Ronnie Wood has been writing songs since he began playing in groups. In 1964, his band The Birds caught the attention of Decca Records and went on to release a few singles. Wood contributed songs to each of those releases.
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With the arrival of The Byrds from America, The Birds attempted to take legal action against the group. The judge ruled the different spelling was enough to allow both to co-exist. The Birds would go on to release one more single, with a B-side co-written by Wood, before breaking up.
Wood landed in The Creation, where he contributed to the writing of “The Girls Are Naked.” And while we’re almost positive you didn’t know he wrote that one, let’s take a look at five of the better-known songs “Woody” has had a hand in writing.
1. “Plynth (Water Down the Drain)” by Jeff Beck Group, written by Nicky Hopkins, Ronnie Wood, and Rod Stewart
I got a fear of death that creeps on every night
I know I won’t die soon, but then again, I might
Just like water down the drain, I’m wasting away
And oh, doctors can’t help
A ghost of a man, that’s me
In a surprising move, Wood traded in his six-string to play bass in the newly formed group Jeff Beck was putting together after his stint with The Yardbirds.
The Jeff Beck Group forged new ground, fusing elements of blues and rock to create a landscape that would be referred to as heavy metal in the future. Singer Rod Stewart first gained attention as the frontman for this powerful unit. Stewart and Wood would go on to write another completely different song called “Around the Plynth,” which would appear on the debut Faces album.
2. “Stay with Me” by Faces, written by Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood
In the mornin’, don’t say you love me
‘Cause I’ll only kick you out of the door
I know your name is Rita ’cause your perfume’s smellin’ sweeter
Since when I saw you down on the floor
When Steve Marriott left Small Faces, Stewart and Wood collaborated with the remaining members to form Faces. Wood contributed songs to each of the band’s four albums. “Stay with Me,” the first hit for the band, addresses the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle and the women who make themselves available to the artists.
3. “Ooh La La” by Faces, written by Ronnie Lane and Ronnie Wood
I wish that I knew what I know now
When I was younger
I wish that I knew what I know now
When I was stronger
Wood handled the lead vocals on this title track from the fourth and final Faces album. Ronnie Lane and Stewart had both tried recording the lead vocal. However, master producer Glyn Johns requested Wood give it a try, and it was decided to use his vocal in the final mix. It’s a song with a universal message. Youth is wasted on the young. It has been used in multiple advertising campaigns and movie soundtracks.
[RELATED: The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood Is “Excited About Every Track” on New Album]
4. “Every Picture Tells a Story” by Rod Stewart, written by Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood
Spent some time feeling inferior
Standing in front of my mirror
Combed my hair in a thousand ways
But I came out looking just the same
Stewart embarked on a solo career with Wood on board as a guitarist and songwriting partner. Wood plays all guitars as well as the bass on the title song of Stewart’s sophomore album.
Stewart spoke of the song to Mojo magazine, ” I can remember the build-up. You know what the song’s about—your early teenage life when you’re leaving home, and you’re exploring the world for yourself. Ronnie and I rehearsed ’round my house at Muswell Hill and recorded it the next day. That whole album was done in 10 days, two weeks, about as long as it takes to get a drum sound right nowadays.”
5. “One Hit (to the Body)” by The Rolling Stones, written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood
And it’s one hit to the body
It comes straight from the heart
One voice calls out my name
It sure went straight to the mark
In 1974, Wood released a solo album of his own, called I’ve Got My Own Album to Do. He co-wrote the song “Far East Man” for the record with George Harrison. Wood had collaborated with The Rolling Stones on “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It) that same year, as well.
Although still technically a member of Faces, Wood recorded and toured with the Stones. When Faces officially broke up, Wood was announced as an official member of “the greatest rock and roll band in the world.” He would go on to contribute his songwriting to many albums through the years. “Dance (Pt. 1),” “Black Limousine,” “No Use in Crying,” “Pretty Beat Up,” and “Fight” are the album cuts.
“One Hit (To the Body),” though, was released in 1986 as the second single from the album Dirty Work. It featured a guitar solo by Jimmy Page as well as background vocals from Bobby Womack, Don Covay, Kristy MacColl, and Patti Scialfa. The music video was filmed during a time of turmoil within the band. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were feuding, and the video director used the friction to his advantage as he had them lunging at each other as they mimed along to the song.
Ronnie Wood has added his special ingredient to every project he’s been involved in. Rolling Stone magazine proclaimed in 1977, “The name is Ron Wood, and he is a Rolling Stone. Not just ‘in the Rolling Stones’ … Ron Wood is the last of a breed. It isn’t his guitar playing that marks him so much as his attitude, the definitive expression of the British rock-star tradition. He fits in because he tempers the pop aristocrat’s hauteur with just the right spirit of low-life buffoonery.”
Photo by John Minihan/Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
