Managed to get a Times subscribing friend to send me this little bit of the article;

It’s all very impressive, not least because Wyman is 76, but there is one achievement we haven’t talked about. In November 2012 Wyman joined his old band for their 50th anniversary concerts in London, for the first time since leaving in 1992. How was it to playHonky Tonk Women and It’s Only Rock’n’Roll (But I Like it) with his old band again after so many years?

“It was fun ... in a way,” he says, his changing inflection denoting reservation. “In December 2011 Keith called and said, ‘Come on mate, why don’t you have a jam with us?’ Then they asked if I’d be interested in getting involved in the band for special occasions. I thought I would get quite heavily involved, so when they said they only wanted me to do two songs I was a bit disappointed. I only had one rehearsal and no sound-check, so I just winged it. It was great, but I didn’t want to go to America for two songs. I think they understood. Well, Charlie did.”

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/life/celebrity/article3690934.ece

Mick and Keith really hold grudges forever. Couldn't they have just given the fans what they wanted and have him and Mick Taylor on for more than a total of 13 minutes each. I understand it would be a little disrespectful to Darryl but come on, it's the 50th show. The biggest disappointment of the shows was that they were on for so few songs. It would have been nice especially to hear Bill play the bass line that he came up with on Miss You or Emotional Rescue or 19th Nervous Breakdown, even Paint it Black.

Fans can speculate as to what went on behind-the-scenes, but it just wasn't meant to be.

I wish wed seen more of Mick T and Bill then we did.  But, on the other hand, we did get to see them back with The Stones, and it was great!

Another Wyman autobiography in the works....the Daily Telegraph seem oblivious to the fact that he already published one 23 years ago....


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rolling-stones/9876040/Mick-Jagger-braces-himself-for-Bill-Wymans-memoirs.html

So I wonder if they had had Bill play the whole show if he would have done the US shows.

Was never an option as far as I can tell. Far too much rehearsal time needed.  They rehearsed for what, about 8 weeks for those shows?

Logistically he could have done the London shows but he wasnt asked.

Where was the rehearsal footage that was supposed to be in Crossfire Hurricane?

The director changed his mind about including it.

yeah, I think they just figured there was too much and concentrated on 1964-81 exclusively.

The rehearsals that were filmed though were the ones in NY/NJ in May 2012 - ie, without Bill. Don Was played bass at that session.  The three day session they did in London in December 2011 with Bill (and with Ben Waters on piano) wasnt filmed at all, though. It was so low key that they didnt even bother calling in most of their regular crew and technicians as it wasnt deemed important enough to fly them to London. That extended to the US-based side musicians like Leavell, Jones, etc.

Within the context of the documentary, that scene wouldn't fit in. The doc stops in 81 - there's no reason to cut in a 21st century performance within the boundaries of the film.