The 1971 Fan-Favorite Song That Keith Richards Never Wanted Mick Jagger To Perform

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have defied the odds of creativity. They are still working together decades after most of their peers have broken down and broken up. But that doesn’t mean they haven’t been on the outs once or twice over the decades.

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The songwriting partners haven’t always seen eye to eye. There was one song in particular that Jagger had a strong vision for and Richards second-guessed. There was one aspect of this 1970s track that left the guitarist wanting to “turn down” his bandmate.

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“No Sense Of Electric At All”

Sticky Fingers is home to some of The Rolling Stones’ best work. Universally, this album is considered a masterpiece, making the band not just hitmakers, but icons. One song on the album, “Sway,” is a fan favorite.

It’s a driving track with no shortage of energy and wonderful guitar work, especially considering it’s not Richards playing rhythm, but Jagger. Jagger took over guitar duties on this song, giving it a unique sound from the rest of The Stones’ offerings.

“You need two guitars (to play that song),” Mick Taylor once said. “’Cause you need one guitar in open tuning to play the dah-dum-dah-da. In fact, it was Mick Jagger that played rhythm guitar on that track.”

Jagger decided to double his workload on this song, much to Richards’ dismay. Whether it was a bit of territorialism or just a heightened taste for great guitar playing, Richards wished Jagger wouldn’t have overstepped his bounds.

“Well, like I say, acoustically he’s got a nice touch,” Richards once said of Jagger’s guitar playing on this song. “It doesn’t translate electrically. It’s not his thing. It’s not everybody’s cup of tea…I’d never let him play electric if I could help it. He’s like Bob Dylan, same thing. They thrash away at it. No sense of electric at all. Usually, I turn him down.”

Although Richards doesn’t enjoy Jagger’s playing, the listener doesn’t think much of it. It still sounds great, although noticeably different from other songs with Richards in his usual spot. But, then again, most of us haven’t spent decades perfecting guitar playing, so we naturally wouldn’t have as staunch opinions on the matter.

This song is certainly a testament to the diversity of Jagger’s talent, proving he can be more than just a mouthpiece for the band. Revisit “Sway” above and hear Jagger’s guitar prowess in action.

(Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)