1. Around And Around (Berry)
March 1962: Place: Unknown.
Producer: Unknown.
Track status: Unavailable.
Like stars forming a constellation, the various members embarked on their unification coming together in 1961. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards bumped into each other at Dartford train station in the autumn, the two having not seen each other since primary school days. They reminisced and then, due to records held under their arms, discovered music was their current common denominator - Jimmy Reed, Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, etc. To carry records around under your arms was like declaring your badge on your sleeve. Both knew Dick Taylor (who later founded a successful mid-sixties R 'n' B band, The Pretty Things) and consequently they started some rehearsals at the Jagger's home. Bob Beckwith and Allen Etherington were their co-noise makers under the guise of the Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys. The seeds were sown, the friendship renewed. In 1961, Bill Perks was forming a pub and dance pop band who became known as The Cliftons, their drummer was Tony Chapman. Brian Jones by comparison landed in London from the Cotswolds, propelled by meeting Alexis Korner after a Chris Barber gig at Brian's home-town in Cheltenham in late 1961. Brian had gained valuable experience by playing guitar and saxophone on Duane Eddy style numbers in the Cheltenham band the Ramrods. On Monday 19 February 1962, The Ramrods supported The Delta Jazzmen, Danny Rivers, Mike Berry, and The Outlaws at Cheltenham Town Hall. Brian had met Paul Pond (later Paul Jones the front man for Manfred Mann) at parties in London where musical ideas were swapped, but Brian proudly refused to join Paul's band, wanting one of his own. Brian wanted to know what Alexis Korner felt about a tape, he and Paul Pond had sent him, but he could not remember it. As a result, Alexis listened to Brian's guitar playing and duly impressed, invited him to London - where Brian regularly stayed at his home. Brian had a girlfriend and already a son which complicated his life but he eventually moved to London in early 1962 and played occassionally with Blues Incorporated guesting on slide guitar on his favourite Dust My Broom. In January 1962, Charlie Watts joined Alexis Korner's Blues Incorporated which featured Cyril Davies. In the late 'fifties Cyril Davies Jazz Band had launched skiffle and the career of Lonnie Donnegan. They currently played a mixture of jazz, rhythm and blues, even country blues and attracted press attention in musical journals like Disc, Jazz News and the Melody Maker. In April, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the band investigated the West London, Ealing Jazz Club and witnessed the slide blues player who was guesting with the Blues Incorporated band. After the gig they chatted with Brian Jones alias Elmo Lewis. At that time, the Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys recorded a number of tracks. A reel to reel tape of these tracks was sold at Sotheby's in 1995 by a school friend whose parents owned the reel-to-reel. They mainly consisted of Chuck Berry covers, but also Elvis Presley's cover of You're Right, I'm Left, She's Gone and Bobby 'Blue' Bland's Don't Want No Woman. Mick Jagger himself was the buyer for £50,000 of 13 songs which ensured his rightful ownership. Additionally at some point Reelin' And A Rockin' and Bright Lights, Big City were recorded and these tracks with La Bamba and Around And Around were sent to Alexis Korner to assist in their quest for a residency at the Ealing Club. Dick Taylor remembers fondly the version of La Bamba with Mick who got all the words off the record in pseudo-Spanish. Alexis was not impressed by the recordings but still invited Mick Jagger to sing and play harmonica on guest tracks with the Blues Incorporated at week-ends at the Jazz Club and also at the Marquee Jazz Club during week-days. And so Charlie Watts backed Mick Jagger for the first time. The sixth Stone, Ian Stewart marked his time before signing up.
22. Honey What's Wrong? (Reed, Reed)
11 March 1963: Place: Regent, IBC, London, England.
Engineer: Glyn Johns.
Track status: Bootleg only.
This track wraps up the Stones' first recording session. The IBC sessions, although now famous and much sought after, were considered as a whole far too rough for a commercial release, much to the band's disappointment. Honey (Baby) What's Wrong is a meandering-type song and harmonies inspired by Keith Richards leave a lot to be desired. The mix of pop vocals with r 'n' b lead guitar and harmonica did not quite mix. Glyn Johns was the producer for the sessions. He was a musician himself and detected the groups' potential. He had met them at one of their concerts and offered to record them. The band signed a six month deal with IBC to record free of charge. An acetate was made of the sessions and this was touted by IBC amongst the record companies. EMI were one of the companies to reject the tracks - sincerity was detected but the thin production quality and the lack of chart potential caused the end product to be suspect. The band were particularly critical of the lack of bass in the mix and wanted the tracks re-cut. This did not happen. A 10 inch acetate of the five tracks was sold by a friend of Brian Jones at an auction in April 1993.
44. That Girl Belongs To Yesterday (Richards, Jagger)
Also Known As: My Only Girl
20-21 November 1963: Place: Regent, IBC, London, England.
Producer: Andrew Oldham.
Track status: Unavailable.
On 17 November and 22 November, respectively, the band lip-synched a performance of I Wanna Be Your Man for the Thank Your Lucky Stars TV programme in Birmingham and also Ready, Steady, Go! in London. Gene Pitney was there to promote his Burt Bacharach hit Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa. Gene remembers being in the same dressing room as the Stones when a man appeared at the door way. Gene thought he recognised him and asked if he was Mr. Mancini. It was the great composer Henry Mancini who had gone to the studios to see what all these youngsters were up to; he was not going to miss a trick. Andrew Oldham was impressed that Gene had worked with Phil Spector on his second USA hit Every Breath I Take and also the Oscar nominated movie soundtrack, Town Without Pity. Gene had first met Phil Spector in 1962. Gene was an up and coming songwriter and performer. He heard the Crystals and was determined to write a song for them. This he did with He's A Rebel. He took it to his publisher's office in New York and Phil walked in, heard the first eight bars and his eyes lit up and a classic pop song was born. They both proceeded to seal the deal at a 7th Avenue Chinese restaurant. At the TV studios, Andrew in his typical style, hussled Gene into agreeing that Andrew could be his UK publicist and so another link in the chain was created. As a result, Gene recorded the Richards (with s and before Mick in the credits), Jagger composition That Girl Belongs To Yesterday. The original tune was called My Only Girl and intended for George Bean but Gene changed the melody, left the lyrics as they were and recorded it for himself. It was released in March 1964 and reached number seven in the charts. This was the first time a Jagger, Richards song had gone top ten in the UK.
73. Little By Little (Phelge, Spector)
4 February 1964: Place: Regent, IBC, London, England.
Producer: Andrew Oldham.
Engineer: Bill Farley
Track status: UK B-side Not Fade Away: 21 February 1964.
UK LP THE ROLLING STONES: 26 April 1964: No 1 - 51 weeks
USA LP ENGLAND'S NEWEST HITMAKERS: May 1964: No 11 - 12 weeks
UK & USA LP THE ROLLING STONES SINGLES COLLECTION - THE LONDON YEARS: 15 August 1989
Rolling Stones with Phil Spector, Gene Pitney.
The 4 February session was intended to complete the Not Fade Away single and to provide a B-side, since Decca were anxious to release a follow up single. The session apparently did not start well - the band were a bit jaded and were not talking to each other. Andrew Oldham rang Gene Pitney and told him he needed help because the band 'hated' each other. Gene and Phil Spector had both been travelling in Europe and returned from Paris for an overnight stop before returning to the United States. Gene arrived at the studio and was followed later by Phil who discretely arrived in a big black Rolls Royce. There were the obligatory bottles of spirit brought from France. It was nearly Gene's birthday and he said it was a family custom to drink cognac. The refreshments did the trick and revived a flagging session and Gene helped out on piano. Two of the Hollies, Allan Clarke and Graham Nash accompanied the Stones on backing vocals and Phil, eager to help, grabbed Mick's maracas. Little By Little was similar to Now I've Got A Witness for Phil Spector was there to add his prowess as a co-writer with the group (Phelge). While obviousy a strong influence in the studio, production was firmly in the hands of Andrew Oldham (at least in name). Phil Spector created an ambience in the studio and a spirit, perhaps due to the empty bottles of cognac, which was hard to emulate. As a result, the Stones, with the maestro, created a 'wall of noise' as opposed to the famed 'wall of sound' which Spector had created with the Crystals and Ronnettes. Listen to the high screams in the background. Little By Little is a composition made up of selections from various parts of Jimmy Reed's Shame, Shame, Shame. It is essentially a 12 bar blues jam session made after the successful recording of Not Fade Away the same night, but it is one which does not allow the looseness of the gathering to infiltrate the song, written by Phil Spector and Mick Jagger in the darkened corridors of the IBC Studios. Gene recalls how small the studio actually was, hence the need to step outside the studio. Phil plays maracas with Ian Stewart and Gene is on the piano. The session was back on course.
228. The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man (Nanker, Phelge)
10-11 May 1965: Place: Chess, Chicago, USA.
Producer: Andrew Oldham.
Engineer: Ron Malo.
Track status: USA B-side Satisfaction: 5 June 1965
USA LP OUT OF OUR HEADS: 30 July 1965: No 1 - 35 weeks
UK LP OUT OF OUR HEADS: 24 September 1965: No 2 - 24 weeks
UK & USA LP THE ROLLING STONES SINGLES COLLECTION - THE LONDON YEARS: 15 August 1989
Under Assistant was recorded predominantly for the American market. The song is reminiscent of Fanny Mae and is akin to Off The Hook. They are both Nanker, Phelge compositions and deserve more credit than just being placed on a single flip-side. The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man is an adventurous composition which gently pokes fun at George Sherlock who accompanied the band on the American tour as a representative of their American-based label, London Records. Did Andrew Oldham really have to resort to tongue-in-cheek jibes at the opposition?! This track has subsequently become an anthem for all aspiring promo men. A longer version of the track was released on THE ROLLING STONES SINGLES COLLECTION - THE LONDON YEARS album. It is extended by a further 20 seconds with Mick Jagger jiving, 'I have two clerks... I break my ass every day...Here comes the bus...I know I've got a dime here somewhere, I'm so sharp, you won't believe how sharp I really am, don't laugh at me.' This version appeared on early pressings of the UK and USA OUT OF OUR HEADS album.
327. Ruby Tuesday (Jagger, Richard)
Also Known As: Title 8
16 November - 6 December 1966: Place: Olympic Sound Studios, London, England.
Producer: Andrew Oldham.
Engineer: Glyn Johns.
Track status: USA Single: 13 January 1967: No 1 - 9 weeks
UK B-side Let's Spend The Night Together: 13 January 1967
USA LP BETWEEN THE BUTTONS: 20 January 1967: No 2 - 19 weeks
USA Compilation LP FLOWERS: June 1967: No 3 - 18 weeks
UK Compilation LP THROUGH THE PAST DARKLY (BIG HITS VOL 2): 12 September 1969: No 2 - 37 weeks
USA Compilation LP THROUGH THE PAST DARKLY (BIG HITS VOL 2): September 1969: No 2 - 16 weeks
USA LP THE ROLLING STONES HOT ROCKS 1964-1971: 11 January 1972: No 4 - 30 weeks
UK Compilation LP ROLLED GOLD: 14 November 1975: No 7 - 50 weeks
UK Compilation LP GET STONED - 30 GREATEST HITS, 30 ORIGINAL TRACKS: 21 October 1977: No 13 - 15 weeks
UK & USA LP THE ROLLING STONES SINGLES COLLECTION - THE LONDON YEARS: 15 August 1989
Rolling Stones with Jack Nitzsche
The Rolling Stones followed their stint in American studios by returning for what was to become a three year period in the tranquility of their native recording studios. Rugby Tuesday launched a significant change in direction and fortified the band's recent innovative moves made on AFTERMATH. The sound is romantic in nature, aided by Brian Jones playing the recorder. The cello is played beautifully by Bill Wyman and Keith Richards (Bill holds the cello for Keith to strike it with the bow); the piano accompaniment by Brian and keyboards by Jack Nitzsche is also superb. When Andrew Oldham re-mastered the track for CD release he discovered additonal bass guitar sounds and whispered count-ins for the cello. It was a well-deserved American Number 1. The Stones had tended to serve the American public with the more tepid (on beat) sounds. The rock had been reserved for the British public, hence the swap in A-sides in Britain. The song was written almost exclusively by Keith Richard and Brian Jones and is said to be about a well known groupie. The Richard/Jones combination was a promising move to rekindle the band. An out-take of Ruby Tuesday exists without the vocals and has a 1-2-3-4 introduction. In it, the structure of the song can be witnessed at first hand. Before the final take the cello was removed into the background.
373. Dear Doctor (Jagger, Richard)
13-18 May 1968: Place: Olympic Sound Studios, London, England.
Producer: Jimmy Miller.
Engineer: Glyn Johns.
Track status: UK LP BEGGARS BANQUET: 6 December 1968: No 3 - 12 weeks
USA LP BEGGARS BANQUET: 7 December 1968: No 5 - 13 weeks
Rolling Stones with Nicky Hopkins, Dave Mason.
A certain maturity is displayed in this musical interpretation of a 'down in Virginia' country music song, played unusually in waltz-time. Dear Doctor was very much a comical song which all the band contributed to, suggesting suitable lyrics. Again, it was an easy song to record in a booze-up type atmosphere. Mick Jagger practises his newly acquired affected drawl and illustrates an amusing scene of despair and happiness. A wedding is set for a poor unfortunate to a bow-legged, sow of a woman. Bourbon cannot drown the feeling of the wedding day and as he searches in his wedding suit pocket for the ring he finds a note which says the sow has run off with his cousin. There follow tears of relief - the doctor can put away his stethoscope; the blood pressure is now under control. The story was typically fashioned around the irony of the blues, a depressing but most up-lifting music form, a strange dichotomy derived from ethnic roots. The musical quality on the original album version is superb. Listen to the harmonica, the tack piano and the stunning 12 string acoustic guitar - one of the contributors was Dave Mason on guitar. There are about three out-takes, one with a slightly different faster tempo, different lead vocals and without backing vocals and one take with less piano. Another, Mick Jagger's vocals employ a straight approach rather than the high pitched delivery to the 'Darling I'm so sorry to hurt you' verse.
446. You Gotta Move (McDowell)
1-4 December; 15 December 1969; March - May 1970: Place: Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA; Rolling Stones Mobile, Stargroves, Newbury; Olympic Sound Studios, London, England.
Producer: Jimmy Miller.
Andy Johns, Chris Kimsey.
Engineer: Glyn Johns, Jimmy Johnson.
Track status: UK LP STICKY FINGERS: 23 April 1971: No 1 - 25 weeks
USA LP STICKY FINGERS: 23 April 1971: No 1 - 26 weeks
Shortly after the end of the US tour in Florida, the Stones decided to record two recently written compositions and one cover at the infamous home of southern soul music, the Muscle Shoals Studio in 'sweet home' Alabama. An engineer was asked to check it out in advance to ensure it reached a good standard. You Gotta Move is the cover; a short, simplistic tune written by a blues gospel artist 'Mississippi' Fred McDowell. It had been part of the set-list for the tour and as such was familiar. The song contains a languid steel slide guitar and the singular pounding of a bass drum. Bill Wyman plays electric piano. The gospel image is intensified as the whole band sing along camp-fire style. An out-take does not have the over-dubbed bass drum and has more backing vocals. Despite the apparent simplicity of the tune, it took the Stones numerous attempts before the final master was made. This is the first mention of Andy Johns, Glyn Johns brother who worked as a tape operator at Olympic during the late 'sixties had worked with Free, Mott The Hoople, Ten Years After, Jethro Tull, Stevie Winwood before his career took off in 1970 with engineering and mixing Led Zeppelin III. He went on to record with the Stones but in particular engineered the EXILE sessions in France. Talking of engineers, another future Stones producer was credited on this track. Chris Kimsey was an assistant engineer at the time and his first major project was working on this before later in the year with Ten Years After again collaborating with Andy Johns. He was to make a more fundamental contribution in the late 'seventies and early 'eighties.
461. Good Time Women (Jagger, Richard)
Also Known As: Tumbling Dice
March - May; 17 -31 October 1970: Place: Rolling Stones Mobile, Stargroves, Newbury and Olympic Sound Studios, London, England.
Producer: Jimmy Miller.
Engineer: Glyn Johns.
Track status: Bootleg only.
Rolling Stones with Bobby Keys, Jim Price.
With a different set of lyrics, Good Time Women was the embryo of Tumbling Dice. References to red light women and honey who like to party were reminiscent of Honky Tonk Women. It is played at a faster pace than Tumbling Dice and even accelerates towards the end, driven by the lead-guitar of Mick Taylor and the integral boogie piano power of Ian Stewart. The marked difference between Good Time Women and the eventual outcome Tumbling Dice, which is skilfully slovenly, is the rhythm artistry of Keith Richards. He performed the lead and rhythm guitar while Mick Jagger played the bass. In so doing (and with changed lyrics), he transformed the track from anonymity to chart success.
505. Rip This Joint (Jagger, Richard)
June-November 1971; December 1971-March 1972; March 1972: Place: Rolling Stones Mobile, Nellcote, France; Sunset Sound Studios, LA, USA; RCA Studios, LA, USA.
Producer: Jimmy Miller.
Engineer: Andy Johns, Glyn Johns, Joe Zagarino, Jeremy Gee.
Track status: UK LP EXILE ON MAIN ST: 12 May 1972: No 1 - 16 weeks
USA LP EXILE ON MAIN ST: 12 May 1972: No 1 - 17 weeks
UK Compilation LP MADE IN THE SHADE: 6 June 1975: No 14 - 12 weeks
USA Compliation LP MADE IN THE SHADE: 6 June 1975: No 6 - 9 weeks
Rolling Stones with Bill Plummer, Bobby Keys, Jim Price, Nicky Hopkins.
Kick ass and roll; the Stones shift their butts on this two minute electric rock'n' roller. Nicky Hopkins pounces on the black and white keys and the sax squeals in surprise while Bill 'winkle pickers Comet' Plummer plays the upright bass. The track's foundation, however, is the enraged guitar work of Keith Richards and the Route 66 type lyrics of Mick Jagger, which travel the States. Ah, let it rock, wham bam, round and round we go! Mention is made of the President, Richard Nixon aand the First Lady, Pat Nixon. It is classic Stones material. An early unavailable out-take has Keith on vocals and is probably the original version recorded before the overdubs were made.
552. Criss Cross (Jagger, Richard, Taylor)
Also Known As: Save Me, Criss-Cross Man
25 November - 21 December 1972; June 1973: Place: Dynamic Sounds, Kingston, Jamaica; Island Recording Studios, London, England.
Producer: Jimmy Miller.
Track status: Bootleg only.
Rolling Stones with Jimmy Miller, Pascal, Rebop, Nicky Hopkins, Bobby Keys.
The up-tempo sound of Criss Cross aka Save Me and Criss-Cross Man is a refreshing humorous song about drug taking, kissing lip to lip, tongue to tongue and blood transfusions. Criss Cross could have been considered suitable for release, although the band were conscious that too many rock numbers could have spoilt the album's balance (surely it was nothing to do with the Taylor songwriting credit!). Mick Taylor and Keith Richards play comfortably together, Mick doing the dexterous funky lead while Keith plays the rhythm chops. An acetate was prepared with the song coupled with Silver Train. In hindsight, they may have reconsidered the decision not to release the track. There are three versions; a short edited version that stops before the saxophone comes in and two full versions, one without saxophone.
587. Worried About You (Jagger, Richards)
Also Known As: Sometimes I Wonder Why
22 January - 9 February 1975; 10 June - 19 October 1979: Place: RSM, Rotterdam, Holland; EMI, Pathe Marconi, Paris, France.
Producer: The Glimmer Twins.
Engineer: Keith Harwood, Glyn Johns.
Track status: UK LP TATTOO YOU: 24 August 1981: No 2 - 29 weeks
USA LP TATTOO YOU: 24 August 1981: No 1 - 30 weeks
Rolling Stones with Ron Wood, Wayne Perkins, Billy Preston.
Provisionally Worried About You was also lined up for the BLACK AND BLUE album. An out-take longer than the released version has Mick Jagger giving guidance to the others on scale changes. Its release was, however, held over until the TATTOO YOU album. This was certainly an indication of the band's liking for the track, but it also showed up a weak foundation of available material for TATTOO YOU. Worried About You is a soft, melodious venture into the Fool To Cry land of falsetto vocals (with the exception of Keith's backing vocals), although the Jagger growl does explode later. A piercing guitar solo is delivered mid-way through, an attempt by Wayne Perkins to gloss over the loss of Mick Taylor. Apparently Keith was warming to Wayne's input and he was becoming favourite to take the spare guitar place. The electric piano at the heart of the song is by Billy Preston. Another long version available as an out-take was recorded at the Pathe Marconi Studios in July-October 1979 and this was edited for TATTOO YOU.
617. Stray Cat Blues (Jagger, Richard)
21 August 1976: Place: Knebworth, England.
Track status: Bootleg only.
Rolling Stones with Billy Preston, Ollie Brown.
An all-day rock festival enabled the Stones to thank British fans for their past support and for those who could not get tickets for the arena shows. Over a quarter of a million troops responded and witnessed a day of rock and blues set in the illustrious Knebworth country estate. The concert was promoted by Freddie Bannister who had a great tradition of promoting festivals at Bath and Knebworth as well as being a well known 'sixties promoter who had booked the Stones even before then. It was Freddie's third concert at Knebworth; the previous years he had promoted The Allman Brothers and Pink Floyd as headliners. His final Knebworth promotion in 1979 was the last concert in Britain by Led Zeppelin. Appropriately in 1969 he had organised their outdoor first concert in Bath. The support act in 1979 were Ron Wood's New Barbarians of which we shall hear more later. At the Wimbledon tennis championships in June, the concert was advertised on national news by two clowns who invaded the centre court carrying placards stating 'Stones for Knebworth'. Two topless girls did the same at a Sussex county cricket match. Was this Les Perrin's final publicity seeking act? (He was in ill health) The Don Harrison Band, Hot Tuna, Todd Rundgren, Lynyrd Skynyrd and 10 cc were the support acts. Late afternoon, Lynyrd Skynyrd took the stage and introduced to England a set of magic, southern blues boogie. Freebird was one of the most inspired musical performances ever seen on a British rock stage. The crowd, some perched precariously in oak trees, were ecstatic, rebel flags waved furiously. 10 cc had a hard job to follow this and there was a two hour delay (supposedly to allow them to play as the sun set and increase the lighting effects) before they hit the stage before a by now sour, sun-blistered crowd. They were unable to recapture the atmosphere created by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The tongue-shaped stage had been especially built for the appearance and extended into the crowd although this was not apparent until inflatables around the stage pursed their lips just before the band went on stage. For the first time walkways extended to the left and right for Jagger to be able to move between more people. This stage design was a taste of what was to come. The Stones went on late at night when the warmth of the day had evaporated and performed a lengthy set of over two-and-a-half hours drawing material from the early 'sixties with Satisfaction, Get Off My Cloud, Around And Around, Little Red Rooster, Lets Spend The Night Together, Route 66 and from the late 'sixties with the unfamiliar Stray Cat Blues, You Can't Always Get What You Want, Honky Tonk Women (with a snatch of Country Honk at the end in which Mick teases Ron - 'did you play on that?'), Midnight Rambler, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Street Fighting Man and early 'seventies with Star Star, You Gotta Move, Dead Flowers, Wild Horses, Tumbling Dice, Happy, Brown Sugar, Rip This Joint and up to date material including Ain't Too Proud To Beg, If You Can't Rock Me, Hand Of Fate, Hey Negrita, Hot Stuff, Fool To Cry and It's Only Rock 'n' Roll. There were also the two Billy Preston numbers, Nothing From Nothing and Outta Space. In all it was a gargantuan 28 number set-list marred by technical sound difficulties but fully appreciated as ground breaking and risk taking. The concert was filmed and soundboard recordings are available but no legitimate releases have regretfully been made of either. The day was a mark of respect to hippiedom, but the tide was turning.
634. Shattered (Jagger, Richards)
10 October - December 1977, 5 January - 2 March 1978: Place: EMI, Pathe Marconi, Paris, France.
Producer: The Glimmer Twins.
Assistant Engineer: Barry Sage, Dave Jordan, Ben King, Philippe.
Engineer: Chris Kimsey.
Track status: UK LP SOME GIRLS: 9 June 1978: No 2 - 25 weeks
USA LP SOME GIRLS: 9 June 1978: No 1 - 32 weeks
USA Single: December 1978: No 31 - 4 weeks
USA Compilation LP SUCKING IN THE SEVENTIES: 12 March 1981: No 15 - 5 weeks
UK Compilation LP SUCKING IN THE SEVENTIES: 13 April 1981
UK Track CD Single Terrifying: 30 July 1990
Rolling Stones with 1 Moroccan, 1 Jew, 1 Wasp. (Simon Kirke, Ian McLagan, Ian Stewart)
Apparently a long time in the making, Shattered is a percussive assault on the senses about the seediness of New York. Two stripped down instrumental out-takes reveal the song in its formative stages. Bill Wyman takes no part again, Ron Wood (modesty forbid) performs on bass, pedal, steel guitar, bass-drum and backing vocals. Other percussive sounds are made by a foreign legion of Moroccans, Jews and Wasps. Ian McLagan's book ALL THE RAGE reveals that Simon Kirke, ex-Free and then of Bad Company, was playing congas, Ian McLagan played Wurlitzer organ and Ian Stewart piano. Subtle guitar weaves its way through the song, one solo during the clapping session is distinctively that of Keith Richard's and the pedal steel is that of Ronnie. Other guitars are over-dubbed and twilled into the mix. Released as a single in the States, it struggled up the charts. Mick Jagger's vocals and incredible lyrics 'love and sex and hopes and dreams' saved the bacon of an otherwise over-baked number - ShiDooBee.
728. Prodigal Son (Wilkins)
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.
779. Chantilly Lace (Richardson)
25 June 1982: Place: Wembley Stadium, London, England.
Track status: Bootleg only.
Rolling Stones with Chuck Leavell, Bobby Keys, Gene Barge.
The European section of the tour coincided with the release of a 'live album' culled from vast amounts of tape of the American tour by Bob Clearmountain. It became a single album live souvenir of both the tour and the film. It was mixed and over-dubbed in March and April 1982 at the Hit Factory in New York. The album titled STILL LIFE was perhaps the Stones' best live project to date, capturing perfectly the excitement of the occassion. Although, it has to be admitted, that there were some wasted opportunities on the 1972, 1973 and 1978 tours when the band were cooking on gas. Two tracks previously unrecorded were included on the album, the good-time Smokey Robinson Motown song Going To A Go-Go and an untouched by The Who Eddie Cochran rock 'n' roll standard Twenty Flight Rock. The former was released in June 1982 as the band's next single, obtaining a modest chart entry. In Britain demand for tickets was so great that the Stones' performed for the first time in one of the bastions of English fortification, the giant Wembley football arena. When Keith Richards was asked how he would approach this formidable gig he shrugged and muttered 'from Heathrow'. On Friday and Saturday 25 and 26 June 1982 more than 145,000 witnessed the spectacle, those at the back visually aided by huge video screens. A film recording of the Saturday show was made by the tour crew. It includes the half circle of balloons above the stage, Bill Wyman in a blue suit with white headband, the cherry picker being used for the encore Satisfaction and a slightly subdued performance by the band. Mick Jagger gave an athletic performance but tensions were running high. Ronnie Wood was not at his best, his playing at times was cumbersome and both Keith Richards and Mick were annoyed that he was not doing as well as he could. The tour package included the prestigious American R 'n' B artists The J. Geils Band and true rhythm exponents Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare in their Jamaican band Black Uhuru. (They were later to offer their talents on the 1983 UNDERCOVER album). The show was watched by an audience whose age-span took in the original protagonists from the 1960's (now in their 40's) and teenage newcomers. Smaller British venues included the football stadiums in Bristol and Newcastle which were also used to good advantage during a provincial excursion of the heartland including for once, a sizable Scottish section. Bootlegs of both the film sound-track and various venues showed that the only significant change to the set-list was the inclusion of The Big Bopper's Chantilly Lace but the performance was stilted. The tour personnel changed for the European gigs; Ian Stewart was still present on piano but Ian McLagan was replaced by ex-Allman Brothers, Chuck Leavell. He had been introduced to the band in America and guested at a concert. It was the start of a strong relationship that has lasted to this day. The saxophone players were again Bobby Keys and Gene Barge who replaced Ernie Watts. Gene was one of the renowned artists who played on many a Chess Studio classic in the 'sixties. The tour visited Scotland, England (twice), Holland, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Ireland before returning to England. The support acts were the aforementioned J. Geils Band and Black Uhuru. In France only Telephone, UB40 and George Thorogood appeared. The tour lasted from 26 May to 25 July and included one club gig at the 100 Club, London. It was rumoured that R 'n' B guitarist George Thorogood was asked to rehearse Stones' numbers in case Ronnie succumbed to the strain. The tour was followed in September by the release of the live Time Is On My Side with Twenty Flight Rock and Under My Thumb on the 12 inch single.
813. You Can't Cut The Mustard (Jagger, Richards.)
Also Known As: Had It With You
8 April - 17 June 1985: Place: EMI Pathe Marconi Studios, Paris, France.
Producer: Steve Lillywhite, The Glimmer Twins.
Track status: Bootleg only.
Rolling Stones with Chuck Leavell.
The sessions were split after the initial get together in January. Dave Jerden was one of the engineers at the sessions as he had been for Jagger's album. The release of Mick Jagger's solo album SHE'S THE BOSS in February 1985, although not a surprise to the band since it was a negotiated settlement of the Stones' CBS contract, did prove to be a troublesome element during the recording of DIRTY WORK. Mick retaliated that he was in effect the last member of the band to do a solo project but Keith Richards openly said that he thought it was a totally inappropriate time to release a solo project - 'it could have at least been an album of Irish folk songs or summat!' Mick's energies were spent in promotion work for his album in March, while Keith returned to New York to be present at the birth of his daughter, Theodora. The band reconvened in April to work on more tracks for DIRTY WORK. You Can't Cut The Mustard is a Keith Richards and Ron Wood affair and is a precursor to Had It With You. It is very much a rock and roll song with Berry guitar riffs and gyrating piano. There are two versions - both with Keith Richards on vocals. The first one just mentions the title track while the second begins to refer to Had It With You. The lyrics are totally different to the released Had It With You.
853. Sad Sad Sad (Jagger, Richards)
29 March - April; 15 May - 29 June 1989: Place: Air Studios, Montserrat; Olympic Sound Studios, London, England.
Producer: Chris Kimsey, The Glimmer Twins.
Engineer: Christopher Marc Potter, Rupert Coulson, Michael H Brauer.
Track status: USA LP STEEL WHEELS: 28 August 1989: No 3 - 20 weeks
UK LP STEEL WHEELS: 29 August 1989: No 2 - 20 weeks
UK CD Single: 13 August 1990
Rolling Stones with Chuck Leavell, Bernard Fowler, Kick Horns, Simon Clarke, Roddy Lorimer, Tim Sanders, Paul Spong.
Sad Sad Sad is a typical Stones' belter. It opens with a couple of guitars drawing fire from one to the other, then Mick Jagger spouts the 'now you're down then you're up' lyrics. Horns were added which enabled parallels to be drawn with other Stones' garage tunes, Bitch, and Rocks Off. The brass was arranged by the troupe Kick Horns and the quad brass sound of Simon Clarke, Roddy Lorimer, Tim Sanders (all from Dave Gilmour's 1984 band) and Paul Spong who had appeared with pop duo Wham. Sad Sad Sad was written by Mick Jagger with the assistance of Charlie Watts. They wanted to produce a rocker for the album without it falling into a Stones cliche. Mick played rhythm guitar with good technique, which left Keith to play the lead guitar and take the spotlight on the solo. Bill Wyman was absent from the session which produced Sad Sad Sad - his bass role was taken by Ron Wood. Ron tended to play the bass in a much more frenzied manner, strumming it as opposed to Bill's plucking style. Bill's absence was due to having been sent by the band to Antigua for a press conference following the announcement of his engagement to Mandy Smith who he planned to marry in June. Bill's association with Mandy had consistently attracted major press attention ever since stories circulated of under-age sexual encounters with her at the time of the DIRTY WORK sessions when she was just 13-years-old. Mick summed up the situation when he shrugged and said, 'well, that's lurve in the rock and roll world'. Meanwhile, Bill made some men jealous by confirming that Mandy gave him youth and made him feel younger.
914. Sexdrive (Single Edit) (Jagger, Richards)
7-18 January 1991: Place: Hit Factory Studio, London, England.
Producer: Chris Kimsey, The Glimmer Twins.
Mix: Chris Kimsey. Additional Production and Remix by Michael Brauer. Assistant engineer: Chris Theis.
Engineer: Mark Stent, Charlie Smith.
Track status: Japan Track CD Sexdrive (Club Version): 18 July 1991
Netherlands Single: 19 August 1991
UK Track Twelve-inch Sexdrive (Club Version): 19 August 1981
USA Single: August 1991
Rolling Stones with Katie Kissoon, Tessa Niles, Kick Horns.
The funky Sex Drive was worked on at the same time as the recording for Highwire took place. It is a retro-funk number with memories of Hot Stuff and James Brown. The song may have started its writing process in Tokyo in February 1990. Katie Kissoon and Tessa Niles, both very well respected session vocalists were on backing vocals and the four piece Kick Horns accompanied on brass. Probably they were there to record some over-dubbing for the FLASHPOINT album. Julien Temple directed the video at the Shepperton Studios, Twickenham, London in May 1991. This time a pyschiatrist's chair was used in a freudian way for some sex therapy, scantily clad girls swarming around the chair were in see-through, plastic dresses. Charlie Watts did the spoof diagnosis of Mick's problems. The three girls come to Mick's aid from behind a stage curtain but Ronnie and Keith encourage them to return and Keith closes the curtain at video end. This was for late night viewing only, prompting a re-cut to allow some daytime screening on MTV and other TV stations. The song was re-mixed in various formats by Michael Brauer which were made available on European and Japanese only releases. The track also ended up on the mainly live album FLASHPOINT and apparently displaced a live version of Undercover.
923. Goodbye To Love (Shapiro, Mann.)
20 April - May 1993: Place: Blue Wave Studios, Barbados.
Producer: The Glimmer Twins.
Track status: Bootleg only.
Written by Barry Mann and Joe Shapiro and recorded by the Chantels and the Marcels in the early 'sixties. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards combine on vocals and guitars. Pierre De Beauport is asked to answer the phone by Mick near the end. Mick and Keith reminisce that Goodbye To Love is the b-side to the Marcel's hit Blue Moon. Keith thought Blue Moon was bloody awful but the b-side was a killer. The song is attempted twice again just by Keith on over an hour long solo recording of mainly covers and riffs. He covers amongst others Salty Dog, Cocaine (written in the 1890's Keith reckons although he learnt it from The Rambling Jack Elliott version at art school not realising what cocaine was), some Bob Dylan and the Beatles' Please Please Me. On a good stereo it sounds terrific and with a strong imagination you can believe that he is in the same room, his hand clearly heard on the fret board, with the evening crickets chirping outside, the ice in the glass chinking, the cigarette lighter flicking and the puff and exhale clearly heard. Absolute magic! The stories and tales brim forth. Room service - another bottle of JD required.
1035. The Spider And The Fly (Jagger, Richard)
3 - 4 March 1995: Place: Toshiba-EMI Studios, Tokyo, Japan.
Producer: Don Was, The Glimmer Twins.
Recorded by: Ed Cherney. Mixed by: Bob Clearmountain. Assisted by: Ryan Freeland. Mastered by: Stephen Marcussen. Digitally edited by: Ron Boustead.
Engineer: Peter Brandt, Henk Van Helvoirt, Sander Nagel, Rene Suydendorp, Ronnie Rivera, Masaaki Ugajih, Kazuaki Fujita.
Track status: UK CD LP STRIPPED: 13 November 1995: No 9 - 11 weeks
USA CD LP STRIPPED: 13 November 1995: No 9
Rolling Stones with Chuck Leavell.
After their concerts in South Africa the Stones arrived to Tokyo and recorded tracks at the EMI studios for a new album combining studio tracks and live performances. The idea from the Toronto 'school' rehearsal was to show another side of the Stones. There had been talk of them doing an Unplugged recording and this was their way of achieving something similar stripped back to the quick. The Spider And The Fly was a track that had only been released in the UK as a b-side to Satisfaction and on a dodgy compilation album. The song had not been played by them for 30 years. Mick Jagger said that it was like a terrible Rolling Stones' game show where you try and guess the lyrics. So, with acoustics strapped on, Charlie Watts on the brushes, an unprecedented piano, they tackled the track again. Mick changed the lyrics slightly to suit his preferred delivery and the original 30-year-old girl with whom he had considered running away became 50.
1098. Always Suffering (Jagger, Richards)
13 March - July 1997: Place: Ocean Way Recording Studios, Hollywood, California, USA.
Producer: Don Was, Pierre De Beauport, The Glimmer Twins.
Assistant Engineer: Alan Sanderson. Mixed by Ed Chernel, assisted by Stewart Brawley.
Engineer: Ed Cherney, Dan Bosworth.
Track status: UK LP BRIDGES TO BABYLON: 29 September 1997: No 6 - 6 weeks
USA LP BRIDGES TO BABYLON: 29 September 1997: No 3
Rolling Stones with Darryl Jones, Waddy Wachtel, Jim Keltner, Benmont Tench, Bernard Fowler, Doug Wimbish, Blondie Chaplin.
As can already be seen by the personnel on the album, the closeness of VOODOO LOUNGE in terms of guest artists was sacrificed for more variety and diversity on BRIDGES. Mick Jagger wanted it to be a change of direction - as well as vocals he plays guitar on Always Suffering. It is a slow tempo song and does not quite meet the mark - it is an obvious Jagger-penned song. Waddy Wachtel plays acoustic guitar, Benmonth Tench a Hammond B-3 organ and piano and Jim Keltner is on percussion. The backing vocals include Keith Richards, Waddy Wachtel, Benmont Tench, Bernard Fowler, Doug Wimbish, Blondie Chaplin and do we believe the sleeve notes that Charlie Watts also contributed vocals? For one of the few times on VOODOO, Darryl Jones plays his white bass guitar.
1173. Midnight Rambler (Jagger, Richard)
11 February 1999: Place: The Arrowhead Pond, Aneheim, California.
Track status: Bootleg only.
Rolling Stones with Darryl Jones, Chuck Leavell.
Potential dates for 1999 were discussed in the summer of 1998. The UK section of the tour had been re-arranged for May and June but consideration was also being given to a further USA tour of arenas. On 16 November 1998 it was announced that the NO SECURITY arena tour would be from January to April 1999 which meant the band would play live in the USA three years in a row. At a show in Chicago on 12 April 1999, Chris Evans interviewed the band for a revealing UK TV documentary shown as a C4 TFI special to help promote the European tour. Ronnie Wood admitted to having four or five pints of Guinness and a shot of vodka before hitting the stage - having just got up before the show, it constituted his breakfast! Keith Richards had chains woven into his hair and joked, 'Should I see a doctor?'. He explained that the 'ancient form of weaving' was not about splitting solos up but bringing the song together. He thought the band were getting so hot that they could not afford (finacially or artistically?) to stop. On tour the main stage was decked in yellow and black 'no security' with a walk-way to a b-stage. The opening was to the strains of Might As Well Get Juiced during which the band appears back-stage on a black and white video making their way towards the audience, a technique used by other bands but still very exciting. The first night, the highlight of the show was Keith doing You Got The Silver and Midnight Rambler returned to the set as the first encore before it was moved to the b-stage. A weird gimic was used for Out Of Control in which Mick opened in a cage before escaping, Hoodini-like, to the stage at the song's climax. This routine was only used for three performances. The more intimate nature of the NO SECURITY shows made them a big success with audiences totalling more than a half a million during the four months.
1176. Moon Is Up (Jagger, Richards)
8 June 1999: Place: Shepherds Bush Empire, London, England.
Track status: Bootleg only.
Rolling Stones with Darryl Jones, Chuck Leavell, Lisa Fischer, Bernard Fowler.
The Shepherds Bush Empire had been a variety hall for 50 years from 1903 until the BBC bought it as a studio theatre before selling it to the current concert promoters in 1994. The capacity for the gig was 2000 with most on the General Admission floor and guests on the upper balcony floors. After the warm-up by Sheryl Crow, an announcer plainy said, 'Ladies and gentlemen please welcome the Rolling Stones'. The opening number was Shattered which indicated that a varied club set-list might be in order. Two standard numbers, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll and Respectable, followed before the alternative All Down The Line. Mick Jagger, despite being restricted by the space of the stage showed he was more than capable of projecting himself either in a club, arena or stadium - he just did not have to run so far. The Some Girls lyrics were altered to be more politically correct with white girls instead of those black girls. He also mentioned that some girls gave him children, 'even though I only made love to them once', which referred to his affair with Luciana Morad. Mick said that they had never perfomed Melody before, forgotting El Mocambo 22 years before. Nevertheless it was a pleasure to hear with Lisa Fischer on co-vocals. I Got The Blues and Brand New Car continued the new song section before they played Moon Is Up for the first time. The lack of rehearsals resulted in Mick not realising he was on harmonica. The set returned to the more familiar with Saint Of Me, the crowd being interrupted when doing the end of song sing-a-long by the guitar chords of Honky Tonk Women which featured Sheryl Crow. Bar stools were brought on for Keith Richards' spot with You Got The Silver (Keith improvised the lyrics), which was just right for such an intimate event. Then Before They Make Me Run followed before Route 66, You Got Me Rocking, Tumbling Dice, Brown Sugar and an encore of Jumping Jack Flash concluded a fantastic gig. Mick invited those who wanted to hear the familiar tunes, to go up the road at the weekend where the twin towers of Wembley welcomed fans to two great rock and roll shows including an electrifying Midnight Rambler. After Britain the tour went to Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Landgraaf, Holland and lastly Cologne, Germany on 20 June 1999. Finally after 22 months, 150 shows, seen by more than 5,000,000 fans it was time for cold turkey!