The Rolling Stones, The #4 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Six

 

(Continued from Part Five)

More problems beset the group when they learned that their U.K. taxes had not been paid for seven years.  So rather than pay their fair share, they moved to France, where they recorded material in a mobile recording studio they had begun in 1968 that they placed in the basement of Richards's house in Nellcote.

In addition to making recording easy, the arrangement also solved the question of whether Richards would show up at rehearsals.  Keith's heroin addiction had become severe, but working on the album forced him to focus.

Completing the project at the esteemed Sunset Studios in Los Angeles, the Rolling Stones released the double album Exile on Main Street in 1972.  The title referred to the group's tax problems which led to them fleeing the U.K. for southern France.  The band recorded in the Mobile Studio as well as in the basement of the chateau Villa Nellcôte, near Villefranche-sur-Mer, France. 

Recording the title song, which Jagger wrote after talking to a housekeeper about her love of gambling, was not an easy task--engineer Glynn Johns said there were between 30 and 100 reels of tape used just on the base part of the song.  "Tumbling Dice" reached position #5 in the U.K. and #7 in The U.S. and Canada.

The album gave them their second consecutive #1 on both sides of the Atlantic and has now sold over one million copies.  The group promoted the release with a North American tour that was documented by the film Ladies and Gentlemen:  The Rolling Stones.

"Rocks Off" was one of the many tracks which burned a lot of studio time.  Johns told the story of its recording to Goldmine magazine in 2010:

                 It went on for ages.  When Mick came 

                 back from Paris for the first time, he 

                 seemed happy with the sound.  And 

                 Keith would sit downstairs and at 

                 one point, he sat there for 12 hours

                 without getting out of his chair just

                 playing the riff over and over and over.

                 And then one night, it was very late, 

                 four or five in the morning, Keith says,

                 "Let me listen to that take again."  And

                 he nods off while the tape is playing.

                 I thought, "Great.  That's it.  End of

                 the night and I'm out of here."  So I go

                 back to my place where I was staying.

                 I walk in the front door and the phone

                 is ringing.  I pick it up and it's Keith.

                 "Where are you?"  "Well, I'm

                 obviously here 'cause I answered the

                 phone."  "Well, you better get back

                 here, man, 'cause I have this guitar

                 part.  Come back!"

 

This song was recorded in Los Angeles when Richards' heroin addiction was believed to have been in its beginning stages.  Jagger's lyrics are believed to be about Keith--"Torn And Frayed".

 

The Rolling Stones recorded "Happy" at Keith's villa in France.  He gave insight to the moment:

                  That's a strange song, because if you play

                  it you actually become happy, even in the

                  worst of circumstances.  It has a little 

                 magical bounce about it.  I wrote it one

                  afternoon when we were cutting 'Exile on

                  Main Street' in France and the studio was

                  in my basement.  And Bobby Keys was

                  with me and they got this lick going.  So 

                  we went down and I recorded it with just

                  guitar and Bobby Keys on baritone

                  saxophone.  While we were doing that, 

                  Jimmy Miller, who was our producer at

                  the time, came in.  And he was a very

                  good drummer as well.  So we said, 

                  "Well, let's put down a dub, we'll just

                  sort of sketch it out and play it later.  But

                  it's another one of those things that 

                  ended up being on the record.  It was

                  just one of those moments that you get

                  that are very happy.  And I can play it

                  now and it gives you a lift.

 

This great acoustic jam, perhaps the best acoustic song in the group's catalog, reflects the influence of Gram Parsons on the group--"Sweet Virginia".     

 

 

After being inspired at a service at Reverend James Cleveland's church, Jagger wanted to bring that same religious fervor to the Blues ballads on this outstanding album.  With guest piano work from Dr. John, and mixed at Sunset Studios in Los Angeles (which is where the song really came to life), here is "Let It Loose".

Here is the last song on the first side of Exile, a song originally recorded at Olympic Studios in London during the Let It Bleed sessions and brought back for Exile--"Loving Cup".

Jagger's rapid delivery not only tells the tale focused on America from the point of view of a foreigner, but the low mix also helped to hide obscenities.  Session musician Bill Plummer played upright bass and Keys delivered two great solos as well.  Here is "Rip This Joint".

This song was written about Jones, and was reworked and recorded after his death in 1969.Billy Preston played a haunting organ on "Shine A Light", which is also backed by a gospel choir.

 

This solid track was recorded for use on Sticky Fingers but didn't make the cut.  When it finally made Exile, the band was considering its release as a single, but ultimately chose "Tumbling Dice" instead.  Engineer Andy Johns told Songfacts how the group decided.  The Stones were in Los Angeles and they decided the best way to decide was to hear it on a car radio.  Tapes were given to a local radio station which of course was more than happy to play anything yet to be released.  The station played the song more than once while the band cruised in a limousine up and down Sunset Strip. Here is "All Down The Line".

 

This is a tribute to Angela Davis, a member of the Black Panthers who was put in jail for murder in 1970.  "Free the sweet black slave," Jagger sang in "Sweet Black Angel".

The Stones were proving they weren't just a 60's group.  Unlike hundreds of their contemporaries, they soldiered on and continued to make great music!  Much more in Part Seven!