Some Girls was the Rolling Stones' resurrection. Goaded by punk, disco, and the threat of Keith Richards' impending incarceration (eventually deferred) they threw aside their mid-'70s lethargy and returned with a snarling, rocking fightback.
This month's MOJO magazine throws the spotlight on the Stones' rambunctious '70s, with brand new interviews with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman and Ron Wood, concluding with a detailed look at Some Girls, featuring unseen shots by fashion photography legend Helmut Newton.
The latter has now been reissued with an exciting second disc of unreleased bonus tracks from contemporaneous sessions. Included is the mythical Claudine, about the French actress-singer Claudine Longet, jailed in 1977 after shooting her skier boyfriend Vladimir "Spider" Sabich to death.
In the course of interviews with MOJO's Mark Blake, Mick Jagger annoted another ten of the (in some cases, spruced-up) outtakes, exclusively for MOJO.
Tallahassie Lassie
Mick Jagger: "This is a song made famous by Freddy Cannon. The original version we did at the time of Some Girls sounds like it was recorded in a wind tunnel. It now sounds like we're coming towards the end of the tunnel. Quite funky. I left it alone. Didn't do anything new, except add some handclaps - which is very close the feel of the original."
Keep Up Blues
MJ: "This contains a very humorous lyric all about keeping up with the times. It's an amusing one. No angst involved."
When You're Gone
MJ: "A good blues song. It's also amusing. But slightly more angst-ridden."
No Spare Parts
MJ: "It's a country tune. The idea for the song began at the Some Girls sessions, but I finished the idea and turned it into a complete piece. It's all about driving from San Antonio to Los Angeles to meet a woman, which I did once, so it's based on my own experience. Was it worth the trip? Well, it's lovely drive, dear, you shouldn't miss it."
Do You Think I Really Care
MJ: "I'd describe it as country-rockish. A sort of Dead Flowers, Let It Bleed thing, but set in New York, like so much of Some Girls."
We Had It All
MJ: "Keith sings this one. It's an old-time country song written by Donnie Fritts and Troy Seals. I know this because I was mixing it and I said to Don Was, "Did Keith write this song?" I didn't know 'cos I'm not on it. Don said, "No, it's an old cover tune." Waylon Jennings did a version, which is where I think Keith got it from."
So Young
MJ: "A heavy blues, about meeting a very young girl and then getting wet feet. There's a line in it that says, "I took her to Barney's to buy her boots."
Don't Be A Stranger
MJ: "This has a Latin tinge. Originally, there was no melody or lyrics. So it had to be built up from scratch. At first, I was like, 'I can't do anything with this,' but then you chip away at it and something comes."
You Win Again
MJ: "It's the Stones doing the old Hank Williams song. My goal is always to keep the spirit of the thing. I imagine everything was recorded last week and I just had to come in and finish them - a line here or a line there."
I Love You Too Much
MJ: "This is an old rocker - it's very Rolling Stones. I left the vocal but I changed a couple of lines 'cos I got bored with the repetition in the lyrics. You'd never know which lines they were, though. Keith added a few bits here and there."
Interview by: Mark Blake
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The latest MOJO magazine is on sale (next) Tuesday, November 29.
