Ronnie Wood's First Tour as an Official Stone and the Live Premieres of 'Hot Stuff' and 'Fool to Cry'

The 1976 European tour for Black and Blue was the first time Ronnie Wood toured as a full-fledged Rolling Stone, not just a hired gun. He’d played a few US dates the year before as a temporary replacement for Mick Taylor, but by early 1976 the band decided he was permanent. That meant his debut as an official member happened in front of European crowds—starting in Frankfurt on April 28th—and the setlist immediately showcased two new tracks that had never been played live before.

‘Hot Stuff’ opened many of those shows, a loud, wah-wah-heavy funk workout that proved the Stones could still sound current in the disco era. It was the first single from the album and its live debut gave the band a chance to stretch out into longer grooves, with Wood locking in alongside Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman. ‘Fool to Cry’ was the opposite—a slow, sentimental ballad with Jagger on electric piano and