Like what you see? Help keep it going! This site runs on the support of readers like you. Your donation helps cover costs and keeps fresh Rolling Stones content updated every day. Thanks in advance!

Rolling Stones unreleased: Ready Yourself

*Click for MORE STONES UNRELEASED TRACKS

Ready Yourself is one of those hidden Rolling Stones tracks that quietly tells a bigger story. Born during the 1989 Steel Wheels sessions at AIR Studios in Montserrat, it captures Mick Jagger and Keith Richards rebuilding their creative spark at a crucial turning point. While it never made the album, the song reflects a band balancing past grit with a more polished late-’80s sound. These unreleased recordings reveal what official releases often miss: experimentation, discarded ideas, and the real process behind a comeback. In that sense, Ready Yourself isn’t just a leftover—it’s a key piece of the Rolling Stones’ evolving identity during a defining era.

Written by: Jagger/Richards
Recorded: AIR Studios, Montserrat, West Indies, March 29-May 5 1989 (Steel Wheels sessions)

A hidden spark from the Steel Wheels era

Ready Yourself stands as one of those elusive Rolling Stones recordings that quietly capture a band in transition. Tracked at AIR Studios in Montserrat between March 29 and May 5, 1989 during the Steel Wheels sessions it reflects a moment when Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were rebuilding both their creative partnership and the band’s direction. Written by Jagger/Richards, the song carries the unmistakable tension and energy of a group rediscovering its identity after years of internal strain. While it never made the final album cut, its existence hints at the depth of material generated during these sessions—music that bridged past grit with a more polished, late-’80s sound. Ready Yourself feels like a missing piece, offering a glimpse into the Rolling Stones’ creative engine at a time when they were preparing for one of their biggest comebacks.

A glimpse inside Montserrat sessions

The AIR Studios setting in the West Indies wasn’t just a backdrop—it played a role in shaping the Steel Wheels era. Surrounded by isolation and focus, the Rolling Stones approached recording with renewed discipline. Ready Yourself likely emerged from this concentrated burst of creativity, where ideas flowed quickly and not everything could make the final tracklist. These sessions produced a wealth of material, and unreleased tracks like this one reveal how much experimentation was happening behind the scenes. Even without an official release, the song carries the DNA of that period: tight arrangements, confident songwriting, and a band sounding re-energized.

Why unreleased tracks still matter

Unreleased songs like Ready Yourself continue to fascinate fans because they offer something official albums cannot—raw context. They show the Rolling Stones beyond the finished product, exposing alternate paths and creative decisions left behind. In the case of the Steel Wheels sessions, these recordings highlight a band reconnecting with its roots while adapting to a new musical landscape. Ready Yourself may not have reached the public in 1989, but its story adds depth to the era, proving that sometimes the most interesting chapters in rock history are the ones that never quite made it onto the record.

COPYRIGHT © ROLLING STONES DATA
ALL INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE IS COPYRIGHT OF ROLLING STONES DATA. ALL CONTENT BY MARCELO SONAGLIONI.
ALL SETLISTS AND TICKET STUBS TAKEN FROM THE COMPLETE WORKS OF THE ROLLING STONES. 
WHEN USING INFORMATION FROM ROLLING STONES DATA (ONLINE OR PRINTED) PLEASE REFER TO ITS SOURCE DETAILING THE WEBSITE NAME. THANK YOU.