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Rolling Stones unreleased: Don’t Want Somebody Else
The Rolling Stones had plenty of songs that never made it onto an album, but Don’t Want Somebody Else belongs to the particularly interesting pile: material left behind during the 1993 Voodoo Lounge sessions. That alone makes it worth digging into, because the Stones were still reshaping their sound after Bill Wyman’s departure, with a new chapter taking form in the studio. Some tracks get polished, released and endlessly dissected; others quietly disappear into the vaults and wait for curious Stones obsessives to come looking. Don’t Want Somebody Else is one of those recordings—a glimpse at what the band was working on before the album finally took shape.
Written by: Jagger/Richards Recorded: Blue Wave Studios, St. Philip, Barbados, West Indies, Apr. 30-mid May 1993 (Voodoo Lounge sessions)
Unreleased Barbados
Don’t Want Somebody Else belongs to the large, slightly frustrating pile of Rolling Stones songs that never made it onto an official album, despite coming from a particularly productive period. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the track was recorded at Blue Wave Studios in Barbados between April 30 and mid-May 1993, during the early stages of what would become the Voodoo Lounge sessions. At the time, Jagger and Richards were getting back into songwriting after releasing their respective solo albums, Wandering Spirit and Main Offender. The Stones were preparing for their next chapter, with Don Was brought in as co-producer and a new bassist, Darryl Jones, eventually stepping into Bill Wyman’s old position. Don’t Want Somebody Else captures a moment when the band was still figuring out exactly what its next record should sound like—and, as usual, not everyone agreed on the answer.
A new Stones chapter
The sessions began in Barbados before the band eventually moved to Ireland, where they worked at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin. Before that, the Stones had spent time rehearsing and recording at Ronnie Wood’s home in Ireland, effectively building the album from the ground up.
The timing was significant. The early 1990s had already seen major solo activity from Jagger and Richards, but now the two were back together and writing for the Stones again. Bill Wyman had departed, and Darryl Jones was selected as the band’s regular bassist, although he would remain a touring and studio member rather than officially joining the group. Charlie Watts reportedly suggested Jones for the job. Meanwhile, the sessions were being shaped by Don Was, whose production philosophy would become one of the defining elements of Voodoo Lounge.
From Barbados to Voodoo Lounge
The Stones completed Voodoo Lounge in Los Angeles during the first months of 1994 before preparing for the massive tour that began that August. The album ultimately presented a relatively classic version of the band, while later projects would explore a broader and more modern production palette.
The title itself came from Barbados. Keith Richards adopted a stray kitten during the sessions and named it Voodoo because it had somehow survived against the odds. Richards also called the terrace of his Barbados house “the voodoo lounge.”
Don’t Want Somebody Else therefore comes from an interesting crossroads in Stones history: a reunited songwriting partnership, a changing lineup, a new producer and a mountain of material competing for space. It never reached the official album, but that hardly makes its place in the Voodoo Lounge story insignificant.
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