From page 132 of The Rolling Stones Chronicle by Massimo Bonanno:

Bill Wyman says (May 1974):
"People ask me why I don't do more on stage. But I'm a bass player, and when I get up there, the only thing that matters to me is bass, whether the ceiling falls in or anything. I have to listen like mad to hear the beat of those drunks over the kids screaming. That's what I play to. I've been in one of the biggest bands in the world for eight years and I've never seen anything near the money people talk and write about. I never wrote any songs, never got any publishing. That's why Brian Jones died broke as he did, owing money."

~Ben (BrianJones1969)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-09-22 02:55 by BrianJones1969.

Am sure you meant .....Brian Jones died broke......, tho.

Didn't he write JJF?

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DandelionPowderman
Didn't he write JJF?

No, that was Ry Cooder...

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owlbynite

Am sure you meant .....Brian Jones died broke......, tho.

Good eagle eye, I fixed it. Must've typed that too fast.

~Ben

"The beat of those drunks"? Fix that too.

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Sipuncula
"The beat of those drunks"? Fix that too.

Maybe he was referring to Ollie Brown and Charlie? Perhaps they were hitting the sauce back then.

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BrianJones1969

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owlbynite

Am sure you meant .....Brian Jones died broke......, tho.

Good eagle eye, I fixed it. Must've typed that too fast.

~Ben

thanks, I was an old editor...our fingers get ahead of us & our feeble eyes play tricks on us. Hey, speaking of Brian & Bill, caught part of Charlie Is My Darling on Direct TV's Audience channel tonite. Wish I'd know sooner it'd be on, would've told the group. Was fun.

well, he could have written something in the last 20 years....thats 2 1/2 more than 8 years.

Wyman sounds rather cynical and 'couldn't care less'. The impression I have got that those years - the last Taylor years - were rather depressing for him, the drugs having such a huge rule, and Jagger running the band rather despote-like. He had departed rather far from the core of the band by then, missing recording sessions, and having started doing his solo records I guess to satisfy his artistic needs, etc. I think things started to be a bit better by the end of the 70's for him, and I have found him being a bit more relaxed, not so bitter, etc. It could be that having easy going Ronnie around, the band going more rhythm oriented direction, including Bill taking more freedoms, having a role there.

- Doxa



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2013-09-22 13:16 by Doxa.

It woulda been difficult being in a band where the principals didn't let you contribute to the writing or even direction of the band.

His solo career didn't actually 'flourish' either.

I wonder if there was some other way during those times that he may have found to release his pent up anxiety and energy?

Thank god he just stood there and played bass. I think we was fading away during the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tour. He'd probably made his mind up to leave and it was getting impossible to hear when you're on stage in a 100,000 seat football stadium, with twice as many musicians on stage than actual Rolling Stones. Timing was his strong point, and he sure knew when to leave.

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24FPS
Thank god he just stood there and played bass. I think we was fading away during the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tour. He'd probably made his mind up to leave and it was getting impossible to hear when you're on stage in a 100,000 seat football stadium, with twice as many musicians on stage than actual Rolling Stones. Timing was his strong point, and he sure knew when to leave.

It was probably easy to hear during the 1989 tour with modern monitor sytems. You can have your monitors set for any mix you want. Micks vocals and charlies drums etc. The toughest time would have been the Jones years.

He was broke because all the money they spent. Yeah many no money in the bank but nice homes cars and things we couldn't dream of.

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treaclefingers
It woulda been difficult being in a band where the principals didn't let you contribute to the writing or even direction of the band.

His solo career didn't actually 'flourish' either.

I wonder if there was some other way during those times that he may have found to release his pent up anxiety and energy?

3,000 Groupies musta helped with the pent up anxiety

Hasn't Bill really hit his stride with his restaurant chain?

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owlbynite
Hasn't Bill really hit his stride with his restaurant chain?

Even in that case he was very inventive by naming the restaurant chain "Sticky Fingers" which I don't think Mick and keith ever have asked royalties.

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leatherjacket

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owlbynite
Hasn't Bill really hit his stride with his restaurant chain?

Even in that case he was very inventive by naming the restaurant chain "Sticky Fingers" which I don't think Mick and keith ever have asked royalties.

Because you can't copyright a title.

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Goldsmith

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leatherjacket

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owlbynite
Hasn't Bill really hit his stride with his restaurant chain?

Even in that case he was very inventive by naming the restaurant chain "Sticky Fingers" which I don't think Mick and keith ever have asked royalties.

Because you can't copyright a title.

They still made a stink about it, didn't they?

Brian was broke but living on the estate of A.A. Milne. And Keith was broke but living in Villa Nellcôte.

Since he quit The Stones he has been nothing but bitter. Never has anything good to say about the band.

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letitloose

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treaclefingers
It woulda been difficult being in a band where the principals didn't let you contribute to the writing or even direction of the band.

His solo career didn't actually 'flourish' either.

I wonder if there was some other way during those times that he may have found to release his pent up anxiety and energy?

3,000 Groupies musta helped with the pent up anxiety

I think you may have read his file.

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More Hot Rocks
Since he quit The Stones he has been nothing but bitter. Never has anything good to say about the band.

He never had anything untruthful to say either. They're not a better band after he left. They're playing the same damn set list they were playing when he split. It's even more about the show now instead of the music. The communication between the members is even more dysfunctional. Mick runs an even tighter ship than before. It's two decades later and it's still the same hack piano man and bass player. Bill's probably bitter that he missed out on the really fat money years. Doesn't he have a house in England, and a house in the South of France? To us he's rich. To him not as rich as he'd like to be.

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24FPS

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More Hot Rocks
Since he quit The Stones he has been nothing but bitter. Never has anything good to say about the band.

He never had anything untruthful to say either. They're not a better band after he left. They're playing the same damn set list they were playing when he split. It's even more about the show now instead of the music. The communication between the members is even more dysfunctional. Mick runs an even tighter ship than before. It's two decades later and it's still the same hack piano man and bass player. Bill's probably bitter that he missed out on the really fat money years. Doesn't he have a house in England, and a house in the South of France? To us he's rich. To him not as rich as he'd like to be.

Even though he might miss the "fat money", but I guess his experience in re-joining his forces with the Stones last year re-secured his feelings that it was a right choice to leave the band at the time. A saddest singular thing that occured during this 50 YEARS AND COUNTING THE FAT MONEY tour, how they screwed up the historical opportunity, and made everyone feel bitter about it afterwards. I understand Wyman's take on it: he seemingly thought - errously and probably nostalgia taking him over as well - that the band actually was a bunch of musicians making noise together, and not totally a show business act gathered together just for the sake of "fat money".

- Doxa

He was cynical and bitter when he was in the Stones as well.

I don't think everyone was bitter because the Stones screwed up anything on this tour, Doxa. Most of us saw this coming. It was a bonus that he even did those two shows.

And I think 24FPS is right when he says "Mick runs an even tighter ship than before", which might have come a surprise to Wyman as well and how cold business-minded the whole band had turned on. Wyman, we need to remember, quit two decades ago, and certain tendencies that surely were always there but already quite strong in 1989/90 - his last activity with the band - just got stronger and stronger as the years go by. It was not a long time ago when Bill still claimed that it is "Keith's band". Taking the fact that he was asked to join the jam sessions in London in late 2011 by Keith, and actually - as he claimed - it was Keith who had promised him a bigger role in the following concerts (the reason why he seems to sound so bitter afterwards), might have still 'fooled' him to think that Keith actually still have a rather strong say in band's doings. I guess the reality check was an eye-opening experience to him, when the band actually started doing something (that is: Jagger took the command when serious business was concerned).

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-09-24 10:15 by Doxa.

Keith didn't promise Bill (or Taylor) a bigger role in anything. It's a rumour that got bigger and bigger along the way.

Neither Bill or Keith said that in any of the interviews.

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DandelionPowderman
He was cynical and bitter when he was in the Stones as well.

I don't think everyone was bitter because the Stones screwed up anything on this tour, Doxa. Most of us saw this coming. It was a bonus that he even did those two shows.

Okay, I guess most of their audiences didn't have any clue who Bill Wyman is, and of those who know I think quite a large percantage just have the "hallelujah" approach to anything the Stones do, since everything is "bonus" at this point.

Bill Wyman was no any "ron wood" during his time with the Stones, but does that make him and his sayings any less important? Yes, he was (occasionally) "cynical and bitter" - see my post concerning the random quote of this thread - but is that the reason to ignore him?

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-09-24 10:24 by Doxa.

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Doxa

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DandelionPowderman
He was cynical and bitter when he was in the Stones as well.

I don't think everyone was bitter because the Stones screwed up anything on this tour, Doxa. Most of us saw this coming. It was a bonus that he even did those two shows.

Okay, I guess most of their audiences didn't have any clue who Bill Wyman is, and of those who know I think quite a large percantage just have the "hallelujah" approach to anything the Stones do, since everything is "bonus" at this point.

Bill Wyman was no any "ron wood" during his time with his time with the Stones, but does that make him and his sayings any less important? Yes, he was (occasionally) "cynical and bitter" - see my post concerning the random quote of this thread - but is that the reason to ignore him?

- Doxa

Was he ignored? I didn't quite get you here...

Of course it would have been fantastic having Bill back for the entire tour - nothing would have been better, imo.

At the same time, there was a reason he quit, and somehow we knew he wouldn't do a full tour because of his fear of flying.

So blaming Mick for this (or Keith) is a bit too easy, imo.

PS: Seeing Bill on IORR and HTW was fantastic. It was like he hadn't been gone at all!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-09-24 10:25 by DandelionPowderman.

Okay, Dandie, so it is all mr. Wyman's own fault (like always). Of course, the saints Mick and Keith can do no wrong, how could I have such doubts? Stupid bitter old man - a "quitter" as the proper Stones fans say - he is; how could have that stupid thought have occurred to him that he could have played more, probably even a full show, with these Gods, and have a decent soundcheck, etc.?

It always amazes how much you tend to see anything in as good light as possible when the 'first rate' Stones are concerned (plus mr. Wood), and seem to belittle anything these 'b-rate' - especially Wyman or Taylor - Stones do or say. Your claim that it would "fantastic" "Wyman back for the "whole tour" sound hypocritical to my ears. And saying that it was due his "fear of flying", as "we" - I don't belong to that group of "us" - knew, sounds terribly naive, imo.

- Doxa



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2013-09-24 10:44 by Doxa.