Bass Player interview, posted January 11

The making of Don Was, the über-producer trusted by the Stones, Bob Dylan and John Mayer (and who’s a pretty good bassist too)

By Andrew Daly
January 11, 2026


Skip Bolen Getty Images

What’s the backstory behind producing the Stones’ Voodoo Lounge and Bridges to Babylon?

In 1993 the Stones had just signed with Virgin Records and the label wanted them to have a producer. They sent me to NYC while the band was auditioning bass players at SIR.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards came over and sat on either side of me, and both started talking at the same time – neither one of them yielded to the other guy! My head was whipping back and forth like I was watching a ping-pong match.

Best I could tell, Mick was outlining what he wanted in a producer, and Keith was explaining why they didn’t need a f*cking producer! It went on for about two minutes, which, In that situation, is an excruciatingly long time!

Finally, they both ran out of steam. Silence. Then Keith said, “Are you sure you want to be the meat in this sandwich?” I walked out convinced I’d never see them again.

What changed?

Four days later, Keith called, apologized for being curt, and said maybe they could use a producer. He wanted to use Don Smith as the engineer for Voodoo Lounge because he’d done a great job on his two solo records with The Expensive Winos.

But Mick wanted a neutral partisan behind the board and Keith wanted me to talk with him about it. I'd been working with Don Smith a lot and I thought he would be perfect for the album. So I called Mick and told him that Don was my choice, not just Keith's.

Mick relented, and when I called Keith to tell him Don Smith was in, he said, ‘Your name's not Don Was – it's Don Is!’ I was hired, and the same pattern of shuttle diplomacy continued for the next 25 years!

We made four studio albums together: Voodoo Lounge, Bridges to Babylon, A Bigger Bang, and Blue and Lonesome. I also produced a handful of live albums, a bunch of new singles for greatest hits packages, and I finished old tracks for deluxe reissues of Exile on Main St. and Some Girls.

They've been like generous big brothers to me and taught me a whole lot about music. I also got to play bass with them any time Darryl Jones couldn't make it to a rehearsal or a writing session.

Is the chemistry between Mick and Keith as volatile yet magical as it’s made out to be?

All that crap is ephemeral and disappears the minute they start playing. The musical conversation going on between these guys is masterful, relaxed and jocular. They listen to each other closely and respond with lightning speed.

Charlie would play something on his hi-hat that would make Keith respond with a certain figure, which would make Mick phrase the next line differently, which would make Ronnie play something wild that Charlie would pick up on.

They were four enormous musical presences who came fully to life when they were playing as the Rolling Stones in front of a stadium full of folks. They are the greatest band ever.

What’s the key to getting the most out of Keith?

Keith is sharp as a tack and very well-read. He singlehandedly changed the concept of rhythm and lead guitar. The notion that he’s somewhat sloppy is a misnomer – if you listen to how crisp his attack is and how he releases the notes rather than letting them blur everything up, you understand that he's got impeccable technique and a deep groove.

As he gets older, he gets better; more succinct and effective in his choices. So yeah, he's still totally got it. And the key to getting the most out of him is to stay the f*ck out of his way and let Keith be Keith!

Are you working on the next Stones album?

I think the torch has been passed. Mick wants to make modern pop albums, and I believe that Exile on Main St. sounds like what a modern Rolling Stones record should be. He’s certainly earned the right to chase what he hears.

I introduced him to my buddy Andrew Watt – younger, brilliant, rock-rooted, and hit-savvy. We're all still good friends. People liked Hackney Diamonds and all is well.

Full interview > [www.guitarworld.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-04-09 22:29 by bye bye johnny.

“Are you sure you want to be the meat in this sandwich?”
Great interview. Thanks for sharing.

People liked Hackney Diamonds and all is well.

Very diplomatic.

“Mick wants to make modern pop albums, and I believe that Exile on Main St. sounds like what a modern Rolling Stones record should be.”

Allow me to quote from the 1995 Mick Jagger interview in Rolling Stone magazine once again, which I already did in “The Rolling Stones new studio album rumoured out in 2026” thread:

“But there were a lot of things that we wrote for Voodoo Lounge that Don [Was, the record’s producer] steered us away from: groove songs, African influences and things like that. And he steered us very clear of all that. And I think it was a mistake.”

“He tried to remake Exile on Main Street or something like that.”

“Plus, the engineer was also trying to do the same thing. Their mind-set about it was just too retro. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it inherently, but they went over the top; they’d gone too far.”

“I don’t think it really was that successful, because I don’t think there’s any point in having these over-retro references.”

“I think it was an opportunity missed to go in another direction, which would have been more unusual, a little more radical, although it’s always going to sound like the Rolling Stones.”

[archive.ph]

Clearly there is a difference between Don and Mick how a modern Rolling Stones record should sound like.

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RisingStone
“Mick wants to make modern pop albums, and I believe that Exile on Main St. sounds like what a modern Rolling Stones record should be.”

Allow me to quote from the 1995 Mick Jagger interview in Rolling Stone magazine once again, which I already did in “The Rolling Stones new studio album rumoured out in 2026” thread:

“But there were a lot of things that we wrote for Voodoo Lounge that Don [Was, the record’s producer] steered us away from: groove songs, African influences and things like that. And he steered us very clear of all that. And I think it was a mistake.”

“He tried to remake Exile on Main Street or something like that.”

“Plus, the engineer was also trying to do the same thing. Their mind-set about it was just too retro. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with it inherently, but they went over the top; they’d gone too far.”

“I don’t think it really was that successful, because I don’t think there’s any point in having these over-retro references.”

“I think it was an opportunity missed to go in another direction, which would have been more unusual, a little more radical, although it’s always going to sound like the Rolling Stones.”

[archive.ph]

Clearly there is a difference between Don and Mick how a modern Rolling Stones record should sound like.

This points to what I so much hope might be the core of a Vaults release

Thank you, Rising Stone, for pairing Mick's famous quote with Don Was' interview. All I can say is that Mick was right, judging by the outtakes, but also that he still has time to prove he was right and do something really “different” with the Stones.

Don Was plays bass on the tasty Playing For Change video of the Doors' Rider On The Storm. Krieger and Densmore also play. Speaking of...I think Krieger is an under appreciated guitar player.

'' I believe that Exile on Main St. sounds like what a modern Rolling Stones record should be.”

His horrible dry, clean production is the opposite of the dense, layered, scuzzy sound of EOMS.

On Was' albums Mick's vox are way too high, a serious lack of harmony/double/back up vox, and the guitars sound sterile and feeble.

I much prefer AW's thick, groovy production on HD.

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peoplewitheyes
'' I believe that Exile on Main St. sounds like what a modern Rolling Stones record should be.”

His horrible dry, clean production is the opposite of the dense, layered, scuzzy sound of EOMS.

On Was' albums Mick's vox are way too high, a serious lack of harmony/double/back up vox, and the guitars sound sterile and feeble.

I much prefer AW's thick, groovy production on HD.

I like Don but I totally agree with this.

Audio only - [www.pushkin.fm]

[open.spotify.com]

Much of the "voodoo" seemingly was taken out of the lounge.

I loved VL at the time, having just become a fan in 1989 I was excited for new material after 5 years had passed since "Steel Wheels'. But I rarely reach for VL now. I would have loved a more groove based album.

In the end though, we have an embarrassment of riches to choose from in the Stones discography. Some groovier than others, but what a body of work.

Nothing new but that quote about what a "modern" Stones album should sound like explains why he's (at long last) no longer there.

It's surprising he survived the VL "fiasco"...probably because it still sold decently and the tour was massive???and because the Stones don't like to change things up too much. Come B2B though he was very much relegated to "associate/overall producer" and it sounded 10x better and more "modern". Sadly not the case for ABB...

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IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

Don's talking to everyone. Here are the relevant Stones bits from a wide-ranging interview with a hardcore Stones fan/journo @aldotcom:

[www.al.com]

I grew up when you were the producer on The Rolling Stones’ new albums. “Voodoo Lounge.” “Stripped.” “Bridges to Babylon.” “Blue and Lonesome.” Such great work. I think “Bigger Bang” might be my favorite of those Stones album you made, but which is yours?

Wow, thank you. There are things I love on all of them, man. It’s real hard for me to say. “Blue and Lonesome” [a blues covers album] was really meaningful because I felt that at the time, it seemed like that might be a coda. Where they were returning to the place they began. And you could hear the growth as musicians because I thought that they played really well. There’s no overdubbing on that record. We were all in one room and a lot of Charlie [Watts]’s drum sound came from Mick [Jagger]’s vocal mic, so there was no chance to fix anything. That’s just what the Rolling Stones sound like when they play blues in a room, which is how they started. I thought could have been a suitable coda, you know, But I’d felt that at other times, too.

There’s a song, the very last track on “Bridges to Babylon” was called “How Can I Stop” [with lead vocals by Stones guitarist Keith Richards]. And that’s maybe my favorite thing that I ever recorded with the Rolling Stones. And the session was just magical. It was really late at night. We were at the end of the album pretty much of cutting the basic tracks. Charlie had a car waiting in the alley to get him on a flight back to London.

I thought we were done, you know, tracking at that point. And so we just thought we’d try this one other song. The flourish at the end, [saxophonist] Wayne Shorter’s playing on it goes into this kind of Coltrane kind of dreamscape that wasn’t planned. And I was playing Wurlitzer [electric] piano on it. We’re all just sitting in a circle in the studio. And I thought, it hit me that, oh my God, Charlie’s leaving. These may be the last notes that the Rolling Stones ever record. And I thought, what a way to end it, to go out in this beautiful flourish like that. And of course, I was full of s---. Charlie was back in a week and we got more songs, and we’re now going on 30 years ago. [Laughs]

Speaking of “How Can I Stop,” any real Stones fan loves the songs Keith Richards sings lead on. Your records with them had some great Keith songs. There was his song “The Worst” on “Voodoo Lounge,” “Thief In The Night” on “Bridges to Babylon,” the version of “Slipping Away” on “Stripped,” and “Infamy” on “Bigger Bang.” For you, what’s special about Keith songs?

Well, he’s the most soulful mother---er on the Earth, man. [Laughs] Very simply, he throws himself into it - he’s never walking through it, ever. He sets a very high standard for himself. You know, he makes it sound cavalier, but it’s not cavalier, man. It was absolutely inspirational just to watch him write a song. He’s not a guy who goes into the studio with a pad of paper and a rhyming dictionary and sits and hacks out a song. He won’t contrive the next place that the song is going to go to. It’s got to just suddenly appear. It’s like fishing, you know? And he said he sits there patiently with his line in the water, waiting for the big one to come by and take a bite. And he’s an expert at reeling it in. So as a result, the songs feel real and they’re expressive, and if you listen to those songs, you actually know him. That’s who he is, that guy.

He puts the time in, too. It’s not so much the time sitting there, like, laboring and crossing out lyrics and writing new ones and that kind of thing. He puts in the time till he gets the feel that he’s going for. He’s all about feel and soul. And I always loved his tracks on those records and always loved watching him work.

MANY THANKS bye bye johnny ...
This is a damn good interview ....

They cover a lotta ground ... fair dose of Stones stuff
Willie ... Sinatra ... Dylan .... Steve Cropper....etc

And way cool ta see Joe Von Battle get some praises...


THANKS AGAIN ....



ROCKMAN

I admire his selflessness, passing the torch to another producer because he himself knows he’s not the right for the job anymore. That takes emotional majority and a healthy ego, putting yourself second and the art first. Not many people would do that.

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spikenyc

Quote
peoplewitheyes
'' I believe that Exile on Main St. sounds like what a modern Rolling Stones record should be.”

His horrible dry, clean production is the opposite of the dense, layered, scuzzy sound of EOMS.

On Was' albums Mick's vox are way too high, a serious lack of harmony/double/back up vox, and the guitars sound sterile and feeble.

I much prefer AW's thick, groovy production on HD.

I like Don but I totally agree with this.

Yeah that’s weird, if Exile is his benchmark, then were is the dirt in the sound that makes Exile so unique?

I think Sweet Sounds Of Heaven sounded more like Exile than anything Don produced



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2026-01-22 10:54 by StonedRambler.

“Mick wants to make modern pop albums, and I believe that Exile on Main St. sounds like what a modern Rolling Stones record should be.”

What an odd thing to say. Take any song from EXILE and play it, or multiple songs, and play them with multiple songs from LET IT BLEED and STICKY FINGERS and they're seamless, regardless of order.

I made my play list start with the first song from each album, then then went random in ways yet grouped of rockers, country and blues - and Keith's two together - and not always 123 in album order, sometimes two EXILE tracks etc.

It's way more enjoyable than HOT ROCKS as a ridiculously long compilation.

VOODOO sounds nothing like any of those three albums, regardless of the reputation and love EXILE gets, which sounds just as good as LIB and SF. Their sound really changed with BLACK AND BLUE-UNDERCOVER. Ever since then it's been rather sterile.

They could get that dirty hazy sound if they wanted to. They don't. Mick said that Don wanted to make EOMS 2 or whatever, the retro feel. To my ears some of the left off songs are far better than what made the album - and they have a better feel.

Hackney Diamonds has a much better sound than Voodoo Lounge or a Bigger Bang.Particularly the guitars and bass

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Taylor1
Hackney Diamonds has a much better sound than Voodoo Lounge or a Bigger Bang.Particularly the guitars and bass

I don't disagree but... your point?

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bye bye johnny

They played this in the cinema recently when I went to see When You're Strange - it's fantastic.
...and not just because I got to see Sierra Ferrell on the big screen

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GasLightStreet

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Taylor1
Hackney Diamonds has a much better sound than Voodoo Lounge or a Bigger Bang.Particularly the guitars and bass

I don't disagree but... your point?

It is why they moved on from Was.

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Taylor1

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GasLightStreet

Quote
Taylor1
Hackney Diamonds has a much better sound than Voodoo Lounge or a Bigger Bang.Particularly the guitars and bass

I don't disagree but... your point?

It is why they moved on from Was.

Don Smith mixed Voodoo Lounge, not Was.

Krish Sharma, Jack Joseph Puig and D. Sardy mixed A Bigger Bang, not Was.

They used Sharma again for Blue And Lonesome, so I guess they were happy with him.

Serban Ghenea mixed Hackney Diamonds.

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DandelionPowderman

Quote
Taylor1

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GasLightStreet

Quote
Taylor1
Hackney Diamonds has a much better sound than Voodoo Lounge or a Bigger Bang.Particularly the guitars and bass

I don't disagree but... your point?

It is why they moved on from Was.

Don Smith mixed Voodoo Lounge, not Was.

Krish Sharma, Jack Joseph Puig and D. Sardy mixed A Bigger Bang, not Was.

They used Sharma again for Blue And Lonesome, so I guess they were happy with him.

Serban Ghenea mixed Hackney Diamonds.

And the mixes were the only reason the albums sound different? Was production had nothing to do with it? I don’t think so.

Quote
Taylor1

Quote
DandelionPowderman

Quote
Taylor1

Quote
GasLightStreet

Quote
Taylor1
Hackney Diamonds has a much better sound than Voodoo Lounge or a Bigger Bang.Particularly the guitars and bass

I don't disagree but... your point?

It is why they moved on from Was.

Don Smith mixed Voodoo Lounge, not Was.

Krish Sharma, Jack Joseph Puig and D. Sardy mixed A Bigger Bang, not Was.

They used Sharma again for Blue And Lonesome, so I guess they were happy with him.

Serban Ghenea mixed Hackney Diamonds.

And the mixes were the only reason the albums sound different? Was production had nothing to do with it? I don’t think so.

My point was that an album "having a much better sound" (your words) not necessarily has to do with the producer. There are lots of examples of well-produced albums (arranging, instrumentation, experimentation) where the mix (or the mastering) may be so so, or downright poor.

"I introduced him to my buddy Andrew Watt – younger, brilliant, rock-rooted, and hit-savvy. We're all still good friends. People liked Hackney Diamonds and all is well."

Don Was is a classy guy.
Much respect.

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DandelionPowderman

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Taylor1

Quote
DandelionPowderman

Quote
Taylor1

Quote
GasLightStreet

Quote
Taylor1
Hackney Diamonds has a much better sound than Voodoo Lounge or a Bigger Bang.Particularly the guitars and bass

I don't disagree but... your point?

It is why they moved on from Was.

Don Smith mixed Voodoo Lounge, not Was.

Krish Sharma, Jack Joseph Puig and D. Sardy mixed A Bigger Bang, not Was.

They used Sharma again for Blue And Lonesome, so I guess they were happy with him.

Serban Ghenea mixed Hackney Diamonds.

And the mixes were the only reason the albums sound different? Was production had nothing to do with it? I don’t think so.

My point was that an album "having a much better sound" (your words) not necessarily has to do with the producer. There are lots of examples of well-produced albums (arranging, instrumentation, experimentation) where the mix (or the mastering) may be so so, or downright poor.

Is there any hope to improve the sound of Ladies and Gentlemen 1972 soundtrack with a new mix?

Quote
Taylor1

Quote
DandelionPowderman

Quote
Taylor1

Quote
DandelionPowderman

Quote
Taylor1

Quote
GasLightStreet

Quote
Taylor1
Hackney Diamonds has a much better sound than Voodoo Lounge or a Bigger Bang.Particularly the guitars and bass

I don't disagree but... your point?

It is why they moved on from Was.

Don Smith mixed Voodoo Lounge, not Was.

Krish Sharma, Jack Joseph Puig and D. Sardy mixed A Bigger Bang, not Was.

They used Sharma again for Blue And Lonesome, so I guess they were happy with him.

Serban Ghenea mixed Hackney Diamonds.

And the mixes were the only reason the albums sound different? Was production had nothing to do with it? I don’t think so.

My point was that an album "having a much better sound" (your words) not necessarily has to do with the producer. There are lots of examples of well-produced albums (arranging, instrumentation, experimentation) where the mix (or the mastering) may be so so, or downright poor.

Is there any hope to improve the sound of Ladies and Gentlemen 1972 soundtrack with a new mix?

They must have lost the tapes, or something. Or else they wouldn't have released it with that poor sound.

Quote
DandelionPowderman

Quote
Taylor1

Quote
DandelionPowderman

Quote
Taylor1

Quote
DandelionPowderman

Quote
Taylor1

Quote
GasLightStreet

Quote
Taylor1
Hackney Diamonds has a much better sound than Voodoo Lounge or a Bigger Bang.Particularly the guitars and bass

I don't disagree but... your point?

It is why they moved on from Was.

Don Smith mixed Voodoo Lounge, not Was.

Krish Sharma, Jack Joseph Puig and D. Sardy mixed A Bigger Bang, not Was.

They used Sharma again for Blue And Lonesome, so I guess they were happy with him.

Serban Ghenea mixed Hackney Diamonds.

And the mixes were the only reason the albums sound different? Was production had nothing to do with it? I don’t think so.

My point was that an album "having a much better sound" (your words) not necessarily has to do with the producer. There are lots of examples of well-produced albums (arranging, instrumentation, experimentation) where the mix (or the mastering) may be so so, or downright poor.

Is there any hope to improve the sound of Ladies and Gentlemen 1972 soundtrack with a new mix?

They must have lost the tapes, or something. Or else they wouldn't have released it with that poor sound.

Too bad.Thanks

Don Was guests on "Rock & Roll High School With Pete Ganbarg" podcast, aired April 9



About this episode

Few producers in the history of modern music have shaped records—and artists—the way Don Was has.

From his early days as a hitmaking artist with Was (Not Was) to becoming one of the most trusted producers in the business, Don’s fingerprints are on an extraordinary range of iconic recordings. Beyond the credits though, what defines him is his philosophy: serve the song, honor the artist, and know when not to interfere.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Don takes us inside his journey—from Detroit roots to working with legends like the Rolling Stones, Bonnie Raitt, and Bob Dylan—to his current roles as president of Blue Note Records and bandleader of the Pan-Detroit Ensemble. We also explore his deep musical partnership with Bob Weir in Wolf Bros, a collaboration that brought his career full circle as both producer and player.

Please note: this interview was recorded prior to the passing of Bob Weir.

This is a masterclass in taste, restraint, and what it really means to be a producer.

[www.rockschoolpodcast.com]

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