Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones!

[Note: New Music Musings, my weekly look at newly released music, will resume next Saturday]

Who would have thought we’d ever see a Rolling Stones tour sponsored by AARP? I don’t mean this in a disrespectful way – after all, I’m a member of the club, and it’s safe to assume so are most other Stones fans in the U.S. For non-American readers who may not be familiar with it, AARP (formerly known as American Association of Retired Persons) is a non-profit, non-partisan interest group focused on issues affecting people age 50 and above. Mick Jagger (80), Keith Richards (80) and Ronnie Wood (76) certainly have reached a stage in their lives by which I hope I’ll be long retired, but that doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten how to rock. The Stones’ remarkable ongoing ability to deliver a great rock & roll show was on full display on Thursday evening (May 23) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.

Like the recent Neil Young & Crazy Horse gig I attended, my decision to see the “greatest rock & roll band in the world” was driven by nostalgia and, yes, the thought this could be the last time – no pun intended! Yet another similarity was an uncertain weather forecast that until the night before included a high chance of late afternoon/evening scattered thunderstorms with possible hail and strong wind gusts. In the end, time was on my side and other attending folks, and the weather gods were kind. I guess unstable weather conditions during what used to be fairly safe seasons of the year have caught up with open air shows – something that going forward I’ll have to factor in when deciding whether or not to purchase concert tickets for certain venues!

It’s hard to believe Thursday evening’s show happened nearly five years after my previous Stones concert in August 2019 at the same venue. I had seen them first in October 2005 at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pa. In addition to Jagger (lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, percussion), Richards (guitars, backing and lead vocals) and Wood (guitars), the Stones’ line-up included Chuck Leavell (keyboards, backing vocals), Matt Clifford (keyboards, percussion, French horn), Tim Ries (saxophone, keyboards), Karl Denson (saxophone), Darryl Jones (bass) and Steve Jordan (drums), as well as Chanel Haynes (backing vocals). I don’t quite understand why Leavell and Jones haven’t become official members, given their long tenures of 41 and 31 years, respectively!

The official members of The Rolling Stones (from left): Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards with Steve Jordan in the background. Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

While the Stones have called it the Hackney Diamonds Tour in a nod to their most recent studio album from October 2023 I reviewed here, it was really more of a greatest hits set, mixed with three songs from Hackney Diamonds and a couple of deeper cuts. But this didn’t make me angry – in fact, I loved the variety, and it was evident the audience shared my sentiments! The setlist mostly drew from Stones albums released between the mid-’60s and the late ’70s, such as Aftermath, Beggars Banquet, Sticky Fingers, Exile on Main St. and Some Girls. The only exception apart from Hackney Diamonds was Tattoo You (1981). There were also a couple of non-album singles.

Before getting to some Stones music, I’d like to acknowledge talented opening act Jon Batiste, a New Orleans pianist and vocalist who blends jazz, soul, pop, gospel, and R&B. He has recorded and performed with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey, and together with his band Stay Human could be seen each night as bandleader and musical director on CBS’s The Late Show with Stephen Colbert from 2015 to 2022. Some of Batiste’s best-known songs and renditions include Freedom (2021), It’s Alright (2022) and I Need You (2021).

After Batiste’s outgoing and groovy 45-minute opening set and a short break it was time for The Rolling Stones. Appropriately, they charged out of the gate with Start Me Up. Credited to Jagger-Richards as usual, the lead single from their August 1981 album Tattoo You has become a staple of their live shows. Seeing one of my all-time favorite bands again made a grown man cry – okay, not literally, but I can’t deny it was an emotional moment!

It’s Only Rock & Roll (But I Like It) perhaps best embodies why I’ve loved the Stones for 40-plus years. The classic title track of their October 1974 studio album once again is credited to Jagger-Richards, though then-new guitarist Ronnie Wood contributed to it. Notably, the song’s basic rhythm track came out of a jam session with Wood and his Faces bandmate drummer Kenney Jones, along with Jagger, David Bowie and bassist Willie Weeks. Richards subsequently added some guitar overdubs.

And then it was time for the man with the pirate laughter to sing a couple of songs on lead vocals, as has been custom at Rolling Stones shows. Vocally, Keith Richards ain’t no Mick Jagger, but I’ve always dug his somewhat unpolished voice. Here’s I Got the Silver, the first of two songs Thursday evening, which Richards performed on lead vocals. The country blues is off the November 1969 Let It Bleed album – the first song at the time featuring Richards on lead vocals throughout. Also, check Woods on acoustic slide guitar!

There were so many great songs the Stones played Thursday evening, which made it hard to pick what to capture. Before getting to Gimme Shelter, I’d like to acknowledge their great rendition of Miss You, a song that generally isn’t among my favorites. Among others, the extended version featured neat solo action by Jagger, Daryl Jones and Karl Denson on harmonica, bass and saxophone, respectively. Gimme Shelter, another track from Let It Bleed, was one of the songs during which Chanel Haynes got to showcase her incredible vocal pipes – driving the audience gaga without the artist of the same name!

After about 1.5 hours, the Stones closed their official set with another goodie and long-time favorite: Jumpin’ Jack Flash, a non-album single the Stones released in May 1968. At the time, Rolling Stone magazine characterized the classic as “supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London.” Some folks regarded it as a return of the Stones to blues-oriented rock following their excursions into baroque pop and psychedelia, which for the record I generally dig.

Then Mick Jagger thanked the audience, wished New Jersey a good night, and walked off the stage, together with his bandmates. But the lights didn’t come on, a sure sign an encore was to come. And it did. Here’s the first, Sweet Sounds of Heaven. I think the ballad is a highlight from the Hackney Diamonds album. Once again, Chanel Haynes shined! Of course, the audience still wasn’t quite satisfied. Can you guess what the second and final encore was? 🙂

It’s stunning to realize the first Rolling Stones tour of the U.S. happened 60 years ago. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were 20 at the time. Ronnie Wood who must have been a 16 or 17-year-old teenager just started his career, playing lead guitar in British R&B group The Birds – not to be confused with U.S. band The Byrds. After stints with the Jeff Beck Group and Faces, Wood began recording and touring with The Rolling Stones in 1975 before becoming an official member in April 1976.

Obviously, time hasn’t stood still, but Jagger, Richards and Wood were still bringing it. I thought Richards had a better night than 5 years ago at the same venue. Woods was in great shape as well, easily matching his performance from August 2019. Jagger continued to display his age-defying energy, working that stage like he was a 20-year-old! I must also commend the other musicians who were a hell of a backing band. Last but not least, I’d like to call out one last time Chanel Haynes who became an official member of the touring band last year – a terrific addition!

Chanel Haynes & Mick Jagger

Here’s the song line-up from Thursday evening:

Setlist:
• Start Me Up
• Get Off of My Cloud
• Shattered (tour debut)
• Angry
• It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (but I Like It)
• Wild Horses (fan-voted song)
• Mess It Up
• Tumbling Dice
• You Can’t Always Get What You Want
• You Got the Silver (Keith Richards on lead vocals)
• Little T&A (Keith Richards on lead vocals)
• Sympathy for the Devil
• Honky Tonk Women
• Miss You
• Gimme Shelter
• Paint It Black
• Jumpin’ Jack Flash

Encore:
• Sweet Sounds of Heaven
• (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

After playing another gig at MetLife Stadium tomorrow night, the 16-city Hackney Diamonds Tour next travels to Orlando, Fla. (June 3); Atlanta, Ga. (June 7); Philadelphia, Pa. (June 11) and Cleveland, Ohio (June 15). The tour is set to conclude on July 17 in Santa Clara, Calif. The full schedule is here.

Last but not least, I’m leaving you with a Spotify playlist that mirrors Thursday night’s show.

Sources: Wikipedia; Rolling Stones website; Setlist.fm; YouTube; Spotify

The Wizards of Vision and Sound

Welcome to the second installment of my new recurring feature on prominent music producers and sound engineers. The inaugural post about George Martin is here. Of course, I had to kick off the series in early January with a personality closely associated with The Beatles. A second close to my favorite band of all time are The Rolling Stones, which brings me to my pick for this post: Jimmy Miller.

I suspect this “everyday man-sounding” name may be less familiar than George Martin. But it’s also safe to assume that most folks have heard of Stones gems like Beggars Banquet, Sticky Fingers and Exile On Main St. Or how about The Second Album (The Spencer Davis Group), Mr. Fantasy (Traffic) and Overkill (Motörhead) to name a few other albums that were produced or co-produced by Miller?

Jimmy Miller (center) with Keith Richards (left) and Mick Jagger

The American record producer and musician, who was born James Miller on March 23, 1942, started getting into music as an 8-year-old, picking up the drums and beginning to write music. I suspect his surroundings played a role. His dad Bill Miller served as entertainment director for several large Las Vegas casinos from the ’50s to the ’70s, booking top acts like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and, yes, Elvis Presley.

Miller’s intro to the music business happened under record executive Stanley Borden who introduced him to Jamaican-British record producer and Island Records founder Chris Blackwell. Blackwell brought Miller to the UK where his first job was to remix Gimme Some Lovin’, a single by The Spencer Davis Group, who Blackwell had signed to Island in 1964. Miller’s remix not only broke the band in the U.S. with their first top 10 hit but also started his relationship with Steve Winwood.

Miller’s production of albums by Traffic and Blind Faith was followed by the first two Spooky Tooth records, as well as the March 1970 Delaney & Bonnie live album On Tour with Eric Clapton, which he co-produced with Delaney Bramlett. And let’s not forget the Stones who first came into the picture in the spring of 1968 with the aforementioned Beggars Banquet, the first of five Stones albums Miller produced in a row.

In the late 70s, Miller collaborated with Motörhead and produced their albums Overkill (March 1979) and Bomber (October 1979). He continued to work as a producer in the ’80s and early ’90s until his untimely death from liver failure in October 1994 at age 52. Let’s take a closer look at some of Miller’s work.

The Spencer Davis Group/Gimme Some Lovin’ (1966)

Gimme Some Lovin’, written by Winwood and released in October 1966, became the U.S. breakthrough single for The Spencer Davis Group, climbing to no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. Songfacts notes Gimme Some Lovin’ was written with the goal to make it appealing for the U.S. market. Miller added percussion and a female chorus.

The Rolling Stones/You Can’t Always Get What You Want (1969)

Not only did Jimmy Miller produce for The Rolling Stones, but in some cases he also contributed as a musician. One example is You Can’t Always Get What You Want, which features Miller on drums. Songfacts explains the line, I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy/And man, did he look pretty ill, may be a reference to Miller, adding it might refer to Jimmy Hutmaker, a local character who wandered the business district in Excelsior, Minnesota. Songfacts also notes Charlie Watts did not play on this track for the simple reason he was technically unable to figure out the beat for this unusual groove and rhythm. Credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the closer of the Let It Bleed album also appeared separately as a B-side to non-album single Honky Tonk Women.

Blind Faith/Can’t Find My Way Home (1969)

Can’t Find My Way Home is a gem written by Steve Winwood, off the sole self-titled studio album by Blind Faith. In addition to Winwood (vocals, keyboards, guitar), the short-lived English super-group featured Eric Clapton (guitar), Ric Grech (bass) and Ginger Baker (drums). In contrast to Cream and Clapton’s electric guitar god status – something he wanted to get away from – he played acoustic guitar on this track.

Delaney & Bonnie/Where’s a Will There’s a Way (1970)

Where There’s A Will There’s A Way as a great soulful song co-written by Bonnie Bramlett, Delaney Bramlett and Bobby Whitlock. It appears on the aforementioned Delaney & Bonnie live album On Tour with Eric Clapton, which came out in March 1970 and was co-produced by Miller and Bramlett. Miller also produced Whitlock’s second solo album Raw Velvet released in November 1972.

Motörhead/Stay Clean (1979)

Overkill, Motörhead’s sophomore release from March 1979, was the first of two consecutive albums produced by Miller. One track, Tear Ya Down, lists Neil Richmond as producer. Stay Clean was credited to the group’s three members Ian Fraser Kilmister (Lemmy), Eddie Clarke (“Fast” Eddie Clarke) and Phil Taylor (Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor). Bomber, the second album produced by Miller, came out only seven months after Overkill.

Primal Scream/Movin’ On Up

The final song I’d like to call out is Movin’ On Up, one of two tracks produced by Miller for Screamadelica, the third studio album by Scottish rock band Primal Scream, which appeared in September 1991. It was co-written by the group’s lead vocalist Bobby Gillespie and guitarists Andrew Innes and Robert Young – great song! The album credits also list Miller for mixing.

Last but not least, here’s a Spotify playlist of the above and additional tracks produced or co-produced by Jimmy Miller.

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube; Spotify

Only Rock & Roll, But I Like It

After re-publishing my most recent December contribution to Turntable Talk yesterday, it occurred to me I never posted my submission for November’s installment of the great monthly participatory feature hosted by fellow blogger Dave from A Sound Day. The culprit was a temporary hiatus from blogging due to a family vacation in Europe, combined with bad memory – after my return, I simply forgot!

Before finally getting to it, I’d like to acknowledge yesterday’s 80th birthday of Keith Richards, which feels especially appropriate, given this is a post about The Rolling Stones! Richards joined the club of octogenarians after Mick Jagger did this past July. Who would have thought in the early ’70s when the Stones arguably hit their high The Glimmer Twins would still be rocking in their ’80s! ‘On with the show,’ as I’ve heard Keith say during Stones gigs.

# # #

I can’t believe Turntable Talk is hitting 20 – congrats on this milestone, Dave, and keeping this such a fun feature by continuing to come up with great topics. This time you asked, Do we still care about the Rolling Stones? I guess you won’t be surprised about my spontaneous answer: hell, yes!

Unlike The Beatles who have been my favorite band since my early teenage years back in Germany, my love for The Rolling Stones started a few years later and developed more gradually. If asked today whether to pick The Beatles or the Stones, I would still go with The Fab Four, though the Stones would be a close second. I also feel it’s difficult to directly compare the two groups since their styles ended up being very different.

How do you assess the relevance of a music artist objectively? The first thing I thought was their sales of music. I found this website, ChartMasters, which calculates total equivalent album sales (EAS) across all music formats. Using their methodology, The Rolling Stones have 244.55 million EAS. This puts them at no. 6, ahead of Pink Floyd (238.57 million) and behind Madonna (248.35 million) – certainly not a spot that would suggest irrelevance! The Beatles top the list with 423.9 million EAS – of course, they do!😊

Since the aforementioned sales volumes are cumulative, I figured they favor acts who started selling music a long time ago compared to those who are newer. Next, I thought that looking at top grossing concert tours should provide a more level playing field. Last year, The Rolling Stones came in at no. 6 on Billboard’s Top Tours 2022, grossing $179.35 million, behind Coldplay ($208 million) and ahead of Red Hot Chili Peppers ($177 million). Again, an impressive showing!

A third gauge I came up with to capture current relevance is followers on Spotify, something ChartMasters tracks as well. The top 3 are Ed Sheeran (114.9 million), Ariana Grande (94.26 million) and Arijit Singh (93.2 million). By comparison, the Stones and The Beatles have 13.4 million and 26.31 million followers, respectively. I think this outcome is a good illustration that assessing relevance very much depends on how you measure it.

The other day, I learned about Perplexity AI, an AI-powered search engine and chatbot. Putting my decidedly mixed feelings about AI aside, I was curious to see what kind of answer I would get to the question, Are The Rolling Stones still relevant? Here’s what I got (with references, which I removed):

The Rolling Stones are still relevant today, despite having been around for over 60 years. Here are some reasons why:

• Live shows: The Rolling Stones remain one of the most electrifying live acts in music, and their tours continue to draw large crowds and sell out stadiums.
• Timeless music: The songs recorded by the Rolling Stones in the 60s continue to cast a lasting influence on popular culture, and their music is still enjoyed by both old and new generations of fans.
• Adaptability: The Rolling Stones have managed to adapt and anticipate new musical trends while remaining true to their rock ‘n roll and blues roots. They have also continued to release new music, with their last album “Blue & Lonesome” being a return to their blues days.
• Cultural legacy: The Rolling Stones are one of the most important bands in the history of music, and their impact on popular culture cannot be overstated. They have influenced countless musicians and continue to be studied and analyzed by scholars.

Overall, the Rolling Stones are still relevant today due to their continued success in live performances, their timeless music, their adaptability, and their cultural legacy.

This doesn’t look like a bad answer, especially if you consider it only took a couple seconds to obtain it. Obviously, Perplexity AI missed Hackney Diamonds, the new album by the Stones – one illustration AI-generated content isn’t entirely up to date. Not yet!

After all the above attempts to address the topic as objectively as possible, I came to the brilliant conclusion that all of the above matters relatively little. None of it changes the fact that The Rolling Stones remain relevant to me. Why? Because I love their music – it’s really as simple as that at the end of the day!

I’d like to leave you with five Stones songs I dig:

The Last Time (single, February 1965)

I always loved the guitar riff. While credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the song is adapted from a traditional gospel song The Staples Singers released in 1954 as It May Be the Last Time. The Last Time became the Stones’ third no. 1 on the UK Singles Chart.

She’s a Rainbow (single Nov 1967)

While it’s perhaps uncharacteristic for the Stones, I’ve liked She’s a Rainbow from the first time I heard it many moons ago. That great piano part was played by Nicky Hopkins. John Paul Jones, then still a session musician who would later join Led Zeppelin, provided the string arrangement. This was the second upfront single from Their Satanic Majesties Request, a studio album the Stones released in December 1967.

Jumpin’ Jack Flash (single, May 1968)

This non-album single is another terrific riff-based song. The Stones recorded it during the Beggars Banquet sessions. While it certainly didn’t lack great songs, I’m still somewhat puzzled Jumpin’ Jack Flash didn’t make the album. I once read Richards still the kicks playing the song during live shows – can’t blame him!

Dead Flowers (Sticky Fingers, April 1971)

One of my all-time favorite songs by The Rolling Stones, off my favorite album Sticky Fingers. This song came together during a time when Richards’ friendship with Gram Parsons influenced his writing. I love the guitar lines he traded with Mick Taylor throughout the track. The solo in place of a third verse was performed by Taylor – perhaps the ultimate bar band song!

It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It) (It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll, October 1974)

The title track from the Stones’ 74 studio album kind of sums up why I love the Stones: It’s only rock & roll, but I like it. Then-future Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood collaborated with Jagger on the song, though it’s only credited to Jagger and Richards, as usual. David Bowie sang backing vocals to Jagger’s lead. Also notable, bass and drums were provided by Willie Weeks and Kenny Jones, respectively, instead of Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts.

If you haven’t checked out Hackney Diamonds, I can highly recommend it. This latest album by the Stones provides my evidence the greatest rock & roll band in the world remains very relevant, at least in my completely unbiased opinion!😊

Sources: Wikipedia; ChartMasters; Billboard; Perplexity AI; YouTube

When the World’s Greatest Rock & Roll Band Goes Country

With the recent passing of Charlie Watts, The Rolling Stones have been on my mind lately. When my streaming music provider served up Far Away Eyes the other day, the seed for this post was planted. In addition to rock & roll and blues, the “greatest rock & roll band in the world” has always had a thing for country, so I thought it would be fun to put together a list of country-influenced Stones songs.

“As far as country music was concerned, we used to play country songs, but we’d never record them – or we recorded them but never released them,” Mick Jagger is quoted on Songfacts. “Keith and I had been playing Johnny Cash records and listening to the Everly Brothers – who were SO country – since we were kids. I used to love country music even before I met Keith. I loved George Jones and really fast, s–t-kicking country music, though I didn’t really like the maudlin songs too much.” For all of those among us who aren’t native English speakers like myself, maudlin means “drunk enough to be emotionally silly” and “weakly and effusively sentimental,” as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary.

All featured tracks in this list were credited to Jagger and Keith Richards, as usual. One could argue most picks aren’t “pure” country and mix in elements from blues and other genres. While I suppose there isn’t much debate that a tune like I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry qualifies as maudlin, it’s really hard to define what is a pure country song in the first place. After all, with all the crossover action that has been going on in country for many years, I would argue the genre has become one of the broadest in music. Should we be shattered? Does it matter?

Dear Doctor – Beggars Banquet (1968)

Let’s kick off this list with Dear Doctor from Beggars Banquet. The tune featured Brian Jones on harmonica and slide guitar. Sadly, Beggars Banquet was the last Stones album that appeared during his lifetime. “The country songs, like “Factory Girl” or “Dear Doctor” on Beggars Banquet were really pastiche,” Jagger said. “There’s a sense of humor in country music, anyway, a way of looking at life in a humorous kind of way – and I think we were just acknowledging that element of the music.” The Stones clearly seemed to have fun with Dear Doctor.

Country Honk – Let It Bleed (1969)

Country Honk is the country version of Honky Tonk Women. “On Let It Bleed, we put that other version of ‘Honky Tonk Women’ on because that’s how the song was originally written, as a real Hank Williams/Jimmie Rodgers, ’30s country song,” Richards explained, as captured by Songfacts. “And it got turned around to this other song by Mick Taylor, who got into a completely different feel, throwing it off the wall completely.” Wikipedia notes the fiddle was played by Byron Berline in a park, who by his own account had been recommended for the part by Gram Parsons.

Dead Flowers – Sticky Fingers (1971)

Dead Flowers, the tune every bar band must know how to play, perhaps is the most famous country-influenced song by the Stones. I’ve really come to love it over the years. The guitar fill-ins by Richards and Taylor are among the very best the Stones have ever played, in my humble opinion. Here’s another quote from Jagger Songfacts provides in connection with this tune: “I love country music, but I find it very hard to take it seriously. I also think a lot of country music is sung with the tongue in cheek, so I do it tongue-in-cheek. The harmonic thing is very different from the blues. It doesn’t bend notes in the same way, so I suppose it’s very English, really. Even though it’s been very Americanized, it feels very close to me, to my roots, so to speak.”

Sweet Virginia – Exile on Main St. (1972)

Another country-influenced Stones gem is Sweet Virginia, off what many fans regard as the band’s best album, Exile on Main St. Among others, the track features great harmonica and saxophone parts by Jagger and Bobby Keys, respectively. The backing vocalists include Dr. John. “‘Sweet Virginia’ – were held over from Sticky Fingers,” Richards said in 2003, per Songfacts. “It was the same lineup and I’ve always felt those two albums kind of fold into each other… there was not much time between them and I think it was all flying out of the same kind of energy.” Okay, let’s scrape that s–t right off our shoes! 🙂

Far Away Eyes – Some Girls (1978)

Obviously, I can’t skip the tune that triggered the brilliant idea for this post. In addition to being included on Some Girls, Far Away Eyes became the B-side to the album’s lead single Miss You. Referring to a 1978 interview with Rolling Stone, Songfacts includes the following quote by Jagger: “You know, when you drive through Bakersfield [Calif. – CMM] on a Sunday morning or Sunday evening, all the country music radio stations start broadcasting black gospel services live from LA. And that’s what the song refers to.” During that same interview, Jagger also confirmed that the girl in the song was “a real girl.” Well, that’s a shocker!

The Worst – Voodoo Lounge (1994)

Let’s finish this post with The Worst, one of two tunes from Voodoo Lounge Keith Richards sang. Among others, the track features Chuck Leavell on piano and fiddle and flute player Frankie Gavin, a member of De Danaan, a traditional folk group from Ireland where the Stones recorded the album. “It’s funny, but a lot of these songs were written in kitchens,” said Richards in 1994, according to Songfacts. “That one I wrote in the kitchen in Barbados, and I thought, That’s a pretty melody, but what to do with it, I really didn’t know. I guess that’s where Ireland comes in, because Ireland has its own traditional music, and it’s not country music as such, but it’s the roots of it, you know? It’s that Irish feel.” Pirate laughter – okay, I made that up, but I could just picture him do it!

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; YouTube

John Mellencamp’s Good Samaritan Tour 2000 Revisited

I’ve listened to John Mellencamp since 1982 and Jack & Diane when he was still known as John Cougar and would call myself a fan. But until last Friday, I had not been aware of his Good Samaritan Tour, a series of free, stripped down and unannounced concerts he gave across the U.S. in the summer of 2000. Now the tour is revisited in a documentary that started to stream on the YouTube channel of Turner Classic Movies (TCM) on August 27. It also coincided with the release of a companion album, The Good Samaritan Tour 2000.

According to Mellencamp’s website, the documentary is “narrated by Academy® Award winner Matthew McConaughey,” chronicling his “historic tour in 2000 when he performed for free in public parks and common spaces across the country. The film was executive produced by Federal Films, produced by John Mellencamp and Randy Hoffman, directed by Shan Dan Horan, mixed by Andy York and has special contributions by Nora Guthrie.” Nora is the daughter of Woodie Guthrie, one of Mellencamp’s big influences.

As the documentary notes in the beginning, Mellencamp viewed the tour as a way to thank his fans for all their support they had given him throughout the years. The impromptu gigs were performed without official permission from local authorities. “We also want to say this is not a concert,” Mellencamp tells an audience in Chicago. “I’m just playing on the street. So if you can’t hear I’m sorry, but we didn’t bring a big PA system because we didn’t want it to be a concert.”

However, Mellencamp did bring along two young musicians: accordion player Mike Flynn and violinist Merritt Lear. There was also Harry Sandler, Mellencamp’s road manager at the time, who helped organize where the trio would play. There was no road crew. “It was really kind of a hippy thing to do, you know,” Mellencamp notes in the documentary. “It reminded me of what I had seen happen in Washington Square, you know, during the ’60s when, you know, people would play in Washington Square and people would sit around, like it was a folk thing.”

From left: Merritt Lear, Mike Flynn, John Mellencamp and Harry Sandler

“I had my little accordion, Merritt had a fiddle, John had his two acoustic guitars,” Flynn recalls in the film. “It was really raw and stripped down is to say the least.” Adds Lear: “My whole involvement with this tour started with a completely cold phone call…Mike and I had dated, broken up, and he put me up for the tour, coz they needed a violin player at the last second…They needed someone and he said , ‘call Merritt, she’ll be psyched to do it…And they called me and they said, ‘would you like to go on a summer tour with John Mellencamp? We’re leaving soon. I was shocked and then I quit my job and we were off and running.”

“The idea for the tour came to light and was a vague notion on what Woodie Guthrie had done when he would go and play in the fields for the workers in California,” Mellencamp explains. For the most part, the free performances featured songs he liked, not tunes he had written. While the free gigs were very well received by the public and the crowds grew larger at each appearance, the authorities in Detroit were less than pleased when they learned about Mellencamp’s concert there. Harry Sandler was even told they would get arrested if they played there. While many cops showed up at the concert, fortunately, everything stayed peaceful and nobody was arrested. The documentary can be watched here. Time for some music!

Let’s kick it off with In My Time of Dying, a traditional gospel tune that has been recorded by numerous artists. Blind Willie Johnson’s recording from December 1927 is the first known published version.

Here’s Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower, which first appeared on his eighth studio album John Wesley Harding from December 1967. The most famous version of the song was recorded around the same time by Jimi Hendrix for Electric Ladyland, the third and final studio album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience released in October 1968.

Next up: Street Fighting Man, The Rolling Stones’ classic that first appeared as a U.S. single in August 1968, ahead of the Beggars Banquet album from December of the same year.

Let’s do two more: Here’s Cut Across Shorty, which was first popularized by Eddie Cochran in March 1960 as a rock & roll style tune. It’s been covered by various other artists including Rod Stewart, Faces and, obviously, John Mellencamp.

The last track I’d like to highlight is a Mellencamp original: Pink Houses, which he recorded for his seventh studio album Uh-Huh that appeared under his transitional artist name John Cougar Mellencamp in October 1983. In this take, Merritt Lear got to sing the first verse.

I really dig John Mellencamp’s transition from his early straight heartland rock years to an artist who embraces a more stripped back roots and Americana sound. As such, the prominence of the accordion and the fiddle on these Good Samaritan song renditions are right up my alley.

Here’s the full track list of the album:

1.     Small Town
2.     Oklahoma Hills
3.     In My Time Of Dying
4.     Captain Bobby Stout
5.     Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)
6.     All Along The Watchtower
7.     The Spider And The Fly
8.     Early Bird Café
9.     Hey Gyp
10.   Street Fighting Man
11.   Cut Across Shortly
12.   Pink Houses

While cynics might dismiss the Good Samaritan Tour as a PR stunt, John Mellencamp doesn’t strike me as the kind of artist who would that. Sure, I guess he didn’t mind the buzz his free summer tour generated. But Mellencamp, one of the co-founders of Farm Aid, is a person who supports social causes, so I buy that his primary motivation for the free concerts was to give back to his fans.

Sources: Wikipedia; John Mellencamp website; YouTube

A Rolling Stones Classic Hits a Big Milestone

While fans of The Rolling Stones may have different opinions which is the best album by the ‘Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World’, I think most agree Sticky Fingers ranks among their top records. If I would have to pick one, it would be this gem that was released on April 23, 1971. This Friday marks the 50th anniversary of the record by a band that has existed for some 59 years and whose key songwriters became childhood friends in 1950. It’s just mind-boggling!

Sticky Fingers, the ninth British and the eleventh American studio album by the Stones, was the first they released under Rolling Stones Records. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts decided to form their own label in 1970 after the band’s recording contract with Decca Records had expired. Ten additional Stones albums appeared on that label until its discontinuation in 1992 when the Stones signed to Virgin Records.

The Rolling Stones in 1971 (from left): Charlie Watts, Mick Taylor, Bill Wyman, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger

Sticky Fingers also had a few other firsts. It became the Stones’ first studio album without any contribution from founding member Brian Jones who had been fired in June 1969 over his increasingly erratic behavior due to drug use. As we know, the story didn’t end well. Less than one month thereafter, Jones was found dead in his swimming pool – yet another great music talent tragically lost to drugs! Moreover, Sticky Fingers introduced the iconic tongue and lips logo of Rolling Stones Records, which has appeared on all Stones albums ever since.

The album’s original cover art work depicting a close up of a jeans-clad male crotch with a visible outline of a penis was conceived by none other than Andy Warhol. Unlike many fans assumed, it wasn’t Jagger’s crotch. Instead, Warhol “superstar” Joe Dallesandro claims to have been the model, though apparently this hasn’t been confirmed. Initial editions of the cover had a working zipper and perforations around the belt buckle that opened to reveal a sub-cover image of cotton briefs. Following complaints from retailers that the zipper damaged the actual vinyl records during shipping, the zipper was slightly pulled down toward the middle of the record to minimize the problem. Later reissues eliminated the working zipper and simply showed the outer photograph of the jeans.

In terms of the music, Sticky Fingers marked a return to a more basic and traditional Stones sound that mostly relied on guitar, bass, drums and percussion provided by the band’s key members: Mick Jagger (lead vocals, percussion, rhythm guitar), Keith Richards (guitar, backing vocals), Mick Taylor (guitar), Bill Wyman (bass) and Charlie Watts (drums). Long-time collaborators included Bobby Keys (saxophone) and keyboarders Billy Preston, Jack Nitzsche, Ian Stewart and Nicky Hopkins. The album was produced by Jimmy Miller, who had started to work with the Stones for Beggars Banquet from December 1968 and produced all of their albums until Goats Head Soup released in August 1973.

Time for some music. Unless otherwise noted, all tracks are credited to Jagger and Richards. Here’s the opener Brown Sugar. Songfacts notes that while the tune comes across as “a fun rocker about a guy having sex with the black girl,” the lyrics written by Jagger are actually “about slaves from Africa who were sold in New Orleans and raped by their white masters.” The Stones recorded the tune in Sheffield, Ala. in early December 1969 and performed it for the first time live during the fateful Altamont Speedway concert on December 6 that same year. Brown Sugar backed by Bitch also became Sticky Finger’s lead single on April 16, 1971.

Wild Horses is one of my long-time favorite tunes by the Stones. Referencing the liner notes from their 1993 compilation Jump Back, Wikipedia quotes Jagger: “I remember we sat around originally doing this with Gram Parsons, and I think his version came out slightly before ours. [It did, in April 1970 on The Flying Burrito Brothers’ sophomore album Burrito Deluxe – CMM] Everyone always says this was written about Marianne [Faithfull – CMM] but I don’t think it was; that was all well over by then. But I was definitely very inside this piece emotionally.” Added Richards: “If there is a classic way of Mick and me working together this is it. I had the riff and chorus line, Mick got stuck into the verses. Just like “Satisfaction”, “Wild Horses” was about the usual thing of not wanting to be on the road, being a million miles from where you want to be.” Wild Horses, with Sway as the B-side, was also released separately as the album’s second single on June 12, 1971.

Another highlight on Side One of Sticky Fingers is Can’t You Hear Me Knocking. At 7 minutes-plus, this is an unusually long track for the Stones. One of the song’s distinct features is a lengthy saxophone solo by Bobby Keys. Rocky Dijon and Billy Preston contribute percussion and organ, respectively. “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” came out flying,” Richards said, as quoted by Rolling Stones fan site Time Is On Our Side. “I just found the tuning and the riff and started to swing it and Charlie picked up on it just like that, and we’re thinking, hey, this is some groove. So it was smiles all around. For a guitar player it’s no big deal to play, the chopping, staccato bursts of chords, very direct and spare.”

This brings me to Side Two of the album. The first track I’d like to highlight here is Bitch, a tune with a great guitar riff and horn line. Like many other songs on the album, the Stones recorded it at the Stargroves estate in Hampshire, England, using their mobile recording unit. Songfacts points out Mick Jagger had multiple relationships, so the tune is not about Marianne Faithfull or any other specific woman for that matter. It’s safe to assume the song’s lyrics could not be written today without triggering a political fire storm. “When we were doing Bitch, Keith was very late,” recalled recording engineer Andy Jones, according to Time Is On Our Side. “Jagger and Mick Taylor had been playing the song without him and it didn’t sound very good. I walked out of the kitchen and he was sitting on the floor with no shoes, eating a bowl of cereal. Suddenly he said, Oi, Andy! Give me that guitar. I handed him his clear Dan Armstrong Plexiglass guitar, he put it on, kicked the song up in tempo, and just put the vibe right on it. Instantly, it went from being this laconic mess into a real groove. And I thought, Wow. THAT’S what he does.”

Next up is a track I’ve come to increasingly love over the years, even though it’s not a traditional Stones rocker: Dead Flowers. Nowadays, I would go as far as calling this must-play tune for every bar band my favorite Stones song – so much for a guy who used to dismiss country as hillbilly music for the longest time! Recorded at Olympic Studios in London in April 1970, Dead Flowers was written during a time when the Stones were embracing country and Richards’ writing was influenced by his friendship with Gram Parsons. “The ‘Country’ songs we recorded later, like “Dead Flowers” on Sticky Fingers or “Far Away Eyes” on Some Girls are slightly different (than our earlier ones),” Jagger observed, per Rocks Off: 50 Tracks That Tell the Story of The Rolling Stones, a 2013 book by Bill Janovitz. “The actual music is played completely straight, but it’s me who’s not going legit with the whole thing, because I think I’m a blues singer not a country singer – I think it’s more suited to Keith’s voice than mine.” Be that as it may be. What I particularly love about Dead Flowers are the great guitar fill-ins by Richards and Taylor throughout the song.

Let’s wrap things with one more tune: Moonlight Mile, the album’s excellent closer! Another track recorded at Stargroves at the end of October 1970, Moonlight Mile came out of an all-night session involving Jagger and Taylor. Notably, Richards was absent for the recording of this tune, so Taylor handled all guitar work. Songfacts also calls out contributions from Jim Price (piano) and Paul Buckmaster (string arrangements). “That’s a dream song,” Jagger reportedly said in 1978. “Those kinds of songs with kinds of dreamy sounds are fun to do, but not all the time – it’s nice to come back to reality.” BTW, even though Richards was nowhere to been when the tune was recorded, it still was credited to Jagger and him.

Sticky Fingers became the first Stones album to top both the U.S. and the UK albums charts. Based on a January 2020 article by news and entertainment outlet The Talko, it is the band’s best-selling record with about 21.7 million units sold, followed by Let It Bleed (21.3 million) and Aftermath (19.6 million). Sticky Fingers was ranked at no. 63 in Rolling Stone’s 2003 list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. While it lost some ground in the most recent revised list from September 2020, it still came in at a respectable no. 104. Sticky Fingers was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

Given the album’s significance, you might think the Stones are celebrating the 50th anniversary with a major reissue. Not so. Instead, in early December, the band announced on Twitter a Red Limited Edition LP: Introducing… the Sticky Fingers Stones Red Limited Edition LP. 500 will be available in the Stones Carnaby  Street store from Thursday Dec 3rd & 500 available online later that day at 8pm GMT / 12pm PST. Sign up for reminders: https://the-rolling-stones.lnk.to/StonesSignUpSo. More Stones Red to come! While at first sight, this may be a bit disappointing, it’s important to remember that Sticky Fingers already saw a reissue in 2015. Plus, there’s Sticky Fingers Live At The Fonda Theatre 2015, a great 2017 release the Stones put out as part of their From the Vault series.

How about a little encore? Ask and you shall receive, and it’s a true gem: a killer rendition of Can’t You Hear Me Knocking from the aforementioned Sticky Fingers Live At The Fonda Theatre 2015, which captures a gig before a relatively tiny audience of 1,200 people. It marked the opening of the Stones’ two-month Zip Code Tour in 2015 and also celebrated the above noted Sticky Fingers reissue. The band was truly on fire that night. I would argue that performance reaches the level of the legendary Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out. If you haven’t seen this clip before and dig the Stones, I’d highly encourage you to watch it. This is rock & roll at its best!

Sources: Wikipedia; Songfacts; Time Is On Our Side; The Talko; Rolling Stones Twitter feed; YouTube

It’s Only A Cover But I Like It

Cover versions of songs can be intriguing and sometimes even better than the originals. An example of the latter I always come back to is Joe Cocker’s incredible rendition of With a Little Help From My Friends. There are also other great covers of Beatles tunes. Fellow blogger Hanspostcard is currently dedicating an entire series to this topic, titled Under The Covers: Other Artists Covering Beatles Songs. In part, it was his great series that inspired the idea for this post. Since I already wrote about covers of Fab Four tunes, I decided to focus on another of my all time favorite bands: The Rolling Stones.

While I figured it shouldn’t be very difficult to find renditions of Stones tunes by other artists, I only knew a handful of covers and wasn’t sure what else I would find. It turned out that seven of the 10 covers I ended up selecting for this post were new to me. My picks span the Stones’ music from the ’60s and early ’70s, which is I generally feel is their best period. All tunes were written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Let’s get to it.

The Grass Roots/Tell Me

Kicking it off are The Grass Roots, an American rock band that has been around since 1965. Their debut studio album Where Were You When I Needed You from October 1966 featured a few covers including Tell Me, a tune that first appeared on The Rolling Stones’ eponymous debut album in the UK released in April 1964. The U.S. version, which had a slightly different track list, appeared six weeks later.

Mekons/Heart of Stone

In 1988, British post punk rock band Mekons released their seventh studio album So Good It Hurts. It included this nice rendition of Heart of Stone, a Stones tune that first came out in December 1964 as a U.S. single. It also was included on the U.S. and U.K. albums The Rolling Stones, Now! (February 1965) and Out of Our Heads (September 1965), respectively.

The Who/The Last Time

After Mick Jagger and Keith Richards had been busted and imprisoned on drug charges in 1967, their friends The Who went to the studio to record a single intended to help them make bail: The Last Time, backed by Under My Thumb. Even though everything was done in a great rush, by the time the single hit the stores, the Glimmer Twins already had been released. Since John Entwistle was away on his honeymoon, he gave his okay to proceed without him. Pete Townshend ended up overdubbing the bass parts. Initially, The Last Time was the first original The Rolling Stones song released as a single in the UK in February 1965, yielding their third no. 1 hit on the Singles Chart. It came out in the U.S. two weeks later, reaching no. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Alexis Korner/Get Off Of My Cloud

Alexis Korner, who has rightfully been called “a founding father of British blues,” had a major influence on the British music scene in the 1960s. His band Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated was a breeding ground for UK musicians who at various times included artists like Jack Bruce, Graham Bond, Ginger Baker, Cyril Davies, as well as then-future Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts. Get Off Of My Cloud became the title track of Korner’s 1975 studio album. Originally, the Stones released the song as the follow-on single to (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction in September 1965, matching that tune’s previous chart-topping success in the U.S., UK and Germany. Get Off Of My Cloud was also included on the Stones’ fifth U.S. album December’s Children (And Everybody’s) released in December that year.

Melanie/Ruby Tuesday

Ruby Tuesday has been among my favorite Stones tunes for a long time. I also think the cover by American singer-songwriter Melanie is among the most compelling renditions of Stones songs. Melanie’s great version first appeared on her third studio album Candles in the Rain from April 1970 and was also released as a single in December of the same year. The Stones recorded the original for their 1967 studio album Between the Buttons that appeared in January and February that year in the UK and U.S., respectively. The song also became the album’s lead single and another no. 1 hit in the U.S. on the Billboard Hot 100. In the UK, it climbed to no. 3 on the Singles Chart.

Molly Tuttle/She’s a Rainbow

While I’ve featured Molly Tuttle’s version of She’s a Rainbow before, I simply couldn’t resist including it in this post as well. Similar to Ruby Tuesday and Melanie, the tune represents both one of my favorite Rolling Stones songs and one of the greatest renditions I know. Tuttle, an incredibly talented acoustic guitarist, included it on her most recent album …but i’d rather be with you, which came out in August 2020. She’s a Rainbow first appeared on Their Satanic Majesties Request, a studio album the Stones put out in December 1967. Two weeks after its release, it also became the record’s second single.

Bettye LaVette/Salt of the Earth

Here’s another really cool cover: Salt of the Earth by American vocalist Bettye LaVette, who has touched many genres, including soul, blues, rock & roll, funk, gospel and country. She recorded Salt of the Earth for an album titled Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook and released in May 2010. The soul and gospel vibe is perfect for this tune, which the Stones included on their Beggars Banquet album from December 1968.

Larry McCray/Midnight Rambler

Larry McCray is an American blues guitarist and singer, who has been active since the ’80s and released his debut album Ambition in 1990. I had not heard of him before. His cover of Midnight Rambler is included on a Stones tribute album from August 2002, which is called All Blues’d Up: Songs of The Rolling Stones. I haven’t listened to the rest of the album yet, but based on the track list and other participating artists, it surely looks intriguing. The Stones recorded Midnight Rambler for their studio album Let It Bleed that came out in December 1969. According to Wikipedia, Keith Richards has called it “the quintessential Jagger-Richards song.”

Santana/Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (feat. Scott Weiland)

Now we’ve come to Can’t You Hear Me Knocking, a gem from what I consider to be the best Stones album: Sticky Fingers released in April 1971. Carlos Santana covered the tune on his 21st studio album Guitar Heaven from September 2010, a compilation of classic rock covers featuring many guest vocalists: In this case, Scott Weiland, former lead vocalist of Stone Temple Pilots. Weiland who had struggled with addiction and other health issues for many years died in December 2015 from a drug overdose.

The Pointer Sisters/Happy

I’d like to wrap up this post on a happy note, literally, with a great rendition of Happy by The Pointer Sisters. It was included on their sixth studio album Priority, which came out in September 1979 and was their second foray into rock. Their first was predecessor Energy from November 1978, which among others featured one of their biggest hits: Fire, the Bruce Springsteen tune. Originally, Happy appeared on what many Stones fans consider the band’s best album: Exile on Main St. from May 1972. Happy, backed by All Down the Line, also became the record’s second single in July 1972.

Sources: Wikipedia; YouTube

‘Let’s Spend The Night Together’ Remains Compelling Rolling Stones Proposition

Whether you agree or not with the label “greatest rock & roll band in the world” (I dig the Stones big time but still would choose The Beatles, if could only select one band), I believe it is safe to say The Rolling Stones are a unique phenomenon. For now more than 55 years, they have brought energetic blues-oriented rock to audiences around the world. And they did so again last night at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., during the first of two dates at that venue, as part of the previously postponed North American leg of their No Filter Tour.

At age 76, Mick Jagger remains one of the most compelling front men in rock. His voice still is in fairly decent shape. What’s even more remarkable is that he doesn’t appear to have lost any of his swagger. He is still a born show guy. He also continues to have the energy of a young man, allowing him to, well, move like Jagger. And let’s not forgot his heart valve replacement surgery only happened a few months ago. Frankly, all of this is friggin’ unreal to me. I will say that age hasn’t been as kind to other core members of the band, but together they still sounded great.

The Rolling Stones (from left): Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts and Keith Richards

I agree with everything Music Enthusiast recently noted during his review of the Stones’ gig at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. These shows ain’t cheap, but when a band puts on that kind of performance, spending big bucks is worth it, especially if you dig their music. And like Music Enthusiast, I was also surprised how fresh and dynamic Miss You sounded, certainly not my favorite Stones tune, and what a killer performance they put on for Midnight Rambler.  Last but not least, I also love Brown Sugar, actually more so than Midnight Rambler, and Jagger and co delivered on this one as well. Hell, even the overplayed second and last encore (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction sounded cool.

Since most if not all more frequent visitors of my blog also follow Music Enthusiast, I’m going to deliberately highlight other tunes. Let’s kick it off with the opener last night: Street Fighting Man. As usually credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the tune was first released as a U.S. single in August 1968. It was also included on the Beggars Banquet album from that same year.

Next up: Tumbling Dice from Exile On Main Street, a favorite among Stones fans. Even many critics who initially were lukewarm about it changed their opinions later and concluded it’s one of the band’s best records – I guess being a critic and saying something clever is hard, and I’m definitely happy I’m not one of ’em! Co-written by Jagger and Richards, Tumbling Dice also appeared as the album’s lead single in April 1972, one month ahead of the record’s release.

Are you ready for something acoustic? Well, ready or not, here’s the second and last tune the Stones performed on the so-called B-stage. And even though as a country-oriented song it’s less typical for the band, Dead Flowers off Sticky Fingers from April 1971 is one of my favorite tracks from what has become my favorite Stones record. Again, it’s a Jagger/Richards co-write. Take me down little Susie!

The last tune I’d like to highlight is one of my other favorites from the Stones: Jumpin’ Jack Flash. Recorded during the Beggars Banquet sessions, the track was released as a single in May 1968. While officially it is only credited to Jagger and Richards, according to Wikipedia, then-bassist Bill Wyman in his autobiography Stone Alone wrote that he came up with the tune’s signature guitar riff on a piano but wasn’t acknowledged by the Glimmer Twins – that doesn’t sound nice!

Here’s the setlist from last night.

Main Stage:
• Street Fighting Man
• Let’s Spend the Night Together
• Tumbling Dice
• She’s a Rainbow (audience request)
• You Can’t Always Get What You Want

B-Stage / Acoustic:
• Sweet Virginia
• Dead Flowers

Main Stage:
• Sympathy for the Devil
• Honky Tonk Women
• Slipping Away (Keith Richards on lead vocals)
• Before They Make Me Run (Keith Richards on lead vocals)
• Miss You
• Paint It Black
• Midnight Rambler
• Start Me Up
• Jumpin’ Jack Flash
• Brown Sugar

Encore:
• Gimme Shelter
• (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

Core members Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica, guitar, percussion), Keith Richards (guitars, vocals), Ronnie Wood (guitars, backing vocals) and Charlie Watts (drums, percussion) were backed by Darryl Jones (bass), Chuck Leavell (keyboards, backing vocals), Matt Clifford (keyboards, percussion, French horn), Karl Denson (saxophone), Tim Ries (saxophone, keyboards), Sasha Allen (backing vocals) and Bernard Fowler (backing vocals, percussion). In addition to Jagger, Wood stood out to me with excellent guitar work among the Stones’ core members. And while all supporting musicians were top-notch, I’d like to call out Jones for his killer bass solo in Miss You and Denson for his strong sax work, which was on display during Miss You and other tunes.

Three fun facts I learned: Jagger said last night was the first time for The Rolling Stones to play at MetLife Stadium. During band introductions, he called Charlie Watts Frank Sinatra’s favorite drummer – an allusion to Watts’ age who turned 78 in June? No idea, but I found it funny. Watts didn’t look bothered by it. Opening act The Wombats, an indie rock and power pop band from Liverpool, England, during their set mentioned that it was one of their songs, Techno Fan, to which Jagger danced during his post-heart surgery practice video that went viral on the internet. It sounded like that song choice led to outreach to the Stones and to The Wombats opening up for them last night – cool story.

The Stones are playing MetLife Stadium again on Monday, August 5. Then it’s on to Denver (Aug 10) and Seattle (Aug 14). The last North American date and I assume the end of the tour is in Miami on August 31. The No Filter Tour kicked off on September 9, 2017 in Hamburg, Germany. There were a few bigger breaks throughout the two-year span. The schedule for the remaining shows is here.

Sources: Wikipedia, Rolling Stones website, YouTube

With Mick Jagger Back In Full Force, Stones Kick Off Postponed ‘No Filter’ North American Tour In Chicago

If you frequently visit my blog, you may have seen I just posted on The Rolling Stones and their new live concert film/album release Bridges To Bremen. Fast forward some 21 years from that 1998 gig in Germany to last night at Chicago’s Soldier Field where the Stones finally opened their North American No Filter Tour. If you watch the enclosed clips and didn’t keep up with the news, you’d never guess anything much had changed. But apart from 21 years of water under the bridge, 75-year-old Mick Jagger underwent heart valve replacement surgery only a few months ago, so it’s fair to say last night was no ordinary kick-off date.

I don’t know how you felt, but when I first learned about Jagger’s heart issues and his then-upcoming procedure, my first thought was how crazy it is that the fittest guy in the band was ‘knocked out.’ My second thought was that if anybody from The Rolling Stones could pull off bouncing back from heart surgery, it would be Jagger. As such, with a Stones ticket in hand I had bought early this year, I selfishly was ‘glad’ the gig was postponed because of him. Coz’ let’s be honest here, had it been Charlie Watts, who earlier this month turned 78, who knows what would have happened. And while 75-year-old Keith Richards has survived many things, I’m not sure how he would have come out of heart surgery.

“This was certainly a swerve, a left-hand ball for us,” Ronnie Wood recently told U.K. tabloid Daily Mirror, commenting on Jagger’s heart surgery. “We knew it was something serious. I think he needed a bit of support, which we gave him. We thank our lucky stars.” So should the fans! While heart valve replacement is a so-called minimally invasive procedure that is not uncommon, especially in older men, I suppose there’s nothing routine about it when it affects the front man of the band you’ve been playing with for more than four decades!

Said Jagger last week: “I’m feeling pretty good. Been rehearsing a lot lately in the last few weeks. This morning a bit of gym. Nothing crazy. Then I go into rehearsal with the band.” Well, ‘nothing crazy’ may be a bit of an understatement when you watch this video of Jagger, which was posted about a month ago, only four weeks after his heart surgery. He is one beast of a guy! Anyway, let’s go back to last night and take a look at some YouTube footage.

Here’s Street Fighting Man. First released as a single in August 1968 and also appearing on the Beggars Banquet album from December that year, perhaps the Stones couldn’t have picked a more appropriate opener.

I was glad to see Dead Flowers is part of the set. I just love that tune off the Sticky Fingers album from April 1971. It’s also great to watch Jagger energetically strumming that guitar in adding to singing. What a triumphant return to the stage!

There are songs you immediately recognize after just a couple of bars, and Jumpin’ Jack Flash is one of them. If I could only pick one of Richards’ guitar riffs, this would be it, baby. The Stones first released the track as a single in May 1968. Okay, it may not be quite as compelling as the version on Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out, but it still sounds fucking awesome to me!

How about wrapping things up with one additional tune from Sticky Fingers? Here’s Brown Sugar, which was the final tune of the regular set. It was the album’s lead single released on April 16, 1971, just a few days ahead of the record.

Here’s the full set list:

1. “Street Fighting Man”
2. “Let’s Spend the Night Together”
3. “Tumbling Dice”
4. “Sad Sad Sad”
5. “You Got Me Rocking”
6. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
7. “Angie”
8. “Dead Flowers”
9. “Sympathy for the Devil”
10. “Honky Tonk Women”
11. “You Got the Silver”
12. “Before They Make Me Run”
13. “Miss You”
14. “Paint It Black”
15. “Midnight Rambler”
16. “Start Me Up”
17. “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”
18. “Brown Sugar”

Encore:
19. “Gimme Shelter”
20. “Satisfaction”

Am I ready for “my” August 1st gig at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey? How many days?

Sources: Wikipedia, Daily Mirror, Ultimate Classic Rock, YouTube