The pre-eminent rock anthem of all time, unbelievably 50 years old, and if I were pressed to do without all of the Rolling Stones catalog but one song, the one I would choose.
Dedicated to local weather, which was shorts-and-t-shirt July yesterday, but schizophrenically cold, drizzly March today.
Dig it.
7 comments:
One of my favorite Stones' tunes, too. I also really like the intro of a cover by Sisters of Mercy. It would be cool to make some kind of atmospheric film and use the Stones' version at the beginning and the SOM cover during the end credits..........
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajBHNFgEW6s
Ah yes, the Sisters of Mercy. The best of old school Goth. The Sisters' cover of Gimme Shelter is a darker, more brooding version of an iconic song.
Saw the Sisters twice in Chicago back in the 90s and saw them do this cover live. Awesome!
limp stuff...compared to Frijid Pink's Ennio Morricone-style cover of HOTRS:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=US9lRkeW-m0
Amazing what you can accomplish with a regular blood transfusion.
The female backing vocalist, Merrie Clayton, was called for the job in the middle of the night. "Merrie, there's a group of guys in town, called The Rolling ... Somebodies, and they're from England, and they need somebody that will sing with them." Pregnant, in curlers, and wearing silk pajamas, she went into the studio to sing her part.
When she was given the lyrics, she read them and said: "Rape ... Murder ... It's just a shot away ... WHAT?!"
The version of her vocals heard on the album is the second take. After singing it once, they asked her if she wanted to do another one. She said yes and decided to "blow them out of this room," and she sang it up an octave. In the documentary about backing singers "20 Feet From Stardom," they interview her and play that vocal track isolated from the rest of the song.
The emotion she infuses into it will make your skin crawl. Just astounding.
This is one of my favorite Rolling Stones tracks.
But partly...
It's being played during a movie scene and it brings my mind's eye to it whenever I hear that start up.
1) Just listened to Ms. Clayton doing "Gimme Shelter" and the lady really rocks!
2) If you want 50 year old rock that comes off as Book of Revelation level prophesy listen to "The Ostrich" by Steppenwolf. I also suggest the Whole album "Monster" for a literate musical observation of the evolving socio/political situation in FUSA.
3) I don't know whether to be glad or sad that I am already too old to participate in the upcoming festivities effectively.
_revjen45
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