Courtesy of edp 24....



26 November 2008 09:12


He is the forgotten man of the greatest ever rock group who has played in front of thousands of screaming fans at some of the most prestigious venues across the globe.

Emily Dennis talks to ex Rolling Stone Mick Taylor about his decision to quit the band and his upcoming gig in Norwich.



It is a question that Mick Taylor always gets asked. Why did you leave the Rolling Stones?

At the time of his departure the band was at the height of their fame and without him they went on to sell out stadiums around the world.

He is reported to have walked out after five years with the rock-and-roll legends after saying he “saw the group as not going anywhere”.

The guitarist, who lives near Diss, seldom talks about his time with the group but yesterday he lifted the lid on life with the Rolling Stones and said he had no regrets at leaving when he did.

“In the period when I left, the band was in one of their down times,” he said. “It was an unhappy time for me, and probably for the rest of the band as well.

“It was just after the release of It's Only Rock 'n' Roll, the last of the six albums I did with them. It is probably publicly known that Keith Richards and Mick Jagger had fallings out from time to time and this was one of those, really. Me and Bill Wyman talked about it. He got very frustrated at that time but he stayed.

“In a way, that sort of friction and chaos can produce great music, but it was getting harder and harder.

“Around that time we were either in the recording studio or living in the south of France.

“From being just an ordinary musician making £50 a week, I suddenly for no good reason had to become a tax exile. It wasn't that I had tax problems, but they did.

“I have no regrets about leaving when I did. I do not wallow in nostalgia. I have lots of regrets about other things, but then what musician or anybody approaching their 60th birthday doesn't have regrets?”

Taylor joined the Rolling Stones in 1969, replacing Brian Jones shortly before Jones was found dead in a swimming pool.

He worked on such albums as Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main Street, and was described recently by drummer Charlie Watts as “clearly the best solo guitarist the Stones had”.

But after five years he walked out and was replaced by Ronnie Wood of the Faces.

Yesterday, he described his time with the band as a “rollercoaster” and praised Mick Jagger for keeping the group together.

He said: “I fell into it quite naturally and picked up bad habits. I really did think they were a spoilt bunch of pop stars when I joined them. It took me a while to catch up - but I did.

“It was more or less like a rollercoaster. There were huge stadium tours. The longest one was about six weeks and the longest we ever played on stage was maybe an hour and a half. Now there is so much more history to draw on they do two- hour sets. They found a whole new market in terms of touring stadiums for vast numbers of people.”

He continued: “Mick Jagger is very clever, very intelligent and very funny. If it wasn't for Mick Jagger's ability to organise things and keep things going, the band would have never stayed together. He basically managed to pull them all together and got them to carry on.”

Still friends with his former band mates, he said: “I am still friends with them, especially Bill Wyman. I have not seen Mick Jagger since 1999. But there is no ill will on my part and I cannot think of any reason why there is anything but good will on theirs.”

Taylor also knocked suggestions that the band was the most raucous of their time. “Being in the Rolling Stones was mostly hard work and mostly fun,” he said. “It was no more excessive or decadent than any other rock-and- roll band at that time.”

He paid tribute to guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, describing him as a “huge influence”.

“Jimi Hendrix was such a huge influence on all of us, not just guitar players. I knew him very well. Off stage he was very shy and quiet, but on stage he was completely the opposite.”

The former Stone got his first big break at the age of 16 in 1965. “Eric Clapton inspired me and that is how I got my first job,” he said. “I went to a show John Mayall was doing with the Bluesbreakers in Welwyn Garden City. For some reason Eric Clapton hadn't shown up to this gig. I watched the first half which they did as a quartet. Then I went backstage and asked if I could stand in with them. I borrowed Eric Clapton's guitar and that is how it started.”

Only 10 when he first began learning the guitar, he said: “My mother's younger brother was in the army and he was in Germany.

“I suppose during that time the GIs were there and the American forces and he heard lots of American music. He bought himself a guitar and taught himself. I used to hate school dinners so I would go to my grandmother's house for lunch. Afterwards I would go upstairs and play his guitar.”

Currently touring with his new band and due to play the Waterfront in Norwich on December 10, the group includes guitarist Denny New-man, acclaimed keyboard player Max Middleton, bassist Kuma Harada and drummer Jeff Allen. They will be supported by Norwich band Lot 55.

Taylor said people attending the gig could expect a great night. “We do some original songs and a few cover songs and we sometimes even play a couple of the Rolling Stones songs that I am associated with,” he said. “I don't think I have ever played in Norwich before, so I am really looking forward to it.”

Mick Taylor & His Band play the Waterfront in Norwich on December 10 at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £12.50 in advance from the box office on 01603 508050, www.ueaticket bookings.co.uk and Soundclash in St Benedict's Street.

[new.edp24.co.uk]

Nice interview! Nothing really new, but he does emphasise some interesting things. Thanx for posting!

Darn it! Norwich is an hours drive away but I don't have the car mid week.

Thanks for posting :-)

Very cool interview! Thanks so much for posting. Kind of sad he hasn't spoken to Mick for nine years.

Many years ago i met mick taylor after a gig he played in bridgeport connecticut, backed up by Corky Laing & Mark Clarke. Of course i asked Mick, "why did you leave the stones" he replied "i ask myself that everyday" true story. With Ronnie set to rejoin the faces and embark on a possible tour, sounds like 1974 revisited,The Stones need a guitarist, C'mon mick & keith give the man a "contract". Check out Mick Taylor playing "Red House" on "Experience Hendrix" incredible performance - nice close-ups of mick's fretboard work ! Hey Mick Jagger let the good times roll !

Great post - thanks
I wonder how many years it is since he spoke to Keith........
£12.50 per ticket - seems very cheap?

Not seen them since 1999...
What happened at the Astoria in 2003 ?
Didn't he at least meet them, despite the fact he didn't show up on stage ?

Does someone really know what happened that day ?

[doctorstonesblog.blogspot.com]

Shit. He looks like David Van Day.

Quote
arturo
Many years ago i met mick taylor after a gig he played in bridgeport connecticut, backed up by Corky Laing & Mark Clarke. Of course i asked Mick, "why did you leave the stones" he replied "i ask myself that everyday" true story. With Ronnie set to rejoin the faces and embark on a possible tour, sounds like 1974 revisited,The Stones need a guitarist, C'mon mick & keith give the man a "contract". Check out Mick Taylor playing "Red House" on "Experience Hendrix" incredible performance - nice close-ups of mick's fretboard work ! Hey Mick Jagger let the good times roll !

Love Ronnie, but,MT would be great!

sounds like a humble, diplomatic & classy guy.


IORR............but I like it!

my idea would be for taylor to rejoin the stones and be in front of charlie in between keith and ronnie .can you imagine the triple lead guitar assault that would be wow .that way no more phoney baloney guitar crap from blondie or pierre debopart

Thanks, nice article and picture

how can the last time he saw jagger be 1999 when he was backstage at a licks euro club gig in 03?

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melillo
how can the last time he saw jagger be 1999 when he was backstage at a licks euro club gig in 03?

Dont think he made it that far. Wasnt he supposed to do a soundcheck for the Astoria show but it didnt happen - so the guest appearance was cancelled?

oh yeah i think that is what happened, but there was one story out there that claimed taylor got stage fright and backed out, but that was not true at all

Quote
arturo
With Ronnie set to rejoin the faces and embark on a possible tour, sounds like 1974 revisited,The Stones need a guitarist,!

The stones need a guitaris?!?!!? No they don't, they have Ronnie! There not going on tour the same time as the faces do so the DON'T need a guitarist!

Cheers,
Wuudy

Quote
melillo
oh yeah i think that is what happened, but there was one story out there that claimed taylor got stage fright and backed out, but that was not true at all

Taylor was at the Landmark Hotel that afternoon. I do find it a bit hard to believe he didnt meet the band. Then again, he did specify he hasnt seen Mick since 1999. Maybe he did see some of the others.

Even if the Stones were to go without Ronnie in '10 or '12 (IF they do even bother to tour again), they sure wouldn't hire Taylor.

I just don't get how some people can think such things.

Sam Cutler wrote in his book that when he attended a show in Australia in 2003 he saw the stones for the first time in more then 30 years. He met with Charlie and he asked if would like to say hello to Keith and Ronnie. Charlie said to him that Mick didn't se anyone before the show, even bandmembers...
So if they didn't do a rehearsal it is very well possible he met everybody except Mick.

Cheers,
Wuudy

He Got no Credits ! .. at that time ..

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stonesmusicfan
was described recently by drummer Charlie Watts as “clearly the best solo guitarist the Stones had”.

As usual, Charlie is dead on right.

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Tornandfrayed

Quote
stonesmusicfan
was described recently by drummer Charlie Watts as “clearly the best solo guitarist the Stones had”.

As usual, Charlie is dead on right.

Don't think they had any other "solo guitarist" though ...

C

Quote
Tornandfrayed

Quote
stonesmusicfan
was described recently by drummer Charlie Watts as “clearly the best solo guitarist the Stones had”.

As usual, Charlie is dead on right.

I think it's unusual for Charlie to be wrong like that.

JumpingKentFlash

Gazza,

I think Taylor went to Keith's room at The landmark.

He (Taylor) told me they didn't ask him to play at the Astoria.

Whether this is a collective 'they' or a singular (singer's) 'they' - who knows?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-11-27 19:32 by Four Stone Walls.

>He (Taylor) told me they didn't ask him to play at the Astoria.


Interesting. So why was "Rock Me Baby" on the setlist, and the onstage confusion when they got to that point of the show? Someone needs to ask Keith or Mick about that.

Quote
Glam Descendant
>He (Taylor) told me they didn't ask him to play at the Astoria.


Interesting. So why was "Rock Me Baby" on the setlist, and the onstage confusion when they got to that point of the show? Someone needs to ask Keith or Mick about that.

Thats what I was thinking too. Very odd. The rumour about Taylor playing that night definitely sprang like wildfire in the queue that afternoon.


Plus, wasnt Taylor at the show that evening?

The fact that Rock me Baby was in the setlist isn't that strange. They played it before (Olympia) without a guest.
So there was confusion on stage? How was this noticeable?

Cheers,
Wuudy

>Plus, wasnt Taylor at the show that evening?

Yes, he was in the audience.

>The fact that Rock me Baby was in the setlist isn't that strange. They played it before (Olympia) without a guest. So there was confusion on stage? How was this noticeable?

Well, it was written on the plexiglass and when they got to that point, there was some obvious discussion onstage between Mick & Keith. Then Keith started playing... I think HTW, which was not on the setlist. Obviously they could have played "Rock Me Baby" w/out Taylor but that doesn't appear to have been what they had planned.

OK, thanks, I didn't realize that they skipped Rock me Baby.

Cheers,
Wuudy

Didn't they simply skip 1 song because they were supposed to end the show before a certain time ?
I think the concert started somehow later than scheduled and they didn't want to pay a fine.

[doctorstonesblog.blogspot.com]