I have listened to the "new" Exile tracks a number of times now, and have noticed that the bass on the more "Jaggerized" songs like "Following The River" sounds much different in tone and even style than Bill's playing. Don Was is a bass player. Could they? Would they? It's not like they haven't wiped Bill before, as on some of the original Exile tracks. I've been listening to Bill for forty years, and this just sounds - different. Maybe some magic was worked with eq, and it was brought up more in the mix, but I am starting to wonder.

Well, I am having big, big doubts about the genuinity of the tracks...I wanted to learn the riff to Plundered My Soul, and only then I noticed how botched and edited this part is, with vintage sounding parts, but also very modern sounding ones...On some of the tracks there's slide guitars that really aren't done by Taylor nor Richards, I still really doubt the drums on Following the River is Watts, and indeed, the bass on most of the traks just does not sound like Wyman at all...I've been listening to Bill since '83, and most of it just does not sound like him....

I don't have any proof, let's keep that clear, but my ears are telling me something different than what Jagger wants us to believe here.

Mathijs

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Mathijs
On some of the tracks there's slide guitars that really aren't done by Taylor nor Richards, I still really doubt the drums on Following the River is Watts, and indeed, the bass on most of the traks just does not sound like Wyman at all...I've been listening to Bill since '83, and most of it just does not sound like him....

I don't have any proof, let's keep that clear, but my ears are telling me something different than what Jagger wants us to believe here.

Mathijs

So who could that anonymous slide guitar player be? Jagger?

Was Bill brought in to re-do or add bass parts? I can't find it now, but I thought I read a quote from Jagger alluding to that. I mean overall, I like the songs..good songs are good songs, but I think MJ has been less than forthcoming on their "history". I guess it is his decision in the end, they are his songs.

Maybe my little comic sketch wasn't so far off after all!

[www.iorr.org]

Now here is an interesting thread...

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Mathijs
Well, I am having big, big doubts about the genuinity of the tracks...I wanted to learn the riff to Plundered My Soul, and only then I noticed how botched and edited this part is, with vintage sounding parts, but also very modern sounding ones...On some of the tracks there's slide guitars that really aren't done by Taylor nor Richards, I still really doubt the drums on Following the River is Watts, and indeed, the bass on most of the traks just does not sound like Wyman at all...I've been listening to Bill since '83, and most of it just does not sound like him....

I don't have any proof, let's keep that clear, but my ears are telling me something different than what Jagger wants us to believe here.

Mathijs

Good to know I'm not the only one with "mixed emotions". The bass on some of these tracks just doesn't sound like the Stones - ANY of their bass players. I'll have to listen to the slide guitar parts again, Mathjis, but I hear what you hear on the "FTR" drums as well.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2010-06-21 00:01 by 71Tele.

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mckalk
Was Bill brought in to re-do or add bass parts? I can't find it now, but I thought I read a quote from Jagger alluding to that. I mean overall, I like the songs..good songs are good songs, but I think MJ has been less than forthcoming on their "history". I guess it is his decision in the end, they are his songs.

I have not heard anything about them bringing Bill in. Maybe with Don Was right there they wouldn't have bothered. Some of these may be more Jagger "solo" tracks than we even thought.

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Mathijs
Well, I am having big, big doubts about the genuinity of the tracks...I wanted to learn the riff to Plundered My Soul, and only then I noticed how botched and edited this part is, with vintage sounding parts, but also very modern sounding ones...On some of the tracks there's slide guitars that really aren't done by Taylor nor Richards, I still really doubt the drums on Following the River is Watts, and indeed, the bass on most of the traks just does not sound like Wyman at all...I've been listening to Bill since '83, and most of it just does not sound like him....

I don't have any proof, let's keep that clear, but my ears are telling me something different than what Jagger wants us to believe here.

Mathijs

I'm with you. For my ears, Title 5 is probably the only unmolested song. I Ain"t Signifying really sound done up to me.

I've wondered if a tracks like Plundered was actually quite short and was lengthened by repeating the same bit(s) of music. I am not a musician and even if I listened real close, I probably could not tell.

I stated at the time of release that I didnt think any of these bonus tracks came from the exile era...and some sound positively recent in sound quality. We have, as they say in the smok, been mugged off!

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crumbling_mice
I stated at the time of release that I didnt think any of these bonus tracks came from the exile era...and some sound positively recent in sound quality. We have, as they say in the smok, been mugged off!

"Soul Survivor", "Good Time Women", "Loving Cup" and "Title 5" are all from the Exile era or before. The only one that I think successfully a marries a real Exile outtake to the modern overdubs is PMS.

"I stated at the time of release that I didnt think any of these bonus tracks came from the exile era...and some sound positively recent in sound quality."

But if that is true surely thats a good thing? That the Stones can produce a quality product?

obviously i wasnt referring to Loving cup, soul survivor ...geez I ask yer...
anyway as i said...there is no way they were all from that era...if you have a half decent stereo and half decent ears you can tell straight away

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ablett
"I stated at the time of release that I didnt think any of these bonus tracks came from the exile era...and some sound positively recent in sound quality."

But if that is true surely thats a good thing? That the Stones can produce a quality product?

The Stones? You mean Mick. Oh, and Mick. (kidding)
Seriously though, if this is true (referring to the bass issue), then it means that Disc 2 is crediting Bill for all sorts of songs he didn't play on which would be the opposite of the original Exile!

In another land...
Where LP credit karma
Makes a very confused man...

[thepowergoats.com]

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crumbling_mice
obviously i wasnt referring to Loving cup, soul survivor ...geez I ask yer...
anyway as i said...there is no way they were all from that era...if you have a half decent stereo and half decent ears you can tell straight away

Sorry, wasn't sure if your statement included those songs. My bad.

Well, Dancing in the Light and Aladdin Story both sound very similar to the circulating instrumental tracks, which stem from the proper era. Obviously with the three songs that were previously unheard, there's no way to prove anything.

Not only it does not sound like Bill's bass playing it sounds as if the bass was played yesterday. It's funny how you can sense stuff like that, also Charlie drums sound recent too, but I could be wrong about that. We don't know what tracks Keith played his acoustics, what tracks Lisa fisher sang on, its just a poor attempt to putting out enigmatic music out there. But it doesn't really matter because Mick can't hide his voice, and boy did it kill some of the songs - Following the river may very well be his worst vocal performance of all time. Don Was talked about preserving the mixing levels of Exile on the new bonus tracks, bullshit, they sound very new, and micks voice very high in the mix - where are the guitars? Jagger solo project all the way through.

So,,, seriously - who were the musicians??? Any ideas/ suspicions?

... hmm, they really did go out of their way to stress that the bass and drums weren't touched...

[thepowergoats.com]

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klrkcr
So,,, seriously - who were the musicians??? Any ideas/ suspicions?

Well, I suspect Don Was might have played bass on "Following The River", but I have no proof, of course.

The initial word from Jagger was that there was a little smattering of overdubs on maybe a track or three -- which was obviously a lie.

Also, didn't he say there were new vocals on only *one* song -- the one he wrote and sang brand new lyrics to?

As far as I remember Mick said in an interview, that bass and drums on the bonus tracks are untouched.
So here we have 2 possible explications for the sound:

1. Don Was played the bass
2. During the original sessions anyone else played the bass part who isn't credited

Keep on rollin'
Gangster

I confess! It was me!

I played the BASS!!

I couldn't hold it in any longer

i'm sorry

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

How much of a touch up did Signifying receive?

I remember that in the original sessions, bass was played by whomever was around at the time of recording (Wyman, Richards, Taylor, Plummer). Another rumour I read is that Taylor went in recently to do overdubs, but people on here don't really hear any new Taylor.

Since they could call me a late-borner and I didn't buy the reissue, I haven't listened to the stuff in any detail, but when I add 1 and 1 together, it might have been the case that Taylor re-did his own bass parts ;-)

But as Dave Stewart would put it, a little mystery is good to sell a record.
Yet, I haven't bought it.

I would have bought an all-new album, though. In fact, I hope they'll release one rather sooner than later, even if its solo albums, especially by Jagger and Wood.

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71Tele
I have listened to the "new" Exile tracks a number of times now, and have noticed that the bass on the more "Jaggerized" songs like "Following The River" sounds much different in tone and even style than Bill's playing. Don Was is a bass player. Could they? Would they? It's not like they haven't wiped Bill before, as on some of the original Exile tracks. I've been listening to Bill for forty years, and this just sounds - different. Maybe some magic was worked with eq, and it was brought up more in the mix, but I am starting to wonder.

For the love of god, get over it already. What does it really matter, since the Stones are pretty much done for at this point. Just how much can you pick one album apart. It won't belong before you guys will be discussing how the disc labels were printed, and did they dare possibly use this kind of cheap ink instead of the much better other kind.

Give it a rest.

>> Also, didn't he say there were new vocals on only *one* song <<

i don't recall him making any statement like that
he was evasive about it, but not outright lying

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69boogie
It won't belong before you guys will be discussing how the disc labels were printed, and did they dare possibly use this kind of cheap ink instead of the much better other kind.

Now there you mention a very important issue that might deserve a thread of it's own

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Keep On Rolling