I just read in the book according to the rolling stones ronnie quoted as saying he kept a notebook of all the bass players who auditioned for the band.
He remarked that he gave them a score out of ten and rated their playing on stones songs and a blues jam at the end of the audition.

Ronnie said the true test as to whether they would fit in the band was offerring each player a guinness upon entry into the rehearsal studio. Apparently, Daryl Jones was the only player who accepted and Ronnie voted for him.

There were two others who made the final Doug Wimbish (I think Mick's pick) and someone Keith was partial to from what I read.

Don't know much about Wimbish or the other person Keith was partial to, however, it would have been great to have been able to witness those rehearsals.

Charlie said he played for what seemed like 9 days but settled on Darryl because of his connection to Miles Davis. When Darryl was preparing to the SW tour, Charlie and he were listening to the original versions of some of the tunes and Charlie amazed at how inventive Bill's bass lines were upon close inspection. He had played with him so long he forgot just how good he was.

Very nice read...

Hmm... interesting. But the last part of your post is a bit confusing. Did you get the names mixed up?

Doug Wimbish is a great player- played on the very funk "Might As Well Get Juiced" from Bridges to Babylon (with Charlie playing along to a loop of Public Enemy's classic 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back' album'!!!).

Wimbish was part of the original Sugarhill Records rhythm section (Grandmaster Flash, et al), with Keith LeBlanc on drums and Skip MacDonald on guitar.

He also still plays in Tackhead with LeBlanc and occasionally Bernard Fowler.

Way too techy for the Stones though.

Busta Cherry Jones was considered as well. Charlie Drayton I'm sure was considered, and is less of a "muso" type than those cats; I think T.M. Stevens also.

But the thing Wyman had/has, is he can split the difference between a very basic "just play for the song" approach, and he also has serious muso capabilities and knowledge.