In 1971, The Rolling Stones tracked Exile on Main St. in the basement of a rented mansion in the South of France. One afternoon Keith Richards was ready to work. The rest of the band was still asleep.
Richards pulled producer Jimmy Miller and sax player Bobby Keys into the room. Miller sat at the drums. Keys took the horn. Richards handled guitar, bass overdubs, and lead vocals in a single session. That run became “Happy,” a U.S. Top 25 single.
Key Takeaways
- The setting: Exile on Main St. was cut in a makeshift basement studio during the band’s tax exile in France.
- The lineup: With the full band unavailable, Richards, Miller, and Keys formed a three-piece for the afternoon.
- The roles: Miller played drums, Keys played sax, and Richards stacked guitar, bass, and vocals himself.
- The result: The one-day session produced “Happy,” released on Exile on Main St. and peaking in the U.S. Top 25.
