“What a fucking amazing bloke”: Noel Gallagher on why Ronnie Wood is the heart and soul of The Rolling Stones
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(Credits: Far Out / Drew de F Fawkes)
The 1990s acted as a breeding ground for new forms of rock music. In the States, grunge and pop-punk emerged as bands like Nirvana and Green Day pushed their way into the mainstream. On the other side of the Atlantic, shoegaze struggled to find the same widespread success, and it was Britpop that prevailed, pushing names like Blur and Oasis into the British charts and hearts.
But Britpop might never have existed without the rock and roll that preceded it. The genre looked back to the sounds of Britain in the 1960s for inspiration, hoping to reinfuse guitar music with melody rather than melancholy. Blur pulled from The Kinks, while Oasis famously looked to emulate the sound and success story of The Beatles. However, they also took inspiration from the Fab Four’s sexier peers, The Rolling Stones.
Noel Gallagher once suggested that the iconic ‘Live Forever’, which was released back in 1994, was inspired by the band’s 1972 track ‘Shine a Light’. Though Jagger’s public opinion of the Gallaghers has been slightly less complimentary, the Oasis guitar’s admiration for The Stones has been unwavering since then. He showered praise on them over a decade later during a 2006 interview with Hotpress.
Speaking about the effects of ageing on musicianship, Gallagher suggested that legendary Beatles bassist Paul McCartney has “still fucking got it” before going on to share his thoughts on the modern iteration of The Stones. “The Rolling Stones are still worth paying into as well,” he commented. “but Mick, mate, ditch the leggings!”
While the legging-wearing sex symbol is certainly still the face of The Stones, Gallagher considers another band member to be all the more integral to their success: Ronnie Wood. “Everyone loves Keith,” he acknowledged, “and for good reason – but the real heart n’ soul of that band is Ronnie Wood. What a fucking amazing bloke.”
Wood didn’t appear in the original lineup of the band, spending the 1960s playing with the likes of Jeff Beck and Faces before stumbling upon The Stones in the mid-1970s. The band had already established themselves as rock and roll stars through enduring hits like ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ and ‘Paint It Black’ when guitarist Mick Taylor opted to step down from his role in the band.
Wood took on the instrument, and in the years that followed, he contributed his masterful guitar skills to iconic records like Tattoo You and Some Girls. He also occasionally joined in on writing sessions with the band’s main songwriting duo, Jagger and Keith Richards, assisting them with tracks like ‘Black Limousine’ and ‘Dance (pt. 1)’.
Wood proved himself to be indispensable, securing a place within the band that he still maintains almost half a century on, often keeping them together through more turbulent times. Still, few fans or critics would mark him as the most important member of the band.
Many would make a case for the formidable frontman Jagger or his partner-in-songwriting Richards. Others would argue that the late Brian Jones was most integral to their sound and success. But Wood kept them all together. Particularly with his rock and roll riffs and his true passion for the guitar, it makes sense that Gallagher admired Wood’s work.
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