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Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are The Rolling Stones’ most famous members. As much as both have been integral to guiding the band through six decades together, Jagger’s forward-facing enthusiasm makes him appear to be the leader. Richards, who showed his wild side as a boy scout, played the riffs and then lived the rock star lifestyle. But only for so long. Richards’ five-word motto helped him take control of the Stones’ Emotional Rescue sessions.

Keith Richards (front) of The Rolling Stones wears a green suit jacket as band members Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood, and Mick Jagger look on.
Keith Richards (front) and Charlie Watts (from left), Ronnie Wood, and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones | Bernd Muller/Redferns

Keith Richards stands apart from other guitarists, according to Ronnie Wood

Guitar heroes such as Richards, Page, Pete Townshend, and Jimi Hendrix earn praise for their work, but drummers are almost always the force driving a band and keeping everyone on track.

Except for the Rolling Stones.

Ronnie Wood, who joined The Rolling Stones in 1975, years after he helped write one of their hit songs, said one thing has been clear to him all along: Keith Richards is the lifeblood of the band. Particularly when playing live, the other members took their cues from Keith instead of drummer Charlie Watts. He was one of the best timekeepers in the business, but Richards called the shots. 

That command of the Stones sets Richards apart from other guitarists, according to Wood, and he would know. He roomed with Hendrix and played in the Jeff Beck Group and Faces before joining The Rolling Stones. Still, the guitarist took it to another level while making the 1980 album Emotional Rescue. Richards’ five-word mantra helped him run the recording sessions.

Richards’ five-word motto during the ‘Emotional Rescue’ sessions: ‘Nobody sleeps while I’m awake’

Richards’ drug addiction nearly threatened to derail The Rolling Stones. Jagger considered replacing Richards in 1973. The Canadian authorities arrested him for drug possession in 1977. Those incidents were some of the biggest problems Jagger and Richards had to work out.

By the time The Rolling Stones went to Paris to record Emotional Rescue, Richards had moved past his addiction. The guitarist was more than ready to take charge of the group. 

According to Wood’s autobiography Ronnie, Richards used a five-word motto as he took over the sessions:

“Nobody sleeps while I’m awake.”

Keith Richards’ five-word motto during the making of ‘Emotional Rescue’

Considering Richards’ had a super-human ability to stay awake, it’s not hard to imagine the sessions happening at all hours.

Wood said Richards forced him and bassist Bill Wyman to stay so late in the studio that it was actually early. “At about four in the morning, just when everyone was getting really tired, after we’d really done well and cut a couple of basic tracks, Keith would say, ‘Right, now we’re going to do this.’”

When Wood managed to sneak away for some rest, Richards committed some light breaking and entering while reciting his five-word mantra. “Keith climbed over the fence outside, jumped into my garden, and broke into the house,” Wood writes in Ronnie. “In my sleep, I could hear the door burstIng open, boom, boom, crash, bang. Keith burst in, ‘Nobody sleeps while I’m awake,’ and I was dragged back into the studio.”

How did The Rolling Stones ‘Emotional Rescue’ fare on the charts?

Richards’ five-word mantra kept the Stones on track while making Emotional Rescue, and they released the album in June 1980. The initial reviews weren’t kind (Rolling Stone called it bland and repetitive), but the word of mouth didn’t hurt its sales.

The title track became one of The Rolling Stones’ biggest hits. It spent 19 weeks on Billboard’s singles chart and peaked at No. 3. “She’s So Cold” rose to No. 26. The album spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. Meanwhile, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) certified the album platinum less than three months after its release.

In England, Emotional Rescue spent two weeks at No. 1 and produced two top-40 singles with the title song and “She’s So Cold.”  

Emotional Rescue didn’t see the same level of success as The Rolling Stones’ other albums, but don’t blame the guitarist. Keith Richards lived by a five-word motto that helped keep the band on track as they recorded the album.

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