Ronnie Wood's 'I've Got My Own Album to Do' and His Solo Path to the Stones

Ronnie Wood’s 1974 solo debut wasn’t just a side project—it was his audition tape for the Rolling Stones, released a full year before he officially replaced Mick Taylor. The album’s guest list reads like a who’s who of 70s rock: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Rod Stewart, and even future bandmate Billy Preston all showed up. Wood later said he made the record to prove he could lead a session, not just follow one.

The title itself is a playful jab at his reputation as a hired gun—he’d already played guitar for the Faces and Jeff Beck, and people kept asking when he’d do his own thing. “I’ve Got My Own Album to Do” became a catchphrase for turning down other offers, and the music reflects that loose, hungry energy. Tracks like “Flying” and “I Can Feel the Fire” are built around Wood’s slide guitar and gravelly voice, sounding closer to the Stones’ Exile-era swagger than the Faces’ boozy stomp.

Functionally, the album cemented Wood’s chemistry with Jagger and Richards. Keith later credited the sessions with showing him that Wood could “lock in” with the band’s rhythm section. For Ronnie, it was a declaration of independence that ironically landed him the most stable gig of his career—he’s been a