Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Crazy Mama
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

Musicland Studios, Munich, West-Germany, March 29, 1975,
Mountain Recording Studios, Montreux, Switserland, October 19 - 30, 1975 and
Musicland Studios, Munich, West-Germany, December 3 - 16, 1975

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals, electric guitar
Keith Richards - electric guitar, bass, backing vocals
Charlie Watts - drums
Ron Wood - electric guitar, backing vocals
Billy Preston - piano, backing vocals
Ollie Brown - percussion

Well, you're crazy mama, with your ball and chain
And your sawn off shotgun, your blown out brains, yeah

You can scandalize me, scorn my name
You can steal my money and that don't mean a doggone thing
Cause if you really think you can push it
I'm gonna bust your knees with a bullet, you’re crazy mama, yeah

Well, your old time religion, is just superstition
You're gonna pay high prices for your sacrifices, yeah

All your blood and thunder, sure can't faze me none
If you gonna keep on coming, I'm gonna take it all head on
And if you don't believe I'm gonna do it
Just wait till y'all get hit by that bullet, you're crazy mother, yeah
I'm coming out to get you, boy

Don't think I ain't thought about it, sure make my shackles rise
Cold blood murder make me want to draw the line, yeah, oh yeah

Well, you're crazy mother, with your ball and chain
You're plain psychotic, plain insane
And if you don't believe I'm gonna do it
Just wait for the thud of the bullet
You're crazy mother, yeah
You’re crazy mother, yeah
You’re crazy mother, yeah
Crazy mother, yeah

Produced by The Glimmer Twins

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Black And Blue” LP
(Rolling Stones Records COC 79104) US, April 15, 1976

A classic track, one that definitely served as a blueprint for the the early Black Crowes sound. Also, a fave of mine, along with "Hand Of Fate"; featuring Wayne Perkins' killer solo and Keith's great open G rhythm playing, as this one does, as well.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-09-07 09:17 by HeatherAnnePeel.

A song that is sure to go on repeat for a while whenever it's on.......

a while ago we had a long long discussion of this track and the misleading production notes on the album cover;
i proposed that the lyrics are about/to Mick T. i thought i was being facetious, but it fits so well i've decided it's really true :E

that lovely lick that goes cantering up and down late in the number is Ronnie, isn't it

Quote
with sssoul
that lovely lick that goes cantering up and down late in the number is Ronnie, isn't it

Right here it is:




Live '97 double door.

thank you marcovandereijk honey - always good to see your typeface!
i know Ronnie plays that line at the Double Door gig, but there seem to be assorted views
about whether he played it on the studio track. it sure sounds like Ronnie to me, but ... [scratching head]

Quote
HeatherAnnePeel
A classic track, one that definitely served as a blueprint for the the early Black Crowes sound. Also, a fave of mine, along with "Hand Of Fate"; featuring Wayne Perkins' killer solo and Keith's great open G rhythm playing, as this one does, as well.

You nailed it.

No open G guitars in Crazy Mama.

It was discussed here

[www.iorr.org]

C

<that lovely lick that goes cantering up and down late in the number is Ronnie, isn't it>

It sure is!

<No open G guitars in Crazy Mama.>

And Jagger plays what, open E?

I've spend some (good) time reading the "old" thread about the song and see that the person
who suggested that it might have been Keith doing all the guitar overdubs (Liddas), later also
came to the conclusion that Ronnie was playing along on the track, based on Keith Perkins.

Quote
Liddas
- Crazy Mama III (MJ/KR) -RW on guitar and backing vocals, Billy Preston on piano
and backing vocals, Ollie Brown on cowbell; backing track recorded on the 29th
March, Black And Blue-version
- Crazy Mama IV (MJ/KR) -RW on guitar and backing vocals, Billy Preston on piano
and backing vocals, Ollie Brown on cowbell; edited Sucking In The 70’s-version

So the part on the studio recording that sounds like Ronnie, the part that Ronnie played
live on stage at the Double Door, is probably played by Ronnie, because he was in the
studio playing with them at the time.

Still, I don't think it is necessarily proven that it was Ronnie, but if Liddas had read
Keith Perkins notes before he posted his remarks, we might never have doubted.

On the studio version, Keith is playing the first lead part - but Ronnie was playing it live at the double door

The part towards the ending is classic Ronnie. Similar style as on Highwire, Don't Stop etc. Keith could never have played like this.

i freaking love that song
been trying to get the feel down for ages

Quote
marcovandereijk

Quote
with sssoul
that lovely lick that goes cantering up and down late in the number is Ronnie, isn't it

Right here it is:




Live '97 double door.

Thanks for posting. Too bad it lacks the driving intensity of the studio version, IMO.

Drew

makes me wanna pick up the double door dvd.


IORR............but I like it!

Ronnie impresses here; it is not a very hard line, but in Stones territory that is an involved lead line.They don't ususally like fixed lead lines.

Quote
liddas
No open G guitars in Crazy Mama.

It was discussed here

[www.iorr.org]

C

Wow this other thread could be called off the tracks talk. Still, over five pages I didn't see that there's no open g. How do we know this?
(sounds like open g to me)

edit: Isn't Mick playing open g in the double door version?


On the internet nobody knows
you're Mick Jagger



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-09-07 16:48 by camper88.

Quote
drewmaster

Quote
marcovandereijk

Quote
with sssoul
that lovely lick that goes cantering up and down late in the number is Ronnie, isn't it

Right here it is:




Live '97 double door.

Thanks for posting. Too bad it lacks the driving intensity of the studio version, IMO.

Drew

it just never quite "clicked" on the tour - i think it was a mistake for mick to play guitar; he was preoccupied with it and he mailed in the vocal as a result....

Quote
Palace Revolution 2000
Ronnie impresses here; it is not a very hard line, but in Stones territory that is an involved lead line.They don't ususally like fixed lead lines.

what? that's about ALL ronnie does is play "fixed" leads....

Quote
camper88

edit: Isn't Mick playing open g in the double door version?

Indeed it looks like he is in open G at the double door. But I remember that when I tried it at home open E worked better than open G. I am not 100% sure though!

C

I have always loved that song and especially what Ronnie does. I believe that Ron got his inspiration for that lick from working in Japan(I think in 1974). The scale, the sound effect on the guitar and the way Ron plays as an asian twist to it which is quite unusual in rock and roll.
Rock and Roll,
Mops

Isn't it "sure make my hackles rise"?

I always heard it as 'shackles'. What are hackles?

@ Christian,

it sounds like shackles, although hackles may seem to make more sense.

Perhaps it connects back to ball and chain?

@ Palace

hackles: The hairs that stand up along the back of the neck of an animal, especially of a dog.

Fast, funny, sleazy, catchy....I've always love the song and the album.

Important beginnings ...........thanks Mr Letitbleed !








I am a Frenchie ,as Mick affectionately called them in the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1977 .

Liddas, you must be really out of your mind - it's totally open G.

Of Course it's open G. Both Mick and Keith plays open G in the DD clip.

[www.reverbnation.com]

And that line at the end is certainly Ronnie. Keith can't play like that. The other little lead line is Keith but the jangly zinging up the frets is Ronnie.

How is that such a wonder? Some of you must be drunk!

Quote
skipstone
And that line at the end is certainly Ronnie. Keith can't play like that. The other little lead line is Keith but the jangly zinging up the frets is Ronnie.

How is that such a wonder? Some of you must be drunk!

that's an unnecessary dismissal to those of us who aren't....or something....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-09-07 20:35 by StonesTod.

There are others.

but, given it's a national holiday, we'll see if something can be done about this....