It's Only Rock 'n Roll
Transitional album marking Mick Taylor's final appearance with the Rolling Stones.
It's Only Rock 'n Roll, the Rolling Stones' twelfth studio album, arrived on October 18, 1974, via their own Rolling Stones Records. It stands as the final album to feature guitarist Mick Taylor, and its creation also set the stage for his eventual replacement, Ronnie Wood. The record fuses the band's signature blues and rock 'n' roll foundation with touches of funk and reggae. It topped the charts in the United States and peaked at number two in the United Kingdom.
While not as commercially dominant as its predecessors, the album was a crucial pivot point for the group. Following the departure of longtime producer Jimmy Miller, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards took over production duties, crediting themselves as "The Glimmer Twins." Taylor, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts anchored most of the tracks, with regular collaborators Ian Stewart, Nicky Hopkins, and Billy Preston adding extra instrumentation. Percussionist Ray Cooper, from the Elton John Band, made his first appearance here, continuing to work with the Stones into the 1980s.
The title track had a unique origin, recorded separately from the rest of the album. Its basic rhythm track came from a jam session involving members of the Faces—including Wood and drummer Kenney Jones—alongside Jagger, David Bowie, and bassist Willie Weeks. Impressed, Jagger brought the track to Richards, who added guitar overdubs, and after some polish, it was included as-is. In 1975, following Taylor's departure, the band auditioned guitarists like Jeff Beck, Wayne Perkins, Harvey Mandel, Rory Gallagher, and Steve Marriott while recording their next album, *Black and Blue*.
Work began after the Stones' 1973 European tour, with sessions starting that November at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany. Richards recalled the band being "really hot (off the road) and ready just to play some new material." Jagger invited Belgian painter Guy Peellaert to create the cover after seeing his work in *Rock Dreams*; Peellaert depicted the band as "rock deities" descending a temple staircase amid worshipping women in Grecian attire. The cover closely resembles Henri Gervex's painting *The Coronation of Nicolas II* (1896). Peellaert declined an exclusivity deal and later provided artwork for David Bowie's *Diamond Dogs*.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- the Rolling Stones
- Released
- 1974-10-18
- Recorded
- During 12–24 November 1973; 8–13 February and 20 February – 3 March 1974
- Studio
- Musicland (Munich) / Stargroves (Newbury) / Island (London)
- Genre
- Rock and roll / hard rock / blues rock / funk rock / reggae rock
- Label
- Rolling Stones
- Producer
- The Glimmer Twins
- Prev Title
- Goats Head Soup
- Prev Year
- 1973
- Next Title
- Made in the Shade
- Next Year
- 1975
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Work began on It's Only Rock 'n Roll following the Rolling Stones' autumn 1973 European tour, with production starting in November at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany. The album was initially conceived as a half-live, half-studio project featuring cover versions, but the concept was scrapped in favor of all-new material, with only the cover of 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg' making the final cut. The album was self-produced by Keith Richards and Mick Jagger under the pseudonym 'The Glimmer Twins', their first production effort since Their Satanic Majesties Request. The title track was recorded separately from the rest of the album, with the basic rhythm track laid down by members of the Faces, including Ronnie Wood and drummer Kenney Jones, during a jam session with Jagger, David Bowie, and bassist Willie Weeks. Jagger brought the track to Richards, who added guitar overdubs, and it was included on the album as-is. The cover art, painted by Belgian artist Guy Peellaert, depicts the band as 'rock deities' descending a temple staircase surrounded by worshippers, bearing a strong resemblance to Henri Gervex's painting The Coronation of Nicolas II (1896).
Reader's Guide
It's Only Rock 'n Roll holds significance as a transitional album for the Rolling Stones, marking the end of Mick Taylor's tenure and the beginning of the band's self-production era. Though not as commercially successful as their prior albums, it reached number one in the United States and number two in the UK, eventually going platinum. The album's title track became a permanent staple of the band's live setlist, while the recording sessions brought Ronnie Wood closer to the group, leading to his eventual replacement of Taylor. The album also featured the first appearance of percussionist Ray Cooper, who continued working with the Rolling Stones into the 1980s. The song 'Luxury' showed the band's growing interest in reggae, and seven of the album's ten songs exceed four minutes, a feature later criticized during the punk rock era. The album's legacy includes its role in the band's shift toward self-production, with all future Rolling Stones albums either produced by themselves or in collaboration with an outside producer.
Did You Know?
- The album cover was painted by Belgian artist Guy Peellaert, who also provided album art for David Bowie's Diamond Dogs in 1974.
- Mick Taylor reportedly had songwriting contributions to 'Till the Next Goodbye' and 'Time Waits for No One' but received no writing credits on the album.
- The cover of 'Ain't Too Proud to Beg' was the only cover song to make the final album, while a cover of 'Drift Away' became a popular bootleg.
More in Band Members & Collaborators
Elsewhere in The Rolling Stones
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced