I like the music.

It was recorded (along with "Sex Drive") to have a couple of new numbers on Flashpoint.

yes...my 12" record has Highwire (4:45) and Highwire (3:44) on th A side and I just want to make love to you (live) (3:55) and Play with fire (live) (3:40) on the other one...Bill was in the record but not in the video...

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jamesfdouglas
The single version is 3:35.

Thanks for verifying that, and for providing your information as well, domingo. At 4:45, I must have the "extended" version already, or is there another longer version of this song out there someplace?

Cheers!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-05-01 22:32 by sf37.

Only 2 ... single edited 3.35
Flashpoint/ 12" version...4.42



ROCKMAN

Cool....thanks once again! Much appreciated!

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Gazza

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skipstone
A Steel Wheels leftover basically. I've always liked it. I wish they would have included it on one of the comps. And it would be good to hear it live.

How is it a Steel Wheels leftover when the subject matter of the song occurred 18-24 months after Steel Wheels was recorded?

Ohhh...good point, Gazz!

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Martingo
Keef's not even on this one, right?

Mick plays the open-G-guitar, Keith plays the licks (similar in style to his licks on Sad, Sad, Sad) and Ronnie plays the solo-theme.

Form what Mick said the music, the tune, not the lyrics, was a SW leftover (and from what I read Sweet Thing? I forget where I've seen that but is that the Jagger solo one?). No different than anything they've done before actually with exception to writing new lyrics to it (I know of nothing else other than Street Fighting Man that had completely different lyrics when they first printed it and worked on it up to the time it was 'finished').

i liked highwire but it aint a classic.

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sweet neo con

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jamesfdouglas
The single version is 3:35.

The Stones could have had a hit with this - if the lyrics weren't so stiff and dorky.

Do you really think the lyrics are THAT important in Stones' songs?
Other than clearly singing the song's title...the majority of Stones lyrics
are indecipherable to the common listener. Of course, as fans of the band, we
know most of the lyrics....but Mick has always been held up as an example of
a singer whose singing can be difficult to understand.

IMO it's all about the music and general sound of the singer's voice....and
if it has interesting/clever lyrics/clever refrain...even better.

Even though I like Highwire...Mick's voice is sort of whiny during the
"we walk the highwire" bit...but I love the rest.

Keno's lyric page says that the song is "anti-war" and "anti-oil"...but to
me it seems more ambiguous.

I respectfully disagree.
The lyrics to their works, while writing in their prime (arguably from 1968-1981), were moving and appealing to many fans on a cerebral level bettered only by the Beatles in rock history. The mood and imagery casted out by Jagger at this time bascially mapped out the pulse of western counterculture in all things sex, fashion and music.

[thepowergoats.com]

I remember being at art school when it came out and bought every version available....

Great record.

...and i still understand why they this song have never played live.....

Wasn't there some story that an MP mentioned this song in Parliament?

The only thing about this song that actually works today, or now, or the past few years, is that once again there is a Bush in office and everything is once again fu*cked up. Over oil and a horrible attitude of the Bush mind. Like those t-shirts say, Somewhere in Texas a village is missing its idiot. And the other one that says Don't mess with Texas (it's not fun to pick on retards). Those are funny shirts obviously aimed at W. Because of the fantastic job he's done. So we got Sweet Neo Con this go 'round.

Other than it's a bit - it's a good song, it's not a great song. But it will never get played live and I doubt it will ever be included on any comp or box set or anything. It's just a studio track on another live album that was the trailer for the record.

It's on par with 'Stealing My Heart'.

[thepowergoats.com]

maybe keith can't remember the chords.... just a joke.....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-05-02 18:49 by steffiestones.

Found this online: "The first line - "We sell them missiles, we sell them tanks, we give them credit, you can call up the bank," was censored when The Stones performed it on the BBC TV show Top Of The Pops."

Did they actually perform it? Or was the music-video censored?


IORR............but I like it!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-05-02 19:25 by sweet neo con.

I liked then, and I like it now. I remember the song being quite noticed, mostly due to political reasons, but it didn't sell at all. So nothing sort of a hit (but not wasn't "Street Fighting Man" either, but maybe that is a different story...)

Surely it is no any big song - a typical "Stones by numbers" song but not a bad one in that category. The melodic chorus and the feeling of the song reminds me of "She Was Hot", and the guitar is pure bastard son in a holy Brown Sugar-Start Me Up- tradition. I like also the muddy and archaic sounding mix of the song - it is much rougher than, for example, STEEL WHEELS.

But isn't that Bill Wyman's last contribution in studio - even though he is not in the video?

I think this little song is a bit underrated little gem in the 'recent' Stones history. Jagger sounds surprisingly focused. For example, lyrically belongs to another planet than their next single, "Love Is Strong" - that surely is not Jagger's most strongest poetical moments...><

- Doxa

i stand up for this song!

Great song!!! Love It! Fantastic ending together with Sexdrive on Flashpoint!
Honky Tonk rhythm-a-like.. this is classic Keith rhythm, though it came from Mick, which is great.

Highwire is a great song. If they have instrumental leftovers like this from the era since Steel Wheels, they really should consider another Tattoo You-style album. There would be quite a few surprises, I think.

And no, Stealing My Heart, while still a good song, doesn't quite live up to it.

I like Stealing My Heart - I like Highwire.
To put them in context... I #$%&ing love Gimme Shelter as a benchmark of rock awesomeness...

[thepowergoats.com]

Highwire does have the swampy guffy rhythm that honks...even if it is in G. So what. It's what they do. I've always liked it. It is interesting to like songs that are not 'classics' with The Rolling Stones.

Why not?

Stealing My Heart? Nahhh. Because it was new it was on Licks. As well as that other one, whatever it's called. Personally, they could have just put Don't Stop, which I like too but it is not a classic by any means no matter what, it does have a nice groove and sound and feel to it but it's not 'classic' compared to everything else - maybe in another 20 years?, and Keith's Losing My Touch. Two more other classic tunes, say She's So Cold and, I dunno, Heartbreaker, would have made it that much better. But whatever. They didn't, we have what we have, and there you go.

In those terms, Highwire is optional. As is Sex Drive. I like them both.

Hey skipstone... we agree again...

[thepowergoats.com]

Agree!