The Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main St." album is celebrating its 50th anniversary today, and little did the public know that the band had been through a challenging journey while creating the album.
According to The New York Post, Keith Richards had a big problem with drugs, specifically heroin. At the time, he constantly went missing within his home, where the band recorded their LP.
Anthony DeCurtis previously claimed that Richards had his son Marlon with him, and he would say that he was going to put his kid to bed, then they wouldn't see him for a day and a half.
"I think that that was beginning to create issues in the band. One of your main songwriters and, in many ways, the musical driving force of the band is somebody who's having drug problems," The Rolling Stones: Unzipped author wrote.
DeCurtis told the outlet that there was also a significance behind the album's title as the "Exile" part means they were tax exiles.
The band fled England to avoid taxes in 1971 while making the album in the basement of Villa Nellcôte with Jimmy Miller.
The mansion was located off the Mediterranean Sea, where Richards lived with then-partner Anita Pallenberg and their son Marlon.
The band went on to have another problem, which was going to "whorehouses" after recording early in the morning.
"The whole environment had a kind of out-of-control feel to it," the author added.
Later on, Richards got through his addiction, and the band managed to overcome other troubles.
"Exile on Main St." became one of their most iconic albums to date, even some comparing it to The Beatles' "White Album."
"It's a double album, it's got tons of material, it ranges across a number of different styles ... The album is considered sort of the classic Stones record," University of Rochester, professor of music John Covach said.
The album cover was heavily influenced by American blues, country, soul, and gospel. The band was looking through books when they stumbled upon a book of photographs titled "The Americans" by Robert Frank.
After being amazed by the images, the Stones thought, "Well, we need this guy to do the photos."
The album was finished recording in Los Angeles, California, before being released on May 12, 1972.
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