| 3rd October 2007 12:46 AM |
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| texile |
amen!
anybody think jagger would have the balls to release this as a single...
it would be something.
By Steven Van Zandt
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Our Coolest Song in the World a few weeks ago was "Too Many Cooks (Spoil the Soup)" by Mick Jagger.
The track can be found on "The Very Best of Mick Jagger," out October 2 via Rhino.
While it is not our habit to encourage solo records, rock 'n' roll being all about bands (since the 1950s), this is such an exceptional track that we feel it's worth spending a minute on.
First, the song's origin seems to be a source of confusion. The composition has been attributed to both Willie Dixon and Holland/Dozier/Holland (the real Motown three). But our research is pointing to Angelo Bond, Ronald Dumber and Edyth Wayne, who worked mostly for Holland, Dozier and Holland's label Invictus/Hot Wax and wrote for Honey Cone, Freda Payne and General Johnson and -- in this case -- on the debut single of 100 Proof (Aged in Soul), led by lead singer Joe Stubbs (ex-Contours, Falcons and brother of Fours Tops lead Levi).
John Lennon ended up producing the track in 1973, by way of his organized jam sessions held on a regular basis at Los Angeles' Record Plant studio during his two-year "Lost Weekend." (Yoko Ono had suggested they separate and instructed employee May Pang to take care of him.) Jagger happened to come by once and sang.
Everyone forgot about "Too Many Cooks" for 30 years or so, until Pang found the master tapes. So she's the real hero of the story.
On this amazing track are Jim Keltner on drums, Danny Kortchmar and Jesse Ed Davis on guitar, Al Kooper on keyboards, Trevor Lawrence on baritone sax, Bobby Keys on tenor sax, Harry Nilsson on background vocals and Jack Bruce on bass.
I don't know how many vocal takes there were, but I promise you the final one that's on the record was the last take. Continued...
Jagger is either at the top of his range or just making it to the end of the song before wearing out, much like Lennon's vocal on "Twist and Shout" on the first Beatles album.
The ragged but still in-control quality of his voice creates a fabulous tone of desperation -- underlying and balancing out the standard R&B macho threat that would normally dominate a song like this, had the singer been in full voice.
Instead, a painful soulfulness hits you and stays with you, much like Sam Cooke, David Ruffin and, the King of Agony, Levi Stubbs.
I'm sure there will be other cool things on the record, but this alone is worth the price of admission.
So as it turns out, solo adventures can occasionally be fun.
Let's just not make a habit of it, shall we?
(Actor and guitarist "Little" Steven Van Zandt is a founding member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and host of the syndicated radio show "Underground Garage.")
Reuters/Billboard
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| 3rd October 2007 12:57 AM |
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| glencar |
Forgot about it for 30 years??? Well, then how come we knew about it? Hyperbole never rests! |
| 3rd October 2007 02:41 AM |
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| Ronnie Richards |
Agreed - too many cocks kick ass (very funny, I know..)
But the song kicks ass, it's true!
And so does Little Steven! |
| 3rd October 2007 06:58 AM |
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| corgi37 |
I like him. Long time Stones fanatic and very good in the Sopranos. |
| 3rd October 2007 11:09 AM |
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| Saint Sway |
well worth the 30 year wait.... the best stones stuff is always marinating for years and reaches perfection upon release(see: Tattoo You)
that said...
OPEN THE VAULTS!!!!!!!! |
| 3rd October 2007 01:56 PM |
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| texile |
quote:
glencar wrote:
Forgot about it for 30 years??? Well, then how come we knew about it? Hyperbole never rests!
i know,
jagger is full of shit....
he plays dumb. |
| 3rd October 2007 02:42 PM |
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| oldkr |
anyone in need of a listen can go to mickjagger.com and click on the launch audio player bit (lower right corner) and cycle thru til you hear it!
OLDKR |
| 4th October 2007 08:47 PM |
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| TomL |
thanks kr sounds interesting. I was in a bar today and heard wish it would rain and thought the boys could do that on well. |
| 4th October 2007 10:14 PM |
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| Soldatti |
The version on the CD sounds polished, but it's cool anyway. |
| 4th October 2007 10:38 PM |
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| Glimmer Twin |
It does rock. Excellent. Now I'll have to pick up the album. |
| 5th October 2007 12:46 AM |
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| glencar |
I picked up teh plain CD today & it starts out rather shaky but gets better as it goes on. Charmed Life is better than many thought. |
| 5th October 2007 08:11 AM |
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| gotdablouse |
quote:
Soldatti wrote:
The version on the CD sounds polished, but it's cool anyway.
Haven't done a side by side, but it sounds pretty much like the one we've had for 20+ years ?
By the way here's a link to my original (and fantastic!)topic about TMC -> http://novogate.com/board/968/Archives/09%2D10%2D2007/238674-1.html |
| 5th October 2007 11:46 AM |
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| akula |
quote:
glencar wrote:
Charmed Life is better than many thought.
how so? |
| 5th October 2007 12:24 PM |
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| glencar |
Buy the CD & check it out! |
| 9th October 2007 07:57 PM |
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| gorda |
Maybe, I was expecting too much.
I think it's okay, but not great!
I like Track 15, (Title?), the one he did with the Red Devils. I have been listening to it all day. |
| 9th October 2007 07:58 PM |
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| gorda |
Oh, and Charmed Life is pretty cool, too. I didn't like it at first, because I was distracted by all the images in the video, but once I listened to it on the CD, I actually liked it. |
| 9th October 2007 09:23 PM |
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| Child of the Moon |
I'm quite happy Jagger decided to release this one - I always dug the version I have on bootleg, but the sound quality left something to be desired. I find myself putting on the Best of... now, expecting to hear that semi-muffled, scratchy version, and I instead hear this fantastic track in its unadulterated glory.
I concur - open the vaults! |
| 17th October 2007 08:44 PM |
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| gorda |
Micky's voice overpowers John's, so you can't really hear him. |
