Sing This Song Together A to D (original) (raw)
WHY DON'T WE SING THIS SONG ALL TOGETHER?
Some information about most of the outside contributors
(musicians, engineers, producers) who have rolled with the Stones
throughout the years, onstage and on record.
Written by Ian McPherson, 2000-2024.
(All rights reserved. Like all files on Time Is On Our Side, this is the exclusive intellectual property
of Ian McPherson and cannot be duplicated, in any form, without his authorization.)
click on a name or scroll down
CHRISTINA AGUILERA (1980- )
New York-born, extremely successful pop singer starting in 1999, who duetted on Live with Me with the Stones at their October 29 & November 1, 2006 Beacon Theatre shows in New York City.
JAMES W. ALEXANDER (1916-1996)
Mississippi-born Alexander was an all-around session musician (bassist, guitarist, singer, drummer and percussionist) and producer who recorded extensively with 1960s and '70s soul artists, such as Sam Cooke, the Bar-Kays, the Soul Stirrers, Mavis Staples and Isaac Hayes. He contributed percussion on I'm Free during the Stones' September 1965 L.A. recordings.
LARRY ALEXANDER
An assistant engineer who worked on Still Life (1982). He's also worked with Diana Ross, Devo, Huey Lewis & the News, Bon Jovi, Meat Loaf and many others.
THE AL KHUBARAIT SINGERS
A choir that joined the Rolling Stones onstage during You Can't Always Get What You Want in Abu Dhabi on February 21, 2014.
LEE ALLEN (1926-1994)
Born in Tennessee, Allen was a saxophonist who was an integral part of the classic Louisiana R&B recordings of the 1950s by artists such as Fats Domino and Little Richard. He went on to perform with artists like Dr. John, Professor Longhair and the Stray Cats.
The Stones hired Allen for a few of their dates in early October during their 1981 U.S. Tour, before being replaced by Ernie Watts.
SASHA ALLEN (1982- )
Harlem, New York-born singer who has been backing vocalist for Alicia Keys, Christiana Aguilera and Usher, among others. She became famous in 2013 for becoming finalist in the U.S. TV competition program The Voice. In 2016, she is replacing Lisa Fischer as backing vocalist for the Rolling Stones during their South American Ol� Tour. Allen joined the band again for their October 2016 mini-U.S. tour, 2017-2019 & 2021 No Filter World Tour, and 2022 Sixty Tour.
KENNY ARONOFF (1953- )
Best known as John Cougar Mellencamp's drummer, Aronoff has also played with the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, Indigo Girls, Bob Seger, Meat Loaf, Travis Tritt, Celine Dion and Ricky Martin. Aronoff plays a bucket on the Stones' Already Over Me (1997). He subsequently played drums on some of the tracks on Mick's album Goddess In The Doorway (2001).
GARETH ASHTON
An engineer who did assisting duties on No Security. He's worked with the likes of Duran Duran and The Verve.
MICK AVORY (1944- )
Hanging around the Alexis Korner scene in London in 1962, Avory sat in as a drummer for the Stones on occasion, before they found their permanent drummer in Charlie. He went on to become drummer for the Kinks.
We were rehearsing drummers. Mick Avory came by, the drummer of the Kinks. He was terrible, then. Couldn't find that off beat. Couldn't pick up on that Jimmy Reed stuff.
- Keith Richards, 1971
MAX BACA
A Tex Mex player of the 6-string bass, Max Baca is mostly known for accompanying Flaco Jimenez, and he appeared with him on the Stones' Sweethearts Together in 1994.
ARTHUR BAKER (1955- )
Born in Boston, Baker was one of the most successful early rap and hip hop producers. Working with the group New Order in 1983, he thereafter became widely sought in the business as a hip remixer, helping to create the remix industry as such. He did producing and remixing duties on many '80s and '90s records by the likes of Jeff Beck, Black Uhuru,David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross and Pet Shop Boys.
Baker did some of the remixes for extended, club/dance versions of the material from the Stones' Undercover in 1984, and for Mick's She's The Boss the following year. In 1999, Baker produced the charity all-star version of It's Only Rock and Roll on which Mick and Keith contributed.
ROBI BANERJI
An engineer who did assisting duties for the mixing of You Don't Have to Mean It and How Can I Stop. He's done work notably with Herbie Hancock, Jewel and Lone Justice.
JIM BARBER
A guitar technician for the Stones who wound up playing on their 1983 album Undercover on the song Too Much Blood. He also played on Mick's 1987 solo album Primitive Cool.
MICHAEL BARCLAY
The uncredited producer for the Stones' recordings of Poison Ivy and Fortune Teller in 1963.
GENE BARGE (1926- )
Born in Virginia, saxophonist Gene Barge played on classic R&B, blues and soul records throughout the 1950s and '60s, with the likes of Ray Charles, Chuck Willis, the Dells, Muddy Waters and Jackie Wilson. He also co-wrote the classic A Quarter to Three with Gary Bonds. In the '70s and beyond, Barge helped set up the career for Natalie Cole and started playing in movies (The Fugitive, etc.). He still plays today.
The Stones hired Barge to replace Ernie Watts as their saxophonist for the 1982 European Tour.
JON BATES
Bates is an engineer who worked on the Stones' No Security (1998). He usually works on jazz records.
MIKE BAUMGARTNER
An engineer who helped Don Smith mix the Stones' Voodoo Lounge in L.A. in 1994. He's engineered records for artists from Johnny Mathis to Anthrax.
JAMES BAY (1990- )
Hertfordshire-born singer-songwriter who launched a successful career in 2014. He sang Beast of Burden with the Stones onstage at Twickenham Stadium in London, England, on June 19, 2018.
BUD BEADLE
A British saxophonist who played on Honky Tonk Women. He joined the progressive rock group Riff Raff in 1972.
THE BEATLES (1960-1970)
Kings of pop in the 1960s, the Beatles and Stones, despite their obvious commercial competition, were also friends, frequently hanging out with each other in select London nightclubs in the middle years of the decade. They also occasionally played on the same bill in special concerts in England. Their actual musical collaborations, though, were small.
The Beatles and Stones first met in April 1963, when the Beatles, already becoming a national name, attended one of the Stones' shows in Richmond at the Crawdaddy. Legend has it that George Harrison then helped the Stones gain a recording contract by mentioning them to Dick Rowe, an executive at Decca Records. Later on that year, the Beatles helped the Stones with their second single, when John Lennon and Paul McCartney came over to their studio to jam with them and write a song on the spot called I Wanna Be Your Man. The band members remained friends throughout the 1960s and for several years (c. 1965-68) would often spend time in fashionable London clubs hanging out together.
Oh, that was a great period. We were like kings of the jungle then, and we were very close to the Stones. I don't know how the others were, I spent a lot of time with Brian and Mick, and I admire them. I dug them the first time I saw them in whatever that place is they came from, Richmond Club. I spent a lot of time with them and it was great. We were kings and we were all just at the prime and we all used to just go around London in our cars and meet each other and talk about music with the Animals and Eric (Burdon) and all that. It was really a good time. That was the best period, fame-wise, we didn't get mobbed so much. I don't know, it was like a men's smoking club, just a very good scene.
- John Lennon, 1970
The groups never played on each other's records, however, until the spring and summer of 1967, when Mick Jagger added backing vocals to the Beatles' Baby You're a Rich Man and Brian Jones recorded saxophone on You Know My Name (to be released only 3 years later). In June, Mick and Keith also attended, with many others, an overdub recording session for the Beatles' All You Need Is Love, which was being televised live worldwide as part of a global project. John and Paul then returned the favor by singing backup vocals on the Stones' We Love You and Sing This Song All Together. That year marked the peak of their collaboration, as the groups discussed possible business/record label mergers that did not materialize. In addition, the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper cover featured a Welcome the Rolling Stones message, and the Stones returned the favor by putting the Beatles' faces in the background of the cover for the Satanic Majesties LP. The following year, in December 1968 John and Yoko took part in the Stones' Rock and Roll Circus event. That was to be the last collaboration, as even after the Beatles' break-up the Stones and ex-Beatles never really significantly collaborated with each other.
Yeah, John (Lennon) and I, we hung out for a short period of time but it was quite intense. We used to hang out around '67, '68, drive around England for like days on end. And he was a sweet guy, we had a load of fun - as they say in England, more fun than Harrods's. You know, he had a large exterior in that he was a real sweetheart of a guy. And if there was one way that guy shouldn't have gone, it was like that. But, at the same time, knowing John, I can imagine that he probably cracked a joke to himself as it happened. John was THAT human, you know... I was just down the road when it happened and it... there's a million other people that it could've happened to, you know... (C)ome on, look what that guy gave and look what he got in return.
- Keith Richards, 1984
Mick joined Paul and George at Ringo's wedding in 1979 and jammed with them. In 1981, Ron Wood produced and played on Ringo Starr's album Stop and Smell the Roses, on which Keith had also contributed. In January 1988, it was Mick who inducted the Beatles into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and he joined George and Ringo onstage afterwards for a celebratory jam. (Paul was absent.) Mick, Keith & Paul shared the same stage in October 2001 for the Concert for New York City.
John Lennon was assassinated in 1980, George Harrison died of cancer in 2001.
I am very saddened by George's death and will miss him enormously. As a guitarist, he invented many classic lines that were much copied by others, and he wrote several very beautiful songs that we will always remember. He was a very complex character, both quiet and funny with a very sweet nature, but he also could be rather combative at times. He was the first musician I knew who developed a truly spiritual side, and he was generous with his time to both charity and to friends.
- Mick Jagger, 2001
To me, George was, always will be, above all, a real gentleman, in the full meaning of the word. We both felt we held similar positions in our respective bands, which formed a special knowing bond between us. Let's hope he's jamming with John.
- Keith Richards, 2001
On December 5, 2011 and March 29, 2012, Ron Wood played onstage with Paul McCartney in London. In late 2022, Paul McCartney recorded two songs with the Rolling Stones during the recording sessions for their album Hackney Diamonds, Bite My Head Off being the song chosen for inclusion.
CEDRIC BEATTY
Beatty was one of the engineers for the Flashpoint album (1991). He's worked with people like Jack Bruce and Bill Evans.
JEFF BECK (1944-2023)
Like fellow legendary British guitarists Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck often crossed paths with the Stones through the years, although he never contributed to one of their records.
Coming out of the same British R&B background as the Stones, in the mid 1960s Beck worked with the Yardbirds, before forming - most significantly in regards to Stones history - the Jeff Beck Group in 1967, which featured Rod Stewart on vocals and Ron Wood on bass, and in 1968 Nicky Hopkins as well. The group broke up in 1969-70 when Rod and Ron left to form the Faces. Beck formed a few short-lived outfits, before enjoying relative success with solo instrumental jazz rock albums in the mid-1970s. It was during this period that he jammed with the Stones during their Black and Blue sessions as a possible replacement for Mick Taylor.
Beck never achieved the success of a Clapton, however, as a solo artist. His forte was primarily appearing on other people's records. He contributed to records by artists such as Diana Ross, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Roger Waters and the Pretenders.
In 1983, Beck, like Page and Clapton, participated in the all-star charity tour for Ronnie Lane and multiple sclerosis, which featured Charlie, Bill and, for a few dates, Ronnie. His biggest Stones connection in the 1980s was with Mick, however. Beck was hired as the chief guitar gunner for his first solo album, She's The Boss (1985). In 1986-87, Mick enlisted Beck again to play on Primitive Cooland Beck was supposed to take part in the tour that was being planned for the album, but backed out after a club gig in L.A. with Mick in late 1987. In between those two projects, he appeared, like Clapton and other British colleagues, at the Stones' private gig held in honor of Ian Stewart in February 1986. He played onstage with the Stones for some numbers. In an issue of Beggars Banquet magazine, Bill German reports that at some point Beck started playing the riff to Mick's Just Another Night. Keith gave him a dirty look and Beck got the drift and stopped. In early 1992, Beck was one of the many who jammed with Keith at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame annual ceremonies, where Keith inducted guitar maker Leo Fender.
I mean, Jeff's very much a lead player; he doesn't like to play parts over and over, which Keith and Ronnie would do. That's a great difference (between them).
- Mick Jagger, 1984
Jeff Beck performed with Mick Jagger again at the White House in front of President Obama in February 2012 in a celebration of blues, and then accompanied him during his appearance on Saturday Night Live that May. On November 25, 2012, Jeff Beck guest starred onstage with the Rolling Stones at the O2 Arena in London, England, playing the blues classic (and Jeff Beck Group repertoire song) Goin' Down.
Jeff Beck passed away suddenly of bacterial meningitis at age 78 on January 10, 2023.
BOB BECKWITH
Beckwith is a guitarist who played with Mick before Keith did. He was the early guitarist for Mick's teenage group, Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys.
PHIL BEER (1953- )
Beer is a fiddler and mandolin player from the folk field that the Stones hired to play on Steel Wheels's Blinded By Love (1989). He's recorded with artists such as Mike Oldfield, Albion Band and Ashley Hutchings. He was probably brought in by Matt Clifford, who had previously played with him.
MADELINE BELL (1942- )
Born in New Jersey, Bell was one of the great vocalists to sing with the Stones, although only briefly (she sang backup on You Can't Always Get What You Want). Starting out as a gospel singer, she also started singing backup for other pop and R&B singing in the '60s, such as Dusty Springfield and Doris Troy. She also sang with Joe Cocker. It is with Troy, and fellow collaborator Nanette Newman, that she contributed on the Stones' classic song. In the early '70s, she joined the mildly successful group Blue Mink, but also went on to work with many other pop artists (Elton John,Ringo Starr, Donna Summer, Rod Stewart, Roger Waters and others).
BELMONT CHORALE
A choir from Belmont University that joined the Rolling Stones onstage to sing You Can't Always Get What You Want in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 17, 2015.
BYRON BERLINE (1944- )
Born in Kansas City, Berline was a violinist and mandolin player who performed with bluegrass legends the Dillards and bluegrass and country god Bill Monroe in the mid-1960s. In 1969, he joined the bluegrass outfit Dillard & Clark, but also participated on other artists' records, such as the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Rolling Stones. Berline played the fiddle solo on Country Honk. Afterwards he continued a successful career as a solo artist and session musician, playing with country and rock artists such as Doug Dillard (the Duelin' Banjos album),Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Doobie Brothers, Rod Stewart, Lucinda Williams and Doc Watson. He also played on Bill Wyman's first solo album in 1974.
JEFF BHASKER
Born in Socorro, New Mexico, Bhasker is a writer, performer and producer for hip hop and soul performers such as Kanye West, Beyonc� and Alicia Keys. In 2012, he recorded synthesizer on the Rolling Stones' Doom and Gloom.
BAKER BIGSBY
Bigsby is an engineer who oversaw some Goats Head Soup recording sessions in early 1973 in Los Angeles. In the same era, he did work for B. B. King,John Lee Hooker, Harvey Mandel and Barbra Streisand among others.
ADAM BLACKBURN
Blackburn is an engineer specializing in live recordings who assisted on the Stones' No Security. He's also done work for the Backstreet Boys and Garth Brooks among others.
THE BLACK KEYS
An indie, garage rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001 that gained mountain success and acclaim throughout the 2000/10s. They guest starred with the Rolling Stones, playing Who Do You Love, in Newark, New Jersey, on December 15, 2012.
RON BLAKE (1972- )
Los Angeles-based jazz saxophonist who in recent decades has also played on recordings by pop and rock artists such as Green Day, Spoon, Ziggy Marley, Elton John and Brian Setzer. He played on the Rolling Stones'Sweet Sounds of Heaven for the album Hackney Diamonds.
MARY J. BLIGE (1971- )
Popular R&B, soul and gospel singer-songwriter, born in The Bronx, New York. She guested onstage with the Stones in London on November 25, 2012 and in Brooklyn, New York on December 8, 2012, duetting on Gimmie Shelter.
SUGAR BLUE (1949- )
Born James Whiting in New York City, as a teenager virtuoso harmonica player Sugar Blue was already playing with the likes of Muddy Waters. He played on records like Johnny Shines' and the like, before moving to Paris in the mid-'70s. He entered the Stones' circuit quite fortuitously when an associate of the Stones stumbled upon him in the Paris metro in 1977 and invited him to play on the sessions. He wound up adding the classic harmonica solos to_Miss You_ and_Some Girls_. He played again on the Rescue sessions in 1979, performing on_Down in the Hole_. He guested onstage with the Stones at a Chicago show in 1981.
And I met this cat who said, Hey, man, I really like the way you play and I wish you would come over and play with the Stones. I said, (skeptically), Sure, mac, uh-huh, yeah, gimme a telephone number. And the guy said, Hey, man, this is no jive. And I said (still skeptical), Right man, uh-huh, gimme a number. So the cat gave me the number and I said, Well, what have I got to lose? I'll give him a call, you know. I said, Hey, man, can I speak to Mick Jagger? He says,Hi mate! (laughs) You know, I said, Right, okay... I mean, really, I was spaced, man. And... they were nice to work with, they were DAMN nice to work with. Because they were patient, they tried the best they could to work me into their material, you know. And I picked on what they were doing pretty good 'cause, hey, me, I played the blues. No matter what THEY played, I played the blues.
- Sugar Blue, 1982
Blue later moved back to Chicago and has since been cutting more sessions with jazz and blues artists like Stan Getz, Roosevelt Sykes, Brownie McGhee, Lonnie Brooks and Louisiana Red. In 1989 he joined the Stones onstage again during one of their East Troy, Wisconsin shows, near Chicago.
BLUE MAGIC (1973- )
Blue Magic was an R&B vocal quartet from Philadelphia. They were part of the 70s' pop/soul/proto-disco Philadelphia brand of music that has been called quiet storm. They signed with the Stones' same record company at the time, Atlantic Records, in 1973, and had their first hits in early '74. The Stones employed them to contribute vocals to their effort of that year, It's Only Rock And Roll.
Blue Magic had some more hits in 1974 and '75, and then in the early '80s. They made a comeback album in 1989.
THE BLUES BROTHERS (1976-1981)
They never played together, but the Blues Brothers crossed paths with the Stones in a number of ways. On a purely musical front, though the Blues Brothers have never gotten much respect - primarily because they started out as an amusement on the U.S. TV program Saturday Night Live in the mid-1970s and were fronted by two comedians -, they shared the same musical loves as the Stones: classic electric blues (Elmore James, Slim Harpo, etc.) and 1960s R&B and soul (Sam & Dave, Solomon Burke, Wilson Pickett, etc., etc.).
On a personal front, Keith and Ron Wood befriended the vocalists John Belushi and Dan Akroyd in the late 1970s and hung out with each other a lot during those years (probably not always for good reasons: Ron was heavily into cocaine at that point, and so was Belushi, and they used to freebase together. Read the Belushi biography Wired to learn more about this.) Ron Wood, especially, who lived in L.A. at that time, hung out with them. The Stones eventually performed and played skits with the 2 comedians on Saturday Night Live in late 1978. Belushi and Akroyd, beyond being comedians, were great music lovers and great Stones fans in particular.
During his break-up with Anita Pallenberg, Keith even dated the woman who was eventually accused of handling Belushi his fatal overdose in 1982. Another sign of this friendship was that Belushi emceed the Stones' benefit concerts in Oshawa, Ontario, in 1979.
The musicians backing the Blues Brothers were also excellent, renowned players, including Steve Cropper and Donald Duck Dunn, who had played on most of the classic soul sides for Stax Records in the 1960s. On another important side note, Steve Jordan, future X-Pensive Wino, drummed for the Blues Brothers during the '70s.
Since Belushi's death in 1982, the Stones, especially Keith and Woody, have maintained a friendship with Canadian-born Dan Akroyd. When the Stones held their rehearsals for the Voodoo Lounge tour in Toronto in 1994, Akroyd showed them around and got them accustomed to the city.
BARRY BONGIOVI
One of the many Bongiovis, Barry is an engineer who assisted on the Stones' Still Life (1982). He's also worked with Roxy Music and Bon Jovi, of course, among others.
BONO (1960- )
Born in Dublin, Ireland, lead singer Bono Vox helped form U2 in 1976, which released its first album in 1980 and went on to become one of the world's most popular rock groups later in the decade, a claim it still retains after many successful albums & tours.
Before meeting the Rolling Stones, Bono would occasionally weave some of their songs' lyrics (among other groups) into some of U2's songs onstage, among them Ruby Tuesday &Sympathy for the Devil. One such occasion was their Live Aid performance in July 1985. Later that year, Bono visited Keith & Ronnie at the New York studio where the Stones were mixingDirty Work, and the three of them recorded Bono's Silver & Gold for the anti-apartheid (South Africa) project_Sun City_.
Three years later, Keith joined U2 onstage in London at a benefit concert for Jamaica. In 1993, the Stones recorded Voodoo Lounge at the same studios in Dublin that U2 recorded most of their albums in. In early 2000, Mick recorded a vocal track for U2's Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of that was left unused. Bono returned the favour the following year by duetting on Mick's Joy for Goddess In The Doorway. Finally, in 2002 Bono joined the Stones onstage, as a surprise visit at their Aragon Ballroom concert in Chicago, where he co-sang It's Only Rock 'n Roll.
DAN BOSWORTH
Dan Bosworth is an engineer who assisted Don Smith in recording the Stones' Voodoo Lounge (1994). He'd previously worked with Bob Seger, Bonnie Raitt, Michael Jackson, Ringo Starr, Randy Travis and others. In 1997, Bosworth was on hand again when the Stones worked on Bridges to Babylon. He did engineering duties on almost every track on the album, working alongside Rob Fraboni, the Dust Brothers,Ed Cherney, John X Volaitis and Jim Scott.
BRUCE BOTNICK (1945- )
Botnick was a well-known engineer in Los Angeles, who engineered groups like the Beach Boys (the classicPet Sounds album), the Turtles and Buffalo Springfield in the mid-1960s. In 1967 he produced the classic Forever Changes album by Love. Most notably, he also engineered and/or produced all of the Doors' albums.
In 1969, when the Stones mixed Let It Bleed in Los Angeles, Botnick contributed some engineering duties. Botnick continued his career afterwards with artists such as the MC5, Randy Newman, Eddie Money and Aerosmith. In the 1980s and 1990s he turned mostly to working on movie soundtracks (including many Disney animated productions).
DAVID BOWIE (1947-2016)
Though uncredited, the legendary David Bowie apparently helped out with the background vocals for the song It's Only Rock and Roll. In 1985, of course, Mick and Bowie teamed up for the Live Aid charity single and video, Dancing in the Street. Mick teamed up again with Bowie for a live performance in mid-1986 at the Prince of Wales Trust Concert in Wembley.
GEOFF BRADFORD (1934-2014)
Bradford is an English guitarist who is most notable as being a (very) brief Rolling Stone. In the spring of 1962, when Mick and Keith first met Brian and Ian, the latter were playing with singer Paul Jones and guitarist Geoff Bradford. Three guitarists and two singers were obviously too much, so Brian and Ian left, or got rid of, Bradford and Paul Jones to join the others. Bradford continued as a musician but never achieved much success on a large scale. His name was one of those bandied about to replace Brian in 1969.
PETER BRANDT
An engineer specializing in live recordings (Scorpions, Depeche Mode, Toto) who did assisting duties for the Stones' Stripped and No Securityalbums.
HARRY BRAUN
One of the engineers who worked on the Stones' Flashpoint (1991).
MICHAEL BRAUER
Mixing engineer since the 1960s who worked with artists such as Aretha Franklin, Aerosmith, Was (Not Was), Manic Street Preachers, Tony Bennett, Luther Vandross, Coldplay, Pet Shop Boys and Bob Dylan. He was one of the mixers for the Rolling Stones' Steel Wheelsand in in 2023 mixed their album Hackney Diamonds Live.
STUART BRAWLEY
Brawley assisted Ed Cherney in the mixing of the track Always Suffering for the Stones' Bridges to Babylon. He's worked with Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion and Michael Bolton among others.
DAVID BROWN
One of the many engineers who assisted on the Stones' Still Life (1982). He had worked with artists like Van Morrison, Taj Mahal and the J. Geils Band.
OLLIE E. BROWN (1952- )
The Stones first met Detroit-born percussionist Ollie Brown when he was playing with Stevie Wonder during their 1972 North American Tour. He followed that up with work with The Temptations. By the mid-70s, Brown had been recruited by Billy Preston for his solo albums, and he joined Preston both for the Stones' Black and Blue sessions on which he contributed, and for the following 1975-76 world tour. (He appears on Love You Live and L.A. Friday (Live 1975).) After his stint with the Stones, in the late '70s and '80s Brown recorded with artists such as Eric Carmen, Diana Ross, the Jacksons, Blondie, the Pointer Sisters, Van Morrison, Ray Parker Jr. and Michael Jackson.
THE BUCHMANN-MEHTA SCHOOL SWISS FRIENDS CHAMBER CHOIR
A Tel Aviv choir that joined the Rolling Stones onstage during You Can't Always Get What You Want at their concert in Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 4, 2014.
PAUL BUCKMASTER (1946-2017)
Buckmaster was a string arranger that the Stones hired for two songs on Sticky Fingers, Sway and Moonlight Mile. Also a producer and musician (cello, synthesizer/keyboardist), he had worked with Elton John and David Bowie before the Stones. In the '70s, he did work with Carly Simon, Shawn Phillips, Elton John again, and other artists, as well as working on movie soundtracks (such as The Spy Who Loved Me). In the 1980s his career slowed down, but he resumed work in the '90s, working with artists like Kenny Loggins, 10 000 Maniacs, Counting Crows and Celine Dion.
SOLOMON BURKE (1940-2010)
Born in Philadelphia, Burke is one of the all-time great soul singers. He paved the way in the early 60s for other soul singers like Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding with his brand of country soul. He was beloved by the Stones in their early days, particularly by Mick. They covered several of his songs - Cry to Me, If You Need Me, Everybody Needs Somebody to Love. On November 4, 2002, Burke opened for the Stones at their Wiltern Theater concert in Los Angeles, and then performed onstage with them for a duet on Everybody Needs Somebody to Love. His appearance is featured on the Stones' 2004Live Licks album.
WIN BUTLER (1980- )
California-born lead singer and songwriter of the Montreal, Canada indie rock band Arcade Fire, that became successful with the release of their first album in 2004. Arcade Fire backed Mick Jagger during his part of his appearance on U.S. TV's Saturday Night Live in May 2012, performing The Last Time. He reprised the same song onstage with the Rolling Stones in Montreal on June 9, 2013.
BUTLER UNIVERSITY CHORALE
An Indianapolis university choir that joined the Rolling Stones onstage to sing You Can't Always Get What You Want at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 4, 2015.
CAL STATE LONG BEACH BOB COLE CONSERVATORY CHAMBER CHOIR
A California university choir that played You Can't Always Get What You Want onstage with the Rolling Stones in Los Angeles on May 3, 2013, and again in San Diego on May 24, 2015.
DAVID CAMPBELL (1948- )
Campbell is a string arranger that the Stones used for Out of Tears on 1994's Voodoo Lounge. He's worked with Carole King, Linda Ronstadt, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Green Day and Alanis Morrissette among others. In 2023 he arranged strings for Depending on You on the Rolling Stones' Hackney Diamonds.
MIKE CARABELLO (1947- )
San Francisco-born American percussionist/drummer and songwriter of Puerto Rican descent who is mainly known with his work as the conga player for the original Santana (Santana,Abraxas and Santana III lbums). He thereafter recorded or wrote for Boz Scaggs, Elvin Bishop, Ringo Starr, Buddy Miles, B. B. King, the Steve Miller Band and Santana again, among others. In 1981, Mick Jagger and Chris Kimsey enlisted him to add congas and percussion to three Tattoo You songs: Start Me Up, Slave and Waiting on a Friend.
MICHAEL CARNAVALE
An RCA man who engineered the Stones' firstEmotional Rescue sessions in Los Angeles in August-September 1978. He also worked with Kenny Loggins.
RYAN CASTLE
Engineer who worked on the Rolling Stones' song Rough Justice in 2005. He's worked with Sheryl Crow, Billy Idol and Oasis among others.
LENNY CASTRO (1957- )
L.A. percussionist Lenny Castro has been widely used by rock artists since the 1970s. He's worked most extensively with Randy Newman, Joe Sample, Toto, Melissa Manchester, Boney James and Dave Koz. He's also collaborated on albums by artists as varied as Olivia Newton-John, Wayne Shorter, Pat Benatar, Dwight Yoakam, Stevie Wonder and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
In 1992, Mick hired Castro to play on Wandering Spirit while in L.A. Two years later, the Stones hired him for Voodoo Lounge during the L.A. overdubbing sessions. Mick hired him again to play on Goddess in the Doorway. He also appears on the Stones' A Bigger Bang.
CAWTHRA PARK SECONDARY CHAMBER CHOIR
A Mississauga, Ontario high school choir that joined the Rolling Stones onstage for You Can't Always Get What You Want at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on May 25 and June 6, 2013.
BLONDIE CHAPLIN (1951- )
Born in South Africa in the late 1940s/early1950s, guitarist, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Blondie Chaplin started making records in the 1960s. He was discovered by the Beach Boys in the early 1970s, who eventually had him join the group. Chaplin left the group in 1976 and made his own solo album in 1977 (employing, by the way, Clydie King and Venetta Field as backup singers, who had worked on the Stones' Exile on Main Street).
Chaplin' bigger success, though, became as a session musician collaborating on other artists' records. Chaplin always worked within the L.A. scene, playing with The Band, Joe Walsh and Bonnie Raitt. When the Stones recorded in L.A. in 1997 for Bridges to Babylon, they invited Chaplin to contribute, who appears on most of the album's tracks, in various functions: percussionist, instrumentalist (bass, piano) and background vocalist. He subsequently joined the Stones on tour and thus also appears on their 1998 live album No Security. Chaplin is also featured on the Charlie Watts/Jim Keltner Project album released in 2000.
Chaplin was back with the Stones recording the new songs for Forty Licks in 2002 and accompanying them onstage on their 2002-03 tour (he is featured on the Live Licks album). He plays on one track on A Bigger Bang and joined the Stones again on tour in 2005-07. He was not asked to join the Stones' next world tour starting in 2012, but contributed to Keith Richards' solo album Crosseyed Heart. He
TONY CHAPMAN
Along with Mike Avory and Carlo Little, Tony Chapman was a drummer the Stones used in their first year of existence, before they got a hold of Charlie permanently. Chapman played more often with the Stones, however, and it's been recently reported that he was the drummer who played with the Stones on their historic first gig at the London Marquee Club in July 1962, not Mick Avory as was previously believed. Chapman was also responsible for Bill Wyman joining the band, since he knew him and suggested him to the Stones. When the Stones first recorded demos at a studio in London in October 1962, Chapman was the drummer.
Chapman was eventually fired by the Stones because they didn't find him good enough, but Bill Wyman, as we all know, decided to stay. Some songs that Wyman and Chapman apparently wrote together and were recorded by Chapman and other people in the mid-60s were recently released (1999) as The Rare Recordings of Moon Train, produced by Bill. Chapman then formed The Herd with Steve Carroll. After the latter's death, Peter Frampton joined and the band had a few hits in 1967-68 in Britain before disbanding when Frampton went on to form Humble Pie.
One day we picked up a drummer called Tony Chapman who was our first regular drummer. Terrible. One of the worst... cat would start a number and end up either four times as fast as he started it or three times as slow. But never stay the same.
- Keith Richards, 1971
ED CHERNEY (1950-2019)
Ed Cherney engineered the Stones' Stripped (1995) with Chris Kimsey. He'd previously worked for acts like Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr and Jann Arden. Cherney was re-employed for Bridges to Babylon, where he traded duties with Rob Fraboni,Dan Bosworth and others. He was again one of the engineers for No Security and the chief engineer for the new recordings on Forty Licks, as well as for Live Licks.
So sad to hear that Ed has passed. He was a brilliant engineer and we did some wonderful things together with the Rolling Stones and Don Was. He will be missed. Bless you, Ed!
- Keith Richards, 2019
THE CHIEFTAINS (1962- )
Though not necessarily the best, the Irish band the Chieftains, led by pipes player Paddy Moloney, have been since the 1970s, and continue to be, the world's most popular disseminators of traditional Irish folk music. They have an incredible amount of albums to their credit, and have played with rock greats like Van Morrison.
Though they never recorded ON a Stones albums, the Chieftains became the first artists to have the entire Rolling Stones contribute to an album of theirs. In 1993, the Stones recorded Voodoo Lounge in Dublin and this led to them guesting on the Chieftains' next album, Long Black Veil. Previously, Paddy Moloney had guested on Mick's 1987Primitive Cool album.
GEORGE CHKIANTZ
Olympic Studios engineer George Chkiantz worked with the group Family (who appeared on the bill with the Stones at Hyde Park in July 1969), before also helping out Glyn Johns on the Stones' Let It Bleed. A year earlier, he had engineered Brian's recordings of the Master Musicians of Jajouka, which were released as an album in 1971. In 1973-74, Chkiantz worked with the Stones again. He engineered the recording of the song It's Only Rock and Roll at Ron Wood's home studio. In the late '60s and '70s, he also worked with The Soft Machine, Savoy Brown, Ten Years After, King Crimson and Led Zeppelin.
I remember Brian playing the (Jajouka) tapes. We had this engineer we were working with, George Chkiantz, and George was one of the first people to be heavily into phasing, which was like the scratching of the middle '60s. So Brian took all of the Jajouka tapes and put them through phasing, which was really quite before its time. I always felt the Stones were quite adventurous in that way.
- Mick Jagger, 1989
LE CHOEUR DES PETITS CHANTEURS DE LAVAL
A Montreal-area youth choir that joined the Rolling Stones onstage for You Can't Always Get What You Want at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, on June 9, 2013, and at the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City, Canada, on July 15, 2015.
CHOIR OF CALVARY EPISCOPAL CHURCH
A choir that joined the Rolling Stones onstage to sing You Can't Always Get What You Want at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, New York, on July 11, 2015.
CHOPS
An early rap artist and horn player fronting the Sugar Hill Horn Section, who played on the Stones'Too Much Blood (1983). He also contributed to records by James Brown among others, as well as playing with rap bands (the Mountain Brothers, Sugar Hill).
CHUNG CHI CHOIR
A choir from the University of Hong Kong that joined the Rolling Stones onstage for You Can't Always Get What You Want at their concert in Macau, China, on March 9, 2014.
CRISPIN CIOE
As a member of the Uptown Horns, saxophonist Crispin Cioe accompanied the Stones on tour in 1989-90 and appears on the live album Flashpoint. He'd previously worked with The The, Joan Jett, Bronski Beat, Cameo, Tom Waits, Albert Collins, Joe Cocker and others in the 1980s. In 1992, Keith used him on his own Main Offender solo album. Cioe's since played with musicians such as Buckwheat Zydeco, Graham Parker, Al Kooper and others.
MOUSTAPHA CISSE
An African percussionist who, along with Brahms Coundoul, the Stones brought in to contribute to Undercover (1983). He's also worked with Jean-Luc Ponty.
We brought in a couple of guys from Senegal to get that percussive bongo sound. They brought in their own instruments, and an incredible array of primitive African hardware, so there's lots of great percussion throughout the album...
- Keith Richards, 1983
ERIC CLAPTON (1945- )
Legendary guitarist Eric Clapton's association and friendship with the Stones stems from the early days, when he would hang around Alexis Korner's scene in London in the same era as the band, and got his start from that scene also (the Yardbirds). Clapton recorded with the Stones on a remake of Brown Sugar in late 1970, but they stuck with the original instead. (This take was finally issued in 2015.) Clapton was one of the names mentioned to replace Brian Jones in 1969 (after he had participated in the Stones' Rock and Roll Circus event in December 1968), then Mick Taylor in 1975, but that never materialized. Clapton did "audition" for the Stones, though, in '75 and appeared onstage with them in New York at some of their gigs. He did the same at some of their English shows in 1976, even getting to sing on Key to the Highway.
In 1983, Clapton was as part of the all-star group assembled to tour for the Ronnie Lane multiple sclerosis charity, which included Bill and Charlie (and eventually Ronnie). In February 1986 Clapton was also among those who participated at the Stones' private club gig memorial in London for Ian Stewart, and that same month he presented the Stones with their Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys. (A few months earlier, Clapton, Mick, Keith and Ronnie had held a private little memorial jam together in Clapton's house following Ian's funeral.) Clapton was also invited to guest by Keith at the filmed concerts held for Chuck Berry's 60th birthday in October 1986.
Clapton also appeared onstage at several of the Stones' gigs during the 1989 Steel Wheels tour, notably in New York and L.A. and at the televised finale in Atlantic City. He appears on the Stones' Flashpoint, playing on Little Red Rooster. Mick and Bill both contributed to Clapton's 1998 album Blues Power.
Clapton played onstage with the Rolling Stones again on November 29, 2012, at the O2 Arena in London, England. Then, in 2015, he recorded Everybody Knows About My Good Thing and I Can't Quit You Baby with them, released on 2016's Blue & Lonesome.
GARY CLARK, JR. (1984- )
Austin, Texas-born rock and blues guitarist who played with the Rolling Stones onstage on the blues classic Goin' Down in Brooklyn, New York, on December 8, 2012 and in Newark, New Jersey, on December 15, 2012. He joined them again onstage to perform the same song in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 12, 2013, and to do Bitch at Hyde Park, London, on July 6, 2013. On May 29, 2014, he played Respectable with them in Lisbon, Portugal. On May 24, 2015, he opened for the band at the start of their Zip Code Tour in San Diego, and performed Bitch again with them onstage. He opened again for the group on July 7, 2019, in Boston, and played Ride 'Em on Down with them onstage.
MERRY CLAYTON (1948- )
Born in New Orleans, vocalist Merry Clayton offered probably the most chilling performance on any Stones record by an outside musician with her impassioned vocal on_Gimmie Shelter_. It was also the first upfront female voice to grace a Stones song. Clayton had already recorded with Joe Cocker and Neil Young before befriending the Stones. She undoubtedly came through the Stones' circle through her work for the Performance soundtrack in 1968-69. The following year, 1970, she released his first solo album called Gimme Shelter on which she did her own take of the song. But she found most success as a background vocalist on other artists' records, most notably with Carole King, Jerry Garcia, B. B. King, Ringo Starr and Billy Preston in the 1970s. Since then she's worked occasionally with artists such as Big Country and Art Garfunkel.
BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN (1953- )
American-born Bob Clearmountain was one of the biggest producers and engineers in the '70s and '80s, and continues to be in demand today. By the end of the 1970s, he was known for his sophisticated mixing style with disco bands like Sister Sledge and Chic. The Stones employed Clearmountain for their disco mix of Miss You in 1978. They also employed Clearmountain to do the remix for the entire Tattoo You album in 1981, the bright, clear sound characteristic of that record being a definite Clearmountain attribute. Clearmountain also recorded the 1981 concerts, and was the engineer and mixer for the 1982 live album that followed, Still Life.
Clearmountain's distinctive touch and sound was also clearly noticeable on Bruce Springsteen's phenomenally successful Born in the USA album in 1994. He worked also with great success with various other artists of the period, such as David Bowie, Hall & Oates, Roxy Music, Huey Lewis & the News, and Bryan Adams. He also engineered Mick's single Dancing in the Street with David Bowie in this period.
Although not much employed for fresh studio material by the Stones afterwards, he was hired as engineer and mixer for their live albums Flashpoint(1991) and Stripped (1995). He also mixed the song _I Go Wild_for the Voodoo Lounge album in 1994 and in 1997 mixed the song Already Over Me for Bridges to Babylon.
In 2002, Clearmountain mixed all 4 new Stones songs featured on Forty Licks. In 2004 he mixed the Live Licks album. In recent years, he has also worked with artists such as Adam Cohen, Morrissey, Bon Jovi and Soul Asylum.
In 2008, Clearmountain engineered, mixed and co-produced the live album Shine A Light..In 2010, he mixed the outtakes disc for the reissue of Exile on Main Street and in 2011 he did the same for the reissue of Some Girls, and also remixed and remastered the sound for the DVD and CD of Some Girls Live in Texas '78. In 2011-12, he's also remixed the six Rolling Stones' official "bootlegs" released via download, covering the years 1973 to 2005. In 2013, he mixed the download-only live album Hyde Park Live.
JIMMY CLIFF (1948- )
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff hit paydirt with his role in the movie The Harder They Come in 1972, for which he sang the title track in addition to other songs. He has since enjoyed a successful career as a solo artist., though he never attained the stature of a Bob Marley.
Keith developed a friendship with Cliff in Jamaica in the 1970s and has jammed with him on and off over the years. He covered The Harder They Come as a solo recording in the 1970s. In 1982, Ronnie contributed to Jimmy Cliff's album of that year, while Keith jammed at those same sessions. In 1985, Cliff dropped in on the Stones' sessions in for Dirty Work in New York and sang backup on Keith's cover of the Half Pint song Too Rude.
CLINTON CLIFFORD
A keyboardist who plays on the 1997 track You Don't Have to Mean It.
MATT CLIFFORD
A synthesizer, keyboardist and arranger, Clifford was mostly playing with former Yes member Jon Anderson and his colleagues in the 1980s. The Stones hired him to play onSteel Wheels and he accompanied the band to Morocco where he conducted the Master Musicians of Jajouka for the song Continental Drift. He subsequently accompanied the band onstage, along with Chuck Leavell, for the following world tour. He appears on the 1991 live album and film from that tour. Mick hired him again for his Wandering Spirit solo album in 1993.
Since then Clifford has mostly worked with John Anderson again and Yes offshoot GTR. In 1994 he worked as an arranger on an album of symphonic music based on the Stones' songs. In 2001, Clifford was Mick's principal collaborator for his Goddess in the Doorway album, playing on every song except one, and arranging, co-writing and co-producing several tracks. He also appeared onstage with Mick at his November 2001 L.A. promotional concert.
Clifford made his reappearance with the Stones on 2005's A Bigger Bang, playing on the songs Rain Fall Down and Streets of Love. In 2011, he also co-engineered the recording of overdubs for the Some Girls outtakes and overdubbed percussion on Don't Be a Stranger. In 2012, he did pre-production for Doom and Gloom. Clifford joined the band onstage again on their 2013-2016 world tour, helping orchestrate the choirs and playing French horn during You Can't Always Get What You Want. He also played keyboards throughout their 2016 album Blue & Lonesome. He joined the band again for the 2017-19 No Filter World Tour. He appears on and co-produced their 2020 single_Living in a Ghost Town_. In 2021, he performed overdub duties for the Tattoo You archival release, and joined them for their U.S. tour. He was on board again for the 2022 Sixty Tour and appears on the great majority of the tracks on their 2023 Hackney Diamonds album. He once again appeared with them onstage at their album launching mini-concert at Rocket in New York City on October 19, 2023.
DAN COLLETTE
Collette is a trumpet player that the Stones hired to play on Dirty Work (1986).
MEL COLLINS (1947- )
Born in England, R&B and rock saxophonist Collins was a much-in-demand horn player throughout the 1970s and '80s, playing with R&B, progressive rock, and soul/pop bands. Collins started out in 1963 forming an R&B band in Surrey, and then formed the short-lived Circus in the late 1960s. Then from 1970 to 1972, Collins was a member of King Crimson, playing with them on their albums and tours, before joining a new R&B band led by Alexis Korner, called Snape. He went on to form and join other bands, but mostly established himself as a sessions player. In the '70s, he recorded with the likes of Humble Pie, Uriah Heep, Bad Company and Bryan Ferry.
In 1977-78, the Stones used Collins for their Some Girls album, using his saxophone for Miss You. He also contributed to Love You Live. Collins was possibly introduced to the Stones through Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke, who was hanging around the sessions, and had recorded with him.
In the 1980s and '90s, Collins went on to work with The Alan Parsons Project, Graham Parker, the Stray Cats, Tears for Fears, Tina Turner, Dire Straits, Milli Vanilli and Clannad. He also contributed to Bill Wyman's 1982 album and his 1985 Willie and the Poor Boys effort.
CONSORT OF MELBOURNE
A choir that sang You Can't Always Get What You Want onstage with the Rolling Stones at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia, on November 5, 2014.
RY COODER (1947- )
Best-known as a slide guitar player, Los Angeles-born Ry Cooder has made a career out of exploiting and expanding upon various eclectic American roots music genre, much like Taj Mahal with whom he associated in the mid-'60s to form the short-lived band The Rising Sons. Soon after that band's demise, he started a fruitful career as a studio musician, playing with artists such as the Monkees and Captain Beefheart. In 1968, Ry Cooder was brought in by Jack Nitzsche to perform on the soundtrack to the movie Performance, in which Mick Jagger played a role. This led to another even more successful career as a composer of movie soundtracks, which is Cooder's fort�. It also led to his meeting the Stones, during the same period that Taj Mahal did, and collaborating on their records.
Even before his actual contributions, Cooder is important, like Mahal, in that in playing with Keith, who was in a period of re-discovering and appreciating the guitar (which was to benefit the Stones' music immensely), Cooder taught Keith some open-tunings that he wasn't aware of. In late 1968/early 1969, while he was working on the Performance soundtrack, Cooder participated in some Stones recording sessions, contributing slide guitar to Sister Morphine (on which Performance-engineer Jack Nitzsche also played), which was kept in reserve until Sticky Fingers in 1971, and mandolin on Love in Vain. He also played with Mick, Bill, Charlie and Nicky Hopkins on the sloppy rehearsal album Jamming with Edward, released in 1971. Soon after, however, Cooder made some unfavorable remarks to the effect that the Stones had "stolen" some of his material. That was undoubtedly a factor in Cooder not playing with the Stones again.
Cooder achieved most success with his work on film soundtracks (Paris Texas, Cocktail, Steel Magnolias, etc.), but also went on to work with Arlo Guthrie, Crazy Horse, Rita Coolidge, Gordon Lightfoot, Randy Newman, the Everly Brothers, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, and more recently Flaco Jimenez, John Hiatt, Jim Keltner, Ali Farka Toure, the Chieftains, Jackson Browne and Buena Vista Social Club.
(Ry Cooder) came over with Jack Nitzsche, and we said, Do you want to come along and play? The first thing Mick wanted was to re-cut Sister Morphine with the Stones, which is what we got together. He's also playing mandolin on Love in Vain or... he's on another track too. He played beautifully, man. I heard those things he said, I was amazed. I learned a lot of things off a lot of people.
- Keith Richards, 1971
RAY COOPER (1947- )
Cooper is a British session percussionist whose recording career started in the 1960s, recording with the Who, among others, and is still going. Among his early jobs were America, Carly Simon, David Essex, Blue Mink and especially Elton John (he played on most of his '70s albums). He had also played on Nicky Hopkins' 1973 solo album.
Cooper got his short stint with the Stones playing percussion for their 1974 It's Only Rock and Roll album. Later in that decade he recorded with George Harrison, Bryan Ferry, Wings and Art Garfunkel among others. Since then he's recorded with Paul McCartney and Elton John again,Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Roger Waters, the Traveling Wilburys and Ravi Shankar to name just a few.
In 1981, Cooper contributed to Bill's third solo album. In 1983, he participated in the Clapton, Page, Beck and other stars' (including Bill & Charlie) short tour for the Ronnie Lane ARMS charity. In 1985, Cooper appeared on both Mick's She's The Boss album and Bill's Willie and the Poor Boys project. In 1997, he was again teamed up with Bill for Struttin' Our Stuff.
CORAL DA PUC-RIO
A Brazilian choir that joined the Rolling Stones onstage to sing You Can't Always Get What You Want in Rio de Janeiro on February 20, 2016.
CORAL DA PUCRS
A choir that joined the Rolling Stones onstage to sing You Can't Always Get What You Want in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on March 2, 2016.
CORAL SAMPA
A choir that sang You Can't Always Get What You Want with the Rolling Stones onstage at Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Febuary 24 and 27, 2016.
CORO GIOVANILE ITALIANO
An Italian choir that sang You Can't Always Get What You Want onstage with the Rolling Stones at the Circo Massimo in Rome on June 22, 2014.
CORO RAPSODIA DE URUGUAY
A choir that joined the Rolling Stones onstage to sing You Can't Always Get What You Want in Montevideo, Uruguay, on February 16, 2016.
CORO RICERCARE
A Lisbon, Portugal choir that sang backup for the Rolling Stones on You Can't Always Get What You Want at the Rock in Rio Lisbon concert on May 29, 2014.
ANDREA CORR (1974- )
Vocalist for the Irish Celtic-rock group The Corrs, formed in 1991, that has been releasing acclaimed albums since 1996. The Coors opened for the Stones on their Bridges to Babylon/No Security tour in 1998-99. Andrea then gueststarred at Ronnie's solo shows in London in December 2001. In September 2003, she joined the Stones onstage in Dublin to perform Wild Horses.
BRAHMS COUNDOUL
Like Moustapha Cisse, Coundoul is a West African percussionist the Stones used for 1983's Undercover.
DON COVAY (1938-2015)
South Carolina-born soul singer Don Covay is one of those people who has acted as both an influence on, and a collaborator with, the the Stones. Covay's period of real success was in the early to mid 1960s, when he wrote and performed some soul classics, including _Mercy, Merc_y, which the Stones covered. Twenty years later, in 1985, Covay joined Bobby Womack for the Stones' Dirty Work mixing sessions held in New York. Covay sang background with the others on One Hit. Ron Wood and Bobby Womack participated on a tribute album to Covay in 1993.
ROBERT CRAY (1953- )
Born in Georgia, modern blues great Robert Cray was credited with reinvigorating and modernizing the blues with his great 1986 album Strong Persuader. That same year, Keith invited him to guest on his Chuck Berry's 60th birthday film/concert project, and also jammed with him at a club in New York. In 1994, he guested with the Stones onstage during their televised Miami concert.
Cray is still producing records and performing.
TIM CRICH
Crich is an engineer who assisted Dave Jerden for the Stones' Dirty Work album. He had previously worked with artists like Foreigner, Aretha Franklin, Kiss and Yoko Ono among others. He went on to work also with Bryan Adams, Carly Simon and Billy Joel.
THE CROSSING
A Philadelphia choir that joined the Rolling Stones onstage for You Can't Always Get What You Want at the Wells Fargo Center on June 18 and 21, 2013.
SHERYL CROW (1962- )
Successful '90s rock singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow has become a favorite of the Stones in the near decade since she's been releasing records. In 1994, the year she hit it big, she was invited by the Stones to participate with them onstage during their televised Miami concert, singing on Live with Me. For the Stones' Bridges to Babylon tour in 1997-99, Crow was an opening act at some concerts, as well as guesting with them onstage at shows in the U.S. and U.K. (Dead Flowers, Honky Tonk Women). In September 1999, Keith guested at Sheryl Crow's Central Park concert in New York City, and again at a New York City concert in April 2001.
Sheryl Crow again opened for some of the Stones' concerts on their 2002-03 Licks tour, and duetted occasionally onstage with them (Honky Tonk Women, Wild Horses). Her duet on the former from the New York City telecast concert appears on Live Licks.
On May 31, 2013, Sheryl Crow reunited with the Rolling Stones onstage in Chicago, performing All Down the Line.
BEVERLY D'ANGELO (1951- )
Born in Columbus, Ohio, and primarily known as a film and television actress. Also an accomplished singer who sang backup vocals on the Rolling Stones' One Hit (to the Body).
SARAH DASH (1945-2021)
Born in New Jersey, R&B vocalist's main gig and claim to fame in the 1970s was backing Patti Labelle. She also started guesting on rock artists' albums, however, like Alice Cooper and David Johansen. In 1988, Dash was hired by Keith to sing on his first solo album. She went on to guest at some of his shows on his solo tour, and did the same almost simultaneously for shows held by Bo Diddley and Ron Wood. The following year, she contributed vocals to the Stones' Steel Wheels album. In 1992, she did more work on Keith's second solo album. Dash's career since has mostly been low profile. She made another appearance on Keith Richards' third album, Crosseyed Heart, in 2015. Sarah died unexpectedly in September 2021, two days after a stage performance.
JESSE ED DAVIS (1944-1988)
Norman, Oklahoma-born American session guitarist of Native American descent who was a member of Taj Mahal's early band, in addition to playing on records by Bob Dylan, Gene Clark, Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Jackson Browne, three ex-Beatles (Lennon, Harrison and Starr) and many others. As part of Taj Mahal's band, he performed on the Rolling Stones'Rock and Roll Circus. He jammed with them onstage on Sympathy for the Devil on July 13, 1975, which appears on the band's L.A. Friday (Live 1975). From there, he played with Ron Wood on the Faces' last tour later that same year. He died of a heroin overdose.
PIERRE DE BEAUPORT
De Beauport is Keith's guitar technician and also an able recording engineer. In 1994, in addition to his other duties for the production of Voodoo Lounge, he contributed acoustic guitar on Thru and Thru. For 1997's Bridges to Babylon, he also contributed 6-string bass on Saint of Me and keyboards for Thief in the Night, which he co-wrote and co-mixed. He also co-produced Always Suffering. Beauport also made occasional appearances on the Stones' Babylon tour, appearing onstage to sing backup vocals and play keyboards on Thief in the Night. He appears on No Security.
De Beauport also engineered the demo recordings for 2005's A Bigger Bang. In 2022 he helped record and engineer Get Close for the album Hackney Diamonds.
NICK DE CARO (1938-1992)
American arranger, producer and accordion player who worked from the 1960s to the 1980s with artists such as Mel Carter, Randy Newman, Claudine Longet, Chris Montez, James Taylor, Neil Diamond and Gordon Lightfoot. He played the accordion on the Rolling Stones' Back Street Girl.
DEKOOR CLOSE HARMONY
A Utrecht University choir that sang You Can't Always Get What You Want onstage with the Rolling Stones at the Pinkpop festival in Landgraaf, Netherlands, on June 7, 2014, and at the TW Classic festival in Werchter, Belgium, on June 28, 2014.
KARL DENSON (1956- )
Santa Ana, California-born funk and jazz saxophonist who became a member of Lenny Kravitz' band. In October 2014, he joined the Rolling Stones for their tour of Australia and New Zealand, replacing an ailing Bobby Keys. Following Keys' death, Denson has continued touring with the Rolling Stones in 2015-2019 and 2021-22.
JIM DICKINSON (1941-2009)
Dickinson was an American keyboardist who made a career as a session musician recording in the American South. When the Stones came to record at Muscle Shoals in Alabama in December 1969, he was on hand and played piano on Wild Horses. After the Stones, he worked, as a musician and a producer, with Aretha Franklin, Big Star and the Replacements among others, and did a lot of movie soundtrack music with Ry Cooder.
ROCKY DIJON (1935-1993)
Percussionist Dijon, actually Rocky Dzidzornu, got his career going with the Stones when they enlisted him in 1968 to play on tracks like Child of the Moon,Factory Girl and You Can't Always Get What You Want and also participated in the same era on the Rock and Roll Circus event. In 1970 they used him again on Can't You Hear Me Knockin'?. During that decade he went on to record extensively with Taj Mahal. He also recorded with artists such as Nick Drake, Ginger Baker,Stevie Wonder and Billy Preston. Bill Wyman also enlisted him on his 1976 solo album Stone Alone.
MARTIN DITCHAM
A British percussionist who's made a career out of playing and performing with artist Chris Rea (who's worked Ian Stewart, Charlie and Bill on their solo projects). He's also played with Sade, Talk Talk, Everything But The Girl, Mike & The Mechanics and Elton John among others. The Stones used him on Undercover (1983).
JIMMY DOUGLASS
An assistant engineer who worked on the Stones' Love You Live (1977). Douglass had done work with Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, the Average White Band and others. He went on to work with acts like Foreigner, Roxy Music and Vernon Reid.
CHARLEY DRAYTON (1965- )
Drummer and bassist Drayton contributed backing vocals during the Stones' Dirty Work mixing and overdubbing sessions in New York City in 1985. A few years later, Keith enlisted him to play on Talk Is Cheap and and tour with the X-Pensive Winos in 1988. Officially an X-pensive Wino, Drayton was back for the second round, Keith's 1992 album Main Offender, as well as touring with Keith for the South American and European portions of the tour that followed.
DR. JOHN (1941-2019)
Born in New Orleans, pianist and vocalist Dr. John, born Mac Rebennack, has made a career out of continuing and expanding the R&B New Orleans sound born of the 1950s. Dr. John himself was involved as a teenager in the 1950s in its creation, composing and performing with the greats of the era, such as Professor Longhair. Rebennack renamed himself Dr. John and went on to release solo albums under this name, his 1971 effort including contributions from Mick Jagger.
This led to John's presence at some Stones mixing sessions for Exile on Main Street in Los Angeles in 1971-72. Along with others, he added backing vocals to Let It Loose, plus possibly other tracks (I Just Want to See His Face, Tumbling Dice). Dr. John has continued his career since, but with limited success. He participated on Bill Wyman's first solo album in 1974.
Thirty years after the release of Exile on Main Street, Dr. John opened for the Stones at their concert at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom on September 16, 2002, and then joined them onstage for I Just Want to Make Love to You. He died of a heart attack in June 2019.He d
GUS DUDGEON (1942-2002)
Dudgeon started out as an engineer for Decca and the Stones were one of his first jobs. He engineered 1963 sessions for them for Poison Ivy and Fortune Teller. He also engineered some Andrew Oldham Orchestra sessions in early 1965. He went on to engineer groups like Them, Marianne Faithfull, John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, and The Small Faces. Graduating to producer, in 1970 Dudgeon became Elton John's exclusive producer for all of his classic albums until 1976. He also worked with David Bowie, Joan Armatrading and other acts. In the mid '80s, he reunited with Elton John. In later years, he worked with the Moody Blues and XTC.
THE DUKE VESPERS ENSEMBLE
A choir from Duke University that joined the Rolling Stones onstage to sing You Can't Always Get What You Want in Raleigh, North Carolina, on July 1, 2015.
THE DULWICH INTERNATIONAL SINGERS
A Beijing British international school choir that sang You Can't Always Get What You Want onstage with the Rolling Stones in Shanghai, China, on March 12, 2014.
SLY DUNBAR (1952- )
One half of the all-time greatest rhythm section in reggae with Robbie Shakespeare, Jamaica-born drummer Sly Dunbar has had a career too extensive to faithfully summarize. In extension to recording records as a duo with Robbie and on his own, Dunbar has played with most reggae greats, and a tremendous amount of pop artists as well. In addition to drums, he is also a producer, engineer, arranger and keyboard player. A member of reggae greats Black Uhuru, he also played with Lee Perry, Peter Tosh, Burning Spear, The Mighty Diamonds, Toots & the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Half Pint (who wrote Too Rude), Bunny Wailer, Culture, Ziggy Marley, Gregory Isaacs and Dennis Brown, to name just a few, in the reggae and dancehall (a subgenre of reggae in the 1980s) field. In the pop field, he's played with Grace Jones, Bob Dylan, Yoko Ono, Joe Cocker, New Order, Cyndi Lauper, Simply Red and the Fugees.
The Stones' connection with Sly & Robbie started with Keith's friendships and collaborations with Jamaican reggae artists. They played together on Peter Tosh's Bush Doctor album in 1978, on which Mick and Keith both played. Keith then recorded again with Sly and Robbie in early 1979 for an album by Black Uhuru. In 1981, Ronnie hired them for his 1 2 3 4 album. Finally they wound up playing on the Stones'Undercover (Undercover of the Night). In 1984, Mick hired them again for his She's The Boss solo LP.
(T)here are some people you don't normally think of as producers, like Sly Dunbar, who are incredible. I didn't realize how good he was until recently when we were in the same studio in Nassau. He's become a real production whiz; it's a real drama watching him behind the board.
- Keith Richards, 1983
THE DUST BROTHERS (1983- )
Los Angeles-based Mike Simpson and John King teamed up as hip hop DJs in the 1980s before rising to fame as very successful remixers and producers at the end of the decade with their work for acts like Tone Loc and the Beastie Boys. In the 1990s, some of their most admired work came with their productions for Beck. They also worked with Hanson and other artists.
In 1997, Mick hired them to coproduced and spice up the Stones' Saint of Me, Anybody Seen My Baby? and Might As Well Get Juiced for the Bridges to Babylon album.
The Dust Brothers added a slightly different rhythmic edge and that was really important to us. Plus they dropped a few quirky little bits of "fairy dust" here and there that perhaps you wouldn't normally think of.
- Mick Jagger, 1997
BOB DYLAN (1941- )
Dylan's and the Stones' paths crossed less in the 1960s than the Stones' and Beatles' did. On their 1965 North American tour, Brian got into a hotel room jam one night with Bob Dylan, playing harmonica. As the years progressed, however, they have collaborated with each other occasionally, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.
Ron Wood, particularly, who covered a Dylan song on his 1979 album Gimme Some Neck, struck up a friendship with Dylan that remains to this day. Ronnie played on Dylan's 1981 album Shot of Love and again on his 1985 and 1986 Empire Burlesque and Knocked Out Loaded albums. (Mick Taylor also played on some 1980s Dylan albums.) They also have frequently gigged together. Such an impromptu gig turned out to be nothing less than the finale for the 1985 Live Aid concert (!), when, days before the event, Dylan, who was scheduled to close out the Philadelphia concert following Mick Jagger's solo performance, was jamming at home with Keith and Woody when he invited him to join him "for his next gig". Keith only later learned he was going to be playing at Live Aid. Woody notably also performed with Dylan for several nights in the summer of 1986 at Madison Square Garden, along with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (featuring future Stones alumni Benmont Tench).
Such short, impromptu collaborations have continued in the 1990s. In 1991, Ronnie and Dylan played together again onstage, and later that year it was Keith's turn when he appeared with Dylan at a Guitar Legends festival in Seville, Spain. In late 1992, Woody took part in the all-star tribute concert for Dylan held in Madison Square Garden.
Most significantly, the Stones started performing a live cover of Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone in their 1995 European shows, which was recorded and ended up on Stripped. Dylan opened some of the concerts on that tour, and joined them onstage for a show in Montpellier, France, jamming with them on that number.
In 1996, Ronnie jammed onstage with Dylan again at a London concert. Two years later, Dylan opened for the Stones' South American shows and guested with them onstage during Like a Rolling Stone. In 2001, Ronnie performed at another Dylan concert in Ireland and Dylan played on Ronnie's solo album, Not for Beginners. Woody joined Dylan again for a full concert in June 2004 in Finsbury Park, London.
DZVINOCHOK CHOIR
A Ukrainian boys choir from Kiev that were flown to Vienna, Austria, to join the Rolling Stones onstage on July 15, 2022, during You Can't Always Get What You Want as a show of support for Ukraine in the Russian conflict.