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Watching The River Flow


Written by: Bob Dylan

Recording date and Location:
CD 'Boogie 4 Stu - A Tribute To Ian Stewart
Mainly recorded in London in 2010 at Helicon Mountain Studios.
Keith Richards, New York City at One East Studios in fall 2010
Mick Jagger, Home studio in Poce sur Cisse, France at La Fourchette in 2010

Line-up:
Vocal: Mick Jagger
Electric guitars: Keith Richards & Ron Wood
Harmonica: Mick Jagger
Bass: Bill Wyman
Drums: Charlie Watts
Piano: Ben Waters
Organ: Ben Waters
Alto saxophone: Tom Waters
Saxophone: Willy Garnet
Saxophone: Don Wellor
Baritone saxophone: Alex Garnet
Tambourine: Dave Swift


Watching The River Flow

What’s the matter with me?
I don’t have too much to say
Just daylight sneaking through the window
I’m still in this all-night cafe

Walking to and fro beneath the moon
Out to where the trucks are rolling slow
To sit down on this bank of sand
And watch the river flow

Wish I was back in the city
Instead of this old bank of sand
With the sun beating down over the chimney tops
And the one I love so close at hand

If I had wings and I could fly
I know where I would go
But right now I’ll just sit here contentedly
And watch the river flow

People disagree on almost everything
Makes you stop and wonder why
Why only yesterday I saw someone on the street
Who couldn’t just help but cry

Ow, this old river keeps on rolling, though
No matter what gets in the way and which way the wind blows
As long as it does I’ll just sit here
And watch the river flow

People disagree everywhere you look
Makes you stop and want to read a book, ah
Why only yesterday I saw somebody on the street
That was really shook

But this old river keeps a-rolling, though
No matter what gets in the way and which way the wind does blow
As long as it does I’ll just sit here
And watch the river flow

Watch the river flow
Yeah just sitting here, watch the river flow
Keep on watching, watching the river flow, yeah


Producer: Ben Waters
Mixed: Glyn Johns

First released on: CD 'Boogie 4 Stu - A Tribute To Ian Stewart'
Release date: 19 April 2011

Label: Eagle Records ?– ER202072

Note: Info taken from TIOMS, NZentgraf and the Internet



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2016-02-22 11:12 by NICOS.

I was very excited when I heard the boys had recorded this, and that Bill joined in as well.

It's a very nice tune, which the Stones do a passable take on. Especially Mick sounds like he's not putting everything into his performance.

But a nice tribute and a nice cover.

Decent version but it doesn't hold a candle against the original with that magnificent Leon Russell rolling piano and Dylan's return to 66 punk howl.

Charlie was part of "the band" and went into the studio with Ben Waters and Dave Green among others.
Ronnie joined in on a few occasions.
Keith played his guitar parts with Ben in a studio in New York.
Mick sang his vocals after receiving an e-mail in France with the track within one hour.
Bill overdubbed Dave Greens bass parts in the end.

So they're all there, but not together.

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

Watching The River Flow is completely superfluous.

Sorry-but this is the worst song they ever released.Just nothing!

Words cannot really capture how dreadful this arthritic track is. Jagger’s in-your-face vocals are grating, but even more unforgivable is the production; in particular, the horns are mixed so low that it sounds like the session musicians are about to keel over.

Ain’t nuthin’ wrong with the song itself … to see it come alive, watch this performance from the man himself. Now THIS is real music.
[www.youtube.com]

Drew

Great version though the original Dylan is better.
I am happy to have it from the Stones.
This kind of music I love so much like "Hide Your Love", "Casino Boogie" or "Short and Curlies". My taste is close to Stu's and the Stones'.
Boogie woogie forever!

WHaTching The river Flow is what I am gonna spend my Days with sooon...Great track from Dylan and The Stones...I which they will recording the brilliant B-side also in the future...on Micks 75-years birtday maybe...

2 1 2 0

Love the piano work on Dylan's version...likewise the B side...Spanish is the loving tongue.

Well - I thought this was about "Following the river" which is trash."Watching the river flow" is alright!

Nice cover. Only complaint is it wish jagger'so were lower in terms mix

Following The River of course is even worse than Watching The River Flow. Maybe the Stones should not record songs with the word "river" in the title. The results always seem to be very unpleasant. Bruce Springsteen can handle the word better obviously.

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Silver Dagger
Decent version but it doesn't hold a candle against the original ...

I have to agree, and feel the same about Like A Rolling Stone.

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HMS
Following The River of course is even worse than Watching The River Flow. Maybe the Stones should not record songs with the word "river" in the title. The results always seem to be very unpleasant. Bruce Springsteen can handle the word better obviously.

So did Ike & Tina Turner
And Creedence Clearwater Revival

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

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NoPanic
Well - I thought this was about "Following the river" which is trash."Watching the river flow" is alright!

Just shows how wrong people can be. Following the River is a good song.

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stanlove

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NoPanic
Well - I thought this was about "Following the river" which is trash."Watching the river flow" is alright!

Just shows how wrong people can be. Following the River is a good song.

I like the song. However, the performance of it is more dubious, imo.

This was my comment in 2011...still feel the same

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I like his voice this time.....pity the saxophone(s) are way too far in the mix

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-03-27 23:27 by NICOS.

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Did they bill it as a Rolling Stones cut? It's not of course unless Bill, Charlie and Keith were in the same room to create the magic. You'd think Mick would have better instincts and refuse to release both this, and Like A Rolling Stone. For some reason they try to cover a Dylan song too close to the original instead of making it a Stones cover, which used to be the gold standard.

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LeonidP

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Silver Dagger
Decent version but it doesn't hold a candle against the original ...

I have to agree, and feel the same about Like A Rolling Stone.

Exactly. What's the point of doing a cover if it ain't better than the original? You're only treading water waiting for the next bit of inspiration to come along.

Know it was Stu's favourite Dylan song but why didn't
they all get tagether and hammer out an old boogie-woogie number for him instead ... Like who chose River Flow ???



ROCKMAN

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Silver Dagger

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LeonidP

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Silver Dagger
Decent version but it doesn't hold a candle against the original ...

I have to agree, and feel the same about Like A Rolling Stone.

Exactly. What's the point of doing a cover if it ain't better than the original? You're only treading water waiting for the next bit of inspiration to come along.

On that basis, 90% of songs covered, shouldn't have been covered.

Maybe in all of recorded music 4 or 5 songs covered are better than the original...Twist and Shout by the Beatles, Not Fade Away by The Stones, Little Red Rooster by the Stones, Blinded By The Light by Manfred Mann, Respect by Aretha.

Anything else?

Anything else?

Stones - Mona ( I Need You Baby)



ROCKMAN

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Rockman
Anything else?

Stones - Mona ( I Need You Baby)

damn you!

when I first heard this song, I thought "Mick lost his voice, he's too old now, they'll never play live or record again ...". Hopefully, the following years proved me wrong !

The Rockin' Machine - Baby Lets Play House ......
..... Or what the heck just make it all the Sun Sessions



ROCKMAN

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treaclefingers

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Rockman
Anything else?

Stones - Mona ( I Need You Baby)

damn you!

Harlem Shuffle
Just My Imagination (not that it was so much better than the original, but the Stones version turned it into an equal, more rocking song).
Down The Road A Piece
Around and Around
Down Home Girl
Look What You've Done
I Can't Be Satisfied

I Wanna Be Your Man!

It's All Over Now.

Dylan's original version wipes the floor with Stones on this one-- Micks vocals sound contrived---