This is really a GEM, and I was kinda shocked when I saw that it was one hour and ten minutes long. It's interesting ALL the way through. Keith talks about EVERYTHING: His favorite musicians, his favorite guitar players, the genesis of early Stones songwriting, the five string guitar, his love of reggae music, his relationships with other band members, how he stole Anita Pallenberg away from Brian Jones, etc, etc, etc. More than anything else, Keith comes across as a really sweet, cool and humble man. This was recorded right around the time that the Stones' latest, Hackney Diamonds (2023), was released, so it's not all that old. ENJOY!!
Bill Wyman told a reporter in the UK in 1995 " Mick and Keith were totally wealthy while me, Charlie and Ronnie were just scraping by when I got out".
According to this Bill Wyman was worth $10 million when he left in 1993. Mick and Keith were north of $300 million.
Today Mick and Keith are listed among the top 10 richest rock musicians in history at $590 million.
Paul McCartney is number one at $1.3 billion. Bruce Springsteen is two at $1.1 billion
I feel for Bill Wyman. I know how it feels to just scrape by financially. It can sometimes be challenging!
@robertdee: But that's always been the way it's worked for those who write the songs. Royalties make some musicians extremely wealthy. I remember seeing Warren Zevon in L.A. over 40 years ago. Zevon said, "This song put my daughter through college. Thanks, Linda!". He was referring to Linda Ronstadt's recording of Poor, Poor Pitiful Me, which was a huge hit. How much $$$ do you think Mick and Keith have collected just from Satisfaction alone being played on the radio? And how many other huge hits did the Stones have? Must be 30 at least, I would think.
Oh, and Robert: Please don't proceed to tell us that Gregg and Dickey got rich off of their songwriting royalties, and the rest of the band got nothing, and Butch Trucks was very pissed off about that. I think you saying that 30 times or more on this website is probably enough to get your point home.
@robslob Point well taken. Yes we all know Gregg and Dickey cashed in on the song writing.
I didn't notice Butch being pissed about that on his blog until 1969-1979 A Decade of Hits came out and sold over 2 million copies, but the band by the 1990's when that compilation album came out no longer got any money from Capricorn record sales but the writers of course did. Statesboro Blues and One Way Out were on it and not written by a band member but the estates of Will McTell and Elmore James and Sonny Boy Williamson rang the cash register. Being the song writer rings the cash register on other people's records too if they use one of yours like the Linda Ronstadt thing.
I remember the late Otis Redding saying Aretha Franklin's version of RESPECT made him more money than his own version and Bob Dylan said the same about Jimi's All Along The Watchtower.
The song writer thing probably accounts for why Paul McCartney is four times richer than Ringo Starr.
It seems that perhaps Bill Wyman made up for writing credits with encounters and trysts with young women! This guy not only gave Jeffrey Epstein a run for his money, but he may have even outscored Wilt Chamberlin!
I always loved Bill Wyman! I believe it was "Keef" who once called him a "dirty old man". 😉 At any rate, here's a Bill solo ditty ... kind of catchy if you give it a few beats. I actually have a 10" (vinyl! Dirty minds!) extended dance mix of this somewhere! Enjoy!
@rusty Bill Wyman was an odd character. Quiting the Rolling Stones because Mick and Keith were making much more money seemed strange to me as then he was no longer the bass player for one of the biggest money making rock bands in the world.
But even more strange was marrying an 18 year old when he was 52. And her 42 year old mother marrying Wyman's son.
Mandy Smith told the press she ruined her health by taking birth control pills beginning at age 13, her age when Bill Wyman began his relationship with her.
She weighed only 80 pounds at age 19 and Wyman grew tired of her health problems and ended the marriage after 23 months. She sued and won a settlement in court worth $880 thousand dollars.
The song writer thing probably accounts for why Paul McCartney is four times richer than Ringo Starr.
The song writer "thing" is a talent - one that is uniquely recognized in the Constitution. It's offensive that a wide-ranging interview w/Keith Richards turns into who's got the biggest bank account. FYI John Lennon's estate is currently worth more than #1 Paul McCartney's bank. Posthumous earnings are what has hedge funds chasing song catalogues.
@cyclone88 It was Bill Wyman who said in an interview that Mick and Keith have become very wealthy while he, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood are just scraping by. You are a member of the Rolling Stones and you are just scraping by??? Maybe I would understand if it were Jaimoe's Jazzzz Band and none of them have complained that I know of.
I checked and if it's accurate Mick and Keith were worth North of $300 million then and Bill was worth $10 million.
But a more recent assessment has Mick and Keith at $500 million and Bill Wyman at $80 million. Said Bill after leaving the Stones made some good investments and earned good money on his solo albums. Bill has several solo albums. I hate to admit I wasn't aware Bill had any.