The Rolling Stones Rip this Joint

With the Beatles once again in residence near the top of the Billboard charts, the climate is right for music scribe Steve Appleford to score with this literary paean to fellow British Invasion vets the Stones. Subtitled ''The Stories Behind Every Song,'' the photo-heavy glossy mixes tales about the writing and recording of the band's legendary tunes with unenlightening recaps of their sound. We read of Merry Clayton, the fiery backup singer who blew the band away with her gospel-inflected delivery on the first verse of ''Gimme Shelter,'' but demanded to discuss royalties before recording the second (calling Mick a ''skinny little boy'' when they first met). But one too many references on The Rolling Stones Rip this Joint to Muddy Waters' influence may leave readers bogged down.