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TL;DR:

  • A member of the Plastic Ono Band worked on The Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar.”
  • The song was originally going to include a guitar solo from Mick Taylor.
  • Some early pressings of the song included Taylor’s solo.
Mick Jagger with a microphone during The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar" era
The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger | Evening Standard/Getty Images

A member of the Plastic Ono Band played the saxophone solo on The Rolling Stones‘ “Brown Sugar.” The track was originally going to include a guitar solo from The Rolling Stones’ Mick Taylor. Subsequently, the member of the Plastic Ono Band explained why the original solo got nixed.

A member of the Plastic Ono Band collaborated with The Rolling Stones during his birthday party

Bobby Keys was a member of the Plastic Ono Band who also worked on a number of records by The Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and other classic rock bands. During a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone, he discussed playing the saxophone solo on “Brown Sugar.” “That came together at Keith and my birthday party in England,” he said. “I guess that would’ve been 1970 or 1971.”

“Originally, ‘Brown Sugar’ had a guitar solo, Mick Taylor put a guitar solo on it,” he said. “In fact, some of the very early pressings came out with the guitar solo on it.”

Bobby Keys in black-and-white
Bobby Keys | Estate Of Keith Morris / Contributor

Why Bobby Keys’ solo was added to The Rolling Stones’ ‘Brown Sugar’ and what he thought about the band

Keys discussed how he got to play a saxophone solo on “Brown Sugar.” “But there was a birthday party with me and Keith [Richards] and Eric Clapton and George Harrison and Ringo [Starr] and Keith Moon, a whole bunch of other people,” he recalled. “And we started to have a jam session. I don’t remember exactly what the process was now, but we ended up playing ‘Brown Sugar.’ And I just played that solo on it.”

Keys’ solo got a reaction from other people at the jam session. “And Jimmy Miller, who was there that night, and Mick said, ‘Can you do that again?'” Keys remembered. “I said, ‘Hell, I don’t know what I did then, but if I did it once I can do it again.'” Keys didn’t record the solo at the party, instead scheduling another time when he could contribute to the track. Ultimately, most versions of the song feature the saxophone solo instead of the guitar solo.

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What Bobby Keys thought about ‘Brown Sugar’ and some of his work with John Lennon in retrospect

During a 2012 interview with Relix, Keys discussed his favorite moments from his career. He was proud of playing on John Lennon’s hit single “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night” and The Rolling Stones’ “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” and “Brown Sugar.” The latter was the first big Rolling Stones hit featuring Keys.

Keys remembered recording the “Brown Sugar” solo in one take. He said playing the song numerous times never dulled his enjoyment of it. Keys subsequently played “Brown Sugar” with The Rolling Stones as well as many other bands.

“Brown Sugar” was one of The Rolling Stones’ most popular songs and it wouldn’t be the same without Keys’ saxophone solo.

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