Jody Linscott’s Congas on ‘Mixed Emotions’: How a Touring Percussionist Tightened the Stones’ Late-80s Rhythm Section

The Rolling Stones had never used a dedicated percussionist onstage before the Steel Wheels tour—until Jody Linscott showed up with a pair of congas and a feel for the pocket that turned Charlie Watts’ already lean groove into something almost Latin. On “Mixed Emotions,” her hand-drum patterns don’t just double the hi-hat; they weave in and out of Keith Richards’ open-G churn, adding a third rhythmic voice that makes the chorus lift without crowding the vocal.

Linscott had cut her teeth with Pete Townshend and the Pretenders, so she understood how to lock into a rock band without overpowering it. On record, her congas sit low in the mix—more texture than statement—but live they gave Watts permission to simplify his hi-hat work, knowing the polyrhythm was covered. That subtle division of labor became a hallmark of the Stones’ late-era sound, and it started with a session player who treated the congas not as a decorative afterthought but as a structural layer.