Video: Mick Jagger Talks about Peter Tosh (1978)

By Marcelo Sonaglioni on January 10, 2025

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Rolling Stones on video: Mick Jagger talks about Peter Tosh, 1978

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About Peter Tosh and The Rolling Stones

*By Marcelo Sonaglioni
The collaboration between Peter Tosh and The Rolling Stones began with great promise in 1978. Following his success as a solo artist, with notable albums like jis first solo record Legalize It (1976), Tosh aimed to expand his reach beyond Jamaica. The Rolling Stones were an ideal partner to help achieve that goal, bringing him onto their small record label. During the sessions for his debut album on the label, Bush Doctor, the Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards produced and contributed to several tracks (Jagger duetting with Tosh on (You Got to Walk and) Don’t Look Back, Richards on the album’s title song and on Stand Firm) Tosh also opened for the band during their 1978 North American tour, where he and Jagger performed their duet of (You Got to Walk and) Don’t Look Back, the lead single from the album.

However, Tosh became increasingly frustrated as his subsequent albums on Rolling Stones Records (1979’s Mystic Man, or Wanted Dread & Alive, released in 1981) didn’t see much improvement in sales. In the biography Steppin’ Razor, it’s noted that Tosh expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of promotion, even though the Stones had invested in his career. Jagger later admitted that Tosh’s frustration stemmed from the massive success of Bob Marley, which likely overshadowed his own ambitions.

Tosh’s attempts to appeal to a broader audience included his previously mentioned Jagger duet and later even a cover of Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Goode, which also had some minor success. Despite these efforts, record sales remained sluggish, leading to growing tensions. Tosh’s difficult personality didn’t help matters, particularly with Keith Richards, who reportedly had issues with Tosh keeping an expensive guitar he had borrowed. The relationship became strained further after Tosh allegedly wore out his welcome at Richards’ Jamaican home, with some accounts even suggesting Tosh made threats when Richards came to reclaim his property.

Despite these tensions, the business side of things was ultimately the driving factor. Tosh’s albums hadn’t delivered the desired returns for Rolling Stones Records, and the partnership ended after the release of Wanted Dread & Alive. While their collaboration started with high hopes, the relationship eventually soured, leaving Tosh to continue his career without the backing of the Stones.

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