Mick Taylor: The Complete 1979 Interview

By the time of this 1979 interview, Mick Taylor, master of slide guitar and the poignant solo, had accumulated some of the most stellar rock credentials imaginable. Thirteen years earlier, just after he’d turned seventeen, he'd stepped into the public eye with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, touring the U.S. and playing brilliantly on six albums. Then, beginning in 1969, he spent six years with the Rolling Stones, touring the world and playing on Let It Bleed, Get Your Ya-Ya’s Out, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main Street, Goat’s Head Soup, It’s Only Rock and Roll, and Metamorphosis. Our phone interview took place on June 22, 1979, timed to coincide with the release of Mick's self-titled solo album for Columbia Records. Humble and gracious, Mick thoughtfully answered my dozens of questions about his upbringing, his time with Mayall and the Rolling Stones, his solo album, his approach to the guitar, and other music-related themes. All of my interviews are, in essence, field recordings. The sound of the 47-year-old master cassette for this one is trebly and brittle, so it may help to run the captions as you listen to it. Given the insights Mick delivers, though, we decided it was worth posting. I hope you enjoy it! And if you're into the Rolling Stones, check out my already-posted "Talking Guitar" interviews with Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts, Ronnie Wood, Chuck Leavell, and Darryl Jones. Thanks to Nik Hunt for engineering and producing this podcast. For hundreds of blues-, rock-, and guitar-intensive podcasts, interview transcriptions, and articles, check out my online "Talking Guitar" magazine at https://jasobrecht.substack.com/. #micktaylor #keithrichards #rollingstones #mickjagger #johnmayall #blues #jasobrecht #nikhunt This recording is ©2026 Jas Obrecht. All right reserved.