Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Dancing With Mr. D
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

Dynamic Sound Studios, Kingston, Jamaica, November 25 - 30 & December 6 - 21,
1972 and Island Recording Studios, London, UK, May 28 - June 20, 1973

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar, backing vocals
Charlie Watts - drums
Mick Taylor - electric guitar, bass, backing vocals
Nicky Hopkins - piano
Billy Preston - clavinet
Pascal - percussion
Rebop Kwakuh Baah - congas

Yeah, well, down in the graveyard where we have our tryst
The air smells sweet, the air smells sick
He never smiles, his mouth merely twists
The breath in my lungs feels clinging and thick
But I know his name, he's called Mister D, one of these days he's gonna set you free
Human skulls is hangin' right 'round his neck
The palms of my hands is clammy and wet
Lord, I was dancin', dancin', dancin' so free, dancin', dancin', dancin' so free
Dancin', Lord, keep your hand off me
Dancin' with Mister D, with Mister D, with Mister D

Will it be poison put in my glass, will it be slow or will it be fast?
The bite of a snake, the sting of a spider, a drink of Belladonna on a Toussaint night
Hiding in a corner in New York City, lookin' down a forty four in West Virginia
Lord, I was dancin', dancin', dancin' so free, dancin', dancin', dancin' so free
Dancin', Lord, keep your hand off me
Dancin' with Mister D, with Mister D, with Mister D, with Mister D, with Mister D
Dancin’ dancin’, dancin’ dancin’, dancin’ dancin’, dancin’ dancin’
Lord, I was dancin', dancin', dancin' so free, dancin', dancin', dancin' so free
Dancin', Lord, keep your hand off me
Dancin' with Mister D, loud, sing it loud, well, well

One night I was dancin' with a lady in black
Wearin' black silk gloves and a black silk hat
She looked at me longin' with black velvet eyes
She gazed at me strange all cunning and wise
Then I saw the flesh just fall off her bones
The eyes in her skull was burning like coals
Lord, have mercy, fire and brimstone, I was dancin' with Misses D
Lord, I was dancin', dancin', dancin' so free, I was dancin', dancin', dancin' so free
Lord, dancin', dancin', dancin' so free
Dancin’ dancin’, dancin’ dancin’, dancin’ dancin’, dancin’ dancin’, dancin’ dancin’…

Produced by Jimmy Miller

First released on: The Rolling Stones - “Goat’s Head Soup” LP
(Rolling Stones Records COC 59101) UK, August 31, 1973



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-12-01 17:33 by René.

B-side of the Doo doo doo doo doo Single in the US.

Played live about 27 times during the 1973 European Tour. Revived in 2017.
Here's Birmingham:







Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-09-15 12:35 by marcovandereijk.

This was the first time the word self-parody entered my mind...

But I like it more now - great groove at least!

Where is this "Je t'aime" lyric coming from ?

A first sign of the band 'losing it'.

The song tries to reach everywhere, but leads nowhere. It is a 'dance' song: a weak, bored groove.. Tries to have riff or hook a'la 'guess what': a bored, uninspired miss... Tries to lyricwise play with their dangerous past Satanic Majestise/Sympathy For The Devil/JJ Flash-imaginery, and ends up like a sterile, bad Grimm fairytail that only gathers co-shame..

It is also the reason why GOATS HEAD SOAP will always be remained "the album that started the downhill of the 70's"- as an opener it sets the mood for the album, of which it never reaches out.

Summa summarum: (a) to be recorded over-all, and (b) to be released as an important first track, it is a clear indication that the band was really losing its direction and self-judgement. (It is funny when the Stones always get caught so easily when the 'muse' or the 'mind' or the 'heart' is not there. Just like with SATANIC MAJESTIES album before.)

It did okay in 1973 tour, but that was not due to the song, but the hotness of the band.

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-10-05 12:56 by Doxa.

Quote
Palace Revolution 2000
Where is this "Je t'aime" lyric coming from ?

I don't hear that at all ...I hear "You did it, oh keep doing it"



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

Like this tune very much! Dark, hard bluesrock-tune! Cool riff and nice sliding by MT!
Cool live-version, marcovandereijk!

[www.reverbnation.com]

Quote
Doxa
A first sign of the band 'losing it'.

The song tries to reach everywhere, but leads nowhere. It is a 'dance' song: a weak, bored groove.. Tries to have riff or hook a'la 'guess what': a bored, uninspired miss... Tries to lyricwise play with their dangerous past Satanic Majestise/Sympathy For The Devil/JJ Flash-imaginery, and ends up like a sterile, bad Grimm fairytail that only gathers co-shame..

It is also the reason why GOATS HEAD SOAP will always be remained "the album that started the downhill of the 70's"- as an opener it sets the mood for the album, of which it never reaches out.

Summa summarum: (a) to be recorded over-all, and (b) to be released as an important first track, it is a clear indication that the band was really losing its direction and self-judgement. (It is funny when the Stones always get caught so easily when the 'muse' or the 'mind' or the 'heart' is not there. Just like with SATANIC MAJESTIES album before.)

It did okay in 1973 tour, but that was not due to the song, but the hotness of the band.

- Doxa

really tried to follow your argumentation because i think you always have a good eye and year for music and especialy for the rolling stones. i somehow understand your points. intelectualy they're probably right. but i just love that tune! i even think, that this "loosing direction, leading nowhere" kinda thing (what you dont like) is the strength of this song. it's dark, foggy, sleazy and really creates that "lost" mood. it's not to the point, and in a way they dont nail it, but exactly that is what creates that great dangerous mood!

***** i'm a cold italian pizza *****

I think "Dancing with Mr D" contributed to GHS lukewarm reputation. I recall reading that Jagger tried and tried to bend it into a hitsingle. The riff is just not that good, the chorus chant a bit lame. I myself do like the verse lyrics ok. But it is the album's opener and right away there is none of the fire from those last tours and from "Exile", "Sticky", LIB and Banquet. The last 4 openers had been

Sympathy for the Devil
Gimme Shelter
Brown Sugar
Rocks off
I mean - you can't beat it. Then along comes "Mr D". I think the actual production didn't help it either. The whole GHS album lacks a certain fire and excitement. I personally blame that on the absence of Jimmy Miller. Part of Jimmy Miller's genius was that he knew how to record percussion and Grand Pianos like no one else.
Not enough fire... take "Casino Boogie" e.g.; a marginal obscure groove tune from Exile. It still packs more heat and grease than Mr D.
IMO it takes a long time for GHS to really sink in. For the Stoners this is a harder one to fully appreciate.

Quote
Doxa
It did okay in 1973 tour, but that was not due to the song, but the hotness of the band.

I like this sentence very much.

Am I the only one to hear "You did it, oh keep doin' it" at the beginning ?



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

No. I hear it too, although I've always thought he said 'You did it, oh get it' or something of that - well, obviously I can't tell. He slurs it pretty good. I've always loved the lick. It's the Satisfaction lick from the 69 tour only in A. Nice slow sleazy - that's the key word for this album - groove.

For me, as a kid, it's the third 'other' Stones I'd heard. My dad had Hot Rocks, More Hot Rocks, Let It Bleed and Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! and I spent a lot of time playing those albums.

The second other Stones was Tattoo You. In the midst of Start Me Up, Neighbours and Hang Fire on the radio came Doo Doo Doo Doo on those two for Tuesdays or whatever. That's when I heard Doo Doo Doo Doo. It took a while for me to figure out but I did and that's when I got Goats Head Soup. I was completely captivated with the horns of Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo and when I got the album and heard Mr D, well, I thought it was perfect.

Still do. Whether or not it's really that good or bad I don't seem to have ever cared about, I've just always liked it. So in that sense, it's not Classic Stones I guess - but it's close.

My opinion a very underated song. It has that murky type of Exile feel to it. Great guitar licks and I love the lyrics. I think Goats Heads Soup's track listing is a bit of a problem. Too many slower songs at the beginning. Put Star Star as the 2nd track & it would has given some punch early on. Wish they would do this song live again.

It's so very lonely, you're 2,000 Light Years from home

great song, great lyrics

yes this album was less than the prior 4 the stones made, but so was every other album ever made by anyone

this album is underated ,as is IORR & Black & Blue

if you don't like any of these albums then you really are not a true stones fan

go to springsteen or dylans sites where you may belong

wrong!! GREAT song!

Quote
Dear Doctor
great song, great lyrics

yes this album was less than the prior 4 the stones made, but so was every other album ever made by anyone

this album is underated ,as is IORR & Black & Blue

if you don't like any of these albums then you really are not a true stones fan

go to springsteen or dylans sites where you may belong

...and I thought this thread is called Track Talk and not Board Bash...

sorta agree with Doxa - not a particularly awful song - those wouldn't happen for a few more years - but it was one of the early indications that they had any chips in the armor at all...

it's now gotten to the point where it's a question whether they even have any armor....

Love the lyrics.

That sleazy riff was love at first listen the first time I ever played GHS - I enjoy the lyrics, and frankly my dears I don't give a damn if it is self-parody: it's fun. However I will concede that the dancing dancing goes on a bit too long at the end.

I agree with Palace Revolution and Doxa that it just isn't good.

It sounds lifeless, and there's no "air" in there...a very dense recording that needs some space between the instruments.

Not A bad song Atoll esp. live on the europe tour, but on the on the other hand I've always thought of it as a rather week album opener coming off the heals of the Big Four. I can't help but notice a drop off in song writing quality there.

I like GHS and IORR but for me those albums are a low point in opening with a strong number. The first time I heard those albums and heard the openings songs I was like "Really...?". and I still kind of feel the same way. Later on with Black N Blue and Some Girls they came up with much better openings songs when they did funk/disco or whatever you wanna call it.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2009-10-05 22:21 by ryanpow.

I think this was a sign that the band were running out of creative fuel. I think it sucks basically. They tried to draw upon the old themes of evil that they had mined so successfully on Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed but this time it's just cartoonish.

That being said, I've always really liked GHS and this song and the imagery contained in the lyrics are a part of that album, along with burning candles in the cold, cold winter, and silver trains, and Mary(Marriane perhaps?) and Mick sitting on a gate, just gazing at the sky.......

But "Dancing With Mr. D" as a singular song leaves me cold. For those that like it, good for you, but I think it's only strength is lending mood and imagery to Goat's Head Soup.

I could see them doing it nowadays live again. It just would fit in with the 2010 Stones IMO.

The version from Brussels affair is one of my all time favorite live versions of any song. I wish they would play it next tour with the 73 vigor of course.

Quote
SwayStones
Am I the only one to hear "You did it, oh keep doin' it" at the beginning ?

nope!! that's what I was hearing too!!

What da heck does that j’tiame (or whatever that word was) mean?? Just curious

"Doctor please, some more men please,
To Cotchford Farm, out by the pool...

What a drag it is they couldn't revive him"

Brian Jones 2/28/42 - 7/2/69

It is inconceivable that Mick was saying I love you in French, which is what ja taime is, at the beginning of such a song! That's just a really bad translation of the lyric(s).

Believe it or not, got the j'taime lyrics from rollingstones.com a while back, but they're gone now. Can't hear it either, "you did it, oh keep doin' it" sounds much better.

René

Not sure about the first bit: the second is definitely "Ah, keep doing it".

Interesting to compare this thread to the Pet Sounds one: the difference between the things you are told you ought to like or dislike, and the the things you actually do enjoy or not "get". Mr D is the opposite of Pet Sounds: the party line is that you shouldn't enjoy it - but lots of us do.

Everything Doxa said. Insightful lad that he is.

And Dear Doctor re the below:

"if you don't like any of these albums then you really are not a true stones fan

go to springsteen or dylans sites where you may belong"

Grow the F up.

love this song and ghs is one of my favourite albums. i also like the production of the record very much.