ROLLING STONES - HONKY TONK WOMEN / COUNTRY HONK

Publicació: 3 de juliol de 1969

Llistes: EUA: #1 (4 setmanes)   Regne Unit: #1 (5 setmanes)

"Honky Tonk Women" és una cançó de la banda de rock anglesa The Rolling Stones escrita per Mick Jagger i Keith Richards. Llançada com a single que no formava part de cap àlbum el juliol de 1969 al Regne Unit, i una setmana després als Estats Units, ràpidament va arribar al número u de les llistes en ambdues nacions. Una versió country titulada "Country Honk" va ser inclosa posteriorment a l'àlbum "Let It Bleed".

Mick Jagger canta sobre els seus encontres amb dues dones diferents. La primera es descriu com una "reina de bar embriagada de ginebra a Memphis", probablement una referència a una prostituta. La segona és una "divorciada a Nova York". En ocasions, Jagger presentava la cançó com "una cançó per a totes les prostitutes de l'audiència". Típic de moltes cançons dels Rolling Stones, la lletra és molt suggerent, però prou ambigua per evitar ser prohibida per les emissores de ràdio. Les bandes de rock britàniques sovint es van escapolir de manera subtil amb lletres lleugerament ofensives, mantenint-se dins dels límits de les directrius de la BBC per a la difusió. Per exemple, la frase "She blew my nose and then she blew my mind" (Em va bufar el nas i després em va volar la ment) implica tant cocaïna com sexe, però no dóna a la BBC un motiu específic per prohibir-la.

Els Rolling Stones van enregistrar inicialment una cançó titulada "Country Honk" a Londres a principis de març de 1969, amb la possibilitat que Brian Jones participés en aquestes sessions, en el que seria la seva última gravació amb la banda. En algun moment de la primavera de 1969 la cançó va experimentar una transformació amb riffs de guitarra i un so més electric  en el que seria el single "Honky Tonk Women", poc abans que Mick Taylor s’unís al grup. Tot i això Keith Richards va reconèixer la influència de Mick Taylor en la cançó, assenyalant que originalment es va concebre com una cançó country tradicional i que Taylor va contribuir en la idea del canvi.

Els problemes de Brian Jones amb l'abús de drogues van conduir al seu paper decreixent en els Rolling Stones, acabant finalment en el seu acomiadament de la banda al juny de 1969, poc després de finalitzar la gravació de la cançó. Tràgicament, Jones va ser trobat mort a la seva piscina el mateix dia que es va llançar el single, el 3 de juliol de 1969. Mick Taylor, que havia reemplaçat Jones a la guitarra principal, va fer el seu debut en una gravació dels Stones amb "Honky Tonk Women". Taylor va afirmar que va contribuir al riff de guitarra icònic, tot i que Keith Richards el va interpretar finalment a la gravació.

Keith Richards va compartir la inspiració de "Honky Tonk Women" en una entrevista promocional, revelant que va començar durant una estada al Brasil amb Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithfull i Anita Pallenberg, que en aquell moment estava embarassada del seu fill. Van viure en una finca al Mato Grosso, immergint-se en la cultura dels cowboys envoltats de cavalls. Richards va començar a tocar al porxo de la casa de la finca, amb una antiga idea de Hank Williams al cap, inspirat pel seu estil de vida de cowboy i l'ambient de honky tonk. La cançó inicialment tenia un ambient de country honk, però amb el temps, va evolucionar cap a un so de blues i rock durant les sessions de composició i enregistrament. 

"Honky Tonk Women" va rebre aclamació generalitzada en el seu llançament, amb la revista Rolling Stone elogiant-la com "probablement els tres minuts més forts de rock and roll llançats el 1969". Record World la va descriure com "els Rolling Stones al seu millor nivell funky". En reconeixement de la seva importància cultural, la cançó va ser introduïda al Saló de la Fama dels Grammy el 2014. La portada del single va ser dissenyada per John Kosh, amb una foto d'Ethan Russell.

ROLLING STONES - HONKY TONK WOMEN / COUNTRY HONK

Released: July 3, 1969

Charted:  US: #1 (4 weeks)  UK: #1 (5 weeks)

"Honky Tonk Women" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Released as a non-album single on July 4, 1969, in the United Kingdom, and a week later in the United States, it quickly soared to the top of the charts in both nations. A country version titled "Country Honk" was later included on the album “Let It Bleed”.

Mick Jagger sings about encounters with two different women. The first is described as a "gin-soaked, bar-room queen in Memphis," likely a reference to a prostitute. The second is a "divorcée in New York City." Jagger sometimes introduced the song as "a song for all the whores in the audience." Typical of many Rolling Stones songs, the lyrics are highly suggestive but just ambiguous enough to avoid being banned by radio stations. British rock bands often skirted the line with subtly offensive lyrics, staying within the boundaries of BBC guidelines for airplay. For instance, the line "She blew my nose and then she blew my mind" implies both cocaine and sex, but doesn't give the BBC a specific reason to ban it.

The Rolling Stones initially recorded a track titled "Country Honk" in London in early March 1969, with Brian Jones potentially participating in these sessions, marking his final recording with the band. The song underwent a transformation into the electric, riff-based hit single "Honky Tonk Women" sometime in the spring of 1969, before Mick Taylor joined the group. Keith Richards acknowledged Mick Taylor's influence on the track, noting that it was originally conceived as a traditional country song.

Brian Jones' struggles with drug abuse led to his diminishing role in the Rolling Stones, ultimately resulting in his dismissal from the band in June 1969, shortly after they finished recording the song. Tragically, Jones was found dead in his swimming pool on the same day the single was released, July 3, 1969. Mick Taylor, who had replaced Jones on lead guitar, made his debut on a Stones recording with "Honky Tonk Women." Taylor asserted that he contributed to the iconic guitar riff, despite Keith Richards ultimately playing it on the record.

Keith Richards shared the inspiration of "Honky Tonk Women" in a promotional interview, revealing that it began during a stay in Brazil with Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithfull, and Anita Pallenberg, who was pregnant with his son at the time. They lived on a ranch in the Mato Grasso, immersing themselves in cowboy culture surrounded by horses and spurs. Richards started playing around with an old Hank Williams idea on the porch of the ranch house, inspired by their cowboy lifestyle and the honky tonk atmosphere. The song initially had a country honk vibe, but over time, it evolved into a swampy blues sound during songwriting and recording sessions. Richards attributed the transformation to experimentation with open tunings and the subtle nuances between white and black country music.

"Honky Tonk Women" received widespread acclaim upon its release, with Rolling Stone magazine praising it as "likely the strongest three minutes of rock and roll yet released in 1969." Record World described it as "the Rolling Stones at their funky best." In recognition of its cultural significance, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2014. The single's artwork was designed by John Kosh, featuring a photo by Ethan Russell.

 

ROLLING STONES - JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH

Publicació: 24 de maig de 1968

Llistes: EUA: #3   Regne Unit: #1 (2 setmanes)

"Jumpin' Jack Flash" és una cançó dels Rolling Stones, llançada com a single independent el 1968. Descrita com a "blues sobrenatural del Delta a través del Swinging London" per la revista Rolling Stone, la cançó va marcar un retorn a les arrels blues de la banda després del pop barroc i la psicodèlia dels seus àlbums anteriors. És una de les cançons més icòniques i perdurables del grup, mantenint la distinció de ser la seva peça més interpretada en concert fins a la data.

"Jumpin' Jack Flash" té un origen curiós. La inspiració ve de Jack Dyer, qui va ser el jardiner de Keith Richards. Richards va explicar a Rolling Stone el 2010: "La lletra va sorgir una albada grisa a Redlands. Mick i jo havíem estat desperts tota la nit, plovia fora, i s’escoltava el so d'aquestes botes prop de la finestra, pertanyents al meu jardiner, Jack Dyer. Mick va dir, 'Què és això?' Vaig dir, 'Oh, això és el Jack. Això és Jumping Jack.' Vaig començar a treballar al voltant de la frase amb la guitarra, que estava ben afinada, cantant la frase 'Jumping Jack.' Mick va dir, 'Flash,' i de sobte vam tenir aquesta frase amb un gran ritme i sonoritat." Mick Jagger va explicar que aquesta cançó tracta "de passar-ho malament i sortir-se’n. Només és una metàfora per sortir de totes les coses àcides i complicades."

Richards va expressar el seu orgull en la seva part de guitarra per a aquesta cançó, afirmant a Rolling Stone: "Quan aconsegueixes un riff com 'Flash', sents una gran sensació d'elevació, un malenconios gresol. Puc sentir tota la banda enlairar-se darrere meu cada vegada que toco 'Flash' - hi ha aquesta mena d'extra sobreimpulsió. Et llances al riff, i et toca. La levitació és probablement l'analogia més propera al que sento."

Bill Wyman va contribuir a la creació de “Jumping “, però es va creditar oficialment només a Mick Jagger i Keith Richards, cosa que va decebre Wyman. Va recordar: "Un dia vam arribar d'hora a l'estudi, i... de fet, crec que era un estudi de proves, no un estudi d'enregistrament. I érem només jo, en Brian i en Charlie - els Stones MAI arriben alhora, ja ho saps - i en Mick i en Keith no havien vingut. Estava tocant i em vaig seure al piano i vaig començar a tocar aquest riff, da-daw, da-da-daw, da-da-daw, i després en Brian va tocar una mica de guitarra, i en Charlie estava fent un ritme. Només ho estàvem provant durant 20 minuts, només omplint el temps, en Mick i en Keith van entrar, vam parar, i van dir, 'Ei, això sonava molt bé, continua, què és?' I llavors, l'endemà, la vam enregistrar. Mick va escriure una lletra fantàstica i va resultar ser un single molt bo."

"Jumpin' Jack Flash" va marcar una transició significativa al rock caracteritzat per un riff de guitarra pels Rolling Stones. Inicialment influïts pel blues, principalment a causa del membre fundador Brian Jones, la banda va evolucionar a través de diversos gèneres durant els anys seixanta, des del R&B fins al pop i la psicodèlia. Va ser amb "Jumpin' Jack Flash" el '68 que van solidificar el seu so distintiu. Amb Mick Jagger i Keith Richards prenent el control, la banda va trobar un èxit massiu amb himnes de rock d'estadi com "Brown Sugar" i "It's Only Rock 'N' Roll".

Keith Richards captura de manera magnífica l'allau enigmàtica de "Jumpin' Jack Flash" a la seva autobiografia, "Life" (2010). Descriu els acords de la cançó com transgresors de la manera convencional de composar cançons, evocant ecos de melodies antigues, clàssiques i fins i tot gregorianes. Richards es meravella de la capacitat de la cançó per combinar el rock and roll amb una qualitat eterna, gairebé primordial, suggerint una connexió amb alguna cosa molt més antiga i profunda que ell mateix. En la seva reflexió, admet estar desconcertat pels orígens de la cançó, emfatitzant la seva sorprenent capacitat per seguir immortal a través de les generacions.

ROLLING STONES - JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH

Released: May 24, 1968

Charted:  US: #3   UK: #1 (2 weeks)

"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a track by the Rolling Stones, released as a standalone single in 1968. Described as "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by Rolling Stone magazine, the song marked a return to the band's blues roots following the baroque pop and psychedelia of their earlier albums. It stands as one of the group's most iconic and enduring songs, holding the distinction of being their most frequently performed track in concert to date.

"Jumpin' Jack Flash" has a curious origin. His name is Jack Dyer, and he served as Keith Richards' gardener. Richards elaborated to Rolling Stone in 2010: "The lyrics came from a gray dawn at Redlands. Mick and I had been up all night, it was raining outside, and there was the sound of these boots near the window, belonging to my gardener, Jack Dyer. It woke Mick up. He said, 'What's that?' I said, 'Oh, that's Jack. That's jumping Jack.' I started to work around the phrase on the guitar, which was in open tuning, singing the phrase 'Jumping Jack.' Mick said, 'Flash,' and suddenly we had this phrase with a great rhythm and ring to it." Mick Jagger explained that this song is about "having a hard time and getting out. Just a metaphor for getting out of all the acid things."

Richards expressed his pride in his guitar part for this song, stating in Rolling Stone, "When you get a riff like 'Flash,' you get a great feeling of elation, a wicked glee. I can hear the whole band take off behind me every time I play 'Flash' - there's this extra sort of turbo overdrive. You jump on the riff, and it plays you. Levitation is probably the closest analogy to what I feel."

Bill Wyman contributed to the creation of this song, but it was still officially credited only to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, which Wyman found disappointing. He recalled: "We got to the studio early once, and... in fact, I think it was a rehearsal studio, not a recording studio. And there was just myself, Brian, and Charlie - the Stones NEVER arrive at the same time, you know - and Mick and Keith hadn't come. I was just messing about and sat down at the piano and started playing this riff, da-daw, da-da-daw, da-da-daw, and then Brian played a bit of guitar, and Charlie was doing a rhythm. We were just messing with it for 20 minutes, just filling in time, and Mick and Keith came in, and we stopped, and they said, 'Hey, that sounded really good, carry on, what is it?' And then the next day, we recorded it. Mick wrote great lyrics to it, and it turned out to be a really good single."

"Jumpin' Jack Flash" marked a significant transition to guitar-driven rock for the Rolling Stones. Initially influenced by blues, largely due to founding member Brian Jones, the band evolved through various genres in the '60s, from R&B to pop to psychedelic. It was with "Jumpin' Jack Flash" in '68 that they solidified their signature sound. With Mick Jagger and Keith Richards taking the reins, the band found massive success with stadium rock anthems like "Brown Sugar" and "It's Only Rock 'N' Roll."

Keith Richards beautifully captures the enigmatic allure of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" in his autobiography, "Life" (2010). He describes the song's chords as transcending typical songwriting conventions, evoking echoes of ancient, classical, and even Gregorian chant-like melodies. Richards marvels at the song's ability to blend rock and roll with a timeless, almost primordial quality, suggesting a connection to something far older and more profound than himself. In his reflection, he admits to being mystified by the song's origins, emphasizing its uncanny ability to resonate across generations.

MADRID 1982: LA PRIMERA VEGADA QUE VAIG VEURE A SES SATÀNIQUES MAJESTATS

Era l’any 1982 quan es va programar un concert dels Rolling Stones a l’estadi de Sarrià a Barcelona. Evidentment vam còrrer a comprar les entrades, tot i el problema que suposaven per mi dues mil pessetes de les de llavors a la meva edat. Ja portava uns quants concerts a sobre en aquells temps, però em quedava pendent un gran concert, un concert d’alguna de les bandes històriques, i els Stones era el màxim al que podies aspirar en aquell moment. Només quedava esperar el gran dia, quan de sobte, a poques setmanes de l’esdeveniment, surt la pèssima notícia: la promotora Gay And Company i l’Espanyol trenquen l’acord i no hi haurà concert a Sarrià. En el seu lloc es farà un segon concert a Madrid en la mateixa data. Teniem dues opcions: o ens retornaven els diners, o ens canviaven l’entrada per una de Madrid. S’havia de decidir ràpid, i jo, tot i ser menor d’edat vaig dir a casa: han suspès Barcelona i es fa a Madrid, jo hi vaig! Dit i fet, el meu amic Pep es va fer càrrec de mi i el 8 de juliol cap a Madrid que tocaven el 9. 

Aquell vespre havíem de sortir de Plaça Catalunya en autocar, però es jugava la semifinal del mundial de futbol entre França i Alemania i vam marxar amb quasi dues hores de retard per la prorroga i els penals, i, per la negativa dels xòfers a marxar abans no acabes el partit. Prop de mitjanit una comitiva de 32 autocars marxàvem a Madrid, destinació Estadio Vicente Calderón on vam arribar al voltant de les deu del matí. 

El dia es va fer etern fins a les sis de la tarda que obrien les portes de l’estadi. Recordo que al costat mateix hi havia la fàbrica de la Mahou i que molts hi anàven a buscar provisions. També que vam anar a dinar al centre, però cap a les cinc ja tornàvem a ser allà. Després va sorgir un problema afegit, nosaltres teniem entrades de grada (verda) i tots els que m’acompanyaven volien anar a gespa (entrada marró). Jo no podia dir res perquè era una criatura al costat de tots ells. 

Vam entrar, i un cop dins vam voltar per l’interior de l’estadi. Havíem d’entrar a la gespa com fos. En arribar a un dels córners van veure la solució: era una porta molt ample on només hi havia un porter. La proposta: entrar tots correns. “La mare que’m va parir, estan sonats aquests pagesos”, vaig pensar. Dit i fet! Quarts de set, quedaven tres hores pel concert i ja erem dins. Però va sorgir un nou problema: erem a la gespa amb entrades de grada. Després de carregar tantes provisions a can Mahou, evidentment s’havia d’evacuar i els lavabos eren fora. Però tot problema té una solució, i vam trobar un noi amb entrada marró que ens la va cedir per poder anar a pixar per torns.

A dos quarts de deu en punt sona la intro del “Take the A train” de Duke Ellington i tot seguit “Under my thumb” com en el disc “Still life” de la gira americana que havia sortit poques dates abans. En aquells dies no havia mòbils ni res semblant, jo portava una llibreta petita on apuntava cada cançó que tocaven per fer-me després un cassette amb el repertori. Després de l’última cançó, “Satisfaction” vaig pensar que ja em podia morir perquè havia tocat el cel, però havia de tornar a Lloret per poder-ho explicar. Marxant cap a l’autocar vaig veure una entrada al terra i per aquelles casualitats de la vida era marró i del concert anterior, pleno!

Posteriorment els vaig veure dues vegades més a l’estadi olímpic de Barcelona, el 1990 durant la Urban Jungle Tour, i el 2003 en el Licks Tour. Van ser dos grans concerts, però lluny del que va significar tot el que va envoltar el concert de 1982, per a un noi de 17 anys que encara no havia tingut cap experiència del nivell de l’aventura que va ser dir als pares: “els Stones toquen a Madrid i jo hi vaig”. 

THE FIRST TIME I SAW THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES

It was 1982 when a Rolling Stones concert was scheduled at the Sarrià stadium in Barcelona. Obviously we rushed to buy the tickets, despite the problem that two thousand pesetas meant for me at that time at my age. I already had a few concerts under my belt then, but I was still waiting for a big concert, a concert by one of the historical bands, and the Stones was the most you could aspire to at that time.

We only need to wait for the big day, when suddenly, a few weeks before the event, the terrible news came out: the promoter Gay And Company and R.C.D. Espanyol (the owners of the stadium and a damn football rival) broke the agreement and there would be no concert in Sarrià. Instead, a second concert will be held in Madrid on the same date. We had two options: either they would refund our money, or they would exchange our ticket for one from Madrid. It had to be decided quickly, and I, despite being a minor, said at home: they have suspended Barcelona and it is being held in Madrid, I am going there! All said and done, my friend Pep took care of me and on the 8th of July we headed to Madrid, which played on the 9th.

That evening we were supposed to leave Plaça Catalunya in Barcelona by coach, but the semi-final of the World Cup between France and Germany was being played and we left almost two hours late due to overtime and penalties, and the refusal of the drivers to leave until the game is over. Around midnight, a group of 32 coaches left for Madrid, destination Estadio Vicente Calderón where we arrived around 10 A.M.

The day became eternal until 6 P.M. when the stadium doors opened. I remember that right next to the stadium it was the Beer Mahou factory and that many people went there to get supplies. We also went to lunch in the city center, but by five o'clock we were back there. Then an added problem arose, we had bleacher tickets (green) and everyone who accompanied me wanted to go to the grass (brown ticket). I couldn't say anything because I was a child next to all of them. We entered, once inside we walked around the stadium to find our seats, but everyone was thinking that we had to go to the grass no matter what. When we saw that the solution was in one of the corners: it was a very wide door where there was only one doorman. The proposal: enter all at once running. Said and done, we’re in!

6:15 P.M., almost three hours left for the concert and we were already inside, but a new problem arose: we were on the turf with bleachers tickets. After loading so many provisions of beer in Mahou factory, it was obvious that he had to evacuate and the toilets were outside. But every problem has a solution, and we found a guy with a brown ticket who gave it to us so we could take turns peeing.

At 9:30P.M., the intro to Duke Ellington's "Take the A train" plays, followed immediately by "Under my thumb" as in the "Still life" album from the American tour that had been released a few dates earlier. In those days there were no mobile phones or anything like that, I carried a small notebook where I wrote down every song they played to later make a cassette with the repertoire. After the last song, "Satisfaction", I thought I could die because I had touched heaven, but I had to go back to Lloret to be able to explain it. Walking towards the bus I saw a ticket on the floor and by those coincidences of life it was brown and from the previous concert, the day ends in the best way, now I have the tickets for both days and both colors in my collection.

Later I saw them twice more at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona, ​​in 1990 during the Urban Jungle Tour, and in 2003 during the Licks Tour. They were two great concerts, but far from the excitement surrounding the 1982 concert for a 17-year-old boy who had not yet experienced the level of what it meant to tell his parents: "The Stones are playing in Madrid and I'm going."