Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger, painting, addiction counseling

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When asked how busy he was during the Covid lockdown, Ron Wood didn’t seem too bothered by the unexpected downtime. “I was in the English countryside with my studio about a mile away,” says the Rolling Stones guitarist and painter. “I was walking in the forest. And I did an incredible amount of artwork during that time. I really used this weather at its best.

Although he also spent part of his time overcoming a battle with small cell cancer, Wood, 74, also made room to paint and play guitar on Rolling Stones recordings, for their neighbor Tattoo yourself reissue, and its previous group, the Faces, for unannounced releases. “It was such an adventure during the lockdown to spend about a month reconnecting with songs that I had completely forgotten or those that were put on the back burner,” he said in a Zoom interview, about a month before the death of Stones drummer Charlie Watts. “I was like ‘Wow. Now is the time for them to reappear because they are timeless.”

He also had time to reflect on another musician’s timeless music as he prepared for the release of his new solo album, Mr. Luck – Tribute to Jimmy Reed: Live at the Royal Albert Hall, released on September 17th. The record captures a 2013 concert by Wood that saw him perform alongside guitarist Mick Taylor, whom he replaced in the Rolling Stones in the mid-1970s, and with special guests such as Paul Weller, Mick Hucknall of Simply Red and Bobby Womack, who died the following year. “It was one of the last things he did,” says Wood. “So sweet, so sweet.”

Wood wanted to pay homage to Reed because he thinks people tend to overlook the bluesman, who wrote early ’60s classics like “Baby, What You Want Me to Do”, “Big Boss Man” and “Bright. Lights, Big City “. “Everyone’s talking about Muddy Waters, Howlin ‘Wolf and Buddy Guy,” he says. “Jimmy was straightforward in his delivery. It’s kind of like reggae music for the newbie since it’s like, “Well all the songs sound like they have the same beat.” They are all in a similar structure, but all the songs are such different characters in their own way. “

Wood, of course, would know. He established himself as a blues aficionado in the 1960s, long before joining the Faces and the Stones. He played bass in the Jeff Beck Group and later performed with Bo Diddley and played sessions with BB King. Beyond the Blues, he’s recorded with George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Aretha Franklin, and he’s also been successful as a visual artist, regularly showing his paintings of his bandmates and Stones setlists. Here for Rolling stone ‘In the Last Word column, he looks back on the lessons he has learned throughout his life and explains the secrets to getting along with all his famous friends.

how do you define success?
Satisfying masses of people, seeing the look on their faces, the pleasure that we bring when we do live concerts.

You always look so relaxed and happy on stage. What’s the secret to taking life less seriously?
People say, “If you want to be successful at something, choose something that you love to do. And the smile is all over my face because I love to play the guitar and I love the challenge of learning something new.

Mr. Chance pays homage to bluesman Jimmy Reed. Some of these songs are almost 100 years old. How do you connect to this music?
This is the common thread that runs through soul music, whether it is soul music or not. … I have a thrill listening to the original records, and I feel so proud when I hear my covers. I think, “So it’s live, it’s a little rough around the edges, but that’s me.” And it reminds me of Faces. We were live and very rough around the edges, and we all loved Jimmy Reed.

Mick Taylor, the guitarist you replaced in the Rolling Stones, joined you on every song on this recording. How do you keep a relationship like this from becoming awkward?
It has never been awkward. He has always been very complimentary to me, and I still have it to him. We get along well through these kinds of shady situations.

We go back many years to the ’60s when he was in the Gods and I was in the Birds, and he had no confidence. He used to say, “I can’t go on. I’m too nervous. Would you like to play my set for me, Ronnie? So I played for him, then I played my set. But I thought, “I allowed him to withdraw from the concert.” He really didn’t know how well he was playing, and to this day he’s much better at playing than he is at explaining what’s going on in his head. He will say it through his guitar like no one else. I think he played some of the best guitars on this Jimmy Reed album that I have ever heard him play.

You have survived a cancer attack in the past year. What enabled you to continue?
In 2017, I had the first fight; it was lung cancer, which I went through. And then in 2019, I got small cell cancer, which was a lot worse and a lot more devious. I was supposed to have chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but it was under the radar of Covid containment; I had the space to manage it on my own terms rather than being a public thing.

A lot of people tell me, “You didn’t tell me. I would have helped you. And I was like, “I didn’t want to disturb anybody. I just wanted to handle this on my own and make it on my own ”- and with the precious help of [my wife] Sally, she was wonderful. So I have the green light now and it’s a big buzz. Now, I hope we get out of containment, get out of my shell, gradually pick up some more strength and everything, and I’ll be ready to shoot.

What are the most important rules that you follow?
Take one day at a time. … With programs that I really like, the [Narcotics Anonymous] and the [Alcoholics Anonymous] recovery – which has got me through everything for the past 12 years now – I did a year for each step. In step three, I surrender my will and my life to someone else, my higher power. I’m handing over my issues and I really feel safe knowing that they will be taken care of and that everything will be fine.

What advice would you give to people struggling with addiction?
Don’t be afraid to admit that you are wrong or that you were wrong. I spoke at a public meeting the other month with a charity Prince William and Kate support. And when I got up to talk, I said, “Hi, my name is Ronnie. I am an addict. And after I got off my speech, people said, “Wow. How brave you are to tell people that you are an addict. And I said, “No. It’s a natural thing. If you have an addictive personality, it’s a good thing to say so. … People shouldn’t be afraid to say who they really are and what they want to do and ask for help. I’ve had to ask for a lot of help over the last few months, fighting everything I’ve fought, and I’m just better for it. People want to help.

What music still touches you the most?
Mozart played by [Russian cellist Mstislav] Rostropovich. Chuck Berry said: “We are not doing anything that Mozart has not already done. “And in a way it’s a great mantra because I like to discover [things that are new to me] All the time.

What are you doing to relax?
Keep really busy [laughs]. I paint or I play the guitar. I love to play with my little children. I get a lot from meditation and I relax by reading, playing and painting, so that’s what I do. Even if I went to a sunny island, I would paint or play there [guitar] the.

What do you get from the paint that you don’t get from the guitar?
Everything is expressionism. I love expressionist painting and I love expression through the guitar. The painting medium is a great thing for me to do just to keep my mindset focused on one thing. It’s like a meditation, and you go into a painting mode, and it can go on for weeks, months. And then I switch to music mode and it’s a welcome break.

And I just got the best seat in the house: we’ve been doing old Stones songs a long time ago when they were never released to accompany a Tattoo yourself reissue. And I went straight from working with Mick on that to working with Rod on Faces songs that never came out exactly around the same time, late ’60s, early’ 70s. And in both bands. , we’ve managed to find some timeless gems and over the next few months or years we’ll be posting some great stuff that people can enjoy the same way we love to discover it again.

You and Keith Richards describe your guitar playing as a “weave.” What is the secret of this practice?
It is a give and take. It’s an unwritten law to leave space, and the other guy, he can just put in a note, or he can answer the question with a phrase on the guitar.

How do you know when to give Keith some space?
Well if I don’t leave room for Keith I’ll wear his guitar around my head [laughs].

You are the head of a group on your new album. What did you learn about Rod Stewart’s leading role in Faces and Mick Jagger?
They like real support. They love to hear, “Hey, man, you did a great job. Because they sell it. … Jagger does his Jagger, and Rod does the Rod, but underneath, they want to know they’re on the right track because they value what they’re doing. The first thing for them is how to please the audience and give the best – the best show, the best album, the best presentation of music.

The chorus on your Faces hit “Ooh La La” says, “I wish I knew what I know now when I was younger.” What would you like to know then?
I wish I had known that all the promoters were ripping me off. It’s like, “Oh, my God. These guys opened up a supermarket and a restaurant chain, and I’m making 50 pounds for the week or something. It’s like, “Wow, I wish I knew then what I know now.” It can be funny. It’s life according to the conditions of life, you know?


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