Why did guitarist Mick Taylor leave the Rolling Stones, even though he is usually regarded to be the most talented performer ever to be a member of the band? It is safe to say that the best guitarist in the world is Mick Taylor. Few, if any, musicians can profess to have performed with Bob Dylan in The Rolling Stones and mention Slash as a major fan. He’s done it all as a musician, it’s fair to say.
He was raised in a working-class household in neighboring Hatfield after being born in Welwyn Garden City, England. At the age of nine, he started taking guitar lessons and learned his first chords from his uncle. He played in several neighborhood bands while he was a teen, and at the age of just 17, his band The Gods, which starred future Uriah Heep musician Ken Hensley, opened for Cream at Wembley.
It’s not a surprise that some of the top stars in rock hold Taylor’s playing in such high regard. He is a guitar hero with a distinctive style. He is brilliant.
Why Mick Taylor Walked Away From The Rolling Stones?
Playing on some of the Stones’ most significant albums during his brief time with the group, Taylor left the group on December 12, 1974, just as Black and Blue was being recorded by the band. Charlie Watts, the drummer for the Rolling Stones, referred to Taylor as “certainly the best solo guitarist the Stones had” and said that he contributed to the albums Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main Street. After five years, Taylor departed the group, and Ronnie Wood of the Faces took his place.
When asked in an interview the reason he quit The Rolling Stones, Taylor responded that he did so during one of the group’s own periods, which was a difficult time for him and likely also for the other members of the group. Taylor stated that while not receiving credit for a few songs made him a little upset, it wasn’t the main factor in his decision to leave the band. “I suppose I just thought I had enough. I decided to go and form a team with Jack Bruce. Even from the beginning, I never really felt like I would stick with the Stones forever. I’m not sure why.”
In the documentary Crossfire Hurricane, Taylor said that while residing in the Rolling Stones’ tornado, he developed a heroin addiction. He then made the decision to leave the group in an effort to shield his family from the band’s toxic lifestyle. Taylor, Jagger, and Richards experienced personal and financial difficulties, in typical rock ‘n’ roll fashion.
According to Jagger, the tension between Richards and Taylor was a key driver, as reported by Rolling Stone: “He desired a career as a soloist. He may have had trouble getting along with Keith.” Keith and he didn’t get along all that well. Although they made a great guitar combination, Keith was quite critical of him in the recording studio. Maybe there was some jealousy involved.
Taylor never belonged with the boys. His involvement with the Rolling Stones was never totally satisfactory. He wasn’t a founding member, for starters, and he was aware that he was younger than the rest of the group. He was also performing in the band at a competence level well below his own.
The guitarist had a long and successful career after the Rolling Stones, but he was never able to experience the same level of popularity or wealth again. Later, according to press sources, he was barely making ends meet.
After The Rolling Stones, what happened to Mick Taylor?
Mick Taylor abruptly departed from the Rolling Stones 12 years ago. He has collaborated with a wide range of other musicians since he split from the Rolling Stones in December 1974 and has made several solo albums but he will undoubtedly be remembered mostly as a previous Rolling Stone.
Since leaving the Stones, Taylor has primarily played as a backup band. He released his first solo album in 1979; it was a mixture of blues, pop, and Jeff Beck-style music. However, the album had dismal sales. Taylor was also a member of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers in 1982 and played with Bob Dylan’s band during the singer’s 1983 European tour.
