Keith Richards only realised how much "pressure" was on Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger when he went solo.
The ‘Satisfaction’ group’s guitarist – who completes the band with drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Ronnie Wood – has admitted that he had no idea how difficult it is to front a band, until he decided to do his own thing.
Speaking to SiriusXM’s ‘Laying It Down With Steve Jordan’, he admitted: "All that pressure of being the frontman.
"I mean, I remember some disastrous shows, Vegas, I’d blown the throat out totally and somehow we managed to do it and there was still a standing ovation.
"But you learn a lot about being the frontman, that nonstop … with the Stones I can poke myself out in the front when I want and retire with Charlie with the music.
"Not to have that option … I did understand a lot of the pressure on a frontman."
The 75-year-old rocker went through a period of unrest in 1986, when relations between himself and the iconic rock ‘n’ roll group’s frontman, also 75, reached an all time low during the making of their album ‘Dirty Work’, which the former described as "forget about it times".
Keith felt the need to find a new challenge and so he started working with drummer Steve Jordan – who he was in conversation with – who contributed to ‘Dirty Work’, and admitted he was "dragged kicking and screaming" into the studio to start work on ‘Talk Is Cheap’, which was released two years later in 1988.
Jagger had also released his solo LP ‘Primitive Cool’ the year before, which no doubt spurred him on even more.
In his chat with Steve, Keith also opened up about feeling like he wanted more than the Stones at the time.
He said: "It all occurred because after 20 odd years of The Rolling Stones, there are obviously going to be, as point, it happened in 85 I guess.
"That there is a feeling of you know, as if The Rolling Stones ain’t enough, to spread wings and see what else you can do.
"Mick found out and I found out."
The guitar legend went on to release another solo LP, ‘Crosseyed Heart’, in 2015, and the compilation album ‘Vintage Vinos’, comprised of remastered solo and X-Pensive Winos tracks performed live at the Hollywood Palladium in 1988, was released 2010.
The 30th anniversary reissue of ‘Talk Is Cheap’ is released on Friday (29.03.19) via BMG.
Keith Richards appreciated Mick Jagger more after going solo
