Designer Reveals The Concept Behind The "Tongue & Lips" Logo And It All Has To Do With Mick Jagger

Here at I’m A Useless Info Junkie we love talking about logos – all of you loyal readers know that already. I mean, so far we’ve covered:

Well, today we look at yet another famous symbol: Rolling Stones’ tongue and lips. We all knew that the designer wanted the logo to scream “anti-authority”, however, what we didn’t know was that the whole concept was based on the legendary Mick Jagger.

The logo was designed by in 1970 by the 24-year old British designer John Pasche and the band was so pleased with the design, they decided to offer him £200 instead of the £50 they initially agreed. Here’s the story as explained by Pasche himself in an interview to The Guardian: (the article continues after the ad)

“Mick had a picture of Kali, the Hindu goddess, which he was very keen on. India was very much in fashion at the time, but I thought something like that might go out of date.”

So, the idea came from one of Mick Jagger’s facial characteristics:

“I wanted something anti-authority, but I suppose the mouth idea came from when I met Jagger for the first time at the Stones’ offices. I went into this sort of wood-panelled boardroom and there he was. Face to face with him, the first thing you were aware of was the size of his lips and his mouth.“

And that was it – the most recognizable symbol in the history of pop/rock music was born! The tongue and lips logo was first used on the inside sleeve of the album Sticky Fingers (1971) and it has been used ever since:

The original design (pictured above) was sold in 2008 to London’s “Victoria and Albert Museum”, which lodged a winning bid of $92,500.

If you like what you read, then you will definitely love this one: Apple Logo Designer Reveals Why The Logo Has A Bite

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Sarah W. / Flickr
Photoshop: I’m A Useless Info Junkie
Sources: Wealth and taste: V&A buys original Rolling Stones logo | Rolling Stones’ ‘Tongue’ logo returns to London