I've stumbled across this article Bangor Daily News
in which is suggested that some women were auditioning to replace Bill on bass.
Now, since there are no specifications in this article, I have the impression it's just
some gossip. Still, my imagination runs wild. Who might have been the lucky ones?
Debby Hastings maybe? She played with Bo Diddley at the time and might have been introduced
by Ronnie, who got to play with her on Diddleys tour in 1988?

Anyway, I don't remember much about auditions at the time. Nor did many rumours about
candidates come to my ear. Has anyone more information, about which bass players were
considered at the time?

Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away

Wow, this is cool... My local newspaper. I write a blog for the BDN (http://gale.bangordailynews.com/) ... I was in college right next door to Bangor when this article came out, and I remember some of the rumors about who was auditioning. I remember hearing something about NRBQ. When they chose Darryl, I thought, jeez, he can probably play anything... I was disappointed they did not present him as an actual "member" of the Rolling Stones, but chose instead to promote the band as a four-piece, which is just not accurate. Why not just make Darryl a band member, put him in the photos, etc? Ridiculous. Anyway, thanks for posting. Ah, the 90's.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-03-17 15:01 by Tate.

After 40 years as a working unit they would never offer full membership to somebody after three days of playing with him. The Stones are M, K, R, C - no one could or will ever join this exclusive club of old english gentlemen.

I never thought that they are going to replace Wyman as "full band member", always thought they´d carry on with a "hired gun". Once there were five, then there were four. That´s the line-up.

And Darryl isn´t even british. He isnt even white. He isnt even skinny. No way that he could ever get full-member status. And last, not least it´s about the money.

I'm still waiting for Mick and Keith to give me a call for the bass-work in Stones..I know their songs like a dolphin knows how to swim...and Boy, do I Swing!



2 1 2 0

Precisely the attitude I take issue with, HMS. "The Stones are M,K,R,C," ...and a bass player. Because the Rolling Stones are a band with a bass player. MT replaced BJ, and RW replaced MT. Who cares if DJ is not British or white?! He was hired, just like MT and RW, so he's in the band, right? He plays on the albums, he plays on the tours. He should be a band member. It's one thing if he's paid less, as a newer member who hasn't been part of the initial 30+ years, but have the decency to put him on the album covers and tour promo pics, etc.

Now I suppose it is possible he just didn't want to have anything to do with that... that he likes being a session guy and touring guy and not tied to being "a Rolling Stone."

This has probably been discussed five or six times here before, since it's been 22 years.... but it still kinda bugs me, and it will until I hear an explanation that makes more sense.

Quote
Come On
I'm still waiting for Mick and Keith to give me a call for the bass-work in Stones..I know their songs like a dolphin knows how to swim...and Boy, do I Swing!

they got someone.

hate to break it to you..

They obvsiously took the decision to not officially replace Bill Wyman. Technically speaking, the Rolling Stones do not have a bassist as a member. Darryl Jones is a hired-hand; a member of their touring ensemble. His role is a primary one, yet ultimately, he's in no different a position to Bernard Fowler and Chuck Leavell.

I agree with Tate. In fact, the fact that Darryl was not made a full member of the band is actually a sign that the Stones are not really a band anymore, they are an act. A band is a group of people playing together, filling up the basic roles of any rock n roll band: singer, guitar, bass, drums. Additionally, you might add extras for occasional songs (keyboards, sax, trumpet, backing vocals).
Of course, this depends on the type of music you play. For a jazz-band, the sax might be more important than the singer or the guitar.
But for a band like the Stones, the bass is a fundamental part of the music.

Quote
Big Al
They obvsiously took the decision to not officially replace Bill Wyman.

Maybe to make it easy for Wyman to slip back in in style and grace. But obviously he never felt any need to do so.

One thing HMS and Tate seem to forget in their justification of making Darryl a full member was they were a six piece band before they were a five piece band. Stu was a full member before they removed him from the band and he became their roadie. From that moment on, all of the keyboard players who have worked with the Stones did so as hired hands. When Taylor replaced Brian, from what I understand, he was made a full member and was included in the marketing as well as the finances. When Ronnie replaced Taylor, although he WAS included and advertised as a member in all the marketing material, he wasn't included as a full partner in the business until just before Bill left (I may be off on that time line on that so feel free to correct me - the way I understand it was Bill convinced the others to make Ronnie a full partner right before Bill left the band).

It's also possible to be historically accurate and look at the Stones as:
6 Members: MJ, BJ, KR, IS, CW, BW
5 Members: MJ, BJ, KR, CW, BW
5 Members: MJ, KR, MT, CW, BW
4 Members: MJ, KR, CW, BW
5 Members: MJ, KR, CW, RW, BW
4 Members: MJ, KR, CW, RW

Lots of gray areas depending if you're considering press releases and marketing items or if you consider legal business arrangements/partnerships.

Peace,
Mr DJA

Quote
Tate
He plays on the albums, he plays on the tours. He should be a band member.

Of course, like Nicky, Bobby, Billy, Chuck, Matt, Bernard...

GT of the E Street Band was the first one they called. He said they were terrible, way out of playing shape. (If you're worried about sources, GT told me that himself.) Joey of NRBQ nailed the audition. He was Keith's final choice and he would have been tremendous. Pity. Mick picked Darryl, Charlie broke the tie vote because Darryl played with Miles and that's all Charlie needed to know. The female who tried out was Neshelle Nedgatelo (spelling is all wrong, sorry) and it is said that she asked Keith to turn down his amp. I hear Keith threw her out.

A friend of Jon Grayboff of Ryan Adams's old band told me a great story of a friend of his who auditioned. Jon's friend said he got a call from the Stones office and the caller said, please clear your calendar for the next three days, and you will be called to come to the audition at some point in that time. It could be 10 AM, it could be 2 AM, just be ready.

These were the days before cell phones. Jon's friend stayed by his phone for days. He didn't have "call waiting" so anyone who called him, he quickly grabbed the phone and said, "Can't talk! I'll call you later!" Eventually, the call came. He was asked for his address and was told a car would be waiting outside his apartment in 15 minutes.

So he took his bass (was told there would be an amp waiting for him) and took the ride to SIR Studios in Manhattan. The place was decorated! SIR is usually a drab concrete building with cement floors and bare walls, but now there were couches, table lamps and beefy security. He was shown to a lounge. A Stones employee said it could be a while, are you hungry? He replied, sure, I could eat something. The employee asked, What would you like? Well, what do you have? The employee repeated, What would you like? Okay, said the bass player, sushi? Fine. In no time at all he was brought the best sushi he'd ever tasted.

After a while, the employee came in the lounge and said, You're on! He was escorted into one of the rehearsal rooms, and there, in front of him... were the Rolling Stones! And practically no one else! A few technicians, but basically it was just the band!

Mick acted as spokesman for the band, greeted him, shook his hand and introduced him to the other band members. He was told they would play a couple of songs and told what they were. Would you like to listen to the records first? No thank you, I think I know those two. (I don't know what the songs were.) He said they played the songs, and at a certain point in each song the song fell apart. Either somebody went to the bridge too soon or Mick sang the wrong part or things like that. The band would stop and Keith and Mick would bicker about what went wrong, while Ronnie and Charlie said nothing.

He said Keith had the absolute loudest sound of any musician he had EVER played with. The two songs were done and Mick thanked him for his time and said, You may never hear from us again, then again, you might. And that was it. He left and never heard anything from them ever again.

Another classic story that has long made the rounds in Nashville has been attributed to me as either from GT, or Rick Price of The Georgia Satellites or Howie Epstein from TP and the Heartbreakers. They were playing "Beast of Burden" verrrrrrrry slowly. Ridiculously slow. The bass player boldly decided to worm his way over to beside Charlie, bent down and said, Isn't this a little slow? Charlie turned his head toward him ever so slightly, and said, It'll pick up in from of eighty thousand mate.

wow fantastic stuff there!

never knew Meshell Ndegeocello auditioned. a long shot there fore sure, but I remember her imaginative line on 'Wild Night' with Mellencamp...

that remark attributed to Charlie is kind of ...cryptic...?

always thought Joey Spampinato would have been great. Willie Weeks too.

they seem to do pretty well finding people..

I still think Darryl is very right for them, not only because he's exceptionally good but also personality and loyalty-wise..

ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rsGzlfeREM

Quote
Come On
I'm still waiting for Mick and Keith to give me a call for the bass-work in Stones..I know their songs like a dolphin knows how to swim...and Boy, do I Swing!

Strange duck......

Maybe there's something in what Charlie allegedly said about the '80,000'. Darryl was used to playing in front of big crowds with big name artists, and he and Charlie can talk jazz, and screw the fans who don't know shit about bass anyway, like we don't.

I saw Ian McLagan speak at the Grammy Museum about a year before he left us, and in answer to a question he attributed a lot of his success as a sideman for being what he called, "a good hang," that is, someone who is fun/easy to hang out with before and after the show.

Which during a tour would be most of the time.

To cite the importance of that quality, he went on to say that he spoke to either Keith or Ron about one of the candidates that they auditioned to replace Bill. Without mentioning names (I assumed that it was probably Joey) he said that he was told that while one of the bassists was really,really great, he just wasn't a good hang.

So they decided to go with Darryl.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-03-17 19:53 by loog droog.

I heard a great story from a friend of mine who talked about Darryl and One other individual that made it to the top two when it came to deciding who would replace Bill. This guy who I will not name was fantastic and was really inspired by Ronnie Lane and also played with the Ian McLagan's Bump Band and had recently had Ronnie record on an album for a band he was in at the time.


Even though he did not get the job he had been in other successful bands throughout time and when the Stones started their 50 and Counting Tour at the O2 in London he was in London with a band he was in at the time. He ran into Darryl at the airport and they talked for a little while and there was no hard feelings.

This friend of mine who told me the story as well as my self are good buddies with this amazing musician who almost got the job. He does not share the story with many people because he does not want any attention or have people ask him all sorts of questions. He was just proud to have the experience to make it as far as he did.

Í remember the rumour of
Talking Heads´ Tina Weymouth auditioning.

Doug Wimbish

[www.youtube.com]

From www.nzentgraf.de :

21st - 25th June: New York City, S.I.R. Studios.
Auditions for a new bassplayer.
Additional musicians (all on bass) included:
Joey Spampinato, Larry Taylor, Rick Price, Howie Epstein, Kenny Aaronson and Garry Tallent.

Interesting Larry Taylor from Canned Heat and Tom Waits.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-03-17 23:13 by RipThisBone.

[www.iorr.org]

"Posted by: redrum ()

Date: October 2, 2006 17:52


I don't think Flea ever auditioned...I recall Jagger jokingly mentioning it in a "Q" magazine article in early '93 (to promote Wandering Spirit).

Pino Pallidino (now of The Who), Joey Spampinado, Doug Whimbish and 16 other auditioned in NYC in June 1993 (see old issues "Beggars Banquet"winking smiley.

When it still wasn't official that Bill had left, the Stones joked that they would threaten to replace him with a woman bass player if he left.

Around fall of 1993, I read an AP story that Elton John's bass player (don't know his name) called the Stones office to inquier about auditioning.

redrum"

Noel Redding and Stu Cook from CCR supposedly tried out.

Gregg Rzab who played with Page and the Black Crows as well as Buddy Guy auditioned.....he is still short enough to blend in with the boys. Willie Weeks would have been my top choice. I think he was with Vince Gill at the time. He was off the road after his wife died so he could raise his kid(s).

Quote
HMS
After 40 years as a working unit they would never offer full membership to somebody after three days of playing with him. The Stones are M, K, R, C - no one could or will ever join this exclusive club of old english gentlemen.

I never thought that they are going to replace Wyman as "full band member", always thought they´d carry on with a "hired gun". Once there were five, then there were four. That´s the line-up.

And Darryl isn´t even british. He isnt even white. He isnt even skinny. No way that he could ever get full-member status. And last, not least it´s about the money.

The Stones have been a 4 member band/organization since Taylor quit. Taylor was the last fifth Stone.
It wasn't until Wyman quit that Mick and Keith and Charlie agreed to cut Ronnie in.
Ronnie was only made a full band member and came off salary when Bill retired. Quite simple really.

I still think when Mick and Keith took over in 1971 it was a 30/30/20/20 split
between MJ/KR/CW/BW.

When Wyman split...I think it became 35/35/20/10 between MJ/KR/CW/RW.

This is all speculation on my part...but come hell or high water...Keith would never accept less than Mick...and come hell or high water...Charlie wouldn't accept equal footing with Ronnie.

I would love for somebody to set me straight with the facts...but I've read comments from Charlie Watts in numerous interviews that he works for Mick & Keith and that he only makes money when he tours...and it's a vicious cycle that he hates the road but loves to play drums...and in order to play drums and make money...he has to go on the road.

No matter what % Ronnie gets...he would blow through it...so what difference does it make?...hats off to Ronnie for enjoying life and having confidence in himself and his membership of the Rolling Stones that there is always another check around the corner!

Pecman



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-03-18 06:32 by Pecman.

Not certain about this...but the timing makes sense.

The auditions were held at SIR in NYC...correct?

The Talking Heads broke up in 1991.

Could Tina Weymouth been the female bass player that auditioned for the Stones?

I have a faint recollection that it could have been her or Michelle D'Angelo?
who played on John Mellencamp's "Wild Night"? Hey...Duke Richardson...just reviewed the thread and you called it! Thanks.

Set me correct IORR (Lol!)

Pecman



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-03-18 06:18 by Pecman.

Quote
From4tilLate
GT of the E Street Band was the first one they called. He said they were terrible, way out of playing shape. (If you're worried about sources, GT told me that himself.) Joey of NRBQ nailed the audition. He was Keith's final choice and he would have been tremendous. Pity. Mick picked Darryl, Charlie broke the tie vote because Darryl played with Miles and that's all Charlie needed to know. The female who tried out was Neshelle Nedgatelo (spelling is all wrong, sorry) and it is said that she asked Keith to turn down his amp. I hear Keith threw her out.

A friend of Jon Grayboff of Ryan Adams's old band told me a great story of a friend of his who auditioned. Jon's friend said he got a call from the Stones office and the caller said, please clear your calendar for the next three days, and you will be called to come to the audition at some point in that time. It could be 10 AM, it could be 2 AM, just be ready.

These were the days before cell phones. Jon's friend stayed by his phone for days. He didn't have "call waiting" so anyone who called him, he quickly grabbed the phone and said, "Can't talk! I'll call you later!" Eventually, the call came. He was asked for his address and was told a car would be waiting outside his apartment in 15 minutes.

So he took his bass (was told there would be an amp waiting for him) and took the ride to SIR Studios in Manhattan. The place was decorated! SIR is usually a drab concrete building with cement floors and bare walls, but now there were couches, table lamps and beefy security. He was shown to a lounge. A Stones employee said it could be a while, are you hungry? He replied, sure, I could eat something. The employee asked, What would you like? Well, what do you have? The employee repeated, What would you like? Okay, said the bass player, sushi? Fine. In no time at all he was brought the best sushi he'd ever tasted.

After a while, the employee came in the lounge and said, You're on! He was escorted into one of the rehearsal rooms, and there, in front of him... were the Rolling Stones! And practically no one else! A few technicians, but basically it was just the band!

Mick acted as spokesman for the band, greeted him, shook his hand and introduced him to the other band members. He was told they would play a couple of songs and told what they were. Would you like to listen to the records first? No thank you, I think I know those two. (I don't know what the songs were.) He said they played the songs, and at a certain point in each song the song fell apart. Either somebody went to the bridge too soon or Mick sang the wrong part or things like that. The band would stop and Keith and Mick would bicker about what went wrong, while Ronnie and Charlie said nothing.

He said Keith had the absolute loudest sound of any musician he had EVER played with. The two songs were done and Mick thanked him for his time and said, You may never hear from us again, then again, you might. And that was it. He left and never heard anything from them ever again.

Another classic story that has long made the rounds in Nashville has been attributed to me as either from GT, or Rick Price of The Georgia Satellites or Howie Epstein from TP and the Heartbreakers. They were playing "Beast of Burden" verrrrrrrry slowly. Ridiculously slow. The bass player boldly decided to worm his way over to beside Charlie, bent down and said, Isn't this a little slow? Charlie turned his head toward him ever so slightly, and said, It'll pick up in from of eighty thousand mate.

That is such an amazing story. Man to be that guy!

Too Tough!

Sorry I missed your post...ran through the thread and missed your post.
You beat me to the punch!

Yes...Tina Weymouth...I remember the same thing.

Pecman

Quote
From4tilLate
Mick acted as spokesman for the band, greeted him, shook his hand and introduced him to the other band members. He was told they would play a couple of songs and told what they were. Would you like to listen to the records first? No thank you, I think I know those two. (I don't know what the songs were.)

The most important part of the story is not known. What songs were played? That is 90% of the audition and it is not remembered? But the sushi is???