A Stone Alone - The definitive Bill Wyman Anthology

contents

blues

Bill Wyman was the first member of The Rolling Stones to actively pursue an extra-curricular, parallel solo career. During the 70s, 80s and 90s whilst still the bassist for The Stones, Wyman cut various albums, and tracks, of which the most significant feature on this career-spanning collection A Stone Alone - The Solo Anthology 1974-2002, released as a deluxe 2-CD set by Sanctuary Midline on March 20, 2006. Frustrated by his lack of success in persuading his colleagues to record his songs, Wyman dabbled at management, production and songwriting. His albums, Monkey Grip,1974 and Stone Alone, 1976 garnered favourable reviews with the press, but it was his album Bill Wyman, 1981 which included his hit singles Je Suis Un Rock A Star, Come Back Suzanne and A New Fashion which pushed his solo career even further. His last solo album was Stuff, 1992.

However, it was after he left The Stones in 1993, that Wyman formed The Rhythm Kings which were an immediate success on every level, charting with a series of studio albums and establishing themselves as a major live draw. But hit albums or not, they remained essentially a Live band, to which end they were billed as Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings. The band's four live albums, release under the name of The Bootleg Kings were titled, Live In Europe (2000), Ride Again (2001), Travlin' Band (2002) and On The Road Again (2003) provide the backbone of Disc 2 of the anthology. Compiled and annotated by the intrepid David Wells, with input from Wyman himself, the inlay/booklet includes extensive interview material and many rare pictures and memorabilia, making this album a unique and definitive overview of his second-stage career.

As a member of the Rolling Stones for three decades, Bill Wyman established himself among the greatest bassists in rock & roll history; in tandem with drummer Charlie Watts, he belonged to one of the most stalwart rhythm sections in popular music, perfectly complementing the theatrics of Mick Jagger and the gritty guitar leads of Keith Richards.

Born William Perks in London on October 24, 1936, Wyman was playing in a group called the Cliftons when he was asked to join the Stones in mid-1962, replacing bassist (and future Pretty Things member) Dick Taylor. Reportedly asked to join the group simply because he had his own amplifier, he was, at age 25, by several years the oldest member of the group; regardless, his chemistry with the other band members was immediate, and with the subsequent arrival of Watts, the classic Rolling Stones lineup was soon cemented.

The rest, of course, is history, and before too long the Stones were widely recognized as the World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band. In 1974, Wyman became the first from their ranks to record a solo LP, the all-star Monkey Grip; two years later, he repeated the trick with Stone Alone. His next major side project was the 1985 cover band Willie and the Poor Boys, which also included Watts, Jimmy Page and Paul Rodgers.

Finally, in January 1993, he publicly announced his long-rumored departure from the Stones, ; in 1997 Wyman formed a new band, the Rhythm Kings, which featured guitarists Peter Frampton and Albert Lee as well former Procol Harum keyboardist Gary Brooker.

Photo credit - Terry O'Neill

write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page