Ronnie Wood Interview

[kenog]

Source:- The Mail On Sunday Live Magazine

www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1314911/Ronnie-Wood-The-secrets-success.html#ixzz10Zwxqd2t

The secrets of my success: Ronnie Wood

By Mike Pattenden

25th September 2010

'I've been sober six months now, and I'm lucky to be alive,' said Ronnie Wood

Born in 1947, Ronnie Wood taught himself guitar as a boy in Yiewsley, west London. In the mid-Sixties he played in his first band, the Birds, before teaming up with Rod Stewart in the Jeff Beck Group and then the Faces.

After the Faces disbanded in 1975, he became a full-time member of the Rolling Stones, and he has remained with the band ever since.

He has also collaborated with everyone from David Bowie to Bobby Womack, in addition to being an accomplished artist. He has three children from two marriages.

Bank with the favour bank.

We do things on an exchange basis in the music business - it keeps the wheels turning. That's how I can get people like Slash, Flea and Kris Kristofferson on my album. Collaboration should be done through trades rather than charging each other a fortune. You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

It's not what you steal; it's how you steal it.

Songs are out there - they're waiting to be grabbed. I start with a phrase, musical and lyrical, words like 'I don't think so' and a nice riff. It rolls from there. It's an outlet for me, a form of release for ideas that would otherwise not get used. Better out than in, I say.

Never stop learning.

Always try and better your best. I tried to emulate my favourite guitar players, the old bluesmen like Blind Willie McTell and Big Bill Broonzy. I used to sit by the record player and copy Chuck Berry and the Beatles. You can never copy someone completely, so you end up developing your own style. I'm still working at it now.

Have total belief in what you do.

You can never set your sights too high, because you'd be surprised by what you can achieve. That's how I got going. I played washboard in my brother's skiffle band when I was nine and ended up working with legends such as Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan.

Trust has to be earned.

There are people who will always try to take advantage of talent and a name. You want to trust them, but it doesn't always work out. I've often been too optimistic with my expectations down the years. Some ventures I've been involved in had huge potential but went sour. So sift through the offers and take good advice.

'In a band you have to respect each other's needs. That's one of the secrets of the Stones' durability,' said Ronnie (above with Charlie Watts, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, left to right)

Nothing else matters as long as the vibe is right.

In the late Seventies I lost £200,000 flying my mates in the New Barbarians around the U.S. in a Boeing 727. I made sure everyone got looked after but we never released a single song. I didn't care about the business side of it, because we were boys having a good time.

In a band you have to respect each other's needs.

That's one of the secrets of the Stones' durability. Charlie (Watts) has his jazz between Stones commitments; Mick (Jagger) has his solo albums. You have to respect people's space and be able to live with the people you work with, especially on the road. The music is the easy bit. Living like a Rolling Stone is much harder. Everything about them is massive: the tours, the attention, the razzmatazz. It's one big extravaganza, but it can also be a golden prison.

Whatever will be, will be.

I go with the flow and I'm aware that I've been blessed. Looking back at some of the scrapes I've been in, I realise I've led a charmed life. I could have died or ended up in jail on more than one occasion - I've brushed up against Mafia types and lawmen and somehow come out unscathed. I'm from Gypsy stock and I think it gives me a nomadic outlook. It's hard to tie me down for long. I need the freedom to indulge my creative urges. You need a special mindset to cope with big world tours. I can adapt very easily and I enjoy the gang mentality of being in a band.

Every great band needs a great frontman.

I had the good fortune to work with two in Rod and Mick. They both knew exactly how they wanted to be portrayed and they always knew what they wanted from a song. Yes, they get most of the adoration, but they have to work for it.

If you have to, never be afraid to stand your ground.

You can't have bad vibes, but a bit of creative tension is always a good thing. The Stones thrive on it. By dealing with everyone's issues you can move on, get something nailed down. A bit of honesty is good, but you have to play things shrewdly. I can be blunt, but sometimes you need to stroke each other. It's a team effort in the end. In the Stones none of us is as strong individually as we are collectively.

A bit of humour goes a long way.

I'm a diplomat by nature. I help find the middle ground. I crack a joke and use humour to help resolve potentially vicious situations quickly. It gets things in perspective and helps everyone to see that things aren't as bad as they seem. I'm always the middleman in the Stones. I helped Keith and Bill (Wyman) patch things up, and when Mick and Keith fell out it was me who got them talking again.

When all else fails, time heals.

I didn't see much of my kids when they were growing up. They understand now, but there were a few bridges to repair down the years.

Booze is great; sobriety is greater.

When I was drinking my playing was good, but not concentrated. I see everything with greater clarity now; I have more peace, and it's brought with it greater dexterity with the guitar and the paintbrush. Alcohol was inspiration, but it turned me into a grumpy old man. I've been sober six months now, and I'm lucky to be alive. I've lost a lot of mates down the years: Keith Moon, Jimi - they were dropping like flies at one time. I was always able to pull back from the edge; those guys carried on going until they went over it.

Embrace your pressure valve.

You need some form of release or you'll end up murdering someone. I'm lucky to have two means of expression in music and painting, and I'm a better person for them. For that reason, rock 'n' roll will never die. The music survives because you need that release. I'm comfortable with my age and comfortable in my skin. I don't think I look 63 and I certainly don't feel it. I intend to keep rocking.

'I Feel Like Playing' is released on Eagle Records on September 27

[Stargroves Tangie]

Good for Ronnie! Looking forward to seeing him & the Stones on the next tour (2011? 2012?)

[Aquamarine]

He STILL didn't explain why he didn't appear at the O2! Inquiring minds want to know--he's on our damn T-shirts.

[ally]

I'm in no position to judge anybody but this is a good start and I hope he manages to remain sober.

[Jahfin]

Funny that interview makes no mention of the current Faces reunion.