Just Goddamnit to Hell. This one smarts, as I was a fan and literal hanger-on to Wayne since I first learned about him back in 1974.
Wayne Perkins. Do I have to explain to y'all exactly who he was? This was the guy who could've been a Rolling Stone, a member of Lynnyrd Skynard (which I'll never be able to spell), a Bob Marley sideman, a sideman (musically and romantically) with Joni Mitchell. Keith Richards WANTED Wayne for the 'Stones, but lost a semi-democratic argument with Mick who wanted the band to remain 100% British. Go into any bookstore - find ANY book about the Rolling Stones and search the Index for his name. He will be mentioned.
Wayne was actually offered a position in Skynnard, but turned them down. I believe that the Stones gig was still a possibility at this point and he played his cards in his best interest. That's Wayne with Ronnie Van Zandt and and Swamper/engineer Jimmy Johnson at Muscle Shoals sound. Wayne said he was swimming in the nearby Tennessee River when Jimmy sent someone to find him to lay down a track on a Skynard demo. Wayne obliged. He and Ronnie were good friends.
Wayne's band use to play on Friday and Saturdays at a local Birmingham club. I can't say that I KNEW Wayne, but I got to be a fly on the wall when he told several of his stories.
Wayne and another American player, Harvey Mandell were considered for the spot vacated by Mick Taylor. The Stones used their Black and Blue album as sort of an audition for guitarists vying for the spot. Wayne ended up on three tracks on the album, including adding a blazing solo to a song called Hand of Fate.
Wayne was a locl hero to me. If I had a dollar for every time I entered a bar under-age to hear him ... I'd have $hitload of dollars.
I wish I could lookk Wayne in the eye and tell him thanks for all the musical thrills and good times. Rest, Brother.
Yeah, this one smarts.
You mentioned Bob Marley. Producer Chris Blackwell recruited Perkins to play on Marley's seminal 1973 record, Catch A Fire. If you've ever heard Marley's "Stir It Up", you've heard Perkins. Perkins also played on two other tracks on the record, "Concrete Jungle" and "Baby We've Got A Date".
@robslob The referenced article contains several of Wayne's anecdotes. The Bob Marley story starts as you say - with a recommendation from Chris Blackwell. Wayne had never heard reggae at all. Said he was having a hard time finding the 1 chord and beat. They ended up turning the bass down real low and told Wayne to play it as he felt it. Said when the tape stopped, Marley came running out into the studio with a huge "spliff" -which he crammed down Wayne's throat. He was very delighted!
Wayne came incredibly close to being a Rolling Stone. Their management at the time even officially announced that he was in.
He had a story that at one point in rehearsals, they had him stand on an empty stage and spotlighted him. Then, one at a time each member of the band would walk over and stand next to him. When he asked what this was about, he was told that they wanted to see how he looked juxtaposed against members of the band.
There are a lot of discussions of "best, unknown guitarists". Wayne wasn't a household name but he came very close to being a member of what was and what would become two of the biggest bands in the world at the time.
With great respect to Ronnie Wood, it's too bad Wayne Perkins didn't get to replace Mick Taylor in the Rolling Stones.
Keith Richards loved his playing and wanted Wayne to be the one and had Wayne living in Keith's guesthouse. I was just reading about how much Keith Richards liked Wayne Perkins.
@robertdee Hey Robert!
Yes - with absolutely no disrespect to Ron Wood, who is certainly a great player. Wayne did take a couple of digs at Ronnie during the day - stating, "he's good, but I can play rings around him". Nobody argued with him on this, including those from the 'Stones camp. Aside from being British, Ronnie was (is) enjoyed by the band for being a "band guy". At the time, I think they were still interested in the party aspect of being in a rock and roll band. Wayne was more about the art and creativity.
Yes, had Perkins gotten the gig I am 100% positive that the musical arc of the Rolling Stones would have been affected in some way. Back around the time (mid 1970s) rock music was veering in a direction fueled by cocaine and disco. Consider songs like, "Hot Stuff". You'd hear that one blaring in discos with mirror balls and people dancing in those silly-ass looking silk shirts and flared non-denim trousers. Wasn't just the 'Stones. I always thought that the Grateful Dead's, "Shakedown Street" had a little bit of a disco bop to it.
I think that Wayne might have kept the band on its Blues-driven path that it was on with Mick Taylor. But who knows?