Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
_______________________________________________________________________________


Tops

Written by: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards

Pathé Marconi Studios (EMI Studios),Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris, France, October 11 - November 12, 1980
Atlantic Studios, New York City, New York, US, April - June 1981

Vocals: Mick Jagger
Electric Guitars: Mick Taylor (Lead), Keith Richards
Drums: Charlie Watts
Bass: Bill Wyman
Piano: Nicky Hopkins

Tops

Hey baby, every man is the same come on
I'll make you a star
I'll take you a million miles from all this
Put you on a pedestal
Come on, come on

Have you ever heard those opening lines?
You should leave this small town way behind
I'll be your partner, show you the steps
With me behind your tasting of the sweet wine of success

'Cause I'll take you to the top, baby
Hey baby, I'll take you to the top
I'll take you to the top, baby
I'll take you to the top

Step on the ladder, toe in the pool
Your such a natural, you don't need no acting school
Don't need no casting couch or be a star in bed
Never, never, never let success go to you pretty head

'Cause I'll take you to the top, baby
I swear we'll never going to stop, baby
I'll take you to the top

Don't let the world pass you by
Don't let the world pass you by
Don't let the world pass you by
You better take your chance now baby
Or be sorry for the rest of your sweet loving life

Baby, oh, sugar
Hey sugar, I'll take you to the top
I'll take you to the top
I'll take you to the top, sugar
I'll take you to the top

I'll take you to the top
I'll take you to the top
I'll take you to the top
I'll take you to the top

Produced by: The Glimmer Twins and Chris Kimsey

First released on: The Rolling Stones - “Tattoo You” LP , 24 August, 1981

Label: Rolling Stones Records COC 16052 US



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2015-11-09 10:28 by NICOS.

Mick is good when he is mocking others, as in this song.

Fantastic song. One of the reasons Tattoo You is such a great album.

Great song. Never grew tired of it. It's very slick, but those bridges are ethereal. One of Mick's best vocals

Quote
DandelionPowderman
Great song. Never grew tired of it. It's very slick, but those bridges are ethereal. One of Mick's best vocals

+1

The song "Tops" is not necessarily weak from my point of view. However, as a matter of taste (for some, probably, a proof for my lack of taste), I for one don't like it. Not at all. Only "Melody" I like less.

[Of course, "Tops" then does not add to my moderate evaluation of its album, also apart from this song.]

Those two songs are worse to me than songs that possibly may be seen as weaker songs even by me.

Song fits perfectly in range the of Winter and Moonlight Mile....and a great bridge indeed

__________________________

A very nice little song. Great groove while being slightly ballad-ish.
I always assumed the basis stemmed from the GHS sessions?

Love it; from the initial hearing of Tattoo You I've loved this one. All of Side 2 really is just so strong, one of their finest sides of vinyl ever I'd venture.

Quote
NICOS
Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Unit, De Doelen, Rotterdam, Netherlands, January 22 - February 9, 1975

Isn't it from the seesions for GHS ?

Anyway..... Love it Love it Love it!

What i Love so much about TY is the variation of styles ...that perfectly fits together.

A bit of Ron, a bit of Mick T, a bit of Niccky H, a bit of Billy P....and so on....

It is from the GHS sessions indeed.

I removed it, took that part from an other Tattoo You talk from Rene...sometimes it's difficult to find the right data's and locations.

__________________________

Here's some more info, NICOS:

Recording date: November 1972-January 1973, October-December 1980 & April-July 1981
Recording locations: Dynamic Sound Studios, Kingston, Jamaica; Village Recorders, Los Angeles, USA; Pathé Marconi Studios, Paris, France;
Mobile Unit, warehouse, Paris, France; Atlantic Studios, Electric Ladyland Studios, Hit Factory & Power Station, New York City, USA

[timeisonourside.com]

Another gorgeous, essential ballad from Side 2 of Tattoo You, Tops is spellbinding, right from the get-go. Those guitars – and Charlie’s drums – sound soooooo good, thanks in part to the sparkling production and mixing. And surely this track contains one of Jagger’s finest performances as a vocalist. The sublime contrast between those infinitely-knowing lyrics and his sweet wailing falsetto is ravishing.

Absolutely brilliant stuff.

Drew

Sounds like there is percussion in there as well? The toms are down-tuned?

a great soul ballad. Jagger's vocals are fantastic.

Keith's greatest open G work in my opinion.

Mathijs

Mmmm...Another great falsetto-song from Mick...

2 1 2 0

This here version is published as stemming from the 1972-GHS sessions. If that information
is correct, would it mean Mick's first falsetto on record (not counting Dear Doctor)?

video: [www.youtube.com]
Tops 1972

Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away

Quote
marcovandereijk
This here version is published as stemming from the 1972-GHS sessions. If that information
is correct, would it mean Mick's first falsetto on record (not counting Dear Doctor)?

video: [www.youtube.com]
Tops 1972

Mercy Mercy

Great tune. It's amazing this was not finished for GHS.

Oh boy, 'Tops'
I don't have adjectives, and isn't that odd,
for a song I've listened to 1.1 million times,
landing after masterpiece 'Worried About You'
I'll try again later, after another fresh run thru
IT NEVER GETS OLD.

Glad they saved this song for Tattoo You because it wouldn't have fitted in with Goat's Head Soup.

Here though, it's lush, featherbedding tones are perfect for that dreamy second side (on vinyl) of Tattoo You. I can't think of another Stones album that didn't have a rocker on one side so in that way TY is unique.

It's the sound of the Stones at their most seductive, from the laid back boogie of Worried About You to the trippy centrepiece of Heaven before the beautiful sentiment of Waiting On A Friend.

Yup, side 2 of Tattoo You, is one of the greatest sequenced set of songs the Stones ever put together. Twenty two minutes of sonic perfection.

What an incredible soul song...just beautiful.

Quote
Silver Dagger
Glad they saved this song for Tattoo You because it wouldn't have fitted in with Goat's Head Soup.

Here though, it's lush, featherbedding tones are perfect for that dreamy second side (on vinyl) of Tattoo You. I can't think of another Stones album that didn't have a rocker on one side so in that way TY is unique.

It's the sound of the Stones at their most seductive, from the laid back boogie of Worried About You to the trippy centrepiece of Heaven before the beautiful sentiment of Waiting On A Friend.

Yup, side 2 of Tattoo You, is one of the greatest sequenced set of songs the Stones ever put together. Twenty two minutes of sonic perfection.

Side 2 on Exile springs to mind

A wonderful recording on, in my opinion, one of the Stones' greatest LP's Jagger's vocals on Tops are full of character. It's a track that would work well in a live-setting. Was it not attempted a couple of times during the 1981-82 tour?

Love this song. Time for "Tattoo Two", pulling out more hidden nuggets like Tops

Quote
Big Al
A wonderful recording on, in my opinion, one of the Stones' greatest LP's Jagger's vocals on Tops are full of character. It's a track that would work well in a live-setting. Was it not attempted a couple of times during the 1981-82 tour?

I have two versions, from Philly and Buffalo 1981, I think..

TOPS from Philly 1981

TOPS from Buffalo 1981 (1:06:30)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-11-02 17:13 by DandelionPowderman.

Another winner from Tattoo You side two.

Some nice smoooth bluesy soul - and that guitar is HOT throughout!
When "Don't let the world pass you by..." kicks in, it briefly takes it to another level akin to gospel performance letting it all loose.

Not only a time capsule of memories from when it was released in '81,
but also the summer of '03 while floating around Europe with my personal cd player and a limited number of cd's I brought.
It was sort of like a 'desert island' disc situation, pack as many into a mini cd notebook, and what you have is what you get.
This cd still goes with me wherever I go.

(still not into mp3's, etc. - I like albums/cds' as a whole with good sound quality - not a billion digitally inferior sounding songs packed into a 'microchip')

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......