported in the Swedish press as going to blonde actress Tuva Novotny, this in addition to the roles already cast.

In the UK on Friday 22nd October one of our national newspapers, the Daily Mail, printed the following article on 'The Wild and Wycked World of Brian Jones'. Your on-going comments, in light of the article copied below, will again be most welcome.

We've archived the original forum which can be found under the heading 'Original Forum'.

Trevor Hobley

From The Daily Mail – Friday 23rd October 2004 

A Stones Final Bow

Last days: Leo Gregory as Brian Jones.

We are at a rambling house in deepest Surrey. Inside the music room there are a dozen or so expensive vintage guitars, Moroccan artefacts, joss sticks and a general air of debauchery.

This is the isolated world into which Brian Jones retreated when Mick Jagger and Keith Richards sacked him from the Rolling Stones.

Actor Leo Gregory walks by in mustard yellow crushed velvet trousers, florid shirt and a wig that has been carefully designed. He's a mirror image of Jones, but he's giving a performance and not an impersonation.

"You could say that Brian drove them to do it", said director Stephen Woolley, who has been shooting scenes at a house that resembles the one Jones lived in at the time of his death in 1969.

It was Jones who formed the Stones and who, in the early days at least, probably had the purest music sensibility.

"He started using his fame to explore different kinds of music and he was withdrawing more and more from what the other Stones were doing. I suppose Brian will always be the skeleton in the Stones' closet'" adds Woolley, who is making his directing debut.

But 'The Wild And Wycked World Of Brian Jones' isn't really about Mick, Keith and the others. Woolley's focus, and that of the screenplay by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, is on Jones and his strange master-servant relationship with a builder called Frank Thoroughgood, who was at the house when Jones, a good swimmer, was found dead in his swimming pool.

Woolley takes me to his trailer, which is packed with books, memos from private detectives and transcripts of tapes with two women (who he's asked me not to name) who he tracked down and interview about their time with Jones.

"These women were at the house and saw the events that led up to Jones's death", Woolley told me.

For the director, the 1960's have always been a defining decade. Screenwriter Wade believes that Jones's death represented the writing of the cheque that helped pay for the good times of others in that decade.

Producer Finola Dwyer points out a rack of costumes and explains how she has enjoyed watching Mr Gregory flouncing around in an array of Ossie Clark dressing gowns.

Mr Gregory, however, is rather concerned. "In order to play Brian, Leo has lost some of his masculinity", the actor says pointing to himself in case I miss the point. "But if it takes that to play the role the way it needs to be played, then so be it. I'll get my masculinity back when the shooting is over".

Whatever you do, Leo, just don't let it fade away.

This article and photograph and the associated link page are acknowledged to be the property of The Daily Mail and no infringement of copyright is intended
Please add to the Forum by making any points you feel strongly about here - thank you.