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DandelionPowderman

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24FPS
It's a shame such a great song is associated with one of their all time crappiest albums. And no, it's not their last great single. That would be Harlem Shuffle. I've never quite gotten to the bottom of the complex rhythm on Undercover of the Night. Is it Bill playing bass, or is it a machine?

Robbie Shakespeare plays bass.

So strange how they would do those things. Have someone else play bass on the studio version. Then Bill would play it live and it sounded fine.

I thought it was great - Ronnie and Keith gelled together well, drums were exciting and Jagger's lyrics evocative.

Mick deserves an extra mention on this track. His vocals are superb - some of his best singing ever, imo

...It's a MASSIVE track ... 12" is even better
Jamaican influenced ....same as Feel On Babeeeee esp 12"



ROCKMAN

Oh Yeah and aint the Undercover Vids great
Esp the censored one with Keith as the masked assassin ...
Cool work Mr Temple .....

All the young men, they've been rounded up;
And sent to camps back in the jungle;
And people whisper, people double-talk;
Once proud fathers act so humble.



ROCKMAN

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24FPS

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DandelionPowderman

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24FPS
It's a shame such a great song is associated with one of their all time crappiest albums. And no, it's not their last great single. That would be Harlem Shuffle. I've never quite gotten to the bottom of the complex rhythm on Undercover of the Night. Is it Bill playing bass, or is it a machine?

Robbie Shakespeare plays bass.

So strange how they would do those things. Have someone else play bass on the studio version. Then Bill would play it live and it sounded fine.

Because if you listen to the takes with Bill on bass you hear he didn't really have the right groove and swing needed for the track. Shakespeare added the slapping and popping with his fingers that Bill could never have done. The bass really makes the track, and the decision to overdub the bass shows what a fantastic writer and producer Mick really is.

Mathijs

I always liked the Undercover album. To me it sounds much more Mick influenced than Keith. Normally I'd be more into more Keith but there is some solid material on Undercover to my ears.

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DandelionPowderman
Mick deserves an extra mention on this track. His vocals are superb - some of his best singing ever, imo

Agreed!

I disagree. At least Dirty work has a few good songs such as the title song, One hit to the body, Harlem Shuffle, Had it with you and Sleep tonight. You can make a great EP with these songs.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-04-13 21:15 by cimaz.

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Rockman
Oh Yeah and aint the Undercover Vids great
Esp the censored one with Keith as the masked assassin ...
Cool work Mr Temple .....

I think the Undercover video is good with some great moments, but it could have been so much better. What I find flawed is Mick playing multiple parts. He should have just played the guy who got kidnapped, and not the lead role of the house detective. He looks ridiculous with that fake mustache and silly hat, and the unintended comedy of that undermines every scene he's in.

Imagine if that part had been played by Charlie. There's a guy who looks like he could be a serious, world-weary, badass detective. That would have made all the difference, and it's too bad that would have made it a classic short film.

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GasLightStreet

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cimaz
The worst Stones album cover ever. Not a good Stones song on it but She was hot. Dirty work seems great compared to it.
Definitely the 80s are not artistically their best era before their 89/90 comeback. Jagger and Richards solo works were also not their best production.

It's a great album cover, especially considering what the next one was. And! It does have great Stones songs on it. DIRTY WORK pales in comparison to it yet alone anything they'd ever done - even the mind boggling THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES REQUEST.

I disagree. At least Dirty work has a few good songs such as the title song, One hit to the body, Harlem Shuffle, Had it with you and Sleep tonight. You can make a great EP with these songs.

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cimaz

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GasLightStreet

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cimaz
The worst Stones album cover ever. Not a good Stones song on it but She was hot. Dirty work seems great compared to it.
Definitely the 80s are not artistically their best era before their 89/90 comeback. Jagger and Richards solo works were also not their best production.

It's a great album cover, especially considering what the next one was. And! It does have great Stones songs on it. DIRTY WORK pales in comparison to it yet alone anything they'd ever done - even the mind boggling THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES REQUEST.

I disagree. At least Dirty work has a few good songs such as the title song, One hit to the body, Harlem Shuffle, Had it with you and Sleep tonight. You can make a great EP with these songs.

Oh there's an EP's worth of songs on DIRTY WORK alright and what you mentioned works great. The rest of it... forget it. I like Too Rude. I like it better than the original, and it's a faithful cover production wise.

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GasLightStreet

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cimaz

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GasLightStreet

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cimaz
The worst Stones album cover ever. Not a good Stones song on it but She was hot. Dirty work seems great compared to it.
Definitely the 80s are not artistically their best era before their 89/90 comeback. Jagger and Richards solo works were also not their best production.

It's a great album cover, especially considering what the next one was. And! It does have great Stones songs on it. DIRTY WORK pales in comparison to it yet alone anything they'd ever done - even the mind boggling THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES REQUEST.

I disagree. At least Dirty work has a few good songs such as the title song, One hit to the body, Harlem Shuffle, Had it with you and Sleep tonight. You can make a great EP with these songs.

Oh there's an EP's worth of songs on DIRTY WORK alright and what you mentioned works great. The rest of it... forget it. I like Too Rude. I like it better than the original, and it's a faithful cover production wise.

Dirty Work is prolly like my 4th or 5th favourite Stones EP.

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treaclefingers

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GasLightStreet

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cimaz

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GasLightStreet

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cimaz
The worst Stones album cover ever. Not a good Stones song on it but She was hot. Dirty work seems great compared to it.
Definitely the 80s are not artistically their best era before their 89/90 comeback. Jagger and Richards solo works were also not their best production.

It's a great album cover, especially considering what the next one was. And! It does have great Stones songs on it. DIRTY WORK pales in comparison to it yet alone anything they'd ever done - even the mind boggling THEIR SATANIC MAJESTIES REQUEST.

I disagree. At least Dirty work has a few good songs such as the title song, One hit to the body, Harlem Shuffle, Had it with you and Sleep tonight. You can make a great EP with these songs.

Oh there's an EP's worth of songs on DIRTY WORK alright and what you mentioned works great. The rest of it... forget it. I like Too Rude. I like it better than the original, and it's a faithful cover production wise.

Dirty Work is prolly like my 4th or 5th favourite Stones EP.

It easily ranks way way below their TSMR EP. That one is probably their best EP.

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Mathijs
Fantastic track on one of my favorite albums. The last time the Stones still mattered, and the last time they still had that mix of danger and sex.

Mathijs

More or less, yes, that's it in so few words!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2021-04-13 23:00 by Witness.

Video single






Video single censored version






12" extended version






Dub






Radio edit







Feel On Baby (Dub Instrumental)

Totally agree Mathis. Their last great, daring album, social/political commentary, sex...not sure why Jim Barber was or why is plays what is lasted as .main guitar' on Too Much Blood but Keith throws down some great riffs on most of the rest of the songs. Wanna Hold You, All The Way Down and Must Be Hell are great gems.

True story: I moved to Buffalo at the end of 1983 and was out celebrating till 4 am with friends in a dicey neighborhood joint. Frigid cold and snowing. Returned to my car to find the passenger window shattered, glass and snow throughout the interior. The cassette deck/radio torn from the dash and gone. BUT the robbers at least took the cassette of Undercover out of the player, placed it back in its case and left it on top of the dashboard, safe from the elements and undamaged. Debate afterwords on whether the thieves were Stones fans and purposely took care of the tape, or they hated the Stones or that record and did not want to get shit for bringing it back from a robbery. I was thankful they left it. : )

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buffalo7478
Totally agree Mathis. Their last great, daring album, social/political commentary, sex...not sure why Jim Barber was or why is plays what is lasted as .main guitar' on Too Much Blood but Keith throws down some great riffs on most of the rest of the songs. Wanna Hold You, All The Way Down and Must Be Hell are great gems.

True story: I moved to Buffalo at the end of 1983 and was out celebrating till 4 am with friends in a dicey neighborhood joint. Frigid cold and snowing. Returned to my car to find the passenger window shattered, glass and snow throughout the interior. The cassette deck/radio torn from the dash and gone. BUT the robbers at least took the cassette of Undercover out of the player, placed it back in its case and left it on top of the dashboard, safe from the elements and undamaged. Debate afterwords on whether the thieves were Stones fans and purposely took care of the tape, or they hated the Stones or that record and did not want to get shit for bringing it back from a robbery. I was thankful they left it. : )

Gentlemen robbers. Musically they had good taste.

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Rockman
Oh Yeah and aint the Undercover Vids great
Esp the censored one with Keith as the masked assassin ...
Cool work Mr Temple .....

All the young men, they've been rounded up;
And sent to camps back in the jungle;
And people whisper, people double-talk;
Once proud fathers act so humble.

love those lyrics.

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loog droog

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Rockman
Oh Yeah and aint the Undercover Vids great
Esp the censored one with Keith as the masked assassin ...
Cool work Mr Temple .....

I think the Undercover video is good with some great moments, but it could have been so much better. What I find flawed is Mick playing multiple parts. He should have just played the guy who got kidnapped, and not the lead role of the house detective. He looks ridiculous with that fake mustache and silly hat, and the unintended comedy of that undermines every scene he's in.

Imagine if that part had been played by Charlie. There's a guy who looks like he could be a serious, world-weary, badass detective. That would have made all the difference, and it's too bad that would have made it a classic short film.

funny, that is so true, the unintended comedy of that. he looked ridiculous in that scene.

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treaclefingers

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loog droog

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Rockman
Oh Yeah and aint the Undercover Vids great
Esp the censored one with Keith as the masked assassin ...
Cool work Mr Temple .....

I think the Undercover video is good with some great moments, but it could have been so much better. What I find flawed is Mick playing multiple parts. He should have just played the guy who got kidnapped, and not the lead role of the house detective. He looks ridiculous with that fake mustache and silly hat, and the unintended comedy of that undermines every scene he's in.

Imagine if that part had been played by Charlie. There's a guy who looks like he could be a serious, world-weary, badass detective. That would have made all the difference, and it's too bad that would have made it a classic short film.

funny, that is so true, the unintended comedy of that. he looked ridiculous in that scene.

Of course Mick looked ridiculous. It's obviously a bit of mockery of the times. Cast typing, etc. And Mick does have a sense of humor although someone mentioned if it had been Charlie... that could've worked knowing what we know but perhaps Charlie wasn't up to it.

“It’s a film which goes with our new single which is about political repression, violence. I notice we all got your reactions when the violent bits came."

[faroutmagazine.co.uk]

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KRiffhard
I prefer Too Much Blood and Pretty Beat Up.

AMEN!! Just what I was waiting to write myself. These 2 songs are much more fun and groovy and they both posess superior flow IMHO

I simply disagree with most of you. Undercover (the song) is a great bastard creation: how do you mix disco with rock or maybe how to move away from silly disco stuff and turn it into rock.

But back then most audience found the album very very heavy.

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Rockman
...It's a MASSIVE track ... 12" is even better
Jamaican influenced ....same as Feel On Babeeeee esp 12"

i second that
supported by the big, full sound of the 12'' vinyl, lots of bass

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GasLightStreet

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treaclefingers

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loog droog

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Rockman
Oh Yeah and aint the Undercover Vids great
Esp the censored one with Keith as the masked assassin ...
Cool work Mr Temple .....

I think the Undercover video is good with some great moments, but it could have been so much better. What I find flawed is Mick playing multiple parts. He should have just played the guy who got kidnapped, and not the lead role of the house detective. He looks ridiculous with that fake mustache and silly hat, and the unintended comedy of that undermines every scene he's in.

Imagine if that part had been played by Charlie. There's a guy who looks like he could be a serious, world-weary, badass detective. That would have made all the difference, and it's too bad that would have made it a classic short film.

funny, that is so true, the unintended comedy of that. he looked ridiculous in that scene.

Of course Mick looked ridiculous. It's obviously a bit of mockery of the times. Cast typing, etc. And Mick does have a sense of humor although someone mentioned if it had been Charlie... that could've worked knowing what we know but perhaps Charlie wasn't up to it.

“It’s a film which goes with our new single which is about political repression, violence. I notice we all got your reactions when the violent bits came."

[faroutmagazine.co.uk]

OK so it sounds as though you're saying that it 'was intended comedy'. If so, I'm not sure how that fit in the rest of the video but I'm not saying that couldn't be the case. I just remember watching it then thinking 'oh, too bad, that looks ridiculous'.

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treaclefingers

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GasLightStreet

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treaclefingers

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loog droog

Quote
Rockman
Oh Yeah and aint the Undercover Vids great
Esp the censored one with Keith as the masked assassin ...
Cool work Mr Temple .....

I think the Undercover video is good with some great moments, but it could have been so much better. What I find flawed is Mick playing multiple parts. He should have just played the guy who got kidnapped, and not the lead role of the house detective. He looks ridiculous with that fake mustache and silly hat, and the unintended comedy of that undermines every scene he's in.

Imagine if that part had been played by Charlie. There's a guy who looks like he could be a serious, world-weary, badass detective. That would have made all the difference, and it's too bad that would have made it a classic short film.

funny, that is so true, the unintended comedy of that. he looked ridiculous in that scene.

Of course Mick looked ridiculous. It's obviously a bit of mockery of the times. Cast typing, etc. And Mick does have a sense of humor although someone mentioned if it had been Charlie... that could've worked knowing what we know but perhaps Charlie wasn't up to it.

“It’s a film which goes with our new single which is about political repression, violence. I notice we all got your reactions when the violent bits came."

[faroutmagazine.co.uk]

OK so it sounds as though you're saying that it 'was intended comedy'. If so, I'm not sure how that fit in the rest of the video but I'm not saying that couldn't be the case. I just remember watching it then thinking 'oh, too bad, that looks ridiculous'.

Well, whut, you think Mick was gonna look like Mick? He had to cheese it up. It's probably some subtle form of mocking Geraldo Rivera.

I recall buying this album on cassette the day it came out and driving down Perth’s Barrack St, windows down, blaring out the title track. Glorious. Those were the days!

Rod

.... Headin ta Hay Street .... filthy stuff



ROCKMAN

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Rockman
.... Headin ta Hay Street .... filthy stuff

James St... filthier!!

Rod

I was a bit underwhelmed when the album came out, especially with how huge Tattoo You was 2 years earlier. Best thing about the album was it had the application forms inside to join their fan club, which I did, as well as joining the Beggars Banquet fan letter from Bill German. My way of keeping up with Stones news in the 1980s!