Okay guys, I have been sitting on this article from MusicRadar and I simply MUST share it because something genuinely magical came out of Ronnie Wood today! In a lovely retrospective piece, our beloved guitarist revealed that "There's only me and Mick [Jagger] and David Bowie and Willie Weeks and Kenney Jones on the basic track" for what he believes is essentially the first Stones song he helped to create — yes, this moment was captured *before* Ronnie officially joined the band. Think about it: five people in a room with incredible chemistry producing something foundational that would go onto shape decades of rock history! It's genuinely mind-boggling when you consider each name on Wood's list carries such weight and talent, from Mick Jagger himself to legendary bassist Willie Weeks and one-time Who drummer Kenney Jones.
I honestly think this is the best Ronnie commentary I've read about his early Stones involvement in a while because it really captures that pre-joining era with so much clarity — knowing he was part of these formative sessions before even becoming an official member adds such extra texture to everything you hear on the records from those years. For all us who dig deep into rock history and pay attention to how bands evolve, hearing Ronnie describe exactly *who* was in that room really puts things back into perspective — it's not just one big group effort but these specific people collaborating at a very particular time with such incredible synergy between them! I always thought of the Stones as this massive entity from day one, but learning there were foundational moments like this where Wood contributed to something so essential before wearing that official member badge makes me love their story even more. The fact he was working alongside Bowie on what became a classic track for another band at the same time feels genuinely iconic and just adds such an extra layer of wonder!
Source: https://www.musicradar.com/artists/theres-only-me-and-mick-and-david-bowie-and-willie-weeks-and-kenney-jones-on-it-the-basic-track-ronnie-wood-on-the-first-stones-song-he-helped-to-create-before-he-was-in-the-band
I honestly think this is the best Ronnie commentary I've read about his early Stones involvement in a while because it really captures that pre-joining era with so much clarity — knowing he was part of these formative sessions before even becoming an official member adds such extra texture to everything you hear on the records from those years. For all us who dig deep into rock history and pay attention to how bands evolve, hearing Ronnie describe exactly *who* was in that room really puts things back into perspective — it's not just one big group effort but these specific people collaborating at a very particular time with such incredible synergy between them! I always thought of the Stones as this massive entity from day one, but learning there were foundational moments like this where Wood contributed to something so essential before wearing that official member badge makes me love their story even more. The fact he was working alongside Bowie on what became a classic track for another band at the same time feels genuinely iconic and just adds such an extra layer of wonder!
Source: https://www.musicradar.com/artists/theres-only-me-and-mick-and-david-bowie-and-willie-weeks-and-kenney-jones-on-it-the-basic-track-ronnie-wood-on-the-first-stones-song-he-helped-to-create-before-he-was-in-the-band