Forming a band is an easy task, however, keeping everyone happy and unified is hard, and undoubtedly many bands fail to do so and, as a result, break up. Not even The Beatles could sort out their differences however, there are bands like The Rolling Stones who never broke up. Well, at least not formally. Back in the 1980s, the Stones took a brief break from the band, and Keith Richards, the band’s co-founder explained why they needed a break.
Following the passing of the band’s founder and the original leader Brian Jones, it hit the band hard although Jones left the band a few weeks prior to his tragic death and the remaining members somehow managed to keep the band alive.
However, as mentioned, back in the 80s it seemed that The Rolling Stones would come to an end just like The Fab Four.
How The Rolling Stones nearly broke up
Back in the 80s, Mick Jagger was dealing with his heroin addiction and he was also touring solo and promoting his album. Since the band’s main creative forces, Jagger and Keith Richards, were not working together, the band was sulking. According to the co-producer of the band, Chris Kimsey, the band was at its worst time during the early 80s.
In an interview with The Independent, he said, “That was the worst time I’d ever experienced with them. I would get Mick in the studio from like, midday until seven o’clock, then Keith from like, nine o’clock till five in the morning.”
He continued, “They would not be together. They specifically avoided each other. Mick would say, ‘When’s he coming in? I’ll be there later’. After about a week, it was killing me. And it was such silly things, like one would say, ‘What did he do?’ And I’d play a bit, and the other would say, ‘Get rid of it’.”
Not only did they stop working together but Jagger did not even care about the band. He signed a solo deal with CBS. Furthermore, in an interview, he told, “It’s ridiculous. No one should care if the Rolling Stones have broken up, should they? I mean, when the Beatles broke up, I couldn’t give a shit. I thought it was a very good idea. With me, people seem to demand that I keep their youthful memories intact in a glass case specifically preserved for them.”
Even the late drummer Charlie Watts who Richards often refers to as an engine of The Rolling Stones gives in to heroin addiction. And naturally, throughout the 80s, the band was off track, and it almost seemed that the band had come to an end.