How the Stones auditioned guitarists and amps during the Black and Blue sessions

During the 1975 Black and Blue sessions, the Stones basically turned the studio into a guitar tryout camp. Mick Taylor had just quit, so they needed a new lead player—but instead of picking one guy, they invited a bunch of guitarists to come in and solo over unfinished tracks. Wayne Perkins, Harvey Mandel, Jeff Beck, and even regular session dude Steve Marriott all took turns. Each one would plug in, the band would roll tape, and they’d see who sounded best on which song.

The funny thing is, the sessions weren’t just about auditioning players—they were also a live test of amps and mic placements. Keith Richards was known for his meticulous gear setup, and they’d switch out amps mid-take to hear how a Fender Twin compared to a Marshall or a Vox. Mic placement changed too; sometimes they’d stick a mic right in front of the cone, other times they’d back it off a foot to get more room sound. The whole thing was a rolling experiment, and you can hear the variety in the final album—Perkins’ warm, melodic solo on “Hand of Fate,” Mandel’s more aggressive bite on “Memory Motel,” and Beck’s rejected take that later turned up on his own record. No single guitarist got the job—Ron Wood came on board shortly after—but those sessions left a messy, fascinating snapshot of the Stones trying out players and tones at the same time.