Mick Taylor's 1974 Exit: Why the Stones' Guitarist Felt Broke and Burned Out

Mick Taylor joined the Rolling Stones in 1969 at 20 years old, stepping into the impossible spot of replacing Brian Jones. He played on some of the band’s most celebrated albums—Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main St.—and his fluid, blues-drenched leads became a defining part of that early-70s sound. But by 1974 he’d had enough.

The main friction was financial. Taylor was a hired gun, not a full partner: he received a flat salary (around £100 a week early on) and no writing credits. Jagger and Richards split the songwriting royalties 50-50, and Taylor’s contributions—like those iconic licks on “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” or the slide work on “Wild Horses”—earned him zero publishing income. He reportedly asked for a modest percentage and was turned down flat.

Creatively, he also felt boxed out. Keith Richards was territorial about the guitar dynamic, and Taylor’s more melodic, lyrical style had limited room next to Keith’s rhythm crunch. After the It’s Only Rock ’n Roll sessions, Taylor walked. The Stones didn’t try hard to keep him—they later claimed he’d been unhappy for a while. Taylor himself said he felt taken for granted and underpaid, a sentiment that’s aged well as fans and critics now recognize his huge, uncredited contributions to the band’s golden era.