The missing ingredient on those live versions was the horn section -- why weren't they used? The studio version has such a strong horn presence it's weird they weren't used on the live performance.
skipstone - exactly, where is the meat? I don't mind Ronnies slide, even though theres no slide on the original, but...the whole thing sounds a bit lifeless, a bit rushed, like a coverband which is running through a certain song. they dont seem comfortable at playing it, maybe its just a bit underrehearsed.
Saw it live in Miami on the same tour. It was the web song and mick said it had not been played since rehearsals. Mick keith and Ronnie huddled for a minute working it out then Mick can to the mic and said we got iall worked out.
The studio version is heavy. The slower pace leaves it open to surge along. This live version is nothing like the song at all. At least when they did Memory Motel it had balls to it!
Did they do Rainbow on the Voodoo tour or was that only Motel? It's annoying that they'll do Ruby Tuesday decently but not Rainbow. Ya think they'd LIKE to do Rainbow! Well at least they did it. It didn't work. Next.