Not all musicians are made to create magic together.
It comes down to chemistry, and no matter how perfectly someone might play, if they can’t vibe with their bandmates, it shows.
The Rolling Stones experienced this early on. In the early 1960s, before Charlie Watts took the drummer’s seat, Keith Richards knew right away that Mick Avory wasn’t cut out to play for them.
At that time, The Stones were building their identity, much like The Beatles, whose success hinged on the chemistry between John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
Remove one person, and the whole band could crumble. Similarly, while The Stones’ early music wasn’t complex, it had a special energy rooted in their love for the blues.
It wasn’t just about technical skill; it was about capturing the gritty essence of their musical heroes.
Mick Avory, who later drummed for The Kinks, was known for his powerful playing on hits like ‘You Really Got Me’ and the softer tones of ‘Waterloo Sunset.’ But when Richards first heard him, he quickly realized Avory wasn’t the right fit.
“We were rehearsing drummers, and Mick Avory came by. He was terrible then—couldn’t find that off-beat, couldn’t pick up on that Jimmy Reed stuff,” Richards recalled.
The Stones needed someone who could channel the raw blues of legends like Muddy Waters, and Avory just didn’t have it.
Understanding blues was essential to the Stones’ sound, and a drummer who couldn’t feel it wasn’t going to cut it.
Though even Charlie Watts, who later became The Stones’ heartbeat, wasn’t a blues expert when he joined.
His jazz background, however, brought the perfect groove to the table.
Jazz and blues aren’t that far apart, and Watts added a fresh dynamic to songs like ‘Satisfaction’ that helped elevate The Stones from just another British band to rock legends.
Looking back, The Stones may have dodged a bullet. Avory went on to have his own tensions in The Kinks, even famously throwing part of his drum kit at a bandmate in a heated argument.
With Watts, at least, The Stones only had to worry about keeping the groove alive without any flying cymbals.
