Where the Bass Player Went Off To

By MARC MYERS

Not a day goes by without Bill Wyman bumping into a Rolling Stones fan who thinks he's still the band's bassist. Mr. Wyman quit the Stones nearly 20 years ago and has been leading the Rhythm Kings since 1997.

"Taxicab drivers, people in the streets—they all ask about the Stones and when we're touring again," Mr. Wyman said on the phone from his London home. "When I say I'm no longer in the band, they seem stuck for a moment. It's all very sweet. I was with them for 30 years, wasn't I." (Darryl Jones has filled in on bass ever since.)

Jordi Renart

Mr. Wyman leads the Rhythm Kings.

Mr. Wyman, 74, loves hanging out at home now with his wife and three young daughters, but he's hardly retired. On Oct. 17, his Rhythm Kings start a three-month U.K. tour with original Supreme Mary Wilson. A five-CD "Collectors' Edition Box Set" of the band's past studio albums will be released Oct. 25 in the U.S., featuring cameos by Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Mark Knopfler and others.

The Rhythm Kings are an eclectic mix of all-star musicians and vocalists that includes singer-organist Georgie Fame, guitarist Albert Lee and guitarist-arranger Terry Taylor. They play mostly rock and R&B covers from the '50s and '60s in an interpretive, listener-friendly style.

No U.S. tour is planned. Mr. Wyman, who was in the Royal Air Force in the mid-1950s, no longer flies unless absolutely necessary. On a plane with the Stones in 1990, during a nasty storm, he decided, "I don't like it up here." And that was it, he said.

Mr. Wyman's departure from the Stones enabled him to explore rock's roots. "The Stones never liked early rock 'n' roll—they're hard-core blues fans," Mr. Wyman said. "I'm a bit older, and I love Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnnie Ray and people I grew up with."

He has also branched out. An exhibition of his past photography just opened in London, he owns the city's rock-themed Sticky Fingers Café and, for recreation, he often can be found at archeological digs.

There's even an eighth book in the works. "It's my second Rolling Stones memoir," said Mr. Wyman, a diary-keeper since childhood. "I'm writing from the start. My first, 'Stone Alone,' covered 1962 to 1969 but was criticized for being too long and detailed. This is more reflective. I'm now up to 1973."

As a rocker, Mr. Wyman plays the bass intuitively. "I've always had a good ear and a knack for adapting suggestions," he said. "When the Stones first rehearsed 'Miss You' in 1978, it wasn't gelling. Then Billy Preston suggested I play an octave walk. So I did. For the next two years, every band that heard our record used my funky bass line."

Just don't ask about his favorite bass solo. "I actually don't like them," Mr. Wyman said. "I started as a piano player, so I find bass solos just a big noise. Charlie Watts doesn't listen to drum solos, and I don't listen to bass solos."