You must have a very cheap car - a wreck. If you want to hear it live 2022.

Take a look at this!



[www.unenuitnomade.com]

Definetely agree, this could be well over 10 mins long and would still be an amazing song. And I bet they played it out for hours in the studio.
I am not quite a tennager anymore - 23 - but for some reason fell in love with it just now. Got a little sad when I found out they played it the last time in 2013 while doing the arena tour.

Haha I will probably not sell my car for it, don't worry, but might do a road trip to catch as many concerts as I can this summer.

And I was just wondering, they never played it live in the 70s right? Is there any recoding of the 1994 version of the song? I know of the Japan sessions where they played it in the studio but didn't know they did it on the US tour back then.

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Meise
Here's some more information on the possible inspiration

What the hell? I spent some days opposite to that motel some years ago and I thought "ohh, maybe they named that motel after the Stones song". I would never have thought the song could be named after it

Just listened to it a couple of times and was reminded just how great it is. Keith’s vocals are perfect on it too and the lyrics are quite a story

One thing I love about this song is that there's a lot of comedy in the lyrics, highlighted by Mick's delivery.

'I got to fly today on down to Baton Rouge
My nerves are shot already
The road ain't all that smooth'

'Every woman seemed to fade out of my mind
I hit the bottle and hit the sack and cried
What's all this laughter on the 22nd floor
It's just some friends of mine
And they're busting down the door'

'On the seventh day my eyes were all a glaze
We've been ten thousand miles
Been in fifteen states'

Harvey Mandel was good too

3 masterpieces to spend 15 minutes in the Memory Motel:

'Black and Blue' version: [youtu.be]

'Beyond the Groove' - movie version: [youtu.be]

Bremen 1998: [youtu.be]

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BlueTurns2Grey
3 masterpieces to spend 15 minutes in the Memory Motel:

'Black and Blue' version: [youtu.be]

'Beyond the Groove' - movie version: [youtu.be]

Bremen 1998: [youtu.be]

That Mick solo version is during demo sessions, which probably explains why it's so lacking.

That 1998 version though...

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BlueTurns2Grey
3 masterpieces to spend 15 minutes in the Memory Motel:

'Black and Blue' version: [youtu.be]

'Beyond the Groove' - movie version: [youtu.be]

Bremen 1998: [youtu.be]

Only one of those versions is worth listening to, in my opinion.

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Stonesfan2146
Do you also know those moments when you listen to a Stones song you liked but never paid lots of special attention to, and then one day you listen to the album version and it just feels like a perfect piece altogether?

With Memory Motel that was the case with me during those past few days, the song just hits in a very unique way, so impressive that it's even shivers and tears, but it's not because of the lyrics but because of the melody.

What makes this song so great to listen to? Is it Bills bass slides at the very right moment or the very special piano sounds which just sound magical, or Keith's phenomenal contribution, or Micks fantastic singing?

Right now I would sell my car to hear that song live one day.

Beautifully put. I've had those moments too. Just not with this track.

Drew

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Bliss
One thing I love about this song is that there's a lot of comedy in the lyrics, highlighted by Mick's delivery.

'I got to fly today on down to Baton Rouge
My nerves are shot already
The road ain't all that smooth'

'Every woman seemed to fade out of my mind
I hit the bottle and hit the sack and cried
What's all this laughter on the 22nd floor
It's just some friends of mine
And they're busting down the door'

'On the seventh day my eyes were all a glaze
We've been ten thousand miles
Been in fifteen states'

I’m more music than lyrics, but for me another example of some indistinguishable lines(portions of first and second stanza)that are really cool. That Bremen version is outstanding

Carly Simon for inspiration?

So glad Bremen came out after the Dave Matthews thing....

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BlueTurns2Grey
3 masterpieces to spend 15 minutes in the Memory Motel:

'Black and Blue' version: [youtu.be]

'Beyond the Groove' - movie version: [youtu.be]

Bremen 1998: [youtu.be]

Thanks, these are great. I never heard Mick solo on this.

Keith got a voice of his own
And he use it well
Mighty fine, he´s one of a kind

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BlueTurns2Grey
3 masterpieces to spend 15 minutes in the Memory Motel:

'Black and Blue' version: [youtu.be]

'Beyond the Groove' - movie version: [youtu.be]

Bremen 1998: [youtu.be]

and another!
1994, VH1 rehearsal: Memory Motel vh1

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LeonidP

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BlueTurns2Grey
3 masterpieces to spend 15 minutes in the Memory Motel:

'Black and Blue' version: [youtu.be]

'Beyond the Groove' - movie version: [youtu.be]

Bremen 1998: [youtu.be]

and another!
1994, VH1 rehearsal: Memory Motel vh1

Great !

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BlueTurns2Grey

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LeonidP

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BlueTurns2Grey
3 masterpieces to spend 15 minutes in the Memory Motel:

'Black and Blue' version: [youtu.be]

'Beyond the Groove' - movie version: [youtu.be]

Bremen 1998: [youtu.be]

and another!
1994, VH1 rehearsal: Memory Motel vh1

Great !

Love that one too! Too bad that guy interrupted this great version, Mick sang it so well!

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Stonesfan2146

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BlueTurns2Grey

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LeonidP

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BlueTurns2Grey
3 masterpieces to spend 15 minutes in the Memory Motel:

'Black and Blue' version: [youtu.be]

'Beyond the Groove' - movie version: [youtu.be]

Bremen 1998: [youtu.be]

and another!
1994, VH1 rehearsal: Memory Motel vh1

Great !

Love that one too! Too bad that guy interrupted this great version, Mick sang it so well!

That guy.

OK.

The best thing son that song for me is Keith's harmony on the lines ".. she sang a song to me".
And Charlie's drumming. This is the kind of drumming that no one does these days. Start/ stop/ following the dynamics of the song.

From the March 3-5, 1995 Toshiba sessions for tracks that would be included on STRIPPED.

The isolated vocal track harmonies are awesome! It's also a great example of how Keith's backing vox are more about feel than perfect note for note duping.

"Memory Motel" has always held a special place in my heart. Despite its unconventional lineup with two guest guitar players and three pianos, there's something about the song that resonates with me on a deeply emotional level. Maybe it's the heartfelt lyrics, the shared vocals of Mick and Keith, or the personal nature of the tune, but from the very first time I dropped the needle on the song as a high school sophomore in 1976, it has held me in its grip.

For me, there's a raw and authentic quality to "Memory Motel" that sets it apart from other Stones classics. The lyrics seem to speak to me on a personal level, weaving a narrative that feels intimate and relatable. The shared vocals of Mick and Keith add an extra layer of emotion, drawing me into the story they're telling.

As the song unfolds, I find myself getting lost in its rich tapestry of sound. The guest guitar players and pianos create a lush and multifaceted musical landscape that feels both familiar and fresh.

Over the years, "Memory Motel" has been a constant companion, a song that I return to time and time again. Each listen feels like revisiting an old friend, and the song continues to resonate with me as strongly as it did on that first day in 1976.

"Memory Motel" is a song that has accompanied me through different chapters of my life, offering solace and understanding in moments of joy and sorrow; a cherished piece of the soundtrack of my life.

Anyone else...?

With you 100 percent on this hbwriter. If memory serves me right I think I heard it live once in Toronto at one of the 12 or so shows I have seen. You nailed it perfectly. It's cool because it's not that well known or a hit outside the Stones universe. But it just grabs me. Worried About You does the same for me to a lesser extent. I leave it alone for a while then go back to it and it pulls me in every time. It's just a perfect song to me.

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hbwriter

"Memory Motel" is a song that has accompanied me through different chapters of my life, offering solace and understanding in moments of joy and sorrow; a cherished piece of the soundtrack of my life.

Anyone else...?

Absolutely. That beautiful song reminds me of my first and gorgeous long-term girlfriend. We used to listen to it together many times after it was released. She passed away a few years later. But the song remains....

This is an amazing track. Although never got enough attention publicly. It's up there easily with Angie in my opinion.

If I remember correctly, it is 2 parts created separetly 1 by Mick and 1 by Keith that were put together and it worked.The chord progressions, the grooves and the lyrics in both parts are simple but very effective at drawing the listener emotionnally into the song.
Great song by Mick&Keith!

Rockandroll,
Mops

My favorite Stones song

It's Keith's harmony during "she sang a song to me".
I say it every time this song comes up.

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Palace Revolution 2000
It's Keith's harmony during "she sang a song to me".
I say it every time this song comes up.

I thought that was Wood singing the harmony not Keith