Everyone knows the big red tongue that serves as the emblem of the Rolling Stones. It is inspired by that of the Indian goddess Kali, revealed to the “Times of India” Mick Jagger, in Bombay where he attended the Cricket World Cup.
One of the most famous rock band emblems in the world, the Rolling Stones’ famous scarlet tongue, was inspired by the Indian goddess Kali, Mick Jagger told the Indian press.
The British Victoria and Albert Museum, which holds the original work in its collections, describes it as “one of the world’s most instantly recognizable rock and roll symbols.”
The inspiration originated in the figure of the Hindu goddess Kali with her tongue out and red lips, the rock icon told Times of India in an interview published Wednesday. Kali, a goddess with blue skin and four arms, sticking out a long scarlet red tongue, is the Hindu symbol of destruction and time.
“An image that would catch the eye”
“My brother was one of the first to travel to India. He would give me some books to read,” the rock star told the Indian daily in an interview in Bombay. “In 1969, I was looking for an image that would catch the eye, and I saw this image of the tongue of a disembodied Kali,” he continued, according to the newspaper: “I thought it might be an inspiration. Then designer John Pasche created this modernist version of the tongue logo.”
British artist John Pasche was commissioned, for around 50 pounds sterling (57 euros), to create the group’s emblem, Mick Jagger having been seduced by his creations. Two years later, he received an additional 200 pounds in recognition of the success of his iconic language. In 2008, the Victoria and Albert Museum bought the original work from him for 50,000 pounds (57,400 euros).
In Bombay, Mick Jagger went to watch England beat Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup on Saturday. However, he did not share photos of the competition on social networks, but rather a photo of himself standing in front of a statue of Kali.
The Rolling Stones were formed in London in 1962 before becoming the most famous rock group in the world. Last month the band released the album Hackney Diamondsthe first since the death of drummer Charlie Watts in 2019, also the first original studio album since A Bigger Bang in 2005.