LAMONT’S MUSIC NOTES-MAY 12, 2019…IT WAS ON THIS DATE IN 1972 THE ROLLING STONES RELEASED THEIR 10TH STUDIO ALBUM ‘EXILE ON MAIN ST.’
AT THE TIME OF RELEASE, THE DOUBLE ALBUM WAS RIPPED TO SHREDS BY THE CRITICS AND WAS THE VICTIM OF HARSH REVIEWS AND POOR SALES.
OVER THE YEARS IT’S NOW CONSIDERED SOME OF THE STONES BEST WORK.
THE RECORD ONLY PRODUCED ONE TOP TWENTY HIT ‘TUMBLING DICE’, HOWEVER IT WAS FULL OF GREAT ALBUM TRACKS INCLUDING ‘RIP THIS JOINT’ AND A RARE SONG WITH KEITH RICHARDS SINGING LEAD VOCALS ‘HAPPY’.
THE STONES RECORDED THIS ALBUM IN A MUSTY BASEMENT AT A VILLA IN FRANCE. KEITH RICHARDS RENTED THE VILLA SO THE ROLLING STONES COULD AVOID PAYING TAXES IN ENGLAND. THE BAND WOULD SLEEP ALL DAY AND RECORD ALL NIGHT WITH WHOEVER SHOWED UP. THE SESSIONS WERE LOOSE AND UNORGANIZED, AND THE PERSONNEL ON THE SONGS VARIED ON WHO WAS PRESENT AT THE TIME OF THE RECORDING. FOR INSTANCE, ON ‘TUMBLING DICE’ MICK JAGGER AND KEITH RICHARDS PLAYED GUITAR, AND MICK TAYLOR, ORDINARILY THE LEAD GUITARIST PLAYED BASS. DEPENDING ON EVERYONE’S LEVEL OF INTOXICATION AND WHAT FRIENDS WANDERED INTO THE RECORDING STUDIO TO JAM WITH THE BAND THE SONGS AND ALBUM CROSSED MANY STYLES AND GENRES.
RUMOR HAS IT THIS IS ONE OF KEITH RICHARDS FAVORITE STONES SONGS.
HERE’S A LIVE VERSION OF ‘TUMBLING DICE’
