Who is the only musician to have recorded with both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones?
Two rock and roll bands, both alike in dignity, in the swinging sixties, where we lay our scene. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were two titans of rock and roll during the 1960s, in case the Shakespearian opening wasn’t clear. Although musically, the two young groups were vastly different, they were often pitted against each other by the music industry and national press alike. The Stones were seen as the Fab Four’s more rebellious, rougher counterparts, even though both camps were openly supportive of each other’s work.
As the decade progressed, both groups cemented their respective positions at the top of the rock and roll pyramid. The Beatles’ songwriting genius and pioneering new sound made them a global phenomenon mobbed everywhere from their native Liverpool to the far-flung islands of the Philippines. Meanwhile, The Rolling Stones opted to follow the example led by John Lennon and Paul McCartney by beginning to write their own material, a practice which would see them craft some of the most iconic and enduring rock songs ever recorded.
Although there was a definite crossover between the careers of the two bands, not least the songs that were shared between groups, they generally occupied different areas of the music industry. Still, there were a few figures in the industry who bridged the apparent divide between both bands, working alongside The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. In particular, these cross-pollinators included management figures and industry executives like Allen Klein. The formidable businessman had been a key aspect of The Rolling Stones’ success in the mid-1960s.
So, when Apple Corps was on the verge of disaster in 1969, The Beatles recruited Klein to help the group get their house in order. He managed both The Beatles and The Stones for a time, but his involvement with the Fab Four was said to be a key reason why McCartney left the band.
Andrew Loog Oldham was another figure that appeared both in the story of The Beatles and in the story of The Rolling Stones. He was the Stones’ flamboyant manager, and the head of bold new independent label Immediate Records, and he was also key in manufacturing the rivalry between the two bands – positioning the Mick Jagger-fronted outfit as a rebellious answer to the fresh faces of the Fab Four. Still, he did some notable publicity work for The Beatles alongside Brian Epstein.
But have any musicians recorded with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones?
Aside from management figures and businessmen, the only musician to work alongside both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones was Billy Preston. A legendary figure within American R&B, funk, soul, and gospel, Preston’s collaborations with The Beatles and The Stones may as well be footnotes within his incredible career in music.
Preston’s relationship with The Beatles dates all the way back to their early days in 1962, but a key moment in their friendship came in 1969 during the Get Back sessions. The Texan played the electric piano and organ on multiple sessions for the project, so much so that the single release for ‘Get Back’ was credited to The Beatles with Billy Preston, marking the one and only time the band appeared with a co-performer in an official capacity.
Following his work with The Beatles, Preston temporarily joined the ranks of The Rolling Stones in 1970. Lending his keyboard and piano skills to the band on multiple albums, including notable highlights on Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main St, Goats Head Soup, It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll and Black and Blue, Preston also became a touring member of the band from 1973 to 1977. He often acted as the support act for the Rolling Stones, too, furthering his own legacy as a performer.
Billy Preston lived an incredibly full life, boasting an extensive career in the music industry, which is certainly reflected in the fact that he is the only musician to perform and record alongside both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, uniting the two major houses of 1960s rock and roll brilliance.
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