More Keith Richards for you folks tonight. This is a smokin’ live version of Keith’s signature song “Happy,” recorded on the Stones’ 1972 American tour. From the 1975 concert film “Ladies and Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones.” Originally from the 1972 album “Exile on Main Street.”
From the 1969 album “Let it Bleed,” comes the first Stones track with a lead vocal by Keith Richards. This is also the last recording the Stones released with Brian Jones (who plays autoharp on the track). The song appeared prominently in the notorious Michelangelo Antonioni film “Zabriskie Point.” A very nice slice of blues in the finest Stones tradition from their golden era.
Another killer B-side from the Stones … this time from their 1968 hit “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” No disrespect intended to “Flash,” but this is another B-side that would’ve been an A-side in a better world. Now available on “The Singles Collection: The London Years” boxset … which would be my Desert Island album. Yes, I realize that a 3-CD box set of the Stones singles and B-sides from 1964-1971 is cheating a bit … but if you insist on putting me on a desert island in the first place, we’re going to have negotiate a little if you don’t want to be physically harmed in the process of moving me to said island.
One of the better songs from the 1980s era Rolling Stones, this was from the Stones’ decent but uneven 1983 album “Undercover.” The “hot” woman in the video is Anita Morris, who first gained fame starring in the original Broadway version of “Nine” and subsequently played sexy women “of a certain age” in many 1980s films (“The Hotel New Hampshire,” “Ruthless People”). It’s nice to see the Stones let a sexy older woman be the object of lust instead of the usual young bimbo. Sadly, Morris died of ovarian cancer in 1994. So, in honor of Ms. Morris and sexy older women everywhere, I’m raising a glass in tribute.
The video here is the uncensored version which was edited for MTV. From what I remember, the cut parts were the buttons flying off the pants of someone watching Ms. Morris and fire shooting out of her ass. Maybe there was more, but it’s been nearly 30 years since I watched this video.
Trivia note: this was Martin Scorsese’s original song choice to underscore the cocaine-helicopter freak-out scene from “Goodfellas.” However, he chose Harry Nilsson’s “Jump Into the Fire” instead, because the scene in the film took place in 1980 and “She Was Hot” came out in 1983. Scorsese advised he only uses songs that could have been out / released at the time a scene would take place. I think the Nilsson choice was better, but “She Was Hot” would have played wonderfully in that famous scene.
Another moment of genius from the early Stones. From their severely underrated album “Out of our Heads” comes this cover of a song first recorded by Solomon Burke in 1962. Like many of their early great songs, the song builds wonderful tension that explodes during the chorus. Classic rock stations: burn that freakin’ copy of “Hot Rocks 1964-1971” you play ad nauseum and start digging deep!!!
A rare quiet moment in the otherwise infamous documentary about the Stones’ tumultuous and tragic 1969 US tour. Nothing much happening here but the band grooving on an early take of “Wild Horses,” one of my 5 favorite Stones songs.
Admittedly, the visuals on this YouTube clip are Hallmark card level cheesy, but this is the only place on YouTube I could find the Stones’s stellar studio cover of this O.V. Wright classic (also classically covered by Otis Redding). One of the Stones best.
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