How a cabbie plans to make rock history – with Stones tape that even Mick hasn't heard
Former studio engineer is preparing to release a landmark recording he stashed away 48 years ago

ADAM SHERWIN MONDAY 02 JANUARY 2012



A Rolling Stones recording from 1964 that is so rare even Sir Mick Jagger has never heard it is the prized possession of an Essex mini-cab driver, who has kept the tapes locked away since his brush with the legendary rockers.

Now John Mackswith's demo version of the band's "As Tears Go By" is set for its first public airing as the legendary rockers scour the archives for a major re-release programme.

Mr Mackswith, now 63, was a slightly awed 17-year-old tape operator at the Advision recording studio in New Bond Street when fast-rising blues revivalists the Rolling Stones arrived to lay down some demo recordings.

The band sped through "As Tears Go By", one of the first songs that Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards wrote together. Mr Mackswith liked the song but was disappointed with the band's ramshackle performance.

When the band and studio staff left, he secretly "remixed" the tapes, creating his own improved version of a song that would become a hit for Marianne Faithfull and later the Stones.

The only copy of Mr Mackswith's exclusive version currently lies, carefully stored in 10.5in magnetic tape reels, in a suburban house in Chigwell, Essex. It hasn't been heard for nearly 50 years. But the driver is willing to let the band assess its potential as the Stones seek out rarities as part of a reissue programme of their classic back catalogue.

"When everyone left the studio in the evening we were let loose on the equipment," he said. "I used spare tape to make a couple of mixes of my own. It was probably as bad as their performance; I used too much reverb. I took them home as mementoes."

A spokesman for the Stones said: "This could be a very interesting discovery." The recording came to light when David Bowie's UK representative booked an Addison Lee account car to a gig and got talking to Mr Mackswith.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/how-a-cabbie-plans-to...

dude is rich.

Should we beat him up? I'm confused.  Always confused, but ready to lend a hand in any kind of pummeling that needs to go on.

I don't get how he Owns It?
Does'nt it belong to the Studio or at least the Stones?

What a bummer for him
He thinks he has a goldmine but its not anything they would ever revisit judging from their recent decisions.

I think abkco owns the rights and publishing to this one...

This would be like one of us bragging about our outtake collections and boots.....There goes his 15 minutes!

"I don't get how he Owns It"

I don't either.

I also agree with Moonie, a little street justice here is totally in order.

But he is 63 -- maybe we can just get him to wet his pants in oublic....

Bitch wrote on Jan 2^nd, 2012 at 10:33am:


He doesnt 'own' it, though. He only has it in his possession.

He was a studio technician who had access to a tape, 'secretly mixed' it and then took it home.

Whilst he never sold it to bootleggers or circulated it, it doesn't alter the fact that it was never his to remove from the studio.

He 'owns' it no more than I own the 'Bigger Bang' early mixes that I circulated a few years ago. Or the pen I took home from work last week!

I don't think he'd have much of a case if any combination of the Stones, ABKCO or the studio owners pursued him for it's return.