Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood is selling his Holland Park house.
He’s a prior owner of the Wick, now Pete Townshend’s house. It stands near the north-west entrance to Richmond Park, and half a mile from Ian Dury’s magical musical bench.
The house was designed in 1775 and sold to Wood in 1971 by Mary Hayley Bell and Sir John Mills. The sound of the wind around the house inspired Bell to write the book (later film and musical) ‘Whistle Down the Wind’.
The Stones’ song ‘It’s Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It)’ was first recorded by Wood, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger in the basement studio that Wood had put in. David Bowie was on backing vocals.
The video for the single was recorded there and then after Ronnie left the bath running.
This would be around a decade after Bowie first saw the Stones live, supporting Little Richard. His telling of it – and his impression of Jagger – is priceless.