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35love
Previous post I copied from Wiki.

What are IORR's opinions on 'best' live version?

Hampton is a great version. I like St. Louis 1997 as well.

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Silver Dagger
Well captured drew. I think you speak from most of us on here.

Thanks Mike! Your summary was spot on as well.

Drew

One thing I never got though is the curious line, "don't need a virgin priest".

Why would anyone want a virgin priest?

another virgin priest I guess ......hhhaaa



ROCKMAN

Great song, great music and lyrics, what's not to like? Can't hear this song without thinking about the Stones sitting on that NYC porch staircase and Keith loosely swinging around like he's got no bones or something. lol

Brotherly love/friendship is one of the things I things that I find attractive about a rock band and Mick nailed it with these lyrics and feel.

My favorite part is the transition into and the beginning of every verse, something about that progression just nails the storyteller vibe so well and even the somewhat schmaltzy chorus can't take away from it.

I'm on the fence about Taylor's contributions to this song. I have little doubt he playing on the original version cut in Jamaica but I tend to hear pretty typical Keith playing on the released version. I suspect that the fact that Taylor sued over this track and a settlement was made tends to confirm he had something to do with the either the performance or the writing on this one.

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Silver Dagger
One thing I never got though is the curious line, "don't need a virgin priest".

Why would anyone want a virgin priest?

For a long time I thought it was virgin breeze - the cocktail. Mick saying he would rather hang with a friend than drink. I still don't get what he means by "virgin priest." Why would he, of all people, ever need one of those...and wouldn't it be priestess?

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drewmaster

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Hairball
The last of the great slow-mid tempo grooves.

Hardly. What about ...

Slipping Away
Out of Tears
Thief in the Night
Laugh, I Nearly Died

... just to name a few?

Drew

Meh...

Depends on your definition of the word 'great' I suppose.

Slipping Away is ok.
Thief in the Night is average.
Out of Tears no thanks.
Laugh I Nearly Died ditto.

I stand by my statement, but it's just my opinion.

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

Great relaxing song .........pity the end is to abrupt.....Sonny's solo should have go on for at least 3 minutes..................

__________________________

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latebloomer

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Silver Dagger
One thing I never got though is the curious line, "don't need a virgin priest".

Why would anyone want a virgin priest?

For a long time I thought it was virgin breeze - the cocktail. Mick saying he would rather hang with a friend than drink. I still don't get what he means by "virgin priest." Why would he, of all people, ever need one of those...and wouldn't it be priestess?

I will try a guessing interpretation, considering that verse: One may possibly equate "virgin priest" by "madonna". That would imply a decidedly morally inclined woman. (Well, he might refer to a male, too, with no weaknesses of any kind. But lets us say it is a woman.) Then the I-person declares that he in that situation neither needs booze nor a woman, be it a whore or of a madonna type.(And if male, a person of an untouchable status, impossible to relate to personally.) What the I-person really needs and is waiting for, is a friend. As we all know from being told, someone he may cry to or protect.

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Naturalust


I'm on the fence about Taylor's contributions to this song. I have little doubt he playing on the original version cut in Jamaica but I tend to hear pretty typical Keith playing on the released version. I suspect that the fact that Taylor sued over this track and a settlement was made tends to confirm he had something to do with the either the performance or the writing on this one.

I asked quite a few good guitarists that are familiar with the Stones to give it a listen, and they basically shrugged
and said it could be either Keith or Taylor. I myself tend to hear Taylor's subtle, almost indifferent and lazy approach. He has played similar things with the Stones and on his own records, but so did Keith of course. Point is that there's no reliable source. Who ever played it, I like the guitar in all it's simplicity.

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NICOS
Sonny's solo should have go on for at least 3 minutes..................

I agree, Nico! I remember being overjoyed when the remastered TY came out and Slave included some extra helpings of Sonny. Marvelous!!

Drew

Here is my meaning of 'virgin priest' in this song:
Confession.
don't need whore (sex) booze (obvious) virgin priest (religion) Catholic church confession/ Catholic priests are virgins.
None of these outside things to obliterate.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-26 06:21 by 35love.

It's just the flipside of whore/virgin. The choice of priest instead of priestess is valid. Priest like actor isn't a masculine word in terms of its root. You can say priestess or actress, but it isn't necessary to make it feminine. Also, for the line the extra word fits which is crucial. The fools mentioned after whore (not booze) is also crucial to the cynical resignation of the lyric. The same with making love and breaking hearts being a game for youth. There is a rare introspection there. Although personally, the opening guitar, Sonny Rollins' saxophone, and the percussion are everything.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-26 07:17 by Rocky Dijon.

I wouldn't mind some reality-TV crew having caught the following:

MICK JAGGER (1985): "I said [to Sonny Rollins] `Would you like me to stay out there in the studio?' He said, `Yeah, you tell me where you want me to play and DANCE the part out.' So I did that. And that's very important: communication in hand, dance, whatever. You don't have to do a whole ballet, but sometimes that movement of the shoulder tells the guy to kick in on the beat." [en.wikipedia.org]

When were the lyrics written? If after 1980, I would say Waiting On A Friend is Mick's swan song as a poet. He hasn't put much effort into the lyrics since 81.

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Swayed1967
When were the lyrics written? If after 1980, I would say Waiting On A Friend is Mick's swan song as a poet. He hasn't put much effort into the lyrics since 81.

he probably can't think of a reason to bother to.

"I followed you through swirling seas,
Down darkened woods with silent trees."

A fine couplet and written after 1981.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-26 09:11 by Title5Take1.

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35love
don't need whore (sex) booze (obvious) virgin priest (religion)

This here

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Title5Take1
"I followed you through swirling seas,
Down darkened woods with silent trees."

A fine couplet and written after 1981.

Here’s another bit of verse from Jagger’s highly-praised ‘Wandering Spirit’ Album.

By a pool of darkening dreams
Love is slowly twisting downstream
Underneath the tortuous trees
Out into the sad, silent seas
Lock me in your arms

Angel in my heart
Angel in my heart

Perhaps you like that too - the imagery is practically the same.
It doesn’t do much for me though. Oh he’s being poetical alright, painfully so, but this is Jagger literally posing as a poet. He used to be able to write affecting lyrics – whether they were cool, sleazy or simply touching - without sounding like a bad Shelley impersonator.

But what do I know...Maybe it really is good poetry. But to me it’s not the Stones. Let me put it as simply as I can: He used to write cool lyrics. Now the best we can hope for is ‘clever.’

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with sssoul

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35love
don't need whore (sex) booze (obvious) virgin priest (religion)

This here

Ahhh, that does makes the most sense.

Making love and breaking hearts
It is a game for youth. I think Jagger got a point here.

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DancelittleSister
Making love and breaking hearts
It is a game for youth. I think Jagger got a point here.

Live he changed it to «fools»

The bastard

I think this is the last time we heard Nicky Hopkins on a Stones record?
A monument in that respect.

The song was the internet choice during the Bridges to Babylon tour in The Hague, but
they skipped it because of the ongoing rain....bummer.

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

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marcovandereijk
I think this is the last time we heard Nicky Hopkins on a Stones record?
A monument in that respect.

The song was the internet choice during the Bridges to Babylon tour in The Hague, but
they skipped it because of the ongoing rain....bummer.

Nicky also plays on Emotional Rescue.

EDIT: TY came out later, so in a way you're right



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-26 17:26 by DandelionPowderman.

I saw Sonny Rollins live a few years ago and some bits totally reminded me of Waiting on a Friend when I was in heaven.

I've never heard the original version of this (supposedly with Taylor playing on it using acoustic guitar).

I'd be interested in listening to it...is that available anywhere on the web or youtube?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-26 21:11 by nightskyman.

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nightskyman
I've never heard the original version of this (supposedly with Taylor playing on it using acoustic guitar).

I'd be interested in listening to it...is that available anywhere on the web or youtube?

As far as I know it there's no such version, but I would love to be proven wrong.
Maybe someone can post it here.

This is probably the best live version...

1997 St Louis
[www.youtube.com]

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DancelittleSister

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nightskyman
I've never heard the original version of this (supposedly with Taylor playing on it using acoustic guitar).

I'd be interested in listening to it...is that available anywhere on the web or youtube?

As far as I know it there's no such version, but I would love to be proven wrong.
Maybe someone can post it here.

Then how can anyone make any comments on what Taylor provided or didn't provide on any recorded version of WOAF? Confusing, as Naturlast says : "I have little doubt he playing on the original version cut in Jamaica..."

Well how can he know about Taylor's playing if you say there's no such version? Has Naturlast listened to 'original version'? Where's his proof, is what I'm asking.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2016-01-26 22:47 by nightskyman.