Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Shine A Light
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

Olympic Sound Studios, London, UK, July 23, 1970, Sunset Sound Studios,
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, December 4 - 19, 1971 & January -
March 1972 and Wally Heider Studios, Los Angeles, California, US, March 24 & 25, 1972

Mick Jagger - lead vocals
Mick Taylor - electric guitar, bass
Jimmy Miller - drums
Billy Preston - piano, organ
Clydie King - backing vocals
Venetta Fields - backing vocals
Jesse Kirkland - backing vocals
Joe Green - backing vocals

Saw you stretched out in Room Ten O Nine
With a smile on your face and a tear right in your eye
Oh, couldn't seem to get a line on you, my sweet honey love
Berber jewelry jangling down the street
Making bloodshot eyes at ev'ry woman that you meet
Could not seem to get high on you, my sweet honey love

May the good Lord shine a light on you, make every song your favorite tune
May the good Lord shine a light on you, warm like the evening sun

Well, you're drunk in the alley, baby, with your clothes all torn
And your late night friends leave you in the cold grey dawn
Oh, just seemed too many flies on you, I just can't brush them off
Angels beating all their wings in time
With smiles on their faces and a gleam right in their eyes
Oh, thought I heard one sigh for you
Come on up now, come on up now, come on up now

May the good Lord shine a light on you, make every song you sing your favorite tune
May the good Lord shine a light on you, yeah, warm like the evening sun

Come on up now, come on up now, come on up now

May the good Lord shine a light on you, make every song you sing your favorite tune
May the good Lord shine a light on you, warm like the evening sun

Produced by Jimmy Miller

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Exile On Main Street” 2LP
(Rolling Stones Records COC 69100) UK, May 12, 1972



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-06-02 10:12 by René.

Great live version from Stripped :

Great song, one of their best.

Beautiful shimmering song of joy, heartache, and an explosion of gospel rock. Unlike anything done by a rock band to that point. Full of swamp moss and decadence. Fantastic! One of their best.

One of the defining songs off Exile On Main Street. Looking at Rene's line up of musicians I'm staggered that the two Micks are the only Rolling Stones on this track. I never knew that. Does that make it the Stones' song with the least members ever on it? I guess so.

Anyway, this is one of the most spiritual songs the Stones ever recorded - not only because of the very gospel feel to the music but, perhaps even more so, the overwhelming soulfulness of the lyrics. Aren't those just the most emphatic, heartfelt, inspirational and evocative lines ever written about a junkyard angel?

And part of the song's mystique for me has always been who the recipient of Mick Jagger's wonderful street poetry really is.

Is it one of Mick's lady loves? No way could it be Bianca - she's way to posh to be drunk in the alley with her clothes all torn. Marianne perhaps? I don't think so. No, for me this person is a spiritual cross between Brian and Anita, a remembrance and mourning perhaps of times gone by. The giveaway is the 'Berber jewellery', which evokes pictures of Brian in Marrakesh, and then the line 'you're drunk in the alley' which also summons up images from that ill-fated journey that Brian, Keith and Anita took to Morocco in 67.

And propelling it to exultant end is Billy Preston's brilliant hammond organ, straight from a Sunday morning prayer meeting in the deep south. This is music to warm not only the cockles of your heart but your entire soul and spirit too. Wonderful, quite wonderful.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-05-26 14:24 by Silver Dagger.

No 1 - song on Exile!! 11/10-song...

2 1 2 0

Fantastic and how could they once come up with brilliance such as this and then nothing?

I've never been convinced that "Berber jewellery" is correct, though I'm not sure what the line actually is.

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Aquamarine
I've never been convinced that "Berber jewellery" is correct, though I'm not sure what the line actually is.

What else could it be?

Well, you're drunk in the alley, baby, with your clothes all torn
And your late night friends leave you in the cold grey dawn
Oh, just seemed too many flies on you, I just can't brush them off
Angels beating all their wings in time
With smiles on their faces and a gleam right in their eyes
Oh, thought I heard one sigh for you
Come on up now, come on up now, come on up now


another giveaway

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Redhotcarpet
Well, you're drunk in the alley, baby, with your clothes all torn
And your late night friends leave you in the cold grey dawn
Oh, just seemed too many flies on you, I just can't brush them off
Angels beating all their wings in time
With smiles on their faces and a gleam right in their eyes
Oh, thought I heard one sigh for you
Come on up now, come on up now, come on up now


another giveaway

'Angels beating all their wings in time'...for a departed friend, perhaps?

"Make every song your favourite tune" is a beautiful wish from a musician. I have always thought this is probably Mick's most heart-felt love song and a gorgeous lament and benediction for lost friendship/love.

Yes the dogs bollox,and the Stripped version is brilliant aswel.

Part one of the one-two knockout punch that closes Exile, this is Mick’s heartfelt farewell ode to Brian Jones, and he means it, pouring his heart and soul into every word here. Shine a Light starts out as a gentle ballad, with gorgeous piano and organ from Billy Preston, and then builds with Mick Taylor’s sinuous guitar and ultimately the glorious gospel choir that envelopes Mick. The lyrics are beautiful, but ultimately what makes this track captivating is Jimmy Miller’s majestic, shimmering production.

Check out this early version from ’69 … “Get A Line On You”.


Drew

One thing that always begs the question about this is, Why isn't Keith playing on this? If they only needed one guitar, then surely Keith could have played bass, as he was often wont to do in those days. Perhaps it was out of guilt, since the song was obviously a tribute by Mick to Brian, the same reason Keith didn't attend Brian's funeral, that of a guilty conscience.

Come to think of it, where are the other Stones? No Bill or Charlie either? This is really, like the Performance soundtrack, one of Mick's earlier solo outings.

Quote
drewmaster
Part one of the one-two knockout punch that closes Exile, this is Mick’s heartfelt farewell ode to Brian Jones, and he means it, pouring his heart and soul into every word here. Shine a Light starts out as a gentle ballad, with gorgeous piano and organ from Billy Preston, and then builds with Mick Taylor’s sinuous guitar and ultimately the glorious gospel choir that envelopes Mick. The lyrics are beautiful, but ultimately what makes this track captivating is Jimmy Miller’s majestic, shimmering production.

Check out this early version from ’69 … “Get A Line On You”.


Drew

Nice one Drew. There's another demo version which is great too, off the Get A Line On You bootleg. Can anyone find that on You Tube and post it please.

Micks farewell to Brian and, my guess, inspired by the overrated Let it be (just inspired)

Jagger as the songwriting God he is at his best.
A masterpiece.

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Silver Dagger

Nice one Drew. There's another demo version which is great too, off the Get A Line On You bootleg. Can anyone find that on You Tube and post it please.

Thanks Mike. Your summary was superb, by the way. As far as another SAL demo, do you mean this one?



Drew

One of my favorite songs on EOMS. Beautiful song. I've always thought it was about Brian.

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drewmaster

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Silver Dagger

Nice one Drew. There's another demo version which is great too, off the Get A Line On You bootleg. Can anyone find that on You Tube and post it please.

Thanks Mike. Your summary was superb, by the way. As far as another SAL demo, do you mean this one?



Drew

That's the one Drew. There are two superb Exile outtakes boots - I Gave You The Diamonds...and Get A Line On You. Both well worth getting.

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kowalski
Great live version from Stripped :

Such a poor version. But maybe someone would put Ronnie's solo in the thread Greatest Ron Wood solos.

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Silver Dagger

Quote
drewmaster

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Silver Dagger

Nice one Drew. There's another demo version which is great too, off the Get A Line On You bootleg. Can anyone find that on You Tube and post it please.

Thanks Mike. Your summary was superb, by the way. As far as another SAL demo, do you mean this one?



Drew

That's the one Drew. There are two superb Exile outtakes boots - I Gave You The Diamonds...and Get A Line On You. Both well worth getting.

It sounds like Nicky Hopkins on piano to me- Great Track

Sheer beauty.

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Silver Dagger
Looking at Rene's line up of musicians I'm staggered that the two Micks are the only Rolling Stones on this track. I never knew that. Does that make it the Stones' song with the least members ever on it? I guess so.

'Play With Fire' only has Mick & Keith on it.

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Silver Dagger

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Aquamarine
I've never been convinced that "Berber jewellery" is correct, though I'm not sure what the line actually is.

What else could it be?

Yes, I've got a bunch of Berber jewellery, souvenirs of Morocco vacation. Just saying that I'm not convinced that's what he's singing, though admittedly I have no idea what else would make sense there.

I should have agreed earlier with those saying what a great song this is, btw.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-05-27 01:03 by Aquamarine.

He sings it in the other versions as well.

Other than the key of C and the fact that both songs are gospel-influenced (and have Billy Preston) it has nothing to do with Let It Be.

Yes, I know, it's just that I've never been convinced that "Berber" was what he was singing (there's something about it that just doesn't sound right), even though I can't provide an alternative! Pointless observation on my part, I admit it.