Boy, "Slave" is a slab of dazzling diamond hard funk, apparently a seamless performance by master musicians with an amazing sense of duynamics, tension & release. Like the band was cut in a sweaty room on a very hot night. Yet it's artifice! Pieced together over 5 years or so! Sonny just smokes. 'Waiting On A Friend", the way it was finally produced,has an incandescent beauty all the more ethereal during the last minute or so, when the wordless vocals and Rollins float through the air like angels. SO MY QUESTION is did Sonny Rollins ever speak about working on the Stones album? I've googled the subject, to no avail. Mick describes Sonny asking him (Mick) to 'dance' the songs as a way to prompt Sonny as he laid down his parts, and that makes sense. But I'd like to know just what the sax giant thought about this singular experience with rock n roll's giants, one that worked so beautifully.

Well, since he perhaps did not, is Sonny anybody's neighbour ("...saxophone players..."), and has he mentioned the session over morning coffee?

I dunno. but im not sure if slave is artifice. I think most of it was basically done already back when they played it in 74 or 75? and then it was mixed with just a few things added like the sax and maybe some of the vox weren't done yet.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-01-23 02:54 by ryanpow.

Well the outtake I used to have, which someone stole 6 years ago so I can't A/B, was as I recall MAYBE the basic track used, w/ Preston and Ollie and the Stones' 'basic track', largely instrumental and around 8 or 10 minutes long (if the TY cd version is 6:34). I don't thinkg Wood's distinctive guitar part was on there yet, so Ron and Sonny Rollins recorded their parts later, and of course Mick's rap and the additional backing vocals. It wasn't like a completed song left off "Black & Blue" with only the sax added later. Plus the mix is spectacular on TY. They transformed a jam that was enjoyable, but not with obvious potential, into a really great track. Any additional insights appreciated.

Did you know Sonny recorded all the sax parts in a restroom, hence the crisp sound on Tatto You.

in It's Only Rock N Roll: Song By Song I read that Mick sang his parts on TY in a closet!

john r wrote
Boy, "Slave" is a slab of dazzling diamond hard funk, apparently a seamless performance by master musicians with an amazing sense of duynamics, tension & release. Like the band was cut in a sweaty room on a very hot night.



straight up.

yes siree

AT LAST...words from Mr Sonny Rollins, Himself:
"'Mick Jagger and a British film maker who had made a documentary about me in the '50s, came to see me play... I didn't know how it happened, but a little later I got a call from the Rolling Stones asking me to be on their new album. Charlie Watts is a big jazz fan, and I think it was him who was behind this....
I was supposed to get together with Mick in the studio [in New York], but...I had a hard time finding the studio. I hate being late to anything, and I'm usually not. This time I was late, but not purposely. Mick seemed to feel I was dissing him. But it was completely inadvertant...I thought [my work with the Stones] came out very well. I was completely into what they were doing... And it was a very successful record...' Sonny obviously understood what the Stones required of him and his improvisations fit in perfectly. The blues are at the roots of the Stones music, and Sonny has always exhibited a deep junderstanding of blues...Some of his greatest and most important improvisations on record were blues perfomances, such as 'Blue Seven' and 'Blues For Philly Joe'..."
That's from the book "Open Sky: Sonny Rollins and his World Of Improvisation" by Eris Nisenson (forward by Rollins)

His contribution is major. Waiting on a friend is one of my favourites. It will be listenable in hundreds years. It will never be old-fashioned.

Joshua Redman is an excellent player but in St Louis 98 his playing of WOAF was not convincing me. Sonny's the best.

Alfie's original theme (the movie with Michael Caine) is also played by Rollins. It is excellent. This is a connection again between him and Mick who made the new Alfie's soundtrack as you know it.

There's also a quote of Rollin's where he states that he was 'warming up to the songs' when the engineer said through the intercom 'thanks, we've goy it'. He stated he was out of the studio within half a hour.

Mathijs

"I dunno. but im not sure if slave is artifice. I think most of it was basically done already back when they played it in 74 or 75? "

Slave was also called "Black and Blue Jam" from 74/75 sessions with Hopkins on Keyboards, Jeff Beck on guitar and Townsend backing vocals. Probaly or certainly has been a part of the guitar searching session, where Beck could show his guitar abilitis, which he also did on Sexy Night and Come on Sugar .....

It's a pity sonny was not credited on the sleeve!!!

He certainly doesn't sound like he was warming up, in fact Nico's site lists unissued versions of the Rollins songs with alternate sax performances. And a rush job belies Sonny's comments from the book. Also, I like the interview with Mick where Jagger described Rollins asking him to dance to the songs in the studio while he recorded his tracks.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-01-24 00:42 by john r.

Quote
bumbum
"I dunno. but im not sure if slave is artifice. I think most of it was basically done already back when they played it in 74 or 75? "

Slave was also called "Black and Blue Jam" from 74/75 sessions with Hopkins on Keyboards, Jeff Beck on guitar and Townsend backing vocals. Probaly or certainly has been a part of the guitar searching session, where Beck could show his guitar abilitis, which he also did on Sexy Night and Come on Sugar .....

A version with Beck has until now not turned up, and Pete Townsend's vocals were added in 1981, not 1975.

Mathijs

"A version with Beck has until now not turned up, and Pete Townsend's vocals were added in 1981, not 1975.

Mathijs"

True Townsend bv was from 1981, but Beck was on the original recording from 74/75 - together with Preston and Hopkins. According to Internet, there is supposed to be a bootleg called:

"The Rolling Stones - Jamming with Jeff Beck" with the following numbers:

01. Slave Jam (Instrumental) *
02. Come On Sugar (Let's Do It Right) *
03. Sexy Night (Lovely Lady) *
04. Shame Shame Shame **
05. Blues Jam **
06. Travelin' Man **
07. English Rose **
08. Man Eating Woman **
09. You Know What I Mean **
10. Just Another Night (extended remix) ***
11. Lucky in Love (dance mix) ***
12. Let's Work (dance mix) ****
12. Catch as Catch Can (b side from "Let's Work") ****
13. Say You Will (remix) ****
14. Throwawau (remix) ****
15. Just Give Your Lovin' (unreleased take) *****
* Black & Blue Sessions, Feb. 9, 1975
** Black & Blue Sessions, Feb. 1, 1975
*** Mick Jagger solo album, She's the Boss, 12" EP, 1985
**** Mick Jagger solo album, Primitive Cool, 12" EP, 1987
***** Mick Jagger solo album, acetate studio disk

[www31.ocn.ne.jp]

[www.guitars101.com]

Anybody knows about this boot? and if it is available on the net?

It is also supposed to be on a boot called: REGGAE'N'ROLL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-01-24 18:36 by bumbum.

I would not trust bootleg sources too much. Bootleggers were always quite creative to find selling points, no matter if they were true or not.

BBC tracks disguised as "previously unreleased studio outtakes", good sounding audience tapes as "excellent stereo soundboard recordings" and the list goes on.

Well, I believe it until it has been proved wrong, and Beck jammed / played with the Stones in 74/75.

Beck jammed with the Stones, but not on Slave as far as is known now. I have at least 20 hours of recordings from Rotterdam (heeee keeessiiee!), and Beck is not playing on Slave.

Mathijs

Well, some scouces say so amongst them Martin Elliot, and some say the opposite NN. The issue will remain unanswered....

Thanks for the interesting info. Slave and Tattoo You have always been favorites. They should have played it on the Licks tour, it sounded great on the rehearsal.

If you want to hear more of Sonny Rollins, I recommend "Saxophone Colossus" as a start. Jazz, but with a definite swing. The opening track has a nice Caribbean feel (from Sonny's roots).

I recommend "East Broadway Rundown". But be warned: It's nothing like "Slave". It's wild and furious. And Elvin Jones' drumming is a revelation.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-01-25 12:20 by Greenblues.

Quote
TrulyMicks
it sounded great on the rehearsal.

That's mainly because they were noodling around on the playback of the studio version...

Mathijs

Quote
Mathijs

Quote
TrulyMicks
it sounded great on the rehearsal.

That's mainly because they were noodling around on the playback of the studio version...

Mathijs

Well, no, I was thinking of Mick's singing actually.
I think it would've sounded great live.

what is ron's guitar part? All I remember is keith's riffing and soloing.