...in my top five Stone's tracks...Thanks Chuck !

A thought occurred to me today while listening to LA Friday. I skimmed all 6 pages of this track talk and didn't see it mentioned. Why is is that on pretty much every live version from TOTA onward, Ronnie sings the chorus with Mick? It's the only song where they do that, but they always do it.

KEITH: "They even got down to saying that Steve McQueen would pass an injunction against the song [STARF*CKER] because of the line about him and of course he okayed it."

I would love to see the actual letter the Stones sent McQueen asking his permission.

Great song. A few things. I don't see this as uninspired at all. I am surprised to see this mentioned.
I like the tricks they use. First there is one of Keith's old tricks about keeping the Bass out for a while.
The intro guitar pans from left to right until settling in on the left, and then the rhythm guitar starts chugging on the left.
The solo is two guitars - I had not noticed this. So wonder if it is Keith on all of these.
The ending is really well done because it builds into a rave up, but while the vocals start stacking up, and repeating the chorus, they then mix them out, and let the guitars (ALL on low strings and chords) and Jagger's yelps take over. One would think you just keep adding and adding, but they know better.

Quote
Silver Dagger
So who's it about then? Carly Simon was the name on everybody's lips at the time.

Great song You way off

Quote
Title5Take1
KEITH: "They even got down to saying that Steve McQueen would pass an injunction against the song [STARF*CKER] because of the line about him and of course he okayed it."

I would love to see the actual letter the Stones sent McQueen asking his permission.

+1 now THAT would be a valuable piece!!! Gotta love Stones myths and legends.



So, I forget, what did she give to Steve McQueen

Quote
MrBobMartini
A thought occurred to me today while listening to LA Friday. I skimmed all 6 pages of this track talk and didn't see it mentioned. Why is is that on pretty much every live version from TOTA onward, Ronnie sings the chorus with Mick? It's the only song where they do that, but they always do it.

Because that's just what... they do.

Great thread. Very enjoyable. Learned a few things. Interesting stories and observations.

For me Star @#$%& passes the test...IT PUMPS ME UP! Love it!

Goat's Head Soup is very underrated.

The studio releases, I love the overdubbed first US version the best. It's cool.

I can sort of see why "Fast Walking Slow Walking" and a few others didn't get on the album. Maybe if albums had more time to fill some of these other songs would have be on there.

I was just going through GHS outtakes before the "Star Star lyrics" thread [iorr.org] started which led me to this thread.

The most interesting thing I found about all of the labels that did GHS outtakes was that they all have a very different approach. They're all great!

Here's what I have below. What am I missing?



If you see what each of these titles did with their approach of how to construct a GHS outtake album, you may find it interesting too.


As far as the best live version of Star F ucker...well...I like many of them. I'd be more interested in the best from each tour.

Did anyone mention New Castle '73?






GHS album photos by David Baily




Cool font on "The Rolling Stones."

"Star Star" is a song by The Rolling Stones that appeared on their 1973 album Goats Head Soup. In some European countries, including France and Germany, it was released as a single backed with "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)." One of the raunchiest songs in the band's catalogue, the song was originally titled "@#$%&" until Atlantic Records owner Ahmet Ertegün (Atlantic was the distributor of Rolling Stones Records) insisted on the change.

The song gained notoriety not only for explicit lyrics alluding to sex acts involving fruit (among other things) but also for controversial mentions of such celebrities as John Wayne and Steve McQueen. It was released about nine months after Carly Simon's affair with Jagger and the release of the song, "You're So Vain". Simon, who was by now married to fellow singer-songwriter James Taylor, had moved to Hollywood, which is mentioned in the lyrics of "Star Star". While discussing the song, the band members have always referred to the song by its original title. A live performance was captured and released on 1977's Love You Live. (Atlantic also tinkered with the mix, drowning a few key words with studio trickery, on all pressings except the very first promo copies.)

"Star Star" is a classic, Chuck Berry-style rocker that slowly increases in momentum as the song progresses. The opening lick, stabs in the verses and solo are played by Keith Richards and the rhythm guitar by Mick Taylor. Bill Wyman's bass line is postponed until the second verse.

Cover versions:

In 1978, the Swedish artist Magnus Uggla did a punk rock cover of the song with lyrics in Swedish called "Stjärnluder" ("Star Whore") on his album Vittring.

Joan Jett included a completely uncensored version as an unlisted hidden track on the cassette version of her 1983 album Album [MCA, MCAC-5437], which resulted in a ban of this tape by WalMart and other stores. MCA then issued a second cassette version ["Album Only Version"] in a red plastic box [ MCA, MCAC-5445] that deleted the objectionable song.[1] The song reappeared on her Flashback compilation in 1993.

The 1978 Cheech & Chong comedy film Up In Smoke features a cover version of the song during the Strawberry scene. However, the record skips and repeats the line "Star @#$%&, Star" ad infinitum.

Croatian band Psihomodo Pop released their own version of "Star Star", on their 1993 album Srebrne Svinje.




single by The Rolling Stones
from the album Goats Head Soup
B-side "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)"
Released December 1973
Recorded November & December, 1972
Genre Rock and roll, proto-punk
Length 4:25
Label Rolling Stones/Virgin
Songwriter(s) Jagger/Richards
Producer(s) Jimmy Miller






Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-01-06 17:08 by exilestones.

Carol (GYYYO) is the quintessential Chuck Berry replicate. Star , Star just doesn't seem to fit on GHS. It just doesn't fit on any other same era album such as ER or SG.

Tops of Tattoo You seems to convey the same message better with much more swagger and feel.

I am walking last night listening to “A Brussels Affair”. As I am enjoying Star Star sudden I hear a lyric I’d never noticed before in 45 years of listening to this song. “I’m making bets your gonna get John Wayne before he dies”. Wow. I go and listen to the remastered studio version, overdubs removed, and there it is. But in LA Friday and Love You Live its been replaced by versions of the Jimmy Page lyric! Does anyone here know why? Legal reasons? Respect reasons? More fun to poke at Jimmy Page? Curious to know.

Don't know what was in their heads, naturally but the line was meant cheekily to begin with and once Mr. Wayne had cancer, it would have lost its humor and seemed cruel. Changing it to poke fun at a colleague was a smarter move. Just a guess.

Incidentally, there was an overdub where Mick sings "your man" over "John Wayne" likely to appease Atlantic's lawyers.

Ah good point about cancer. He didn’t die until 1979 but yeah not funny about someone with cancer. Oh and thanks about overdub, I wondered if it had something similar to over “keeps your p$$$y clean”.

If you search on the board - maybe even the Track Talk, there's a whole history of what vinyl pressings were untouched and what were affected. I first had the album on cassette from Atlantic which had both overdubs. You could literally hear Mick singing over his earlier line which created an unpleasant effect. I think the "tricks with fruit" line became "now that really is a scene." I think the CBS CD and cassette were likewise overdubbed, but it's been ages since I heard Vlado Meller's master (pretty sure he handled GOATS HEAD SOUP for CBS). The Virgin remaster (the best) was restored and untouched, but the Universal brickwalled version reverted to overdubbing at least initially. I think later pressings were free of the overdub.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"I think the "tricks with fruit" line became "now that really is a scene."

I never noticed the "now that really is a scene" line. I'll have to go through my Goats Head Soups. Any hints to where this version is located exactly?

Jimmy Page was quite the rage is 78. He was the 'flavor of the month.'

Track Talk: Star Star [iorr.org]





David Bailey photo

Quote
Rocky Dijon
If you search on the board - maybe even the Track Talk, there's a whole history of what vinyl pressings were untouched and what were affected. I first had the album on cassette from Atlantic which had both overdubs. You could literally hear Mick singing over his earlier line which created an unpleasant effect. I think the "tricks with fruit" line became "now that really is a scene." I think the CBS CD and cassette were likewise overdubbed, but it's been ages since I heard Vlado Meller's master (pretty sure he handled GOATS HEAD SOUP for CBS). The Virgin remaster (the best) was restored and untouched, but the Universal brickwalled version reverted to overdubbing at least initially. I think later pressings were free of the overdub.

On the very first 'Goats Head" vinyl pressings it was the "pussy" line, and the "John Wayne" line that were garbled. They weren't replaced, it was just mush. Almost sounded like needle skipping. And I remember listening to all that as a little kid, and all before the Net, and everyone knowing all lyrics. So I actually had to get used to the real version later on.
On the '78 tour shows I think I recall Jagger changing the lines about Page all the time.

At the LA show in '81, Mick replaced "Steve McQueen" with "Jack Nicholson" (which didn't really fit, and he had to sing faster)

McQueen had died a year earlier, so maybe he did it out of respect?

At Twickers in 2003 Mick also updates it by singing “Billy Bob boy got mad with me, for giving it to Angeline”. It refers to the Billy Bob Thornton/Angelina Jolie romance. I always thought that was a cheeky update. Of course Jagger banged the livin’ shit out of Jolie. Probably a few years prior during the ASMB video shoot.

JumpingKentFlash

For your delight and delectation - the South African censored version!

[www.youtube.com]






"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"

Years ago, KMET in L.A. used to play their own edit of Harry Nilsson's "You're Breakin' My Heart" with various sound effects covering the f-word.

I wish the remaining Classic Rock stations would pick up on and play this South African version. It's a hoot!

I love the version of Star @#$%& on 25X5. It's a shame it's only a clip.




Deltics1 South Africa Censored Version of Star F ucker [www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-01-07 00:27 by exilestones.

Mick Taylor on rhythm guitar.
excellente
keith is pumping prime
i got no probs with this one.

..whoa that lead guitar smokes, and of course,
Mick Taylor on rhythm guitar. hard to go wrong there.
stu does what i would call 'great'
i love the lyrics too; i mean, it's pretty real.
as valid a 'social commentary' is a lot of their early
drama-rama singles promoted by Andrew...
but deservedly promoted because they WERE dark and observant
and in some cases very cutting; stupid girl and have you seen your mother
and even satisfaction; and actually a lot of them if you want to view
it from that historical lens, and frame...

not that it's 'precious' or deep , the barrel-house insolence of the whole affair, Brussels or otherewise, with that one...has a lot of that movie-star-reference humor that is outrageous and fun...
i just pretty much like everything about it;
and i like it more now than I did when soup was released actually...

it's got a mean spirit too; that's only a few of the reasons why i dig it the most...
it's negative and demeaning; and in a casually cruel way that is perfect.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-01-08 12:04 by hopkins.

Quote
Chris Fountain
Carol (GYYYO) is the quintessential Chuck Berry replicate. Star , Star just doesn't seem to fit on GHS. It just doesn't fit on any other same era album such as ER or SG.

Tops of Tattoo You seems to convey the same message better with much more swagger and feel.

As far as Star Star not fitting on GHS which I've hear a few times now makes me rethink it. It a great Rock and Roll song. It has a few cool bells and whistles and the double lead during the solo. Great performance, mix (at least the original mix I love - not sure about newer mixes - wonder how many there are out there), smutty lyrics are cool, love the song.

Great build at the end. Love hearing Jagger at the very end "I'm telling the world."

Do it fit nicely on GHS? Hmmm. I always knew it on GHS but I've been listening to GHS outtakes lately and songs like Tops, Waiting on a Friend, Separately, Fast Talking seem like a better fit. I guess that a problem making an album and getting songs to fit together. Should they just shelve the song like "I Can See It" got shelved (probably for not fitting n the album but great song).

Is there any of the GHS characteristics in Star F ucker, like the wah-wha or the high hat (but Angie...high hat). I don't know. People can pick out these nuances/characteristics better than I can.

Whether Star F fits well with the other GHS, well, it fits less than it did a few days ago after more listening to GHS outtakes and reading my fellow Stones fans writings. Whether it fits well or not, it's best at the end of the album. One thing for sure is when I'm done listening to the Goats Heads Soup album, it ends on a high. It ends with much energy and a great performance and song. It ends with wanting more. The album end on an up-swing. I love every last note and lyric.

As far as the first US censored version goes...I grew-up with it. It's all I knew until a few years ago (more than a few years). I liked the overdub. I used to think it was some excitement about the 'police.' I didn't know what it said.

After all of the discussion about the overdub, I relisted to the overdub I loved and now wonder if I still love it or does it sound like some sort of skip/mishap with the tapes. I don't know. The jury is now out for deliberations.

Thanks to Deltics for the South African version of Star Star. I heard it years ago and deleted it. It's an abomination. It's horrible. Now it's a historical relic. I'm still not keeping it.

Please play it live in 2019.

Quote
Chris Fountain
Carol (GYYYO) is the quintessential Chuck Berry replicate. Star , Star just doesn't seem to fit on GHS. It just doesn't fit on any other same era album such as ER or SG.

Tops of Tattoo You seems to convey the same message better with much more swagger and feel.

That's what's nice about Star Star - it's out of place on GHS... but it fits appropriately, really, considering that GHS is a very diverse LP.

Old groupies argue over who inspired it. Pamela Des Barre?

It's a great song. Totally irreverent for the times and even today . Insightful . They played it in Syracuse in 97/98 . Postponed show due to Micks laryngitis. It was great . The interaction between Mick and Keith was as if it was 1975 again.

Play it live in 2019?

maybe they'd do that. A lot of newer references could be fun