The Rolling Stones’ 1978 album “Some Girls” is described by many critics as the last great album the band ever made. Although many fans would find that opinion debatable, there’s hardly any dispute that “Some Girls” is one of the best albums the Rolling Stones ever made. So with all the Rolling Stones albums that have been repackaged and re-released over the years, it’s always hugely intriguing when the reissues come with bonus tracks of previously unreleased or hard-to-find songs.
Such is the case with the 2011 reissue of “Some Girls,” which Universal Music will release worldwide on November 21, the same day that the Rolling Stones concert film "Some Girls Live in Texas '78" will be released on DVD and Blu-ray. The "Some Girls" album reissue's bonus tracks were mostly uncompleted songs written in the late 1970s and completed in 2011, with producer credits going to Don Was, Chris Kimsey and the Glimmer Twins. (Universal Music released a remastered reissue of “Some Girls” in 2009, but it did not have any bonus tracks.) The Rolling Stones' lineup for the "Some Girls" album consisted of lead singer Mick Jagger, guitarist Keith Richards, drummer Charlie Watts, bassist Bill Wyman and guitarist Ronnie Wood. "Some Girls" also features various backup musicians.
I previously reported details on the 2011 “Some Girls” reissue, including what the bonus tracks would be and the formats available for the reissue. I received an advance copy of the 2011 reissue of “Some Girls,” and I’m happy to report that the bonus tracks alone make the reissue worth buying. Rolling Stones fans already know what the original “Some Girls” album sounds like (or at least heard most of the original album’s 10 songs, including the hits “Miss You” and “Beast of Burden”). If anyone is not yet familiar with the album, there are countless places to find the original “Some Girls” album. There are also countless reviews of the original “Some Girls” album, so there’s no need to rehash here what the 10 songs on the original album sound like. This is a review of the 12 bonus tracks on the 2011 “Some Girls” reissue.
Claudine
(Total running time: 3:42)
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Mick Jagger - acoustic guitar, vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar, harmony vocals
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Ronnie Wood - acoustic guitar
Ian Stewart - piano
This song is a stellar example of the Rolling Stones paying tribute to the sound pioneered by Chuck Berry. It has the same rollicking feel of many of Chuck Berry’s classics, and the music sounds like something that could have been written in the 1950s. The lyrics for “Claudine” were reportedly inspired by Claudine Longet, a former wife of Andy Williams, who was convicted of misdemeanor criminal negligence for the 1976 fatal shooting of her Olympic skier boyfriend Valdimir “Spider” Sabich. With lines like “There’s blood in the chalet, blood in snow; she washed her hands of the whole damn show,” the Stones infuse a touch of macabre irony. It’s an interesting contrast to the upbeat music of the song.
So Young
(Total running time: 3:18)
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Mick Jagger - vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar, harmony vocals
Ronnie Wood - electric guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Ian Stewart - piano
Chuck Leavell - piano solo
“So Young” (which sounds like a musical cousin to George Thorogood’s song “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”) is exactly what it implies from the title: It’s an ode to chasing jailbait — or at least a song about seducing a female who is young enough to be considered taboo for the narrator lusting after her. The bootlegged (unfinished demo) version of the song has Jagger mumbling a lot of the lyrics. This version definitely has finished lyrics, which tell the tale of an older man who meets a girl “at the arcades” and woos her. An example: “I took her down to Barney’s, bought her a brand-new set of boots … She was terminally cute.” The song’s title may be repeated too much in the song for some people’s tastes, but it’s an overall solid tune — just not outstanding.
Do You Think I Really Care?
(Total running time: 4:22)
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Mick Jagger - vocals, acoustic guitar
Keith Richards - acoustic guitar, harmony vocals
Ronnie Wood - pedal steel, electric guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Ian Stewart - piano
Mick Jagger was spending a lot of time in New York City when this song was written, and it shows in the lyrics to this mid-tempo song that has country-rock leanings. There are references to the subway, the D train, 57th and Broadway, Max’s Kansas City and the Long Island Expressway. The finished version that appears on the reissue has Jagger clearly enunciating the lyrics (in the bootlegged demo, Jagger’s voice trails off a few times), and the finished version has much slicker production. The main chorus is: “Do you think that I really care for a girl who’s never there?”
When You’re Gone
(Total running time: 3:51)
Written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ron Wood
Mick Jagger - vocals, guitar, harp
Keith Richards - guitar
Ronnie Wood - guitar
Bill Wyman - bass
Charlie Watts - drums
A definite highlight on this set of bonus tracks, “When You’re Gone” is a foot-stomping, bluesy breakup song with the harmonica playing a prominent role. The lyrics to this song cut like a knife. An example: “I don’t want to think about you when you’re gone. I don’t want to hear your voice talk on the phone. All those notes and those cards, I’ll throw them in the yard. I’ll put them in the trash where they belong.”
No Spare Parts
(Total running time: 4:30)
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Mick Jagger - vocals, electric piano, guitar, tambourine
Keith Richards - piano
Ronnie Wood - electric guitar, pedal steel
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
This twangy, Rolling Stones country song is another high point of the collection. The lyrics tell the story of trip from Los Angeles to the Texas city of San Antonio. Gram Parsons, who heavily influenced the country-flavored songs on the Stones’ 1972 album “Exile in Main Street,” would have been very proud of “No Spare Parts.”
Don’t Be a Stranger
(Total running time: 4:06)
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Mick Jagger - vocals, percussion
Keith Richards - electric guitar, acoustic guitar, percussion
Ronnie Wood - acoustic guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - marimba
Don Was - bass
Sugar Blue - harp
Matt Clifford – percussion
It’s not a reggae song, but it has a reggae vibe. “Don’t Be a Stranger” is another mid-tempo number that has a simple and catchy chorus. The melodies have a sing-song, lilting quality to it that match the carefree, inviting spirit of the lyrics. For example, the opening lines are: “I haven’t seen your face for years. I thought you had just disappeared. Don’t you worry. What are friends for? You can call me up most anytime. I never go to bed ‘til 5. Don’t be stranger. Just knock on my door … Don’t be a stranger, a stranger no more.”
We Had It All
(Total running time: 2:54)
Written by Troy Seals and Donnie Fritts
Keith Richards - vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Ronnie Wood - pedal steel
Sugar Blue - harp
This melancholy ballad with Keith Richards on vocals is one of the best tracks in this collection. With lyrics that mourn a lost love, the piano and slide guitar on this tune are emotionally effective without being overbearing. It doesn’t sound like Richards re-recorded the vocals for this release, since his current singing voice is much lower and deeper than how his singing voice was when he recorded the demo of this song back in the 1970s. The production team wisely chose to keep this song simple for the official release, instead of doing something crazy like add more guitars or (God forbid) violins. More guitars would change the pensive tone of the song, and violins would just make it too schmaltzy.
Tallahassee Lassie
(Total running time: 2:37)
Written by Bob Crewe, Frank C. Slay and Frederick A. Picariello
Mick Jagger - vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar
Ronnie Wood - electric guitar
Bill Wyman - bass
Charlie Watts - drums
Ian Stewart - piano
Handclaps by Mick Jagger, John Fogerty and Don Was
Clearly inspired by 1950s rock and roll but with a more modern edge, the Rolling Stones' interpretation of “Tallahassee Lassie” is another Rolling Stones song whose demo has been bootlegged over the years. This new and improved version has a more equal balance between Jagger’s vocals and the musical instruments. (In the demo, Jagger’s voice was overwhelmed by the instruments.) The finished version of this song has more punch to it, and it’s one of the tunes on this bonus set that reminds people of the attitude and swagger that made the Rolling Stones famous.
I Love You Too Much
(Total running time: 3:10)
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Mick Jagger - vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar, harmony vocals, piano
Ronnie Wood - electric guitar
Bill Wyman - bass
Charlie Watts - drums
While some of the songs on this bonus set are nods to country music or 1950s rock, “I Love You Too Much” sounds like it could have fit right in with the more 1970s-sounding songs “When the Whip Comes Down” and “Respectable” that are on the original “Some Girls” album. Richard’s backup vocals are very prominent. And although the song’s title is repeated a few too many times, there are some memorable lyrics, such as “You got me dizzy like a martini lunch.” And it should be noted that this version of “I Love You Too Much” is a vast improvement over the demo. The demo sounded like drunken rambling on a truly unfinished song. In this official version, the song has coherent lyrics and tighter musicianship.
Keep Up Blues
(Total running time: 4:20)
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Mick Jagger - vocals & harp
Keith Richards - electric guitar
Ronnie Wood - slide guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
It’s common knowledge that the Rolling Stones started out as a blues band, and this song is a fierce tribute to their roots. Out of all the bonus tracks on this reissue, Jagger gives perhaps his best vocal performance on “Keep Up Blues.” The harmonica playing on this track also stands out without overshadowing Jagger’s vocals. On this song, Jagger is clearly having fun with the lyrics, as he portrays a superficial narcissist who wants people to think he’s wealthier and hipper than he really is: “My shirt’s made in England. My shoes in Rome. You know I’m coming. Smell my cologne. Keep up, baby. Keep up with the times. Better watch out — you’ll be left lagging far behind.”
You Win Again
(Total running time: 3:00)
Written by Hank Williams
Mick Jagger – vocals, acoustic guitar
Keith Richards - electric guitar & el piano
Ronnie Wood - pedal steel
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Ian Stewart - piano
This country ballad could be the less-talkative musical companion to “Far Away Eyes,” which is another country ballad from the original “Some Girls” album. The slide guitar and Richards’ background vocals nicely complement Jagger’s vocals, which soar in the killer chorus: “This heart of mine could never say what everybody knows but me. Just trusting you was my great sin. I just can’t go on. You win again.” Put it this way: “You Win Again” is the type of song that has “honky tonk saloon” written all over it.
Petrol Blues
(Total running time: 1:35)
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Mick Jagger - vocals and piano
If Robert Johnson’s instrument of choice had been a piano instead of a guitar and he was lamenting a gas-fuel crisis, he might have come up with a song that sounds kind of like “Petrol Blues.” There are no guitars on this short song, but the piano playing is prominent throughout the tune. The lyrics are political without being preachy (“Please, Mr. President, say it isn’t so. I’m going to have to sell my Cadillac I just paid for. I talked to Standard Oil. They say they got plenty but they say they ain’t gonna part … I even called up Texaco. They got plenty left. They got plenty to go. Hey, Mr. President. Say it isn’t so. Why do I have to sell my Cadillac I just paid for?”)
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