Bob Dylan believes The Rolling Stones had to rely on one crucial member, and when he wasn’t around they weren’t a “real” band.
The veteran performers would continue for a long while without the individual whom Dylan believes is crucial to their success. He may have a point, too, with the band’s best years long behind them by the time Bill Wyman had departed. Joining in 1962 and leaving the group in 1993, Wyman was a crucial member of The Rolling Stones’ sound, and it made all the difference both in the studio and on stage. Wyman would leave after recording Steel Wheels and featuring on the Urban Jungle tour.
Fans have also wondered whether Wyman, who briefly retired from the industry after his departure from the band, regretted leaving the group when they were on the cusp of redefining themselves.
Dylan said: “I’m not saying they don’t keep going, but they need Bill. Without him, they’re a funk band. They’ll be the real Rolling Stones when they get Bill back.” Though the group would not get Wyman back, the so-called “funk band” carried on and even performed a few shows with Wyman in 2012. Mick Taylor also rejoined the group on that tour. Wyman would work on Hackney Diamonds in 2023, with the song Live By the Sword featuring his bass.
Wyman’s last appearance on a Rolling Stones album as a full-time member was 1989’s Steel Wheels. While the band would continue on from there, it seems they did so as a “funk band” if Dylan’s comments are to be believed.
Fans have suggested it’s Wyman who missed out, and not the band, after he decided to leave the band. One user took to the r/RollingStones subreddit and asked: “I wonder if Bill Wyman regrets leaving The Rolling Stones? He’s been gone for around thirty-five years now and he’s forgotten to most casual fans.
“He’s missed out on the biggest tours in music history, countless millions of dollars, all the fame and the benefits that come with it. Do you think he regrets leaving?” Fans were quick to reply to the question, and believe Wyman has no hang-ups about departing the band.
The bass player insists he left the band earlier than 1993, but it was only around that time they accepted his resignation from the band. Speaking to the NME last year, Wyman shared: “They refused to accept I had left. It was not until 1993, when they were starting to get together to tour in 1994, when they said, ‘You have actually now left, haven’t you?’ And I said, ‘I left two years ago’. They finally accepted it, so they say I left in 1993.
“I just had enough. It was half my life and I thought, ‘I have got other things I want to do’. I wanted to do archaeology, write books, have photo exhibitions and play charity cricket. I used to read about ancient cultures while I was on the road and take photos as well. I just had this whole other life I wanted to live.”
Fans believe Wyman’s word, too, with many suggesting he seems much happier without spending his time in The Rolling Stones. One fan wrote: “Based on his book, which was very much about him not getting as much money as he should have, no. I think he’d rather do his own thing and control the finances.”
