“Time Waits For No One” ~ The Rolling Stones

Mick Taylor’s melodic playing was the backbone of this song though it only credits Jagger and Richards as the writers, all of us know different.
The Stones can document anything they’d like on a tablet who wrote what but as we know through rock music’s history many took the honors when it was somebody else’s works. For even Elvis gave due to Big Momma Thorton and the black blues artists of the day for his initial start and continued success.

For the 5 years Taylor was with the Rolling Stones they produced some of their finest works. And “Time Waits For No One” is an astounding example of that talent and prime playing. Even Mick Jagger stated in a Rolling Stone magazine interview that they never quite had a guitar player before or after equaling Taylor’s style.

All I know is that where Keith Richards plays rock-n-roll and great riffs, Taylor is a musical technician composed of blues, rock, jazz and his soul. While Richards obsessed with his hair, Taylor was creating an elite part of rock-n-roll’s history.

When this song came out on the Stones 14th album “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll” in 1974 it became almost an instant favorite of mine and could only think; it’s funny just 11 years earlier when they first started out they had released a single called “Time Is On My Side” in 1963. I know that was a cover song but couldn’t help wonder at that young stage of their career just starting that they probably believed that at the time.

And wondered at what point did they realize the latter?

Funny what happens in just a decade and in that time frame as we age that our particular thought process changes ever so fast. I’ve got a cousin who laughed a few years back when I made a statement “I blinked and got old” when it felt if only yesterday I was young. He thought that was an excellent analogy of all of us…. but it depressed me. LOL

 

“Time Waits For No One”

Written by Jagger/Taylor/Richards

Mick Jagger – lead and backing vocals, guitar
Mick Taylor – electric, acoustic and slide guitar, backing vocals, synthesizer, congas, bass guitar
Keith Richards – guitar, backing vocals
Charlie Watts – drums
Bill Wyman – bass guitar, synthesizer
Ray Cooper – percussion, tambourine, maracas
Nicky Hopkins – piano