Re: Rare Version of "Hot Rocks" album?
Date: March 18, 2015 08:52
from 'the RS World-wide up-dated Discography 2015' available on Amazon
In his “AN ILLUSTRATED DISCOGRAPHY” Roy Carr spread rumours of early copies of this 2LP set including ‘Brown Sugar’ alternate takes form the Muscle Shoals Studio days instead of the usual well known ones. Let’s read Roy Carr:
“’Brown Sugar’ exits in different versions and takes. There are those who argue that the cut included on earlier pressings of the ‘Hot Rocks’ compilation has some brass missing. This could as well be illusory and due to transformation of the track from single to LP speed”. Actually, these copies contain a different version of ‘Wild Horse’, too.”
Initially a total of three different matrixes were known to exist; they read the following number/data on off-groove vinyl of side 4. Nowadays, we know a minimum of five different early matrix sets:
1. another important matrix dated 11/5/71 (entry #595) has been discovered, recently. It’s the oldest of them all and contains the rare versions of both songs.
2. XZAL 11018 SHELLEY 11/18/71 made in mid-November (entry #596), was quickly re-made on December 3rd
3. (XZAL 11018 SHELLEY 12/3/71)(entry # 597), in order to remove the alternate versions.
4. One more matrix was made on 12/3/71, but not by Shelley Products Ltd. (entry # 598)
5. On December 6th (XZAL 11018 12/6/71), a fourth matrix (entry # 601)
All these matrixes were used and, so, when the record had its street date (December 15 1971) a minimum of five different matrixes for side-4 were out in the shops. All these initial matrixes were later substituted by new ones as reprints went by and, from circa 1973 onward, both Shelley Products Ltd. marks and dates disappeared from dead vinyl. These two songs were subject of a bitter dispute between ABKCO and Rolling Stones Records. Because of when they were written, Klein claimed ownership; because of when they were finally recorded the Rolling Stones claimed ownership. The settlement was that these two tracks became jointly owned by ABKCO and MUSICDOR B.V., the Rolling Stones’ company. Therefore, LONDON Records – via ABKCO – could put the two songs on its ‘Hot Rocks’ compilation for Christmas 1971. Initially, in order to respect the deadline for a Christmas record, they used older unreleased recordings and re-worked the matrix of side-4 only when they got the correct versions from Rolling Stones Records office. According to a rather comprehensive discography available on the web, the alternate versions were taken from the moviesound-track of ‘Gimme Shelter’.