Read two articles recently about the various versions of the three reissue packages of Some Girls that just came out (none on vinyl). One was in USA Today, the other in Rolling Stone. When this, their best-selling album was made in 1977 (released in 1978), disco was a tidal force (but what do tides do?) and punk was there, but not getting it's footing - if it wanted any. Keith, in his book, said that while he (Keith) was awaiting drug trafficking charges, Mick was out nightclubbing nightly in Manhattan and he would come prancing into the studio with glorious disco riffs in his head - one that became Miss You. To me - that's a goosed-up blues song. I saw an authentic (Mac?) south side blues band at a college party play a half-hour version of Miss You in 1980 that seemed to go on forever. The Stones had close to 30 songs readied (hence the bonus reissues) in some form at the time, these made it onto vinyl: The pure county and western - Far Away Eyes. Keith sings (if you can call it that) lead on Before They Make me Run. The story of him staying slightly ahead of the law. Respectable and When the Whip Comes Down - standard issue RS. Their best song ever: Beast of Burden. Beyond compare. Back to Keith's book - starting out, these guys just wanted to be the best blues band they could be - and that song meets that standard. The most intriguing song on the record has to be (Just My) Imagination. The Stones take this classic and almost untouchable Motown song and just kill it. They Stone that thing. Lies and Shattered don't do it for me. It was recorded in Paris. The album shown above in the photo I took was given to me by my pal Michael. Thanks, Michael!
Here's the band Mac booked to come down to college for that off campus gig:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGs3B-81uCQ As Ahmet Ertegun would say, "they're the real shit."
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