But did he save the whales?

Yes.
Ronnie Wood single handedly saved The Rolling Stones.

He is the reason that we are all here today.
Without him, we would be nothing but a mess of memories.

I like to think that Mick and Keith would have worked out their problems eventually. They were both dealing with their own personal demons and aspirations at the time, which made it impossible for them to get along. Ronnie was helpful, I have no doubt, in easing some of the tension. But, ultimately, it was time and a few hard experiences that took care of their problems, as it usually does.

God only Knows....
B.Wilson

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MacLaurens

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1969Fan
I read Eric Clapton wanted the job after Mick Taylor left, but that his ego prevented him from letting it be known. Eric Clapton and Keith Richards. I wonder where that would have gone?

Interesting! Where did you read that?

I don't recall where I read it... a lot has been written about the Stones over the years...but the article included Keith saying that in 1975 he didn't know Clapton wanted the job. He added that it never would have worked because Eric Clapton is the only guy he knows who's lazier than he is. This surfaced when Clapton brought it up in an interview in the late 1990s - early 2000s...20 or 30 years after the fact.

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Hairball
I recall an interview Charlie saying that Ronnie was a great funny guy, but didn't really add anything musically to the band.
I believe it was in the context of praising Mick Taylor's guitar playing and sudden departure.


Tried to find the interview, but so far no luck.

Yes I recall that too. I think it was a fairly recently posted here and if I recall he praised Taylor for his "lyrical" playing and high level of musicianship and indeed said Ronnie didn't bring anything new to the band, musically speaking. Leave it to Charlie to tell it like it is, Ronnie was probably just too similar to Keith stylistically.

what really saved the Stones is that Mick Jagger's various attempts to launch a successful solo career all failed
(and Ronnie needed a steady job too)

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slewan
what really saved the Stones is that Mick Jagger's various attempts to launch a successful solo career all failed
(and Ronnie needed a steady job too)

interesting to wonder what would have happened if he hadn't returned to the stones and the rest had continued recording, perhaps recruiting a new singer.

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Turner68

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slewan
what really saved the Stones is that Mick Jagger's various attempts to launch a successful solo career all failed
(and Ronnie needed a steady job too)

interesting to wonder what would have happened if he hadn't returned to the stones and the rest had continued recording, perhaps recruiting a new singer.

most likely we'd now discuss what happened if Jagger stayed in the Stones, i.e. what happened if the Stones survived…
(btw: I don't think that they (as a band) would have survived Jagger quitting – usually very few bands are able to replace their lead singer)

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Koen
But did he save the whales?

No, but you know he damn well saved some Bales.

He was good for the Stones when he joined, keeping them going when it looked like they could be falling apart. And his sound was good. But, like his predecessors, his influence dimmed. And, like his predecessors, he almost drugged and drank himself out of a job. Visually he was good for the band after the almost blank presence of Mick Taylor. (Bill already had the cigar store indian persona down).

If Ronnie had left, or faded away, after the '82 tour, the band could have split, or found someone new and become a whole different outfit. I think Ronnie spent some down years in the band, not particularly contributing much memorable. He has made a great comeback in the last few, sober, years and I've learned to appreciate him. When I watched him on the New Jersey Pay Per View a couple years back, he was really burning when put up against some of the whippersnappers.

Yes

yes

maybe

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

I think that Ronnie was important in the Middle 80's , when the 2 big boys really couldn't stand each other

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Koen
But did he save the whales?

Dont know about that...

did ronnie really save the stones?

He sure as hell did last summer.

...too bad Jagger/Richards don't incorporate more of his song ideas...he's come up with some real gems solo...congratulations RW on your continued sobriety...his value to the RS is immeasurable.

Ronnie's sobriety has taken the Stones to a completely new level in my opinion. He has played better than ever during the 50 and Counting/14 On Fire/Zip Code Tour..

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slewan
usually very few bands are able to replace their lead singer)

The Stones definitely aren't.

Wanna know who saved the Stones? Michael COHL!

He made the 89/90 tour super-profitable therefore he made the fragile MJ/KR alliance renewed during the SW sessions strong as steel.

Mick thought : "hey for that much money I can stand Keith's childish behaviour for the next ten years".
Keef thought : "hey for that much money I can stand Mick's childish behaviour for the next ten years".

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MacLaurens
Ronnie's sobriety has taken the Stones to a completely new level in my opinion. He has played better than ever during the 50 and Counting/14 On Fire/Zip Code Tour..

Imagine if he'd clean up his act back around 1980, he might have been highly praised on his own merits rather than always being compared to Mick Taylor.
But you can't change history, nobody's perfect, and most people have demons to deal with at one time or another.
Better late than never, congrats Ronnie...

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Ronnie is da MAN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know if he saved the Stones, but the music got better. Took us back to the original double rhythm thing they had with Brian. In that regard, he saved the integrity.

Funny, just yesterday at the gym Miss You was played on the radio, a song I had not listened to for ages. And it occured to me how great the guitar work actually is, because it's not that easy to come up with great guitar parts on a bass and keyboard driven song. To make one guitar fit in is a good job, to make all these guitars (Jagger, Richards & Wood) fit in like they did, is really fantastic. And I truly believe that Wood has tributed a lot to that approach.