When did Mick Taylor start to get sick of the Stones?

Not if Jagger remained the singer!

 

I heard they stopped paying him royalties in the 80s. He had to pursue legal action to get credit on the Tattoo You tracks he played on. He says he got depressed after leaving the Stones as he made so little money after playing on some of the biggest albums of all time.

 

I'm sure that Taylor signed a bad deal, he was a salaried employee. The Jagger/Richard copywrite box did not have an open lid, nor a WELCOME mat. If Talyor signed a contract that didn't stipulate recording royalties, he would get none, then or now. If he had a legal case, he would have pursued it; he sued over the use of his licks on Waiting on a Friend from Tattoo You... the Glimmer Twins dropped the ball on that one.

These days, the Stones' income is from their very lucrative live shows. I don't know how much Taylor earned when they brought him on tour earlier this century, but he was very happy to participate. I suppose that they were "throwing him a bone," but they didn't have to do it. It's a tough business and [artistic merit notwithstanding] there doesn't seem to have been much friendship between him and the rest of the group.

 

I have heard this quoted in several ways, some interpret it as being when they were jamming but an interview with Andy Johns (where I believe the quote came from) implies it was said while they were mixing a track and Keith means Taylor has pushed his guitar track up too loud in the mix. He means you are great live (on stage and when jamming) but you don't understand what it takes to make a record in the studio.

 

He probably didn't want to suffer the same fate as Brian Jones.

 

It's sad, looking back. On paper, it was a match made in heaven. The Faces albums may have been uneven affairs, but the highlights were great and his work on a few of Rod Stewart's solo albums was fantastic. Unfortunately, all of Keef and Woody's acoustic guitars, dobros, and National Steel Resonators were destroyed in a tragic rehearsal studio fire (or some such).

 

Charlie Watts take on it:

“I don’t think Keith is as enamoured of Mick Taylor as I was. It was like having Carlos Santana in the band. For me it was wonderful. Mick would go off, and you’d go off with him. It was like the jazz thing, really. He gave terrific beauty to the tracks he played on: Loving Cup was a good one. For me, that’s always been our best and most productive period: that Exile era.”

 

Thanks for answering all my questions

 

Perkins was a great player and combines both Taylor's solo ability with I think a more laid back style that would have worked well.

 

As usual, Charlie nails it.

 

Did you actually read the article which was posted?


He wasn't a salaried employee if he had a 20% share in Rolling Stones Records. The Stones' lawyer found a loophole in Taylor's contract he signed from when Rolling Stones Records was formed and each member got 20%. Exploiting the loophole allowed the Stones to stop paying him after their licensing contract with Atlantic expired and they signed new contracts with CBS.

He also reached a settlement with the Stones over Tattoo You, he didn't sue them.

Here is the excerpt

But what about his royalties from the Stones? ‘In 1982 they stopped paying me. They’d signed to a different record company and had new contracts and were advised they didn’t need to pay me any more,’ explained Taylor with a shrug.

‘Until then, I’d had a contract with Rolling Stones Records which was licensed to Atlantic Records – the same contract as the rest of the band.’

The deal gave him an equal share of performing royalties, though Jagger and Richards shared the writers’ royalties. But when the Atlantic contract expired, the band’s management used a loophole in Taylor’s contract to stop all payments.

‘I should have got a lawyer,’ he said. ‘But instead I called them rude words and asked how they could just stop paying me. They all know it’s not right. In fact it is outrageous. They get all the money and I get the plaudits and praise, even from Mick.

It would be interesting to know if Bill Wyman is still receiving royalties.

 

I read that article some years ago. Thing is, it paints Mick as a victim. If he still lives in a sordid little cottage it's...not Mick's and Keith's fault. They gave him international fame and a career to enhance, but it petered out due to the decisions Taylor made. Maybe he wasn't brainy enough, maybe he didn'have much self belief. He got involved with heavy drugs and alcohol and that's really his own fault. He isn't a charmed life type of guy, if he inherited a castle he'd probably lose it in a poker game.

 

In the article linked above, Taylor says from 1982 when they switched labels. Used a loophole to stop paying him performance royalties.

 

Really, Ron's work on "Maggie May" alone is legendary.
Dunno which got released first, but his solo has a strong
"Tapestry" vibe to it. Solid work.

 

I’m glad I scrolled down to see if anyone replied. Obviously, you’re nicer as I would have just said to read the linked piece.

 

I totally agree but ultimately I don't think if MT had stayed the records would have been better than they were. The inspiration was fading and his style of playing was going out of fashion. I can see him fitting in on Black and Blue but not on Some Girls. Also I doubt he would have enjoyed the music they were making, I can't hear MT playing disco frankly. They were starting to slide after Exile. I enjoy a few tracks on GHS and IORR but they are shadow compared to Sticky Fingers (although some fans love them, fair enough). I don't think Beck, Perkins or Ronson could have stopped the slide, they would have ended up as frustrated as MT. For better or worse Wood fitted well with where KR was at the time and allowed them to have one last hurrah with Some Girls. He definitely brought enthusiasm to the band and more importantly he adapted his style to the more new wave, disco, punk vibes of SG which I am not sure Taylor would have done (although he did attempt funk on GHS with his wah wah work!). I think MT would have more and more been drafted in to play solos and cut out of the other elements. SM would have sounded more or less the same but with KR playing all the rhythm parts, but with the odd solo, say on Beast of Burden, which I can imagine having some lead parts similar to Tops.

While I loath pretty much every album after MT left (I enjoy some of B&B, I have never enjoyed Some Girls at all) I think Ron gets unfairly judged. After Some Girls the relationship between Jagger and Richards started to deteriorate in a way that really damaged the band (and drove Charlie to heroin!) and Ron had some serious addiction problems which limited his effectiveness.

 

Taylor also played the funky bass part on Fingerprint File.

 

A pleasure to try.

 

Seemed that way. I’m sure the MT fans will say it was due to jealousy, but I doubt it- Keef never fancied himself a virtuoso and preferred to divine the rock ‘n’ roll spirit out of the ether.

 

Yes on that score.
Did he have much of a record of roadwork and live temperament as you can bet your life this was a big factor for anyone in the Glimmers eyes.

 

I always felt that he was prone to depression and that it affected much of his solo years.

 

So it is Mick and Keith's fault he squandered the money he once had? I think people get pleasure out of blaming Mick and Keith for everyone's bad decisions.

Taylor played on Dylan's records, Joan Jett's records and countless others in the 70's and 80's. If he had no money after that it was his own fault for squandering it and his talents.

 

Obviously, being on top of the world at 22 with all the entails and then coming down from that would affect anyone.

 

I got the impression, I think from Keith's book, Life, that he saw any member leaving the band as an act of treason and would basically shun them. Witness how Bill Wyman's image was edited out of some older photos of the band on compilation CDs.

 

Me too.