Ron Wood’s 1974 Solo Album Was Basically a Stones Jam Session — Here’s How Jagger and Richards Got Involved

Before Ron Wood officially joined the Rolling Stones in 1975, he was still a Face — but he was already hanging out with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards constantly. They’d crash at his place in London, drink wine, and just play. So when Wood decided to make his first real solo album, I’ve Got My Own Album to Do, it made sense to invite them. Jagger sang on “Act Together” and Richards co-wrote and played on several tracks. The sessions were basically an extension of those late-night living room jams, and you can hear it.

The result is deliberately loose and ragged, like a demo tape that accidentally became an album. Compare that to the Stones’ mid-70s output — Goats Head Soup and It’s Only Rock ’n Roll were still polished, layered productions, even when they tried to sound raw. Wood’s record has sloppy harmonies, off-the-cuff guitar fills, and a bar-band energy that the Stones’ official work had started to sand down. It’s not better or worse — just proof that Wood was already the glue that would soon hold their chaotic chemistry together.