Stones Only Rock n Roll

On this day, June 13, 1969, the Rolling Stones announced that guitarist Mick Taylor would be joining the band full time. Brian Jones had occupied the spot since the group's inception in 1962. Unfortunately Jones had sunk to an unmanageable level due to excessive drug use. Keith Richards recalled, "The last year or so, when Brian was almost totally incapacitated all the time, he became a joke to the band. It was the only way to deal with it without getting mad at him. So then it became that very cruel thing behind his back all the time". Jones was contributing nothing to the Stones, and they were eager to get going on another album. Taylor was called upon to do some guitar tracks. He remembers the day they popped the question: "Mick was in a side room doing an interview, then Keith shows up. It was like a bolt out of the blue, taking me completely by surprise. As soon as it was offered, of course I wanted the job".

Taylor's resume up until that point was impressive. He was a member of John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, England's most prestigious Blues band. The move paid off big time. A string of albums including Beggar's Banquet, Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Main Street followed. In the opinion of many an avid Stones fan, these are the meatiest records they ever did and Taylor was a big part of it. Sadly, Jones was gone less than a month later. He was found dead in his swimming pool. Taylor left the Stones in 1975 to pursue a solo career, with Ronnie Wood taking over for him. Taylor has had modest success as a solo artist and continues to be an ace session man, working with the likes of Bob Dylan, Jack Bruce, and Billy Preston. In honor of Mick Taylor and the Rolling Stones, we offer Only Rock n' Roll as the shirt of the day.]