Very nice! I love the Wyman's bass channel with the percussion, fantastic to hear!

The acoustic comes in much earlier than I ever heard, basically from the beginning. I really doubt though that this is Taylor, it sounds much more like a basic track played by Jagger. It's so simple and there's some awkwardness to it that I don't expect from Taylor.

And that sax is to die for!

Mathijs

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TheflyingDutchman

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DandelionPowderman
There it was, thanks!

Probably Taylor on the acoustic. The fast rhythm towards the end is not something Mick would do. Not typical of Keith, either. And, as I've been saying for decades, Keith on electric

Right, must be Richards.

The acoustic seems to be one and the same on the entire track. The rhythm approach differs, which is something Taylor would do.

I tend to believe it's Taylor as well. The outro rhythm changes and higher notes sound like him to me.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2026-06-01 00:33 by TravelinMan.

Schmaltzy song. If any other artist had done this it would be considered a laughable 80’s one hit wonder. An MTV performance and production and product.
Every band has its bottom. This was the beginning of the bottom of The Stones legacy. Thank goodness they pulled themselves out of the grave.

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LHS1977
Schmaltzy song. If any other artist had done this it would be considered a laughable 80’s one hit wonder. An MTV performance and production and product.
Every band has its bottom. This was the beginning of the bottom of The Stones legacy. Thank goodness they pulled themselves out of the grave.

It's easily in the top 10 of Stones tracks.

Mathijs

For me, Waiting on a Friend is one of the Stones’ most gloriously perfect ballads; the chord sequence is simple, yet exquisite, and Mick’s vocals are wonderful. The musicianship, all round, is top-notch. To add to this, the video is easily one of their very finest.

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TheflyingDutchman

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DandelionPowderman
There it was, thanks!

Probably Taylor on the acoustic. The fast rhythm towards the end is not something Mick would do. Not typical of Keith, either. And, as I've been saying for decades, Keith on electric

Right, must be Richards.

The acoustic seems to be one and the same on the entire track. The rhythm approach differs, which is something Taylor would do.

Listened to it a couple of times, and the acoustic is similar to what Jagger played on the 1981 tour. Jagger always plays with a very stiff wrist, moving the pick mainly with his forearm. The faster bit at the outro has that stiff feel.

When those Brown Sugar tracks from Muscle Shoals were released we all noted how the acoustic was way too good to be Jagger, and as it was recorded together with the main electric the acoustic must be Taylor. I miss that here, the acoustic is not professional enough to be Taylor, IMO.

Mathijs



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-06-01 11:56 by Mathijs.

The most intriguing part of these isolated tacks to me is that it changes the perception of the songs. First I thought that Waiting on a friend , the electric guitar was a loop and I couldn't hear an acoustic. On short and curlies I only heard Taylor's slide in the beginning. Once you know it you hear it. Who plays what is not very interesting to me anymore.