THE REPLACEMENT by Mick Jagger

“A guest list of guitarists including Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Steve Marriott. . . and the Americans Wayne Perkins and Harvey Mandel joined them. Jagger auditioned Peter Frampton, Rory Gallagher, and even Geoff Bradford, an original group member in 1962. At times, the lobby of the Munich Hilton looked like a scene from A Chorus Line as musicians swarmed and mingled, awaiting the call to [audition]. Finally in March Ron Wood appeared. ‘ After just one number,’ said [Keith Richard], ‘we thought, “That’s it, it’s obvious”’ Wyman agreed: Wood ‘brought musical vitality and a powerful, likable personality into our ranks’. Jagger was less convinced. He envisaged the process as taking months(‘as far as finding a permanent guy . . . I really don’t know’), if not years to complete. His lifelong tendency was to hedge, ad-lib and procrastinate. Had Keith not intervened the Stones might even now be functioning as a quartet.”