Waiting on a Friend - wikipedia Waiting on a Friend `` Waiting on a Friend '' Single by The Rolling Stones from the album Tattoo You B - side `` Little T&A '' Released November 1981 Format 7 - inch single Recorded 1972 / 1973 and 1981 Genre Pop rock Length 4 : 35 Label Rolling Stones Songwriter ( s ) Jagger / Richards Producer ( s ) The Glimmer Twins The Rolling Stones singles chronology `` Start Me Up '' ( 1981 ) `` Waiting on a Friend '' ( 1981 ) `` Hang Fire '' ( 1982 ) `` Start Me Up '' ( 1981 ) `` Waiting on a Friend '' ( 1981 ) `` Hang Fire '' ( 1982 ) Music video `` Waiting on a Friend '' on YouTube Tattoo You track listing 11 tracks Side one `` Start Me Up '' `` Hang Fire '' `` Slave '' `` Little T&A '' `` Black Limousine '' `` Neighbours '' Side two `` Worried About You '' `` Tops '' `` Heaven '' `` No Use in Crying '' `` Waiting on a Friend '' `` Waiting on a Friend '' is a song by the Rolling Stones from their 1981 album Tattoo You. Released as the album 's second single, it reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the US. Contents 1 History 2 Release 3 Personnel 4 Charts 5 Notes 6 External links History Recording of `` Waiting on a Friend '' ( as ' Waiting for a Friend ' ) began in late 1972 through early 1973 in Kingston, Jamaica, during the Goats Head Soup sessions when the band still had Mick Taylor as a member. His guitar piece made it to the overdubbing sessions in April 1981 when the song was selected by Tattoo You producer Chris Kimsey as one the band could re-work for the album. 96 - 98 St. Mark 's Place In the liner notes to 1993 's compilation album Jump Back, Mick Jagger said, `` We all liked it at the time but it did n't have any lyrics, so there we were... The lyric I added is very gentle and loving, about friendships in the band. '' Jagger also had stated that the 1981 lyrics were contemplated for a future possible video, making the song the first Rolling Stones single to be packaged as a possible video for the emerging MTV channel. The video, shot in July 1981, directed by Michael Lindsay - Hogg ( who also directed their 1968 special The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus ), became very popular on MTV. Matching the song 's lyrics, Jagger is seen waiting for Keith Richards in the doorway of an apartment block. The building, at 96 - 98 St. Mark 's Place in Manhattan, is notable for appearing on the cover of Led Zeppelin 's 1975 album Physical Graffiti. The two then walk down the street and enter the St. Mark 's Bar & Grill where the other three band members are already drinking. Jagger sings the song to Richards and the video concludes with the band setting up for a gig at the back of the bar, ignored by the other patrons. The lyrics see a more mature side of singer Jagger represented. He speaks of setting aside women and vices in favor of making some sense of his life and finding the virtues inherent in true friendship : `` Do n't need a whore, I do n't need no booze, do n't need a virgin priest. But I need someone I can cry to, I need someone to protect. '' The song is noted for its dreamy qualities brought on by the soft guitars, smooth rhythm, and Jagger 's lilting refrain of `` doo - doo - doo '' 's. Stones - recording veteran Nicky Hopkins performs the track 's running piano. The Stones hired jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins to perform the solo on this song, as well as two others on the album. On his addition to the track, Jagger said in 1985 : `` I had a lot of trepidation about working with Sonny Rollins. This guy 's a giant of the saxophone. Charlie said, ' He 's never going to want to play on a Rolling Stones record ! ' I said, ' Yes he is going to want to. ' And he did and he was wonderful. I said, ' Would you like me to stay out there in the studio ? ' He said, ' Yeah, you tell me where you want me to play and DANCE the part out. ' So I did that. And that 's very important : communication in hand, dance, whatever. You do n't have to do a whole ballet, but sometimes that movement of the shoulder tells the guy to kick in on the beat. '' Additional percussion, comprising claves, cabasa, güiro and conga, by Michael Carabello, was added during overdub sessions in April and June 1981. Release Released as the second single after `` Start Me Up, '' `` Waiting on a Friend '' became a radio staple in the US where it reached # 13 on the singles chart in early - 1982. It did not fare as well in Europe, reaching only # 50 on the UK Singles Chart but as high as # 9 in the Netherlands. Although included on both Jump Back and the earlier Rewind ( 1971 -- 1984 ), it was not included on 2002 's Forty Licks but is present on 2012 's GRRR !. A live performance with saxophonist Joshua Redman was recorded during the Bridges to Babylon Tour and released on the 1998 live album No Security and concert film Bridges to Babylon Tour ' 97 -- 98. A 1981 performance of the song featured on Let 's Spend the Night Together ( film ) ( 1983 ). The song was later used in the film The Normal Heart ( 2014 ). Personnel Rolling Stones Mick Jagger -- lead and backing vocals Keith Richards -- rhythm guitar, backing vocals Mick Taylor -- lead guitar Bill Wyman -- bass guitar Charlie Watts -- drums Ronnie Wood -- backing vocals Guest musicians Nicky Hopkins -- piano Sonny Rollins -- tenor saxophone Michael Carabello -- güiro, claves, cabasa and congas Charts Chart ( 1981 ) Peak position Australia ( Kent Music Report ) 44 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 15 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 17 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 50 US Billboard Hot 100 13 Notes Jump up ^ Janovitz, Bill. The Rolling Stones `` Waiting on a Friend ''. allmusic. 2007 ( accessed 19 May 2007 ). Jump up ^ `` Tattoo You ''. Time Is On Our Side. Retrieved 13 December 2009. Jump up ^ `` The Complete Works of the Rolling Stones - Database ''. Nzentgraf.de. Retrieved 7 November 2015. Jump up ^ Kent, David ( 1993 ). Australian Chart Book 1970 -- 1992. St Ives, NSW : Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0 - 646 - 11917 - 6. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- The Rolling Stones -- Waiting on a Friend '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 18 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- The Rolling Stones -- Waiting on a Friend '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Retrieved 18 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` Rolling Stones : Artist Chart History ''. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 June 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Rolling Stones Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Retrieved 18 June 2016. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics The Rolling Stones Mick Jagger Keith Richards Charlie Watts Ronnie Wood Brian Jones Ian Stewart Mick Taylor Bill Wyman Tony Chapman Ricky Fenson Colin Golding Carlo Little Dick Taylor Video releases Let 's Spend the Night Together ( 1983 ) Stones at the Max ( 1992 ) The Rolling Stones : Voodoo Lounge Live ( 1995 ) The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus ( 1996 ) Bridges to Babylon Tour ' 97 -- 98 ( 1998 ) Four Flicks ( 2003 ) The Biggest Bang ( 2007 ) Ladies and Gentlemen : The Rolling Stones ( 2010 ) Some Girls : Live in Texas ' 78 ( 2011 ) Sweet Summer Sun : Live in Hyde Park ( 2013 ) The Rolling Stones : Havana Moon ( 2016 ) Documentaries Charlie Is My Darling ( 1966 ) The Stones in the Park ( 1969 ) Gimme Shelter ( 1970 ) Cocksucker Blues ( 1972 ) Video Rewind ( 1984 ) 25 × 5 : the Continuing Adventures of the Rolling Stones ( 1989 ) Shine a Light ( 2008 ) Stones in Exile ( 2010 ) Crossfire Hurricane ( 2012 ) Olé Olé Olé ! : A Trip Across Latin America ( 2017 ) Tours British Tour 1963 1964 tours 1965 tours 1966 tours European Tour 1967 American Tour 1969 European Tour 1970 UK Tour 1971 American Tour 1972 Pacific Tour 1973 European Tour 1973 Tour of the Americas ' 75 Tour of Europe ' 76 US Tour 1978 American Tour 1981 European Tour 1982 Steel Wheels / Urban Jungle Tour Voodoo Lounge Tour Bridges to Babylon Tour No Security Tour Licks Tour A Bigger Bang 50 & Counting 14 On Fire Zip Code Tour América Latina Olé Tour 2016 No Filter Tour Associated places Redlands Stargroves Nellcôte The Wick Downe House The Mick Jagger Centre Related Discography Songs The Rolling Stones concerts Jagger / Richards Nanker Phelge Rolling Stones Records Promotone The Stones in the Park Altamont Free Concert Rolling Stones Mobile Studio The Rolling Stones : An Illustrated Record The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus Andrew Loog Oldham Allen Klein Peter Meaden John Pasche Instruments played Book Portal The Rolling Stones singles discography Decca ( UK ) and London ( US ) singles `` Come On '' `` I Wanna Be Your Man '' / `` Stoned '' `` Not Fade Away '' / `` Little by Little '' `` It 's All Over Now '' `` Tell Me '' / `` I Just Want to Make Love to You '' `` Time Is on My Side '' `` Little Red Rooster '' `` Heart of Stone '' `` The Last Time '' / `` Play with Fire '' `` ( I Ca n't Get No ) Satisfaction '' / `` The Spider and the Fly '' `` Get Off of My Cloud '' / `` I 'm Free '' `` As Tears Go By '' `` 19th Nervous Breakdown '' / `` As Tears Go By '' `` Paint It Black '' / `` Stupid Girl '' `` Mother 's Little Helper '' / `` Lady Jane '' `` Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow ? '' `` Let 's Spend the Night Together '' / `` Ruby Tuesday '' `` We Love You '' / `` Dandelion '' `` In Another Land '' `` She 's a Rainbow '' / `` 2000 Light Years from Home '' `` Jumpin ' Jack Flash '' `` Street Fighting Man '' / `` No Expectations '' `` Honky Tonk Women '' / `` You Ca n't Always Get What You Want '' Rolling Stones / Atlantic singles `` Brown Sugar '' / `` Bitch '' / `` Let It Rock '' `` Wild Horses '' / `` Sway '' `` Tumbling Dice '' / `` Sweet Black Angel '' `` Happy '' / `` All Down the Line '' `` Angie '' / `` Silver Train '' `` Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo ( Heartbreaker ) '' / `` Dancing with Mr. D '' `` It 's Only Rock ' n Roll ( But I Like It ) '' `` Ai n't Too Proud to Beg '' / `` Dance Little Sister '' `` Fool to Cry '' `` Hot Stuff '' Rolling Stones `` Miss You '' / `` Far Away Eyes '' `` Beast of Burden '' / `` When the Whip Comes Down '' `` Respectable '' / `` When the Whip Comes Down '' `` Shattered '' `` Emotional Rescue '' `` She 's So Cold '' / `` Send It to Me '' `` Start Me Up '' `` Waiting on a Friend '' / `` Little T&A '' `` Hang Fire '' / `` Neighbours '' `` Going to a Go - Go '' ( live ) / `` Beast of Burden '' ( live ) `` Time Is on My Side '' ( live ) / `` Twenty Flight Rock '' ( live ) `` Undercover of the Night '' `` She Was Hot '' `` Too Much Blood '' `` Harlem Shuffle '' `` One Hit ( To the Body ) '' `` Mixed Emotions '' `` Rock and a Hard Place '' `` Almost Hear You Sigh '' `` Highwire '' / `` 2000 Light Years from Home '' ( live ) `` Ruby Tuesday '' ( live ) / `` Play with Fire '' ( live ) `` Jumpin ' Jack Flash '' ( live ) / `` Tumbling Dice '' ( live ) Virgin singles `` Love Is Strong '' `` You Got Me Rocking '' `` Out of Tears '' `` I Go Wild '' `` Like a Rolling Stone '' ( live ) / `` Black Limousine '' / `` All Down the Line '' `` Wild Horses '' ( live ) / `` Live with Me '' ( live ) / `` Tumbling Dice '' ( live ) `` Anybody Seen My Baby ? '' `` Saint of Me '' / `` Gimme Shelter '' ( live ) `` Out of Control '' `` Do n't Stop '' / `` Miss You '' ( remix ) `` Streets of Love '' / `` Rough Justice '' `` Rain Fall Down '' `` Biggest Mistake '' / `` Before They Make Me Run '' ( live ) Universal singles `` Plundered My Soul '' / `` All Down the Line '' `` No Spare Parts '' / `` Before They Make Me Run '' `` Doom and Gloom '' `` One More Shot '' Other countries `` Let It Bleed '' / `` You Got the Silver '' ( London Japan ) `` Rocks Off '' / `` Sweet Virginia '' ( Japan ) `` Star Star '' / `` Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo ( Heartbreaker ) '' ( France, Germany ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Waiting_on_a_Friend&oldid=851991723 '' Categories : The Rolling Stones songs 1981 singles 1982 singles Songs written by Jagger / Richards Song recordings produced by the Glimmer Twins Music videos directed by Michael Lindsay - Hogg 1972 songs Hidden categories : Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for UKsinglesbyname Singlechart called without song Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Dansk Español Français Italiano ქართული 日本 語 Norsk nynorsk Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 25 July 2018, at 22 : 02 ( UTC ). 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Question: who played sax on waiting on a friend
Answer: Sonny Rollins