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

Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Unit, Stargroves, Newbury, Berkshire, UK,
April 10 - 15, 1974 and Island Recording Studios, London, UK, May 20 - 25, 1974.

Mick Jagger - vocals, electric guitar
Keith Richards - electric guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - synthesizer
Mick Taylor - bass
Nicky Hopkins - piano
Billy Preston - clavinet
Jolly Kunjappu - tabla

Fingerprint file, you get me down
You keep me running, know my way around, yes you do, child
Fingerprint file, you get me down, keep me running, you keep me on the ground
Know my moves, way ahead of time, listening to me on your satellite, yeah

Feeling followed, feeling tagged, crossing water, trying to wipe my tracks
And there's some little jerk in the FBI, a-keepin' papers on me, six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down

You better watch out on your telephone, wrong number, they know you ain't home
And there's some little jerk in the FBI, a-keepin' papers on me, six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down

Who's the man on the corner, that, that corner over there
I, I don't know, well, you better lay low, watch out

Keep on the look out, electric eyes, rats on the sell out, who gonna testify
You know my habits way ahead of time, listening to me on your satellite
And there's some little jerk in the FBI, a-keepin' papers on me, six feet high
It gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down, it gets me down

Hello baby, yeah, you know, we ain't, we ain't talkin' alone, who's listening?
Well, I don't really know, but you better tell the SIS to keep out of sight
'Cause I know they takin' pictures on the ultraviolet light
Yes, yeah, but, but these days it's all secrecy, no privacy, shoot first, that’s right
You know, bye bye, who's listening?
Right now somebody is listening to you, keep eyes peeled on you
What a price, what a price to pay, all right
Good night, sleep tight

Produced by The Glimmer Twins

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll” LP
(Rolling Stones Records COC 79101) US, October 15, 1974



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011-11-21 14:15 by René.

Great song on record and live but wasn't the live recording on LOVE YOU LIVE remixed and shortened?

Great phase/flanges riff; i love the other wah guitar too. I think this is a very dark and funky tune worth to listen. Very nice one

I love this song, it always moves me!

highlight of the album for sure, and a very hip & smart lyric
interesting too how it sort of presages the next LP, just like Starfvcker was sort of a preview for iorr

Fingerprint File is one of those rare experimental Stones songs that comes completely out of the blue - Shattered, Heaven, Feel On, Continental Drift, Terrifying, and Thief In The Night being other examples of songs pretty much at odds with the rest of the album they're on.

with sssoul is right that it really hints at what was to come on Black And Blue - a great, chunky, rock funk hybrid with a nod to Little Feat and The Meters, two bands that the Stones really admired around this time.
Led Zeppelin also went down this route with songs like The Crunge, Trampled Underfoot and more so on the Presence album.

A favorite deep cut! LOVE IT! Good summarization silver dagger. A heavy slab of proto funk. Great menacing atmosphere with inner city grit. Heartbreaker was precursor, but in my opinion Fingerprint File sounds more authentic and far more layered with gritty nuances. Jagger really puts everything he's got into this one, down to one of their best ending of an album... lip smacking! Bill also is a unsung hero on this one! My favorite one on IORR and a consistent thrill every time I spin it.

Wasn't this one of the tunes that Bill Wyman moaned about not getting the credit for?

Reasons enough mentioned above why it´s a fantastic song...just incredible.

Was my second fave after IORR from this album..it was a song sounding like Sister Morphine I thought...really, Bill says he wrote it...

I LOVE Fingerprint File. I think Dr. John and his psychedelic material might be an influence for this tune. Mick appears on a couple Dr. John tunes around that time period, and if you listen to some of his music from the early 70's, it is very much along the lines of Fingerprint File.

Love the song, love the bass line, one of my favorite Stones tunes.

Brilliant song. Captured the Watergate era.

Greatest bass guitar line in a Stones song ever IMO! (Sorry Bill...Mick T gets all the glory on this one, and deservedly so)

Excellent song all around, best track on the album...I'd love to see 'em dust this one off for the next tour. Won't happen, probably, but it's nice to dream.

a great song on a great album.

I never get tired of hearing this tune. Luv it!

How about Ronnie's bass playing on the live version?

its another Jagger character role in the vocal delivery...like a 70's black drug dealer or something. but it certainly fit the song.

For me this song is notable because it is one of the few on this album that feels like it is played with any conviction. I have revisited this album many times, but other than some moments I simply cannot warm up to it. It is the second in an extended string of albums with lousy openers.

Great contributions of riffmaster Keith, the studio version belongs to the all time greats of the band, but the live adaptation is terrible, lousy vocals, strange rhythm section, somewhat like a samba that doesn't fit to the song, and the loud guitar of Keith, that is the momentum of the song on the studio version, has been vanished. Further the bass lines of MT are far better than the one of RW (see "rhythm section").

Always thought this tune should have gotten more attention. It is one of their bizarre killer studio tracks. I remember when I got a Walkman or whatever, those portable cassette players. I made a tape of my faves from 73-80 and this was on it.

GREAT tune.

Awesome bass by Taylor

i love this song .such a great groove .very hypnotic and intoxicating !!!!!!!!

it's one of those rare songs that even though i haven't played it in months i can hear the whole song in my head

Quote
René


Mick Jagger - vocals, electric guitar
Keith Richards - electric guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - synthesizer
Mick Taylor - electric guitar, bass
Nicky Hopkins - piano
Billy Preston - clavinet
Jolly Kunjappu - tabla

Jagger : rythm guitar (the one with the MXR Phase 90)
Richard : wah-wah

I can't hear a third guitar.

Great song that captured the feeling of that time: "These days there's not privacy...just secrecy."

It was written when Watergate was in the news and paranoia ruled supreme.

not a lot different from today.

great song.great bass playing by mick taylor!

Ronnie, Mick T, Keith, Bill & Darryl... oh well

I think I like best regular guitarists playing bass. they do it differently and Keith is my fave not to mention Ronnie, who was employed by mighty Jeff Beck

Wanted to hear this again. So I go to you tube and says I can't listen to it becasue abkco has filed something again this song! How in the world can abkco file against F.F. ....I know they didn't have this in the can while they under contract with them!

"Well my heavy throbbers itchin' just to lay a solid rhythm down"

Quote
Mister J

Quote
René


Mick Jagger - vocals, electric guitar
Keith Richards - electric guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - synthesizer
Mick Taylor - electric guitar, bass
Nicky Hopkins - piano
Billy Preston - clavinet
Jolly Kunjappu - tabla

Jagger : rythm guitar (the one with the MXR Phase 90)
Richard : wah-wah

I can't hear a third guitar.

I am not sure it's the Phase 90, it sounds very much like a real Leslie cabinet to my ears, just as Jagger used on the 75 tour.

Mathijs

Well since nobody is going to post it
LA Forum 1975