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Inside Nellcôte, Keith Richards’ Riviera Palace of Rock & Chaos
Nellcote, Keith Richards’ “white palace” villa on the beach in Villefranche, France, which he rented for $2,400 a week in 1971. The Stones brought a mobile recording unit to Keith’s house, and they also built a studio in his basement. All of the Stones, plus ladies, moved into the house, and Keith offended them when he gave each Stone a weekly bill for $200 rent during the recording of Exile On Main St. Eventually the French police had the house under observation the entire time Keith lived there and later on, while he and the rest of the Stones were recording in Jamaica, a warrant was issued for their arrests, claiming drug use in the house. But all of the Stones testified that it was Keith’s house and they were innocent of the charges. All photos by Dominique Tarlé
Exile and Excess: The Rolling Stones at Villa Nellcôte
In the early 1970s, the Rolling Stones found themselves in a unique situation. To escape financial troubles and increasing tax burdens in the UK, the band relocated to the south of France. It was there, in the opulent yet crumbling Villa Nellcôte, located in Villefranche-sur-Mer, that they began work on what would become one of their most iconic albums, Exile on Main St.
The villa, rented by Keith Richards, became the epicenter of the band’s creative and chaotic energy during 1971. Surrounded by decadence, stunning views of the Mediterranean, and a rotating cast of visitors, the Stones transformed the basement into a makeshift recording studio. With mobile recording equipment brought in, they laid down tracks that blended rock, blues, soul, and gospel into a gritty masterpiece. Songs like Tumbling Diceand Happy were birthed in this charged atmosphere.
Chaos and Creation: The Myth of Villa Nellcôte
Villa Nellcôte wasn’t just a place to stay—it became a symbol of the Rolling Stones’ chaotic genius. Nestled on the French Riviera, the crumbling 19th-century mansion served as both sanctuary and pressure cooker for the band during the recording of Exile on Main St. in 1971. The elegant decay of the villa mirrored the duality of their situation: escaping British taxes and legal trouble, while diving headfirst into a new era of musical experimentation.
What unfolded behind those shuttered windows is now the stuff of rock legend. The Stones filled the house with lovers, hangers-on, and an air of unpredictability. Eccentric guests roamed the halls while the basement studio pulsed with a mix of grit, soul, and distortion. Drug use was rampant, the atmosphere electric, and discipline scarce—yet from the chaos emerged some of the band’s most vital and enduring work.
Through all the madness, the Stones managed to channel their surroundings into something transcendent. Exile on Main St. wasn’t just an album—it was a reflection of a lifestyle on the edge. Decades later, Nellcôte still stands as a monument to creative abandon and the messy birth of rock ‘n’ roll legend.
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