David Bowie’s Secret Backing Vocals and the Near-Death of 'It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll'

The most famous rock star of the 1970s snuck onto a Stones track while his own album was being mixed next door. David Bowie was recording Diamond Dogs at Mick Jagger’s home studio at Stargroves in early 1974 when Jagger asked him to add backing vocals to a ragged demo called “It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll.” Bowie didn’t just sing—he improvised the iconic “I like it” response during the chorus, turning Jagger’s lead into a call-and-response that gave the song its hook. Bowie later joked that he only did it so he could hear himself on a Stones record, and he never took credit.

Before Bowie’s visit, the song had nearly died. It started as a joke jam in 1973 with Ronnie Wood (then of the Faces) playing guitar, Jagger on vocals, and a drummer named Kenney Jones. The working title was “We’ll Get You in the End,” a throwaway line that Jagger thought was too weak. Even after Bowie’s session, the band shelved the track for months—Keith Richards hated the loose feel. Only after producer Glyn Johns stripped it down and added a string section did everyone agree it was worth saving. The final version became the title track of the Stones’ 1974 album, and Bowie’s uncredited harmony remains one of rock’s great uncredited cameos.