THE ROLLING STONES
COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962 - 2002

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728.  Prodigal Son (Wilkins)

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22 April 1979: Place: Oshawa Civic Auditorium, Toronto, Canada.
Track status: Bootleg only.

The time had come for Keith Richards' fracas with the Canadian authorities to be put to rest. Among other conditions set by the authorities he had to play in Toronto in aid of the Canadian National Institute for The Blind. Ron Wood had formed a touring band for his solo album GIMME SOME NECK, named The New Barbarians. It consisted of Keith as special guest guitarist, Bobby Keys sax, Ian McLagan keyboards, Stanley Clarke bass and Joseph Modeliste on drums. They provided the basis for the free concert held on 22 April 1979. Before They Make Me Run and Prodigal Son had apt titles and were the climax of the two sets the Barbarians performed that day - with Keith on vocals and a duet by Mick Jagger and Keith. Then at the end came the full Rolling Stones line-up on stage, a surprise to the ecstatic Canadian crowd. They opened with Let It Rock before continuing with nine songs consisting of Respectable, Star Star, Beast Of Burden, Just My Imagination, When The Whip Comes Down, Shattered, Miss You and Jumping Jack Flash. Mick told the audience that Keith was delighted to appear here in such a worthwhile event. The tour travelled around the United States without the rest of the Stones for a month during April and May during which Keith began to slip back into his old tour habits. In July as perviously related, a young male friend staying with Anita Pallenberg was fatally injured in a tragic shooting incident. The event was also the death-knoll of Keith's and Anita's relationship, especially as Keith also had a new girl in his life. During the summer the Stones' continued recording in Paris. The sessions were spent mainly touching up EMOTIONAL RESCUE and TATTOO YOU material but a few new recordings were made. In August 1979 Ronnie and Keith combined again for a one-off UK concert at Knebworth where Led Zeppelin were headlining two huge concerts one weekend after another. These turned out to be the last UK Led Zeppelin concerts on British soil. The New Barbarians could only make one date on the 11 August.

 

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