The great Billy Preston died six years ago on June 6. His enormous contribution to the Rolling Stones often goes unheralded, and I'm posting this to remind Stones fans that a couple of the Stones best albums wouldn't be quite as good without Billy Preston. His soulfulness and technical expertise around R&B and gospel music enrinched the Stones' sound greatly.

After Mick Taylor left the band in 1974, Preston carried a lot of his weight on the Stones next album, "Black and Blue," for which all Stones fans should be grateful.

Billy Preston's contributions to the Rolling Stones:

Sticky Fingers: "Can't You Hear Me Knockin," "I Got the Blues"

Exile on Main Street: "Shine a Light"

Goats Head Soup: "100 Years Ago," "Heartbreaker"

It's Only Rock 'n Roll: "If You Can't Rock Me," "Aint Too Proud to Beg," "Fingerprint File"

Black and Blue: "Hot Stuff," "Hand of Fate," "Cherry Oh Baby," "Memory Motel," "Hey Negrita," "Melody" (liner notes say this song was "inspired by Billy Preston"; probably he co-wrote it), "Fool to Cry," "Crazy Mama"

Love You Live: All songs

Some Girls: "Miss You" (Preston may have been entitled to a co-writing credit on this one too)

Wandering Spirit (Jagger album): All songs

Bridges to Babylon: "Saint of Me"

i still cant believe that billys gone.he was such a talent and so vital to the band.your post brings home how much he contributed to the stones
pietro,i really thank you for that.

he co-wrote miss you with mick but jagger had to give half the credit to keith because of their agreement.some girls mach 1 [black and blue]was a mick/billy/ronnie record from start to finish.

and he was so fun on the 75 tour,played 2 songs while mick rested!!

r.i.p. billy

That's the way, god planned it....

this is the Billy I remember...a big smile (and a big hair) and a superb musician....



R.I.P. Billy Preston

I also have thoughts of sympathy for Billy Preston.
he was a great musician and it's true that he brought a lot to the Band.
Hats off !

Preston didn't co-write Miss You. Jagger had written Miss You over a four to the floor drum beat by Preston, and Preston mentioned playing octaves to Wyman. Great inspiration, but it does not earn you any writing credits.

Mathijs

Six years ago, where does that time get to?

Nice one to remember, Pietro.

That's Billy Preston on organ with the Stones back in 1965



[www.youtube.com]

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mitchflorida1
That's Billy Preston on organ with the Stones back in 1965



[www.youtube.com]

No. As explained to you in another post some time ago: Preston played before the Stones, not with the Stones, and the Stoens mime over a pre-recorded track.

Mathijs

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Pietro
The great Billy Preston died six years ago on June 6. His enormous contribution to the Rolling Stones often goes unheralded, and I'm posting this to remind Stones fans that a couple of the Stones best albums wouldn't be quite as good without Billy Preston. His soulfulness and technical expertise around R&B and gospel music enrinched the Stones' sound greatly.

After Mick Taylor left the band in 1974, Preston carried a lot of his weight on the Stones next album, "Black and Blue," for which all Stones fans should be grateful.

Billy Preston's contributions to the Rolling Stones:

Sticky Fingers: "Can't You Hear Me Knockin," "I Got the Blues"

Exile on Main Street: "Shine a Light"

Goats Head Soup: "100 Years Ago," "Heartbreaker"

It's Only Rock 'n Roll: "If You Can't Rock Me," "Aint Too Proud to Beg," "Fingerprint File"

Black and Blue: "Hot Stuff," "Hand of Fate," "Cherry Oh Baby," "Memory Motel," "Hey Negrita," "Melody" (liner notes say this song was "inspired by Billy Preston"; probably he co-wrote it), "Fool to Cry," "Crazy Mama"

Love You Live: All songs

Some Girls: "Miss You" (Preston may have been entitled to a co-writing credit on this one too)

Wandering Spirit (Jagger album): All songs

Bridges to Babylon: "Saint of Me"

I didn't know Preston played on all songs. I thought it was Out Of Focus only?

Billy Preston and not to forget Ollie Brown. Ollie is a huge part of what makes 1975 sound great. Maybe the most underrated in the band. Billy's dirty sound on everything he touched in the Stones catalogue is gold. He was great and I never understood why some fans seem to hate him. If Nicky was the diamonds on the Stones muddy ground then Billy is the gold. Chuck is the landlord.

And noone has to answer that with posting some clip of Billys solo act in on the 75/76 tours, Stones wanted him to do that and I think its cool and part of the 70s Stones.

Billy was a gospel/rock magician. A sleuth always finding the right groove to lock onto. And another inspiration from The Beatles. George hanging with Billy and introducing him to Keith and the two of them playing on That's the Way God Planned It. An explosive hunk of gospel/funk/rock. It explodes with an energy and enthusiasm that oozes passion. His work with The Stones was masterful. And his props were such that The Stones even let him be part of their stage show playing his solo work. Pretty amazing for a group that was riding the highest wave of rock superstardom to back him. They always had such great taste in their support acts, and then to move to have him in the band and play his own stuff was a stamp of inspiration. Yeah, sure he did over play on a few things, such as his intro to Gimme Shelter, but he was a showman and always looked for ways to add to songs. From his sublime key work, to his soulful voice. He is truly missed.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-06-12 15:10 by whitem8.

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Redhotcarpet
Billy Preston and not to forget Ollie Brown. Ollie is a huge part of what makes 1975 sound great. Maybe the most underrated in the band. Billy's dirty sound on everything he touched in the Stones catalogue is gold. He was great and I never understood why some fans seem to hate him. If Nicky was the diamonds on the Stones muddy ground then Billy is the gold. Chuck is the landlord.

And noone has to answer that with posting some clip of Billys solo act in on the 75/76 tours, Stones wanted him to do that and I think its cool and part of the 70s Stones.

He was great indeed, but I think many of the fans didn't like his synth-squeaks on songs like Midnight Rambler and Brown Sugar.

No doubt, he was a truly gifted musician.

I think he sounded great on the '73 European tour - a little over the top on '75 / '76

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DandelionPowderman

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Pietro
The great Billy Preston died six years ago on June 6. His enormous contribution to the Rolling Stones often goes unheralded, and I'm posting this to remind Stones fans that a couple of the Stones best albums wouldn't be quite as good without Billy Preston. His soulfulness and technical expertise around R&B and gospel music enrinched the Stones' sound greatly.

After Mick Taylor left the band in 1974, Preston carried a lot of his weight on the Stones next album, "Black and Blue," for which all Stones fans should be grateful.

Billy Preston's contributions to the Rolling Stones:

Sticky Fingers: "Can't You Hear Me Knockin," "I Got the Blues"

Exile on Main Street: "Shine a Light"

Goats Head Soup: "100 Years Ago," "Heartbreaker"

It's Only Rock 'n Roll: "If You Can't Rock Me," "Aint Too Proud to Beg," "Fingerprint File"

Black and Blue: "Hot Stuff," "Hand of Fate," "Cherry Oh Baby," "Memory Motel," "Hey Negrita," "Melody" (liner notes say this song was "inspired by Billy Preston"; probably he co-wrote it), "Fool to Cry," "Crazy Mama"

Love You Live: All songs

Some Girls: "Miss You" (Preston may have been entitled to a co-writing credit on this one too)

Wandering Spirit (Jagger album): All songs

Bridges to Babylon: "Saint of Me"

I didn't know Preston played on all songs. I thought it was Out Of Focus only?

Correct not on all songs.

to get a shout-out by the great sam cooke (on his definitive recording of little red rooster) while still a young teen portended greatness in his future....

Billy is as essential to me as Nicky Hopkins, Bobby Keys.....he's a major part of that period of Stones for me.
His enthusiasm, despite his personal demons, seemed to really invigorate Mick on the 73,75 tours....they seemed to be having fun.
One of my dissapointments about Stones in Exile was that there no mention of Billy at all as a catalyst to the sound of Shine A Light.
Just listen to that song: Billy's gospel piano gave/gives the song its heart.
He also provided that same vibe on OUt of Focus. Jagger obviously wanted that same gospel vibe on that song and called Billy.
It's one of Jagger's best, with or without the Stones and Billy was a big reason why.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-06-13 03:55 by stupidguy2.

I love Billy Preston. Someone mentioned Ollie Brown. If you want to get in touch just dial: [www.olliewoodestates.com]

Anyone ever listened to his live in Europe in 73 album? MT supposedly plays guitar on it.

Go Dawgs!

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nankerphlege
Anyone ever listened to his live in Europe in 73 album? MT supposedly plays guitar on it.

supposedly? he was in the band...god's squad...opened for the stones on the '73 tour.

The two Apple albums were excellent, but the Motown stuff with Syreeta not so.

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Pietro
The great Billy Preston died six years ago on June 6. His enormous contribution to the Rolling Stones often goes unheralded, and I'm posting this to remind Stones fans that a couple of the Stones best albums wouldn't be quite as good without Billy Preston. His soulfulness and technical expertise around R&B and gospel music enrinched the Stones' sound greatly.

After Mick Taylor left the band in 1974, Preston carried a lot of his weight on the Stones next album, "Black and Blue," for which all Stones fans should be grateful.

Billy Preston's contributions to the Rolling Stones:

Sticky Fingers: "Can't You Hear Me Knockin," "I Got the Blues"

Exile on Main Street: "Shine a Light"

Goats Head Soup: "100 Years Ago," "Heartbreaker"

It's Only Rock 'n Roll: "If You Can't Rock Me," "Aint Too Proud to Beg," "Fingerprint File"

Black and Blue: "Hot Stuff," "Hand of Fate," "Cherry Oh Baby," "Memory Motel," "Hey Negrita," "Melody" (liner notes say this song was "inspired by Billy Preston"; probably he co-wrote it), "Fool to Cry," "Crazy Mama"

Love You Live: All songs

Some Girls: "Miss You" (Preston may have been entitled to a co-writing credit on this one too)

Wandering Spirit (Jagger album): All songs

Bridges to Babylon: "Saint of Me"

Don't forget LA Friday!

Preston also plays some great piano on Johnny Cash's Personal Jesus

Agreed Tom. Pinetop Perkins would have been proud of that blues piano on that track.

Go Dawgs!

Seen him live in Rotterdam @ a Jazz Festival.

Great Show!!!

I have NEVER let this track play without having me put it on repeat two or three more times.

The Stones did fine with the release of L.A. Friday.
A big honour to Billy. When i was young, I didn`t like his contribution on the
75/76-tour very much, but now I do. He's gone but not forgotten. His music lives on every day.

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MuddyJaggrich
His music lives on every day.

...every time you hear "Get Back" on the radio.

And the much less familiar studio version is every bit as good.