Just a little fun analysis while we all await bigger Stones news.....

As you know, beginning with Sticky Fingers, it has been a Stones policy to release a lead-off single which (at least in theory) best introduces or best represents a brand new studio album. And then a few weeks later, while fan familiarity with the album has settled in, a follow-up single will drop, often in the shadows of its predecessor with much less fanfare, and with a weaker chart performance. But has this reputation for the follow-up single always been warranted?

My question to you is, in your opinion, when have you actually preferred the follow-up single to the lead-off? Have the Stones always made the right call? And which follow-up has been your favourite?

Here is my synopsis (and in most cases, I have indeed agreed with the Stones' order of selections):

SF - A close call, but Brown Sugar was the right call to come out before Wild Horses (though I love them both).

EOMS - Happy is not as strong a track as is Tumbling Dice, so this was also the correct choice.

GHS - Heartbreaker is great, but Angie is better.

IORR - Definitely the title track over Ain't Too Proud To Beg. So far we are 4 for 4.

B&B - Fool To Cry is one of my all-time favourite tracks, so no argument from me here (Hot Stuff is ok but it ranks even behind Memory Motel for me).

SG - Tough call as I love both Miss You and Beast Of Burden. But yes, Miss You still gets the nod.

ER - Again a very tough call, but the title track holds a slight edge over She's So Cold. Both are brilliant though.

TY - Waiting On A Friend is fantastic but nothing on this album can top Start Me Up. 8 for 8.

UC - My first challenge! I prefer She Was Hot to the title track.

DW - Challenge #2! I far prefer One Hit To The Body to Harlem Shuffle. I'm actually quite surprised that One Hit hasn't made the cut on any compilation albums to date such as GRRR, Honk, etc. It's very underrated in my opinion.

SW - Mixed Emotions was the right call, though I would have preferred Almost Hear You Sigh as the immediate follow-up rather than Rock & A Hard Place.

VL - Love Is Strong gets my nod over You Got Me Rocking.

BTB - For myself, Saint Of Me should have been the lead-off single, with Anybody Seen My Baby challenging Out Of Control as the immediate follow-up.

ABB - Even though it's a ballad, I wish Laugh I Nearly Died would have been the choice as the lead-off single, followed by either Rough Justice or Rain Fall Down.

B&L - I do prefer the follow-up Hate To See You Go to the lead-off Just Your Fool.


So overall, out of 15 studio albums, the Stones made the right choice for lead-off single 10 times, in my opinion. That's two-thirds of the time. Not too shabby!

My all-time favourite follow-up single? For now, it would have to be either She's So Cold or One Hit To The Body. Both receive regular play on my personal list.

So how do you regard the follow-ups? Let's have some fun with it. Cheers!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022-10-30 13:07 by sf37.

One Hit (To The Body) is the Stones imitating themselves. And, of course, Jimmy Page plays the solo. So Harlem Shuffle was the right call.

Although I like She Was Hot a lot more than Undercover Of The Night, UOTN was the correct choice considering the state of the world at that time - and the state of music.

Although Angie is obvious I prefer Heartbreaker.

Has any other single from an album ever charted higher than the trailer?

The brilliance of Miss You and Emotional Rescue as trailers was that they were so different from the past, both brilliant songs, and modern.

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GasLightStreet
One Hit (To The Body) is the Stones imitating themselves. And, of course, Jimmy Page plays the solo. So Harlem Shuffle was the right call.

Although I like She Was Hot a lot more than Undercover Of The Night, UOTN was the correct choice considering the state of the world at that time - and the state of music.

Although Angie is obvious I prefer Heartbreaker.

Has any other single from an album ever charted higher than the trailer?

The brilliance of Miss You and Emotional Rescue as trailers was that they were so different from the past, both brilliant songs, and modern.

And while I probably prefer Emotional Rescue, if only because that was my entree to the band via She's So Cold, I think that ER was again the Stones "copying" themselves, trying to to strike lightning twice with another 'disco'/dance single.

Not unlike Satisfaction and JJF. In both cases I actually preferred the 'copy'!

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treaclefingers

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GasLightStreet
One Hit (To The Body) is the Stones imitating themselves. And, of course, Jimmy Page plays the solo. So Harlem Shuffle was the right call.

Although I like She Was Hot a lot more than Undercover Of The Night, UOTN was the correct choice considering the state of the world at that time - and the state of music.

Although Angie is obvious I prefer Heartbreaker.

Has any other single from an album ever charted higher than the trailer?

The brilliance of Miss You and Emotional Rescue as trailers was that they were so different from the past, both brilliant songs, and modern.

And while I probably prefer Emotional Rescue, if only because that was my entree to the band via She's So Cold, I think that ER was again the Stones "copying" themselves, trying to to strike lightning twice with another 'disco'/dance single.

Not unlike Satisfaction and JJF. In both cases I actually preferred the 'copy'!

Definitely they were chasing the trend and copying themselves - only in a cleaner and neater way than the dirt Miss You. At least it stopped.

They didn't do anything similar until Anybody Seen My Baby and then Rain Falls Down!

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GasLightStreet

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treaclefingers

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GasLightStreet
One Hit (To The Body) is the Stones imitating themselves. And, of course, Jimmy Page plays the solo. So Harlem Shuffle was the right call.

Although I like She Was Hot a lot more than Undercover Of The Night, UOTN was the correct choice considering the state of the world at that time - and the state of music.

Although Angie is obvious I prefer Heartbreaker.

Has any other single from an album ever charted higher than the trailer?

The brilliance of Miss You and Emotional Rescue as trailers was that they were so different from the past, both brilliant songs, and modern.

And while I probably prefer Emotional Rescue, if only because that was my entree to the band via She's So Cold, I think that ER was again the Stones "copying" themselves, trying to to strike lightning twice with another 'disco'/dance single.

Not unlike Satisfaction and JJF. In both cases I actually preferred the 'copy'!

Definitely they were chasing the trend and copying themselves - only in a cleaner and neater way than the dirt Miss You. At least it stopped.

They didn't do anything similar until Anybody Seen My Baby and then Rain Falls Down!

Yeah that's for sure. They also did Dance and If I Was a Dancer during that narrow window. You can't blame Mick for trying to keep the ball rolling with that 'dance' thing but they wisely stopped.

For me the out of the park, completely unexpected, and even 'mindblowing' single that they did was Undercover of the Night. It gave me a bit of hope they were striking the path in an entirely new direction.

I realize I'm being hyperbolic but while I think you could have made an argument for trying a disco single (didn't hurt they did a great job) given the times, Studio 54 and being absolutely immersed in it, UOTN was completely out of left field for me.

The whole album was just a complete departure from anything they'd done and though maybe stylistically different, it had that darkness of Let It Bleed. (I'll now withstand the abuse that will be hurled for trying to compare it to LIB...I'm not at all, just the tone).

Undercover of the Night was brilliant. Maybe their last brilliant single. She Was Hot is one more throwaway Chuck Berryish B-side.

One Hit is good, but Harlem Shuffle, especially Bill's bass, is great.

About Steel Wheels..."Mixed Emotions" was a great first single.
I would have preferred "Highwire" as the immediate follow-up. That song was in the air since Primitive Cool sessions and would have been a great follow-up.
Mixed Emotions/Highwire...just perfect!

Some of these earlier 'follow-up' single were only released in select markets. no? I don't think Wild Horses and Happy received a release in the U.K., for example. Noting that they often charted lower than the 'main single' - Brown Sugar, Tumbling Dice, etc - I do wonder whether that's because the Stones, themselves, did not promote the release. In other words: they only focused on the 'one' single to promote the corresponding album.

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Big Al
Some of these earlier 'follow-up' single were only released in select markets. no? I don't think Wild Horses and Happy received a release in the U.K., for example. Noting that they often charted lower than the 'main single' - Brown Sugar, Tumbling Dice, etc - I do wonder whether that's because the Stones, themselves, did not promote the release. In other words: they only focused on the 'one' single to promote the corresponding album.

Good point, Big Al, you are correct, and thank you for pointing it out as that is something I hadn't originally considered. There are a few other tracks as well that were only released as singles in the US, such as Ain't Too Proud To Beg, Shattered, and Hang Fire. On the flip side, Respectable was only released as such in the UK.

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sf37

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Big Al
Some of these earlier 'follow-up' single were only released in select markets. no? I don't think Wild Horses and Happy received a release in the U.K., for example. Noting that they often charted lower than the 'main single' - Brown Sugar, Tumbling Dice, etc - I do wonder whether that's because the Stones, themselves, did not promote the release. In other words: they only focused on the 'one' single to promote the corresponding album.

Good point, Big Al, you are correct, and thank you for pointing it out as that is something I hadn't originally considered. There are a few other tracks as well that were only released as singles in the US, such as Ain't Too Proud To Beg, Shattered, and Hang Fire. On the flip side, Respectable was only released as such in the UK.

And none did that well in the U.S. I only remember Ain't Too Proud to Beg getting radio airplay in the states.

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24FPS

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sf37

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Big Al
Some of these earlier 'follow-up' single were only released in select markets. no? I don't think Wild Horses and Happy received a release in the U.K., for example. Noting that they often charted lower than the 'main single' - Brown Sugar, Tumbling Dice, etc - I do wonder whether that's because the Stones, themselves, did not promote the release. In other words: they only focused on the 'one' single to promote the corresponding album.

Good point, Big Al, you are correct, and thank you for pointing it out as that is something I hadn't originally considered. There are a few other tracks as well that were only released as singles in the US, such as Ain't Too Proud To Beg, Shattered, and Hang Fire. On the flip side, Respectable was only released as such in the UK.

And none did that well in the U.S. I only remember Ain't Too Proud to Beg getting radio airplay in the states.

Beast of Burden, Waiting on a Friend, Wild Horses...definitely got a lot of airplay. Even lesser 'hits' like She's So Cold, Hang Fire and Shattered got a fair bit of radio play back in the day.

Interestingly, and this is for the US, the only time a follow up single (or in one case for VOODOO LOUNGE, the 3rd single) came close to or actually charted higher than the lead single were:

ENGLAND'S NEWEST HITMAKERS

Not Fade Away (#48)
Tell Me (#24)

12 X 5

It's All Over Now (#26)
Time Is On My Side (#6)

IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N ROLL

It's Only Rock 'n Roll (#16)
Ain't Too Proud To Beg (#17)

VOODOO LOUNGE

Love Is Strong (#91)
You Got Me Rocking (#113)
Out Of Tears (#60)

BRIDGES TO BABYLON

Anybody Seen My Baby? (DID NOT CHART)
Saint Of Me (#94)

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treaclefingers

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GasLightStreet

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treaclefingers

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GasLightStreet
One Hit (To The Body) is the Stones imitating themselves. And, of course, Jimmy Page plays the solo. So Harlem Shuffle was the right call.

Although I like She Was Hot a lot more than Undercover Of The Night, UOTN was the correct choice considering the state of the world at that time - and the state of music.

Although Angie is obvious I prefer Heartbreaker.

Has any other single from an album ever charted higher than the trailer?

The brilliance of Miss You and Emotional Rescue as trailers was that they were so different from the past, both brilliant songs, and modern.

And while I probably prefer Emotional Rescue, if only because that was my entree to the band via She's So Cold, I think that ER was again the Stones "copying" themselves, trying to to strike lightning twice with another 'disco'/dance single.

Not unlike Satisfaction and JJF. In both cases I actually preferred the 'copy'!

Definitely they were chasing the trend and copying themselves - only in a cleaner and neater way than the dirt Miss You. At least it stopped.

They didn't do anything similar until Anybody Seen My Baby and then Rain Falls Down!

Yeah that's for sure. They also did Dance and If I Was a Dancer during that narrow window. You can't blame Mick for trying to keep the ball rolling with that 'dance' thing but they wisely stopped.

For me the out of the park, completely unexpected, and even 'mindblowing' single that they did was Undercover of the Night. It gave me a bit of hope they were striking the path in an entirely new direction.

I realize I'm being hyperbolic but while I think you could have made an argument for trying a disco single (didn't hurt they did a great job) given the times, Studio 54 and being absolutely immersed in it, UOTN was completely out of left field for me.

The whole album was just a complete departure from anything they'd done and though maybe stylistically different, it had that darkness of Let It Bleed. (I'll now withstand the abuse that will be hurled for trying to compare it to LIB...I'm not at all, just the tone).

Dance (and If I Was A Dancer) fall into the same realm of Hot Stuff, maybe Hey Negrita... but not similar at all yet similar.

What else did they do in the Miss You/Emotional Rescue "flavour" we don't know about? We only know about what they released! I wouldn't consider Everything Is Turning To Gold in that realm but it's close.

They may've done others of that sort. Considering how Start Me Up came along, there may be multitudes of songs that are of Miss You - Emotional Rescue -esqueness.

UNDERCOVER will probably remain the album they did that was the most different, period - and brilliantly so. A gargantuan difference to the recent past and in regard to its essence, it's as important as BEGGARS-SOUP only in an off-kilter way - and! - the last album of creation - true creation - of the band.

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treaclefingers

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24FPS

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sf37

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Big Al
Some of these earlier 'follow-up' single were only released in select markets. no? I don't think Wild Horses and Happy received a release in the U.K., for example. Noting that they often charted lower than the 'main single' - Brown Sugar, Tumbling Dice, etc - I do wonder whether that's because the Stones, themselves, did not promote the release. In other words: they only focused on the 'one' single to promote the corresponding album.

Good point, Big Al, you are correct, and thank you for pointing it out as that is something I hadn't originally considered. There are a few other tracks as well that were only released as singles in the US, such as Ain't Too Proud To Beg, Shattered, and Hang Fire. On the flip side, Respectable was only released as such in the UK.

And none did that well in the U.S. I only remember Ain't Too Proud to Beg getting radio airplay in the states.

Beast of Burden, Waiting on a Friend, Wild Horses...definitely got a lot of airplay. Even lesser 'hits' like She's So Cold, Hang Fire and Shattered got a fair bit of radio play back in the day.

Yes, Beast of Burden was a sizeable hit on Billboard.

I wonder why Respectable was a U.K.-only release? Perhaps, because it’s punk-lite, and the genre was most prominent in the U.K.

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Big Al

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treaclefingers

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24FPS

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sf37

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Big Al
Some of these earlier 'follow-up' single were only released in select markets. no? I don't think Wild Horses and Happy received a release in the U.K., for example. Noting that they often charted lower than the 'main single' - Brown Sugar, Tumbling Dice, etc - I do wonder whether that's because the Stones, themselves, did not promote the release. In other words: they only focused on the 'one' single to promote the corresponding album.

Good point, Big Al, you are correct, and thank you for pointing it out as that is something I hadn't originally considered. There are a few other tracks as well that were only released as singles in the US, such as Ain't Too Proud To Beg, Shattered, and Hang Fire. On the flip side, Respectable was only released as such in the UK.

And none did that well in the U.S. I only remember Ain't Too Proud to Beg getting radio airplay in the states.

Beast of Burden, Waiting on a Friend, Wild Horses...definitely got a lot of airplay. Even lesser 'hits' like She's So Cold, Hang Fire and Shattered got a fair bit of radio play back in the day.

Yes, Beast of Burden was a sizeable hit on Billboard.

I wonder why Respectable was a U.K.-only release? Perhaps, because it’s punk-lite, and the genre was most prominent in the U.K.

Beast is remarkable...I think I saw it's something like the 5th most streamed RS song of all time. Well ahead of Miss You. In that respect definitely the most successful of all their follow-up singles.

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24FPS
Undercover of the Night was brilliant. Maybe their last brilliant single. She Was Hot is one more throwaway Chuck Berryish B-side.

One Hit is good, but Harlem Shuffle, especially Bill's bass, is great.

She Was Hot has a fantastic chorus with a melodic structure, instrumentally, unlike any Berry-song.

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DandelionPowderman

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24FPS
Undercover of the Night was brilliant. Maybe their last brilliant single. She Was Hot is one more throwaway Chuck Berryish B-side.

One Hit is good, but Harlem Shuffle, especially Bill's bass, is great.

She Was Hot has a fantastic chorus with a melodic structure, instrumentally, unlike any Berry-song.

Yes, and I especially enjoy the longer, unedited versions of both She Was Hot and Undercover Of The Night, both of which I find superior to the standard versions on the album. The way the extended version of She Was Hot continues on in a musical jam is not unlike the enjoyment of listening to Can't You Hear Me Knocking.....

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treaclefingers

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24FPS

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sf37

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Big Al
Some of these earlier 'follow-up' single were only released in select markets. no? I don't think Wild Horses and Happy received a release in the U.K., for example. Noting that they often charted lower than the 'main single' - Brown Sugar, Tumbling Dice, etc - I do wonder whether that's because the Stones, themselves, did not promote the release. In other words: they only focused on the 'one' single to promote the corresponding album.

Good point, Big Al, you are correct, and thank you for pointing it out as that is something I hadn't originally considered. There are a few other tracks as well that were only released as singles in the US, such as Ain't Too Proud To Beg, Shattered, and Hang Fire. On the flip side, Respectable was only released as such in the UK.

And none did that well in the U.S. I only remember Ain't Too Proud to Beg getting radio airplay in the states.

Beast of Burden, Waiting on a Friend, Wild Horses...definitely got a lot of airplay. Even lesser 'hits' like She's So Cold, Hang Fire and Shattered got a fair bit of radio play back in the day.

Of those three lesser hits I only hear Shattered the most, occasionally, truly, She's So Cold. Hang Fire? Never.

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GasLightStreet

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treaclefingers

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24FPS

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sf37

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Big Al
Some of these earlier 'follow-up' single were only released in select markets. no? I don't think Wild Horses and Happy received a release in the U.K., for example. Noting that they often charted lower than the 'main single' - Brown Sugar, Tumbling Dice, etc - I do wonder whether that's because the Stones, themselves, did not promote the release. In other words: they only focused on the 'one' single to promote the corresponding album.

Good point, Big Al, you are correct, and thank you for pointing it out as that is something I hadn't originally considered. There are a few other tracks as well that were only released as singles in the US, such as Ain't Too Proud To Beg, Shattered, and Hang Fire. On the flip side, Respectable was only released as such in the UK.

And none did that well in the U.S. I only remember Ain't Too Proud to Beg getting radio airplay in the states.

Beast of Burden, Waiting on a Friend, Wild Horses...definitely got a lot of airplay. Even lesser 'hits' like She's So Cold, Hang Fire and Shattered got a fair bit of radio play back in the day.

Of those three lesser hits I only hear Shattered the most, occasionally, truly, She's So Cold. Hang Fire? Never.

well now for sure, but even back when they were released? That's what I meant.