Talking Winos: A Chat with Keith Richards
It can now be seen as a blessing that in 1986 Mick Jagger made the decision not to go on tour to promote the latest Rolling Stones album, Dirty Work. Instead, Jagger chose to go into the studio to record a follow up to his debut solo effort, She’s the Boss.
Jagger’s creative departure influenced guitarist Keith Richards to make the decision to record his own material, too, and release what is quite possibly the best Stones solo record to date, the fantastic Talk Is Cheap. Richards rounded up an extremely talented band to back him up in the studio and on tour, namely The X-Pensive Winos.
The Winos consisted of cream-of-the-crop session musicians and tour veterans: Waddy Wachtel, Ivan Neville, Charley Drayton, the late great saxophonist Bobby Keys and drummer Steve Jordan, who co-wrote and co-produced the album with Richards. Included in the mix was Sarah Dash, who learned her craft singing with Patti LaBelle and The Bluebelles. In fact, Patti and the Blue-belles toured with The Rolling Stones in the 1960s.
The Winos were quite a lineup to experience in concert, and by the time the 1988 tour got into full gear, the band as a whole were a powerhouse. Proof of the kind of performance this band could deliver was released on CD in 1991 as Live at the Hollywood Palladium, December 15, 1988. It has now been reissued through BMG in a wider variety of formats. In fact, the album makes its debut on vinyl.
