The Rolling Stones: It's All Over Now

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]
[Band Website]
[Band Wiki]

Live:

The Rolling Stones: I Just Want to Make Love to You

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]
[Band Website]
[Band Wiki]

The Dead Flowers Artwork Contest

For a long time now, I've been thinking about a way to get some original artwork for Dead Flowers. What better way, I finally concluded, than to go directly to the visitors? It's very simple, really: I'm tired of ripping off Marcel Dzama's work (as brilliant as it is), but I'm not talented enough to come up with a design myself.

Here's what I'm looking for:
-A banner
-An avatar/logo
-A background (optional)

What should it look like? I'll leave that up to you. But you might draw inspiration from some of the following:
-The existing (unlicensed) artwork from Marcel Dzama
-The song "Dead Flowers" [Lyrics Link]
-The Rolling Stones, circa late 60's/early 70's
-Anglophilia/Britpop

Now Dead Flowers hasn't suddenly become a money-making proposition (quite the opposite, really), so I can't offer much. But here's what the winner gets:
-A physical (or digital if you prefer) copy of "Sticky Fingers" by The Rolling Stones (from which the song "Dead Flowers" is taken)
-Prominent billing on the site and links to your website/myspace/facebook, whatever
-Exposure on a site that, when I can be bothered to update, can have anywhere from 500 to 1,000 visitors a day.

Send your submissions to mike at sendmedeadflowers dot com. Feel free to forward this post to anyone you think might be interested. The winner will be announced at the end of January. Good luck...I look forward to seeing your work!

Listen to "Dead Flowers" by The Rolling Stones:

[Download the MP3 Here]

The Rolling Stones: Child of the Moon

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]
[Band Website]
[Band Wiki]

Buy it:

Amazon CD


Amazon CD

And This Little Piggy Went...

Oink has gotten the treatment that Dead Flowers will probably get someday. You have to love the record industry--can't have people enjoying music, can we?

This from The Guardian:

British police have closed down what they claim is one of the world's largest music piracy websites after a two-year pan-European operation. A series of raids in Middlesbrough and Amsterdam resulted in the arrest of a 24-year-old man and the closure of Oink, a private website that allowed users to locate and download music, movies and other files.

The closure has been welcomed by the music industry, which said that leaked copies of pre-release records meant that Oink users were able to access hundreds of albums before they reached the shops.

The invitation-only website, which had an estimated 180,000 users, was well known among internet filesharers as one of the most popular and exclusive sources of free downloads.

[Read the Whole Article]

Listen to "Cocksucker Blues" by The Stones:

[Download the MP3 Here]

The Rolling Stones: Dead Flowers (Alternate Version)

Well when you're sitting there in your silk upholstered chair
Talking to some rich folk that you know
Well I hope you won't see me in my ragged company
For you know I could never be alone

Take me down, little Susie, take me down
I know you think you're the queen of the underground
And you can send me dead flowers every morning
Send me dead flowers by the mail
Send me dead flowers to my wedding
And I won't forget to put roses on your grave

Well when you're sitting back in your rose pink Cadillac
Making bets on Kentucky Derby Day
I'll be in my basement room with a needle and a spoon
And another girl to take my pain away

Yes

Take me down, little Susie, take me down
I know you think you're the queen of the underground
And you can send me dead flowers every morning
Send me dead flowers by the U.S .mail
Say it with dead flowers at my wedding
And I won't forget to put roses on your grave

No, I won't forget to put roses on your grave

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]
[Band Website]
[Band Wiki]

How Come You Taste So Good?

The Guardian has a great piece on what might just be the greatest song of all time, "Brown Sugar":

Sympathy for the White Devil

Brown Sugar falls into that spellbinding category: Jagger-Richards songs least likely to be covered by Paul McCartney. This is not merely because the Rolling Stones' 1971 single embodies rock at its most primordial, but because the lyrics are intensely controversial, and to many people, offensive. Yes, despite its throbbing, upbeat tempo and exuberant getaway chorus, Brown Sugar is a song about slave owners having their way with nubile young black women. This is not very nice. It is so not very nice that when the Stones scheduled their 2003 trip to China, the heirs of Mao Zedong, that paragon of cultural sensitivity, singled out Brown Sugar as one of four numbers they were forbidden to play. One can only wonder what the commissars would have made of David Bowie's China Girl or George and Ira Gershwin's flamboyantly condescending Porgy and Bess. Whatever the case, nobody in Chicago, Los Angeles or Leeds ever suggested banning Brown Sugar. Well, at least not any white people.

The emotional apex of virtually every Stones concert, Brown Sugar is an unusual song, in that it is has horns and a bridge and is exquisitely crafted but doesn't end up sounding like Steely Dan schlock. It kicks off with a catchy intro that immediately modulates into a completely different riff, gathers steam with Mick Jagger's sassy vocal, careens off into Bobby Keyes' festive saxophone solo and concludes with one of the most beloved sing-along refrains in the history of rock. A hit single off Sticky Fingers, whose controversial cover was designed by Andy Warhol, Brown Sugar captured the Stones at their apogee, when Mick Taylor was driving the band away from Jones' psychedelia and mysticism and back into blues-based rock. After Taylor made the catastrophic decision to leave the band in 1974, and Ronnie Wood replaced him, the Stones never made another great album.

[Read the whole article]

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]
[Song Lyrics]
[Band Website]
[Band Wiki]
[Read my piece on Stones' producer Jimmy Miller]

On "Top of the Pops":

Movie Music: "Rushmore"The Rolling Stones: I Am Waiting

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]
[Band Website]
[Movie Wiki]

The Rolling Stones: Brown Sugar (Alternate Version w/ Eric Clapton)

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]
[Band Website]

The Rolling Stones: She Smiled Sweetly

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]
[Band Website]

As Heard in Richie's Tent:

The Dead Flowers Summer Mix 2007

[Image by Marcel Dzama]

There are a couple rules when composing a summer mix:

Keep it simple.
Trim the fat.
Play the hits.

Download the mix and see if I got it right. Enjoy...

Tracklist:
1. Brian Jonestown Massacre: "The Ballad of Jim Jones"
2. Swervedriver: "The Hitcher"
3. Ash: "A Life Less Ordinary"
4. Foreign Born: "In the Shape"
5. Supergrass: "We Still Need More (Than Anyone Can Give)"
6. The Raveonettes: "Love in a Trashcan"
7. The Rolling Stones: "Loving Cup"

Running Time: 25 minutes

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]

The Rolling Stones: I Just Want to See His Face

Listen:

[Download the MP3 Here]

From the Shadows: Jimmy Miller

Jimmy Miller is probably best known as the producer of The Rolling Stones on their four iconic albums: Beggar's Banquet, Let it Bleed, Sticky Fingers, and Exile on Main St. It's true that his reign as the Stones' producer neatly coincided with Mick and Keith's songwriting golden years, but it's difficult to overstate the importance of Miller's mastery of all things percussion in defining that classic Stones sound.

Always ahead of his time, Miller initially became known as a remixer. He took a fine but rather lifeless song by The Spencer Davis Group, "Gimme Some Lovin", and made it move. The same goes for its follow-up "I'm a Man", a song injected with a staggering array of percussive instruments such as maracas, finger cymbals, and congas. While this may have easily devolved into a scenario of throwing a lot of shit at a wall to see what sticks, every piece of percussion used is instead a compliment to the song as a whole: the resulting groove is irresistible.

Listen to "I'm a Man":

[Download the MP3 Here]

After the psychedelic folly of "Their Satanic Majesties Request", The Stones were looking to beef up their sound, to give it some backbone and channel the dark heart of the blues. Thus they turned to the American Miller, the first fruits of this partnership being the single "Jumpin' Jack Flash". Once again, the song moves in a way that makes other rock songs before and since sound limp in comparison. Listen to the way the maracas come in as loudly as anything else at the end of the second chorus and marvel at how the addition of a simple percussion part lifts the song to new heights.

Miller and The Stones' first album collaboration, "Beggar's Banquet", opens with a new high water mark: "Sympathy For the Devil". The percussion on this track is particularly striking: like something from a Latin jazz ensemble rather than a group of white Englishmen, the sheer number of intricate, interlocking rhythms set a new standard for popular music. In my early college years, I had a healthy obsession with jazz and funk, but was scornful of rock because it seemed so ignorant of rhythm. Miller's production on "Sympathy for the Devil" was instrumental in my musical education: it taught me that melody and rhythm are not mutually exclusive. Quite the opposite, actually.

"Sympathy for the Devil" from "Rock n' Roll Circus":

Miller's triumphs are too numerous to all get a mention here, but some cannot be ignored. In what could quite possibly be the only time one could call for "more cowbell" without sounding ironic, he plays the much-maligned instrument on "Honky Tonk Women". Keith Richards, in a fit of late-night inspiration, recruited Jimmy to play drums on "Happy", a crucial track of "Exile on Main St." and Richards' signature tune. Miller is also behind the kit on "You Can't Always Get What You Want", taking over when Charlie couldn't get the hang of the beat: Miller's mastery of syncopation is a vital element of what is arguably one of the best rock songs ever recorded. Also worth mentioning is "Brown Sugar". Listen to the way what sound like castanets skip along with the beat, creating a jauntiness that perfectly accents Jagger's scandalous lyrics. A subtle touch, yes, but an absolutely crucial aspect of the song's appeal.

Listen to "Brown Sugar":

[Download the MP3 Here]

Once in L.A. a producer I knew sneeringly pointed out that "Sympathy for the Devil" ends at a tempo twice that which it starts at, and informed me that, "We don't do it like that anymore". My question was and is, "Why?" These are human rhythms, and they have been lost in an age of ProTools and tempo correction. Jimmy Miller understood the importance of the beat, and for that reason, left his stamp not only on the greatest rock n' roll band ever, but on rock music as a whole.

Ladies and Gentlemen The Rolling Stones

Watch It:

Setlist:
Brown Sugar
Bitch
Gimmie Shelter
Dead Flowers
Happy
Tumbling Dice
Love in Vain
Sweet Virginia
You Can't Always Get What You Want
All Down the Line
Midnight Rambler
Bye Bye Johnny
Rip This Joint
Jumping Jack Flash
Street Fighting Man


And From the Unreleased 1972 Live Album...

Listen to "Gimme Shelter":

[Download the MP3 Here]

The Rolling Stones: All Down The Line (Outtake Version)

My best online find recently has to be the outtakes from The Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main St.", which is one of my favorite records. It's pretty gritty stuff, but there are some unpolished gems in there. One of the best moments is this early version of "All Down the Line", which tones down the country-rock feel of the album version. If my Stones knowledge serves me correctly, this song's genesis was in the "Let it Bleed" sessions; this might explain why it sounds more like earlier tracks such as "Street Fighting Man". Anyways, I think you'll enjoy it.

Listen to "All Down the Line" (Early Version):

[Download the MP3 Here]

Live Version:

Dead Flowers: Discoveries of 2006

[Download the mix in .rar format]
The mix was taken down to avoid copyright issues. Email me for a copy.

When a year proves to be rather lackluster for new music, as 2006 no doubt did, it's a good excuse to explore the musical archives. With so much music out there, one is always discovering songs 5 years (and in some cases 30 years) too late. Here are 10 songs that I came to appreciate over the course of the year:


1. The Rolling Stones: "Bitch"
2. The Rolling Stones: "Loving Cup"
3. The Rolling Stones: "Love in Vain"
I know, I know: having a self-proclaimed music "expert" like myself tell you that he just discovered The Rolling Stones is a little like your doctor admitting he failed freshman Biology. Nevertheless, for the sake of full disclosure, 2006 was the year I went from Stones fan to full-on obsessive.

4. Blur: "Gene by Gene"
5. Blur: "Mellow Song"
I can't escape my past when it comes to Blur--I'm on record criticizing their last two albums, "13" and "Think Tank," as aimless nonsense. Turns out I was completely wrong. They're brilliant--maybe even their best albums. With these albums, Damon traded cheekiness for soul, buried his still-brilliant melodies so that only dedicated listeners could find them, and turned up Alex James. In doing so, he showed why he's the premier talent in music today.

6. Ash: "A Life Less Ordinary"
Ash's grunge-y anthem is infinitely better than the movie of the same name. An essential summer tune.
7. Bang Gang: "Find What You Get"
8. Mum: "Green Grass of Tunnel"
Taken from the "Screaming Masterpiece" soundtrack, these songs by Icelandic groups successfully walk the line between experimentation and melodicism.

9. Amiina: Blaskjar
10. Sigur Ros: Se Lest
Despite being one of the first people in America to own their debut single "Svefn g englar" and despite playing their album "( )" to death, I got off to a rocky start with "Takk." Sure, I understood the singles, but the quieter moments had me stumped. After I watched some live shows and gave the songs time to seep in, "Takk" quickly became my favorite Sigur Ros effort. Because the quieter songs are heavily influenced by collaborators Amiina, once I appreciated tunes like "Se Lest," Amiina's singles became an essential purchase as well.

See you in 2007
-Mick

Buy Buy Buy:

The Stones: Beat Club 1972

Hipshaker (aka Shake Your Hips)

Tumbling Dice

[Download the DVD]

Thoughts On Exile on Main St: A Season in Hell With The Rolling Stones, by Robert Greenfield

You know you're in trouble when the cover of a book is cooler than the book itself. Act one of Mr Greenfield's book provides an interesting back story for the making of "Exile," detailing the level of heroin use and the bizarre love triangle of Mick, Keith, and Anita Pallenberg. It's a nice complement to Bill Janovitz's book for the 33 1/3 series, which is a brilliant song-by-song musical analysis of the album.

Act two, however, is pointless. And the lengthy epilogue is absolutely ridiculous. The last thing anyone needs is a detailed history of the Stones' recent corporate sponsorship. Oh, and the author claims not once but twice that "Jumpin Jack Flash" is on "Sticky Fingers"--an unforgivable error for anyone wanting to be seen as a Stones insider.

Verdict: Read Act One at Borders or wait for the paperback.

Sweet Virginia (Live,1972)

Top of The pops

The Stones: Brown Sugar




Rod Stewart: Maggie May




Primal Scream: Rocks

The Stones: Jumping Jack Flash (Live)

The Rolling Stones: Child of the Moon (Rare Promo)

The Rolling Stones: Gimme Shelter (BBC)

The Rolling Stones: Loving Cup (Montreux Rehearsals)