Soup tour [in 1973]. I’d recommend anything at all
from the Exile On Main St. album, but of course
Sticky Fingers is also pretty bloody good.
Bernie MarsdenTo me, Tumbling Dice is not only the perfect
Stones song, it’s also the perfect song, full-stop.
Everything about it, from the opening guitar
riff to the female backing vocals and the lyrics,
also the harmonies, is perfect. It’s the Stones
messing with country – always my favourite
Stones combo – putting a bit of filthy rock’n’roll
in with country and gospel. To me that song
formed Aerosmith’s approach... There’s very
little blues in Tumbling Dice, just like all my
favourite Stones and Aerosmith songs. I don’t
like it when things become a bad version of
blues music.
When I listen to Tumbling Dice now, I realise
how many bits of it I’ve ripped off. Not
consciously, of course, because that would be
far too obvious, but some things you just can’t
help. I’ve copied it a lot, athough hopefully
there are not too many people to guess where.
But I know, and that’s enough.
Ginger, WildheartsAngie
(From Goat’s Head Soup, 1973)A
s a kid I grew up hearing this song on the
radio. This was before I got into listening
to and appreciating bands. I used to hear
it all the time and I had no idea who it was by.
I didn’t even know what a rolling stone was. To
my surprise, when I began an appreciation of
music I discovered that this emotive ballad had
been recorded by them. Angie resonated with me
as a kid and as an adult it still does.
Jeff Scott Soto, Sons Of ApolloIt’s Only Rock ’N Roll
(But I Like It)
(From It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll, 1974)A
lthough there are other Stones songs that
I love just as much as It’s Only Rock ’N Roll,
including Jumpin’ Jack Flash, which has
one of the best riffs ever written, this one will
always have a unique place in my heart for being
the first single that I ever bought. I was nine years
old, and at the same time I bought Alice Cooper’s
Killer album.Back then It’s Only Rock ’N Roll (But I Like It) made
such an impact on my life, and listening to it now
it’s still so on the edge. It sounds like everything’s
falling apart, and in a way it is. But it’s perfect.
The Stones were always the biggest garage band
in the world. Apart from having such great songs,
that’s always been their charm. Nowadays, just
like when I hear an AC/DC song, this one makes
me want to run to the bar and order a really,
really big drink.
Conny Bloom, Electric BoysFool To Cry
(From Black And Blue, 1976)I
’m a fan of the Stones – big-time. Fool To Cry
has such a magical atmosphere; it’s
enchanting and magical. The organ is so
sensual, and when Mick Jagger sings those
lyrics... wow. When I was much younger I didn’t
speak English, but I got what it was about. The
first time I heard the song, it touched my heart.
And it still has that effect, even though I’ve heard
it a thousand times or more.
Doro PeschMiss You
(From Some Girls, 1978)I
t’s bluesy, but it has an urban thing about it.
I don’t know how they managed to place
blues and disco within the same sphere, but
I like the idea. Lyrically there’s a pathos of one
person sitting around and waiting for another to
call them – and they don’t. They want somebody
to fill that space, and the person they’ve chosen is
not going to do it. It’s a clever song.
I got to spend some time with Mick Jagger in the
early days of Living Colour. When he produced
our first demos we had a lot of conversations
about the blues. Back then I was listening to a lot
of Howling Wolf and Muddy Waters, and we had
a long chat about that. The next day, he arrived in
the studio and gave me this cassette; he’d gone
home and made me a mix-tape – or maybe
a Mick’s tape [laughs]. I’ve still got that cassette
and I still cherish it.
Working with Mick Jagger was surreal. Of
course it was. When you’re in the studio and you
look at the desk and he’s behind it, you almost
have to pinch yourself. Being young and“Tumbling Dice is not only one of the band’s finest,
it’s also right up there among the all-time great
songs by any artist.”
Rich Robinson, The Magpie SaluteKeith Richards, ‘The
Human Riff’, in ’79.52 CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM