So how exactly did Billy Preston get 2 songs on the 1976/1976 tours?

What kind of negotiations was involved?

I had a fan tell me once that the Stones were a little desperate to keep the band together after Taylor left and Bobby got tossed out so they needed Billy who knew the songs anyway to help keep it cohesive with the new guy, Ronnie, coming in. To entice Billy to stay with them, they offered him a song or two.

Not sure if this is even close. Does anyone have any insight?

Billy Preston talks about it in the unofficial documentary Just For The Record, but I don't remember what he said. My guess is that it gave Mick an opportunity to prance around, dance and do that rope stunt.

....... the wigs they had something ta do with it



ROCKMAN

He was required to dance on the piano, so that was the trade off they gave him.

Maybe because the1975 set was so long that Mick needed a breather and because Billy was a pretty big star in his own right.Didn’t the whole band minus Mick back him up on one of the 2songs.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-02-03 13:30 by Taylor1.

Why? because they thought it was a great idea. And it worked out fabulous.

Mathijs

Billy Preston was probably highly appreciated by the musicians he worked with because of his musicality and his friendly nature. Last but not least, "Get Back" was released under the artist name "The Beatles and Billy Preston".

I have read somewhere that Keith regreted it.....

I thought it was strange that Prestonwith Mick Taylor on guitar was also the opening act for the Stones on their 1973 tour.And then they played in the band with the Stones on that tour

Was not B.P. quite famous in 75? Mick probably thought : "lets put a good thing on top of another and create an even bigger event".

Of course years later, many fans skip the Preston interlude.

What's more strange is how they got Ollie Brown to stand right behind Charlie for 2 hours every night doing percussions.

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Mr. Jimi
So how exactly did Billy Preston get 2 songs on the 1976/1976 tours?

What kind of negotiations was involved?

I had a fan tell me once that the Stones were a little desperate to keep the band together after Taylor left and Bobby got tossed out so they needed Billy who knew the songs anyway to help keep it cohesive with the new guy, Ronnie, coming in. To entice Billy to stay with them, they offered him a song or two.

Not sure if this is even close. Does anyone have any insight?

Because that's the way God planned it.

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The Worst.
What's more strange is how they got Ollie Brown to stand right behind Charlie for 2 hours every night doing percussions.

Never got it.

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Taylor 1
the 1975 set was so long that Mick needed a breather

I do agree.
It was Mick's break before Keith's 2 song slot was introduced.

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Taylor1
Maybe because the1975 set was so long that Mick needed a breather and because Billy was a pretty big star in his own right.Didn’t the whole band minus Mick back him up on one of the 2songs.

Yes, The Rolling Stones were Billy's backing band for two songs.

I thought then, and still think they should have given Ronnie a turn at the mike to do a number from his 2 solo albums, but hey it's 48 years later and this still hasn't happened.

You have to remember that Billy Preston was at his peak as far as his solo recording career. A few number ones on the Billboard charts. He wasn’t just a backing musician but a superstar in his own right.

The last time The Guess Who were together with both Bachman and Cummings, Taken Care of Business was in the setlist. Some things as far as super talent and incredible songs shouldn’t just be put in the background.

Another example was Lisa Fisher taking center stage and singing IORR while being a backup singer for Tina Turner on one of her tours



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-02-04 06:38 by More Hot Rocks.

Billy Preston started working with The Rolling Stones in 1970 for what would amount to 2 tracks on STICKY FINGERS and one on EXILE. It's not like he was new except for a tour. 2 tracks on SOUP and the 1973 tour and at the end of that year, the IORR sessions and then in 1975 the BLACK AND BLUE sessions (hence his playing on TATTOO YOU).

At the moment it's difficult to conjur up any info as to why Billy hooked up with The Stones in 1970 but I'm going to guess it had to do with The Beatles.

As More Hot Rocks said, Billy was a major solo star in the early 70s - I think "Outa-Space" went to Number 1. "Nothing From Nothing", "Will It Go Round In Circles", and "Space Race" were also hits.

He is also credited with writing "You Are So Beautiful" although Dennis Wilson claimed he wrote it.

He worked with the Beatles, Stones, and Clapton among others. He's a regular Chuck Leavell!

Giving him a couple of song slots was one thing, but when he asked Mick for an equal cuts of the touring money, adios!

To be back for Bridges to Babylon, if I remember well

If memory serves me, Billy got the same thing on George Harrisons 1974 tour as well

Mick Taylor played great with Preston as the opening act of the 1973 tour.

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GasLightStreet
At the moment it's difficult to conjure up any info as to why Billy hooked up with The Stones in 1970 but I'm going to guess it had to do with The Beatles.

Keith played bass on THAT'S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT in 1969 before the Stones headed to L.A. to finish LET IT BLEED. They first met Billy on their first tour and saw him when they played Shindig as well. Like Bobby Keyes, he was someone they already knew from the road.

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GasLightStreet
Billy Preston started working with The Rolling Stones in 1970 for what would amount to 2 tracks on STICKY FINGERS and one on EXILE. It's not like he was new except for a tour. 2 tracks on SOUP and the 1973 tour and at the end of that year, the IORR sessions and then in 1975 the BLACK AND BLUE sessions (hence his playing on TATTOO YOU).

Pretty sure Billy plays on more than two tracks on GOATS HEAD SOUP. More importantly, what he plays there differs from his organ work on STICKY FINGERS and EXILE because after touring with Stevie Wonder behind EXILE, the Stones wanted to move away from Memphis soul influences to funk.

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1963luca0
To be back for Bridges to Babylon, if I remember well

Yes, and WANDERING SPIRIT before it.

............hmmmmm.........all the curious wondering about Billy Preston.Billy at the point was a long-time well known keyboardist (since the early 1960's). The fact that the Beatles gave him credit on songs only helped.People likely took a break when he did the solo stuff, because in the seventies, nobody wanted to miss classics like Brown Sugar, star******, Sway...........and on and on......

Oh, just curious, aren't there an endless amount of unaccredited back-up musicians on the Beatles later music?

Billy was the only keyboardist who on stage did more than just play the keyboards.Whereas Nicky Hopkins just played the piano, ( brilliantly), Billy sang background vocals like on You Gotta Move and Ain’t too Proud to Beg.He sort of did a little of what Bernard Fowler did later

ROCKMAN

I can't imagine them having a keyboard player in the last 40 years that would get 2 songs of his own then get up and do the bump n' grind with Mick.

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filstan
I thought then, and still think they should have given Ronnie a turn at the mike to do a number from his 2 solo albums, but hey it's 48 years later and this still hasn't happened.

Well, they sort of did that in Kansas and Milwaukee -he sang Sure The One You Need with Keith instead of Happy.

I agree though, it would have been fantastic is the Stones would have done 'Make No Mistake, or Evening Gown, or Breathe on Me.

Mathijs