December 23, 2024

Skylight Webzine

Online since 2000

Rolling Stones Unveil Array Of Vintage Unreleased Material For ‘Some Girls’ Release


The Rolling Stones are set to delight their millions of fans, and another generation of new admirers, as they unveil a treasure trove of vintage unreleased material from the ‘Some Girls’ era of 1978.

Comprising an entire album of fresh material, the songs form the second disc on the deluxe edition of the band’s seminal, multi-million-selling 1978 album Some Girls, which is released on November 21. It follows the massive worldwide success and acclaim for Universal’s 2010 reissue of the Stones’ hallowed 1972 set ‘Exile On Main St.’

The appearance of the unreleased tracks on the deluxe ‘Some Girls’ means that after listening to such gems from the original album as ‘Miss You,’ ‘Far Away Eyes,’ ‘Before They Make Me Run’ and ‘Beast Of Burden,’ fans can enjoy a whole new set of contemporaneous work by the Stones. A fresh and compelling collection in its own right, it’s also the perfect complement to one of the band’s best-ever albums.

The unreleased tracks mostly feature performances by the whole band – Mick Jagger on lead vocals, piano, guitars and harmonica; Keith Richards on guitars,piano, harmony vocals (and lead vocal on ‘We Had It All’); Ronnie Wood on pedal steel, electric and slide guitar; and the vintage Stones engine room of Bill Wyman on bass and Charlie Watts on drums.

Produced by the Glimmer Twins,Chris Kimsey and Don Was, the material also includes guest appearances by Stones diehards Ian Stewart and Chuck Leavell on pianos, harmonica player Sugar Blue (who also provided the unforgettable motif on the ‘Some Girls’ smash ‘Miss You’), and for trivia freaks even handclaps on one song by former Creedence Clearwater Revival frontman John Fogerty.

The collection includes a wealth of fine Jagger-Richards compositions along with some fascinating cover versions, collectively reflecting the stripped-down rock ‘n’ roll, blues and country flavours of the famed 1978 album. ‘So Young,’ ‘When You’re Gone’ (co-written by Ronnie Wood), ‘Keep Up Blues’ and ‘Petrol Blues’ all evoke the band’s enduring rhythm and blues roots. ‘Don’t Be A Stranger’ is an infectious shuffle and ‘Love You Too Much’ an archetypal Stones rocker.

‘Do You Think I Really Care,’ with its lyrical imagery of New York City, and the mid-tempo road tale ‘No Spare Parts’ dovetail with ‘Far Away Eyes’ and the ‘Some Girls’ title track in reflecting the band’s longtime love of country music. No Spare Parts will be released as a single.

As if all of that wasn’t enough to keep the hungriest Stones fan happy, there are three exceptional interpretations to add to their long list of distinguished cover versions. Keith takes the lead vocals on ‘We Had It All,’ written by the great Southern songwriters Troy Seals and Donnie Fritts and recorded by such country greats as Waylon Jennings and Conway Twitty. There’s a rocking take on Freddy Cannon’s 1959 favourite ‘Tallahassee Lassie’ and an assured version of the Hank Williams standard ‘You Win Again.’

“It’s wonderful to see the quality of these tracks measuring up to the songs that came out on the original album,” says Ronnie Wood. “It’s an extension of what was going on then,” adds Keith Richards. “Sometimes great stuff gets left behind and its great to see it out there.”

Source: Rolling Stones management