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From Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012: An up-tempo number used by Mick Taylor to whip his guitar into action. He plays a lengthy solo which ducks and dives for the duration of the track. Nicky Hopkins plays organ. Mick Jagger indicates that the track was unfinished by doing his guideline vocals.
Travellin’ Man: A Wild Ride Through Unfinished Brilliance
Raw, relentless, and roaring with potential, Travellin’ Man is one of those Rolling Stones outtakes that hints at what could have been a classic had it been completed. Captured during the October 1970 sessions at Olympic Sound Studios in London, the track serves more as an electrifying jam than a polished recording. Mick Taylor, ever the guitar virtuoso, seizes the spotlight with a free-spirited solo that darts and weaves from start to finish, turning the track into a six-string showcase. Though the structure feels loose, the drive and attitude behind it are unmistakably Stones. Nicky Hopkins lends his signature touch on organ, layering the track with warmth and energy, while Mick Jagger lays down raw, guide vocals—suggesting that the band saw Travellin’ Manas a work in progress. Even unfinished, it packs enough swagger and soul to stand tall among their lesser-known gems.
Unreleased Energy from the 1970 Sessions
Despite being unreleased officially, Travellin’ Man has floated through collector circles as a vivid relic from a particularly creative period for the band. The loose nature of Jagger’s vocals—serving more as placeholders than final takes—reveals a glimpse into the Stones’ recording process. This was experimentation, not execution. And in that spontaneity lies the track’s enduring appeal. With Mick Taylor’s fiery improvisation at its core, backed by Hopkins’ soulful organ, the song offers a moment of unfiltered energy that might’ve evolved into something great. It remains a powerful, if incomplete, testament to the band’s restless momentum during the Sticky Fingers-era sessions.
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