not to say disturbing! For one of the world’s
most successful groups to have issued and
promoted such a left-field single at that point in
their career revealed a progressive, albeit arrogant
mind-set, though that didn’t stop the record
becoming another top-ten single on both sides
of the Atlantic.
Dave Gregory, Big Big Train/XTCRuby Tuesday
(Single, 1966)T
his song represents the absolute perfect
combination of melodic, trippy, catchy
and simple. It also lends itself to my
frequent piano interpretations. I love the
combination of f loaty recorder in the high
register with the serious tone of the double bass.
Jordan Rudess, Dream TheaterYesterday’s Papers
(From Between The Buttons, 1967)I
was a big fan of the Stones, especially their
album Between The Buttons. In terms of
songwriting, I thought it saw them reach
a plateau. They weren’t doing many covers, and
the songs had become very clever, especially
lyrically. I really liked that record.
Todd Rundgren2000 Man
(From Their Satanic Majesties Request, 1967)I
know I’m in a complete minority, but my
favourite Stones album is Their Satanic Majesties
Request. I’m fanatical about it. My six different
editions of it include an original eight-track.
I don’t know why some people regard it as a poor
man’s Sgt Pepper. I could have picked 2000 Light
Years From Home, She’s A Rainbow, On With The
Show or Citadel, which to me could be the first everheavy metal song. But I’m going to go with 2000
Man. It’s the high point of that album, though I’m
probably the only person to ever say that.
Mike Portnoy, Sons Of ApolloI remember when Satisfaction came out when
I was a kid, and I’ve had a love affair with the
Stones ever since. Over the course of my career
I’ve covered a couple of Stones songs. Mick
Jagger’s range is kind of limited, and a lot of times
he talks his way through songs, so they’re easy for
me to sing, since I don’t consider myself a real lead
vocalist. I sang on the Kiss version of 2000 Man,
from the Dynasty album. We had some fun with it,
and I kind of made that song my own.
Ace Frehley2000 Light Years
From Home
(From Their Satanic Majesties Request, 1967)B
ecause some days I do feel like I’m two
thousand light years from home, and this
song always captures the mood.
Brian Wheat, TeslaI wish I could explain why I love it so much. I have
adored that song since I was a small boy. I heard
Killer Queen, Radar Love and 2000 Light Years From
Home in the same time frame – until that point
radio had just been noise; a thing for grown-ups.
Though I cannot provide a reason why, I do know
that 2000 Light Years From Home is Charlie Watts’s
favourite Rolling Stones song, and that makes me
very proud.
Courtney Taylor-Taylor, The Dandy WarholsJumpin’ Jack Flash
(Single, 1968)F
rom the moment I first heard it, I loved
everything about that song. There’s
something sinister and bad-ass about it. It’s
sinister but it’s attractive, rather than sinister and
off-putting. For me, it never grew old. If anything
its appeal grew strong for me the more I learned
about the craft of songwriting. It’s still so bad-ass,
and production is so good. I kinda felt it was a bit
of a comeback for the Stones. It really helped
them to reclaim their identity. From that point on
they really had it going on again, so it was one hell
of a comeback record.
William DuVall, Alice In ChainsI’ve heard that song twenty thousand times, but
to this day when it comes on the radio I turn up
the volume and completely lose it. It makes me
want to scream and yell. They were coming out
of that phase where they had gone all psychedelic
and made Their Satanic Majesties, which was
intended to be their Sgt Pepper, and were in danger
of losing their bluesy roots. The first time I heard
that song I was maybe sixteen years old and it
f loored me – the sound of the guitars. It’s just raw
to the bone, man.
Walter TroutIt’s the song that I auditioned with to become the
singer of my very first band. It was 1975, and I was
aware that my schoolmate Luke Morley, who set
up to audition, was a guitarist. I will never forget
walking into the room to sing, with a microphone
I’d borrowed from an uncle, and seeing a bright
red Pearl drum kit in the corner. It was the most
stunning thing I’d ever seen in my life. I knew
Jumpin’ Jack Flash, but had never sung it lout loud
before except in the bath. Whenever I hear it now
I’m transported back to the smoky rehearsal
room and that drum kit. It gives me a nice, warm
rosy feeling.
Danny Bowes, ThunderThat song, man... We do it every now and again,
and I love it. Cos we do it in E, and it’s, like, heavy
as balls. But there’s so many good ones: Beast Of
Burden, Gimme Shelter, Paint It, Black... And in
Nashville it’s gotta be Honky Tonk Women, right? It’s
everywhere. You walk into Tootsies tonight and
it’s gonna get played.
Chris Robertson, Black Stone CherryChild Of The Moon
(Single B-side, 1968)I
’ll throw a left-field choice in here. It’s the
B-side of Jumpin’ Jack Flash, but quite a piece
of brilliant psychedelia in its own right.GET
TYThe Stones (with percussionist Kwasi
‘Rocky’ Dzidzornu) on the set of the
Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus,
London, December 11, 1968.“Goodbye Ruby Tuesday represents the absolute
perfect combination of melodic, trippy, catchy
and simple.” Jordan Rudess, Dream Theater
48 CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM