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Keith Richards about Ronnie Wood joining the Stones (1975)

“You know with Ronnie we seem to be able to get back to the original idea of the Stones, when Brian was with us in 1962, ’63. Two guitars has always been my particular love because I think there’s more that can be done with that combination than almost any other instrument. But what screws most of that up, and this is the bag I fell into with Mick Taylor – whom I love deeply and I think is one of the most incredible guitar players in that kind of music you’ll ever get a chance to hear – is that there’s this phony division between lead and rhythm guitar. It does not exist…

…Either you’re a guitar player or you’re not. And if you are a guitar player with another guitar player, there’s no point in designing one thing to one… there’s no freedom there. This way with Ronnie is more like what it was with Brian, because we had basically the same ideas about guitar when Brian was still very interested in guitar. It’s two guitar players and one sound.”

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By 1975, The Rolling Stones needed a new guitarist—because, shocker, Mick Taylor decided he’d had enough of the madness. Enter Ronnie Wood, the human embodiment of rock ‘n’ roll chaos, whose qualifications included being Keith Richards’ drinking buddy and a guy who could actually play guitar. A perfect fit.

Ronnie had been moonlighting with the Stones even before officially joining the band, juggling commitments with The Faces, who were in the process of falling apart thanks to Rod Stewart’s ever-growing ego. When the Stones came calling, it wasn’t exactly a tough decision—stick with a sinking ship or jump aboard the biggest rock ‘n’ roll circus in history? Yeah, not a hard choice.

By the time the Stones hit the road for their 1975 Tour of the Americas, Ronnie was in. Sure, he was technically just a “temporary” member, but let’s be real—once you’re in the Stones, you don’t just walk away (unless you’re Mick Taylor, of course). His chemistry with Keith was instant, built on a shared love of weaving guitar lines and, well, recreational substances.

Almost 50 years later we got the news about Ronnie Wood joining The Greatest Rock’n’Roll Band in the World, Woody’s still standing—somehow. Not bad for the “new guy,” huh?

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