Have any of you seen one of Mick Taylor's solo gigs? What was his response to fans who requested Stones material or who in any way demonstrated any kind of enthusiasm for the Stones? I've got a few stories. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours.

I can certainly understand why the guy might be a little bitter, but why take it out on the very people who are most interested in supporting his career?

I met him after the Mayall show in Belfast in October.

He was perfectly affable, signed all of my Stones Cds that he'd played on which I brought along to get autographed, signed whatever anyone put in front of him and was happy to pose for photos and indulge in conversation with fans

I saw him locally in a pub in Gloucestershire a few years back (gotta be abit of a downer) and he didn't give a toss...shame really!

This thread could get interesting......

Guess he can have good and bad anyone like anyone else.

"'ll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

I'll show mine, if you'll show yours

Yeah but is it worth it???

Only time I saw him "react" was when a drunk fan blurted out:

"Why did you quit the Stones" at one of Mick's Meet & Greet's after a show,
Mick got up and left. Every other time he has signed any Stones related
material put in front of him, heard him ask: Am I on that one?
and on his last tour of Canada when someone has him sign a Stones Album
he mentioned: I'm going to play with the guys in England soon.....
alot of Taylor fans where at that Gig but it didn't come off.

MLC

Gazza Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I met him after the Mayall show in Belfast in
> October.
>
> He was perfectly affable, signed all of my Stones
> Cds that he'd played on which I brought along to
> get autographed, signed whatever anyone put in
> front of him and was happy to pose for photos and
> indulge in conversation with fans

Last time I saw him (Detroit, 2001) we were told that he would not sign any Stones items. As it turned out, he DID sign them, but he did not look happy about it. The only time he even looked up was when I held out a vinyl copy of "Mick Taylor", the only non-Stones item anyone brought him that night. When I told him I was looking forward to seeing him again, he said he would never play the states again. He said from now on he would only play in Europe. He posed for one photo with a fan, but had a look on his face that said "I have no idea who this person is and I wish I could just get the hell out of here". Then he, his band, and all their equipment departed in one tiny Budget mini-van.

Tatters- You never know what your gonna get with this guy, very moody....
but alot of the "greats" are quirkey... he toured Canada after 2001 so....

If the Stones asked him to come along and play some gigs in N. America, he'd
be there in a flash!!!! MLC

MCDDTLC Wrote:
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> Only time I saw him "react" was when a drunk fan
> blurted out:
>
> "Why did you quit the Stones" at one of Mick's
> Meet & Greet's after a show,
> Mick got up and left. Every other time he has
> signed any Stones related
> material put in front of him, heard him ask: Am I
> on that one?
> and on his last tour of Canada when someone has
> him sign a Stones Album
> he mentioned: I'm going to play with the guys in
> England soon.....
> alot of Taylor fans where at that Gig but it
> didn't come off.
>
> MLC


Well, of course a question like that is going to drive him insane. It remains open to debate whether or not he really DID quit the Stones. It's pretty well known that Keith wanted Woody in the band before Mick "quit". I think that like a lot of people who leave their jobs to "pursue other opportunities", Taylor was forced out in some sort of quit-or-be-fired deal for which he probably received some sort of compensation.

Like I said, you can't blame the guy for being a little bitter. He would be worth $100 million today if he was still a Stone. He's reminded of that fact every time someone thrusts a copy of Exile under his nose and asks him to sign it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-05-12 19:04 by tatters.

"It remains open to debate whether or not he really DID quit the Stones. It's pretty well known that Keith wanted Woody in the band before Mick 'quit'. I think that like a lot of people who leave their jobs to 'pursue other' opportunities', Taylor was forced out in some sort of quit-or-be-fired deal for which he probably received some sort of compensation." (tatters)

Sounds reasonable, but "pretty well known" is maybe a little exaggerated. I´ve read at least some 25-30 books on the Stones during the latest year & this is seldom or never really investigated as I got it.

Very clear explanation though why Taylor may sense bitterness, at least at times. Not all of his venues are as fashionable as the Stones are... Sleeky bars in the outback of Sweden & Finland. Nice but not jet-set life, which he could have enjoyed ("You can have the money, pal!" would have been a smasher of a quote if Keef had said that to Taylor instead). Anyway; he wouldnt have become rich as the Glimmers, as we know they dont give sing writing credits so easy... Its like squeezing money from a solid granite mountain. But still rich.

I hope & believe they´ll invite the good ol Taylor for several occasions during the tour. No sources, just the beer belly feeling.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2006-01-24 21:10 by Baboon Bro.

He was very nice to me and a friend a few years ago. After a show he let us come on the tour bus and signed a Stones jacket for me. I asked him if he minded first and he said he was fine with it. It is displayed/framed proudly on my office wall! He and his band were very friendly and chatted about music and non-music stuff and were not rushing us off the bus or anything. I found him very accomodating and it was a real thrill. When I think back to being a teenager and watching Ladies and Gentleman and then chatting with him on his tour bus it seemed surreal.

I always thought he was lucky to get out alive....
They have made a a few people meet thier maker

georgeV Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> He was very nice to me and a friend a few years
> ago. After a show he let us come on the tour bus
> and signed a Stones jacket for me. I asked him if
> he minded first and he said he was fine with it.
> It is displayed/framed proudly on my office wall!
> He and his band were very friendly and chatted
> about music and non-music stuff and were not
> rushing us off the bus or anything. I found him
> very accomodating and it was a real thrill. When I
> think back to being a teenager and watching Ladies
> and Gentleman and then chatting with him on his
> tour bus it seemed surreal.

At one gig I attended, after a particularly ferocious jam, someone yelled out "Yeah! Put yer leather jacket on!" The way Taylor's face fell, you would have thought someone had called for "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". Later, in the tour bus, there he was, sitting in the back, with a leather jacket over his head! He had, literally, put his leather jacket on .... but in such a way as to make any kind of interaction with his fans difficult to say the least!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-05-12 20:41 by tatters.

He´s a poor guy in a dilemma situation. People come to his concerts because he was in the Stones, but he wants to be respected for his solo career. But what career? There is none. The guy would have been on the dole for 30 years if he would not once have been a stone...

I've had the good fortune to meet him on several occasions and he has never been anything less than a perfect gentleman.

wawijr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I always thought he was lucky to get out
> alive....
> They have made a a few people meet thier maker

Yeah, "they"... And H.

Mick doesn't like talking about the Stones particuarly although i did chat to him about some of the songs and the bootlegs from his era - he seemed fine at that
point but when i suggested the Stones have never been the same since he left he completely ignored me.

I hope this thread was initiated with good intentions and not to slander him in any way.
I met Mick in Toronto, Canada on his gig here in Aug 2003 at the 360 Club. I had him sign just a photo of him, no stones material. I did ask him about Brian Jones & he was perfectly ok discussing Brian, very respectful and it was a pleasure to meet him & talk to him. He was also kind enough to take a photo and signed for others as well. It was a great show and got me interested in buying his solo albums. I can perfectly understand how Mick would have mixed feelings about the stones or feel bitter! They jipped him. Tattered, he has been "shit shat & shit on" by the stones as the song goes. I also think people focus too much on his music with the stones, and not enough on his solo material or the many greats he's played with since leaving the stones. That must be incredibly frustrating!! To me he has alot of integrity and deserves alot of respect for doing the music he wants without selling out.

Wijr, yes good point!

[www.angelfire.com]

[p207.ezboard.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-05-12 21:44 by Miss U..

Baboon - Where did you hear that Keith wanted him out so he could get Ronnie in??? What a joke, another line from Keith I'm sure so he wouldn't have to admit
he screwed Taylor out of song-writing credits for the many songs Jagger & Taylor worked out with Keith MIA. Wayne Perkins (refered to the Stones by Clapton when he heard Taylor quit, was given the impression by Keith that he was "in" until
Ronnie showed up to try out. Line was he offered to (help-out), Ronnie didn't
offically become a "Stone" until the 90's. Offical line out of the Stones
camp 1970 - 1990's was Ronnie was a Friend helping out, be that a high-priced
friend. Ronnie even states in a interview on one of the old Stones VHS recordings
that he was at Robert Stigwood's party the night Taylor "handed in his resignation" - Jagger turned to Ronnie and said; "do you want to join - Taylor's serious.

Ronnie said: In a minute but I'm in the Faces, Jagger said; Well I don't want
to break that up but don't know what to do... and obviously the Faces were
broken up (wonder if Jagger & Rod Stewart are on speaking terms)??

MLC

I've met Mick three times and he has always been very nice. I'm a musician and I have talked to him about his influences and how his playing has influenced me. He has signed Stones albums and taken photos with people and as long as someone is respectful, I don't think he has a problem with it. If you blurt out "Why did you leave the Stones?" I think you can expect a negative reaction.

I have seen him waving away (with both hands!) someone who was waving a copy of Sticky Fingers in his face in the early 90s at a New York club. I think it's very difficult for any musician who is confronted with fans who favor one period of his oeuvre over what he is doing now. I do agree that his solo output has been sporadic and some of his best work was done on Stones' albums. However, he is still one of the best blues/rock guitarists I have heard.

Miss U. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hope this thread was initiated with good
> intentions and not to slander him in any way.
> I met Mick in Toronto, Canada on his gig here in
> Aug 2003 at the 360 Club. I had him sign just a
> photo of him, no stones material. I did ask him
> about Brian Jones & he was perfectly ok
> discussing Brian, very respectful and it was a
> pleasure to meet him & talk to him.

So what did he have to say about Brian?

Taylor's work on his two solo records is better or just as good as EC work
after he left Cream.Clapton the last 20 years put out a MTV Unplugged
as his crown jewell.


Slow Blues
Spanish A Minor
Giddy Up
Twisted Sister
Secret Affair
Losing My Faith
Late At Night
Baby I Want You
Blind Willie

His guitar work on carla olson's within an ace is great and his guitar work
on Joe Henry's Murders Crow is glistening as well as all his other collaboration
work he has done since he left the stones.

Net to mention all his live boots out their since he left the stones.

No way I can be considered a devoted fan of "boring" EC, but he did do something more than MTV unplugged after he quit cream. Just to name one, Layla (although slightly more than 20 years old) was one hell of a double LP!

C

Smokey Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> So what did he have to say about Brian?
>
>


He said he never knew him personally but commented about Brian getting a guitar from John Mayall's studio etc. Brief conversation, can't remember it all.

[p207.ezboard.com]

Sorry to say I despise Layla. Eric Clapton was best in his early blues material. You can put Layla right next to Taking Care of Business, You Aint Seen Nothing Yet, My Sharona, Jack n Diane and every other shitty tune ever played on FM radio. Total crap. I'm saddened by EC's career. I have an LP called White Boy Blues. I'd be happy to digitize it and put a few tracks up for download.

Drake,

Are you referring to the original version of Layla? One of the most gut-wrenching blues-rock songs ever (IMO) Pure raw emotion - total despair ofer the unrequieted love of his best friend's wife! A searing riff melting into dreamlike piano hangover! The whole Layla album is white-boy blues at it's nastiest. My favorite Clapton, with Duane as a bonus kicking it into overdrive!

Now, if you are refering to the lounge jazz version from Unplugged, I totally agree! Pure shit version of a once great song! (again, IMO).

But, this is an Mick Taylor thread, so... I saw MT at Jack Leggs in Nashville a few years back and he was quite approachable! He signed my "Mick Taylor" cd cover, but didnt say much.

I acquired a soundboard recording of that show some years later and it is as good as I remembered it. Tasteful stuff!

Ross

Someone on this thread said that it's difficult to acknowledge Mick Tayor for his solo career- and that's the truth, in my opinion. People go to his concerts because h e used to be a member of the Stones. There are some people that think his songwriting&singing is great (OpenG, MLC), but it's a fact that this isn't true. And I think that it's hard for him to realize that his career didn't work out as he would have liked.
I'm not questioning Mick's guitar skills, but that's just not enough to be a star.
I feel sorry for him - he now has to play little bars in the backyards of Europe.
No wonder he doesn't like to talk about the Stones that much.

He is a good example of a highly skilled musician who took the wrong step in his career. As a studio musician he would've been great - as a solo artist he failed.
That's a fact.

Again, I'm not questioning his skills - I loved what he did with the Stones - Time Waits For No One is one of my all-time favourite songs. And I'm sure he is a nice guy. But I'm sure he wanted to be more than that - and unfortunatley it didn't work out...

met taylor few years back in ac,a gem of a guy.could not have been more polite,great guitarist class act.

john scialfa

Miss U. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Smokey Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > So what did he have to say about Brian?
> >
> >
>
>
> He said he never knew him personally but commented
> about Brian getting a guitar from John Mayall's
> studio etc. Brief conversation, can't remember it
> all.
>
>


Thanks for the follow up. Did Mick say whether he ever met or jammed with Brian?

Did he discuss Brian's musicianship?