Mick Taylor’s Role on Sticky Fingers and How His Style Diverged from Brian Jones

Mick Taylor joined the Rolling Stones in 1969 after Brian Jones’ death, and by the time Sticky Fingers was recorded in 1970–71, he had fully settled into the band’s new sound. On that album, Taylor’s role was far more integrated than Jones’ had ever been: he co-wrote “Sway” and “Moonlight Mile,” played lead guitar on nearly every track, and contributed a fluid, blues-rock vocabulary that gave the Stones a tighter, more soulful edge.

The difference in guitar style comes down to background and approach. Brian Jones was a restless, experimental player who thrived on exotic textures—slide guitar, dulcimer, sitar—and often played parts that were deliberately off-kilter or atmospheric. Taylor, on the other hand, was a disciplined blues and rock guitarist who’d spent years in John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. His playing on Sticky Fingers is melodic, precise, and emotionally direct; listen to the sustained solo on “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” or the slide work on “Wild Horses.” Where Jones would reach for an unusual instrument or a strange tuning, Taylor simply let his fingers do the talking.