Picture this. Mick Taylor has just resigned from the Stones, and the Stones immediately begin a talent search for the greatest rock and roll band in the world. After auditioning quite a few guitarists, the Stones have narrowed the choice to Wood or Perkins. The Stones will make the final decision but want to ask about a hundred hard core fans (we at iorr.org) who should join the group on a permanent basis. Whom would you recommend? Let us further suppose that Keith wants you to tell him why Wood or Perkins is the better choice.

Wood is a known celebrity, having played with the Faces for years. But Perkins' solo work on Hand of Fate is awesome. I would pick Ronnie. But then again I know little about Perkins other than the work on Hand of Fate. Wheatever happenned to Perkins anyway?

Mick Ronson.

What about the solo on Worried About You? I'd take that any day over Hand of Fate. But no, Ronnie was well-suited for the Stones lifestyle. Ronnie also wasn't born in Alabama, which probably helped.

I am not a fan of Ronnie's work with the Stones. Perkins sounded great on the 2 songs he played on, and I have heard his work with others and it's stellar.....but...could he handle the egos in the Stones....deal with the tours and all that goes with being in what was, at that time, The Greatest Rock N Roll Band in the World? Very hard to say.

But I think he would have contributed in many of the ways Mick Taylor did - sitting back and playing his ass off. Pushing and elevating Keith's playing, instead of being the class clown that Ronnie is.

According to Keith's new book, Ronnie's edge was that he was English. I remember them saying that at the time as well. Good or bad, nationality played a large part in the decision.

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71Tele
According to Keith's new book, Ronnie's edge was that he was English.

I remember that as well, and I think he mentions that back on 25x5, but IMO, it's an easy way of saying Perkins just didn't have the "look."

I hate to say it, but the Stones are as much about appearance as they are about the music.
It's what sells, along with their outrageous behavior over the years.

Perkins has a rather average look, from what I remember, and Stu actually was removed from the lineup mostly for this reason.
Perkins's name doesn't sound very "edgy" as well. Would he have had to change his last name as Bill did years earlier?

It's a shame really, and even discriminatory if playing for the Stones is considered a "real" job, but I'm certain Mick & Keith had these things in mind when making the decision.

It's the grim reality of "show biz."

So it helped that Ronnie wasn't a European-American?

wayne perkins!

Perkins

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I might say Perkins, because I'm a huge Ronnie Wood fan. If not stuck in the stones, where he is underutilized, he might have had greater solo album output/tours in his prime. Maybe have even started a new band after the Faces.

We might be missing Some Girls, however.

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Edith Grove

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71Tele
According to Keith's new book, Ronnie's edge was that he was English.

I remember that as well, and I think he mentions that back on 25x5, but IMO, it's an easy way of saying Perkins just didn't have the "look."

I hate to say it, but the Stones are as much about appearance as they are about the music.
It's what sells, along with their outrageous behavior over the years.

Perkins has a rather average look, from what I remember, and Stu actually was removed from the lineup mostly for this reason.
Perkins's name doesn't sound very "edgy" as well. Would he have had to change his last name as Bill did years earlier?

It's a shame really, and even discriminatory if playing for the Stones is considered a "real" job, but I'm certain Mick & Keith had these things in mind when making the decision.

It's the grim reality of "show biz."

I agree, and musician-wise, I would say Perkins, but at this point, I just can't imagine them without Ronnie. He was the perfect choice overall, he looked more like a Rolling Stone than they did. But I think it killed him as a musician.

I think Ronnie is a great guitarist, some of what I've heard on the Faces records I think is excellent, as good a guitar playing, on it's own level, as I've heard anywhere. But something about being Keith's second banana and (musical)sidekick ruined him. I think he still has the ability, especially when sober, but being in the Rolling Stones has not been good for him, both musically, and health-wise.

I'm not all that familiar with the Faces, so there are still times when I will hear something from them that is new to me, and knowing that Ronnie was the only guitar player, I'll think to myself, "That's Ronnie? What the hell happened with him, why doesn't he play like this now?". I think it's because the Stones muted his abilities, made him their court jester, and with Ronnie's good-time personality, he all too willingly let it happen.

Wayne barely looked the part even back then, and although the Stones love playing with guys from the American south, he didn't really fit in. I think that was a major issue, especially with Keith. Ronnie looked and acted the part from day one, but the box the Stones put him in, just didn't work for him as a musician. I think the same thing happened eventually with Mick Taylor. Unlike Ronnie, he was brought in as a full member, if I'm not mistaken, and I think he was initially led to believe he'd be able to contribute more and more as time went on. When that didn't happen so easily, especially when it came to getting proper credits for his contributions, he left. After that, I think Jagger and Keith wanted the next guy to just play guitar and keep his yap shut.

That probably would have worked fine with Wayne, he was use to being a sideman, a hired gun who does as he's told and doesn't expect anything more. But it eventually killed Ronnie as a musician with his own unique identity.

Ronnie sounded just as good as Perkins did in 75/76, Just listen to the tour recordings.

They definitely made the right choice, imo.

slowhand ERIC CLAPTON

Ron Wood was the right choice
Until 1983 his work was brilliant, innovative, very different from those virtuosos never ending soloists tha did'nt fit by the end of the 70s.

Bonamassa could be the right choice for 2010

Wood wasn't apt to be a Rolling Stone: no character, not the kind of guitarist they needed. His only advantage was being English. But hey, there was only one Mick Taylor, the perfect fit in any sense. I'm glad they had him during 5 years, doing the best tours and the making the best albums.

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The Greek
slowhand ERIC CLAPTON

So you want The Boring Stones?

Something tells me that "Taylor vs. Perkins" threads on this board would have been less loaded with controversy than "Taylor vs. Wood" ones...

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skipstone

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The Greek
slowhand ERIC CLAPTON

So you want The Boring Stones?

That's only funny because it's true

Fred Flinstone or Barney Rubble?

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kleermaker
Wood wasn't apt to be a Rolling Stone: no character, not the kind of guitarist they needed. His only advantage was being English. But hey, there was only one Mick Taylor, the perfect fit in any sense. I'm glad they had him during 5 years, doing the best tours and the making the best albums.

You shouldn't take Keith too literally

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carlostones10
Fred Flinstone or Barney Rubble?

close call ... they both rock

Stupid question.

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Amsterdamned
Stupid question.

actually, since it was between 1 or the other, it's a great question ... what we have compared to what might have been. i much prefer ronnie myself.

Taylor was a brilliant choice after Brian cause who knowed about him? Ronnie Wood were Faces very well-known guitarist...wrong choice.

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Wayne who?

Perkins!

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Come On
Taylor was a brilliant choice after Brian cause who knowed about him? Ronnie Wood were Faces very well-known guitarist...wrong choice.

Taylor & Wood were both in well-known bands before the Stones - and in each case neither was the main member and were both not too well known at the time ... not to mention, what the f_ck would well-known have to do w/ anything?

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Come On
Taylor was a brilliant choice after Brian cause who knowed about him? Ronnie Wood were Faces very well-known guitarist...wrong choice.

Watch out, some people killed for less after a 1000 posts & explanations.

Wayne was never going to be more than a session musician...his output before and since have proved that. I feel the same about Taylor. He got lucky when the Stones hired him. He elevated their music in session as he was meant to, but never played the part of a Rolling Stone. Ronnie Wood is a Rolling Stone and an obvious choice for stage presence and personality....

Just watching the DVD of Ladies & Gentlemen reminded me of what a statue Taylor was...its like having a 2nd Bill Wyman up there...how boring. Expanding on Edith Grove's thoughts, Ronnie plays well and puts on a show on and off the stage. Thats a Stone.

Did Perkins have any stage presence? I have never seen him live.