Why did Wyman quit the Rolling Stones?

[::::BASSIST::::]

Just flipped thru the latest issue of a bass guitar mag. and read the Wyman interview.

After you've been with a band for 30 years why quit? They dont tour or record that often so there is lots of time for solo projects etc

Thoughts?

[nysbob]

I read his book Stone Alone.

He was never real happy about being excuded from the writing process and resultant royalties. When he had accumulated enough dough and enjoyed enough "dates", he just decided to split. Every band has an internal dynamic, so we'll never know exactly what was going on. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he may have been indirectly pressured to leave - Mick is a very savvy businessman and I'm sure he was well aware they could get that position filled by a better player at a lower cost.

Bill was never a chops guy, but had a good fundamental understanding of what makes a tune rock. I'm glad I saw him on his last tour with them.

[Sneckumhaw]

He must have been pretty annoyed at being a perfectly good bassist in a band where everybody else wanted to record the bass tracks on every other song.

[GlennW]

He probably got tired of waiting for Keith. In one biography about Keith, Charlie said something like, "25 years in the Rolling Stones - 5 years playing and 20 years waiting for Keith".

I don't think they tried to get Bill to quit for economical or any other reasons. Charlie's still there and they could get a supposed "better drummer" for less. Bill and Charlie laid down the foundation for a lot of good stuff, and just because neither of them are flashy players doesn't mean they don't know what they're doing.

Bill did a lot of cool stuff on Emotional Rescue - he played what the songs called for, not to impress people with lead bass licks.

[superbassman2000]

maybe he thought they were too old an didn't want to be associated with that

[stretchcat]

http://www.billwymandetector.com/

[fishtx]

Originally Posted by nysbob

I read his book Stone Alone.

He was never real happy about being excuded from the writing process and resultant royalties. When he had accumulated enough dough and enjoyed enough "dates", he just decided to split. Every band has an internal dynamic, so we'll never know exactly what was going on. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he may have been indirectly pressured to leave - Mick is a very savvy businessman and I'm sure he was well aware they could get that position filled by a better player at a lower cost.

Bill was never a chops guy, but had a good fundamental understanding of what makes a tune rock. I'm glad I saw him on his last tour with them.

What was the last tour he did with the band?...what year?

[davetakis]

1988 steel wheels tour= last with bill wyman.

[Busker]

Keith and Mick made the most money, due to the song writing/publishing. Bill, Charlie and Brian, early on anyway, didn't have that much money (in his Stone Alone book, Bill was often referring to his overdrawn or nearly overdrawn bank account) and then Brian was "fired" and died shortly thereafter.

Bill probably had made enough money by the late 1980's and just got tired of it. He was somewhat older than the others. Touring like they did probably got to him eventually.

[Vandelay]

Originally Posted by stretchcat

http://www.billwymandetector.com/

Oh my, that's just depressing. A "signature" metal detector. If he's that hard up for money, couldn't he just make a signature bass?

[gkbass13]

i love the stuff wyman is doing now, i got to see him 4 years ago with an 8 or 9 poiece blues band ...it was a great show.

[nysbob]

Originally Posted by davetakis

1988 steel wheels tour= last with bill wyman.

It was actually '89 thru '90 - close enough.

The show in cincy was early on in the tour. they played close to three hours - it was impressive. I remember thinking it mast have been hard on them at their age then, and here they are still banging away 18 years later.

[Sneckumhaw]

Originally Posted by Vandelay

Oh my, that's just depressing. A "signature" metal detector. If he's that hard up for money, couldn't he just make a signature bass?

I think it's pretty cool.

[smidgley]

Originally Posted by Vandelay

Oh my, that's just depressing. A "signature" metal detector. If he's that hard up for money, couldn't he just make a signature bass?

There was a Vox Bill Wyman bass. I had one in the late sixties. Actually, it was my first bass. I'd heard that he didn't actually play one, though.

[Busker]

Originally Posted by smidgley

There was a Vox Bill Wyman bass. I had one in the late sixties. Actually, it was my first bass. I'd heard that he didn't actually play one, though.

He probably did. In fact, I think I have video of him playing a Vox, in December 1968 (I'll look at the footage again to be sure). Bill endorsed more than one bass brand in the 60's. Framus (a German brand) was one. Vox was surely another.

[Busker]

Originally Posted by smidgley

There was a Vox Bill Wyman bass. I had one in the late sixties. Actually, it was my first bass. I'd heard that he didn't actually play one, though.

Smidgley

Yup. Bill was playing a Vox in this video I have, although it looks violin-shaped instead of the teardrop. But the boat paddle headstock is unmistakable. Check out the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, filmed December, 1968. It was supposed to be a Stones TV special that was never shown. They spent either $50,000 or 50,000 pounds on it, which ever story you hear. They had Taj Mahal and band, the fledgling Jethro Tull, The Who, Eric Clapton, John Lennon, and others on this show, plus the Stones themselves did about 5 songs. But it was shelved because Mick didn't think the Stones performed all that well. As a matter of fact, the film footage was eventually found in a barn or storage shed at Ian Stewart's home (he was a Stones founding member and later kind of their road manager) and it was finally decided to put it out on DVD not too long ago. You can probably special-order it from Hastings if you want it.

It was the last ever appearance of Brian Jones with the group, and is sad for that reason. He wasn't at his best.

[smidgley]

The story I heard was that Bill did play Vox basses and did play a teardrop bass made by someone else but that Vox didn't pay him for his endorsement of his signature bass that they made, so he refused to play it.

I did a little search and found that I was wrong. See this story:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/20...621836508.html

[GlennW]

Bill mostly played his homemade fretless and a Framus in the early years. The Framus is the one that's usually in the old photos.

I read somewhere where Bill said Vox gave him a bass and he felt a obligated to play it, and did a little. He didn't like it much.

Sometime around '68 he used a Fender Mustang Bass for a while.

[Sneckumhaw]

Originally Posted by Busker

It was the last ever appearance of Brian Jones with the group, and is sad for that reason. He wasn't at his best.

Agreed. I love the DVD for The Who and Jethro Tull and a couple other things, but it is flat out depressing to see Brian Jones look and play that poorly.

[Dave Bassincus]

Originally Posted by Vandelay

Oh my, that's just depressing. A "signature" metal detector. If he's that hard up for money, couldn't he just make a signature bass?

I totaly respect him for his interest in archeology. I'm sure it's more a labor of love than just getting a few more $$$.