Rolling Stones dig up rare songs for Starbucks CD

[PHOENIX]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones will release an album of rare tracks next month in partnership with coffee retailer Starbucks Corp. and the group's Virgin Records label, the partners said on Tuesday.



"Rarities 1971-2003" will be released simultaneously on November 22 in both Starbucks-owned outlets and in traditional music stores across the United States and Canada. Virgin, a unit of Britain's EMI Group Plc., will handle the foreign release by itself.

The nonexclusive deal differs from recent controversial arrangements Starbucks has had with other major artists. Pop singer Alanis Morissette allowed Starbucks to sell her latest album six weeks before everyone else, resulting in the HMV chain in her native Canada pulling her other albums off its racks in protest.

The Stones, currently on a tour of North America, suffered a similar fate from some retailers in 2003 when they gave electronics chain Best Buy Co. Inc. an exclusive sales window for a DVD package.

Starbucks, which is in the early stages of an ambitious plan to become the leading destination for music buyers, has enjoyed its biggest success with Ray Charles' Grammy-winning posthumous album "Genius Loves Company," which was a nonexclusive release.

The album has sold about 3.1 million copies in the U.S. with Starbucks accounting for about 730,000 copies, according to Charles' Concord Records label. Additionally, Starbucks sold 75,000 copies of a holiday package that included the CD.

The new Stones disc boasts 16 tracks, including live versions of concert staples like "Tumbling Dice" and "Beast of Burden," dance remixes of songs like "Miss You" and "Harlem Shuffle" and b-sides, such as their live 1971 cover of Chuck Berry's "Let It Rock." All have been previously released, but some are hard to find. The band has been wary of releasing old gems as it prefers to keep the focus on its new material.

"With every studio session, there are always songs that never appear on the final album and at the time you think, what a shame that song did not make it," Stones vocalist Mick Jagger was quoted as saying in a statement.

It will reach stores just 11 weeks after the Stones released their first studio album in eight years, "A Bigger Bang." Despite critical acclaim and heavy publicity surrounding the tour, the Virgin release has been a commercial disappointment, debuting at No. 3 on the U.S. pop charts, and sliding to No. 63 in its sixth week, with cumulative sales of 295,000 copies, according to tracking firm Nielsen SoundScan.

Starbucks was involved in the manufacturing, distribution and marketing of "Rarities," but Starbucks Entertainment president Ken Lombard declined to offer financial specifics.

"We felt this was an exciting project and a perfect fit for what we're trying to provide to our customers," he said in an interview.

Lombard said Starbucks has been working with the Stones' management since they partnered on a 2003 album in the chain's "Artist's Choice" series, where musicians choose their favorite songs and discuss their impact.

Reuters/VNU

[VonHalen]

damn, beat me to it, will be cool to check out

[VonHalen]

1. Fancy Man Blues (B-Side to the "Mixed Emotions" single)
2. Tumbling Dice (Live)
3. Wild Horses (Live)
4. Beast Of Burden (Live)
5. Anyway You Look At It (B-side to "Saint Of Me" single)
6. If I Was A Dancer (Dance Pt. 2)
7. Miss You (Dance Version)
8. Wish I'd Never Met You (B-side to "Terrifying" single)
9. I Just Wanna Make Love To You (Live)
10. Mixed Emotions IV (12" version)
11. Through The Lonely Nightsa (B-side to "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll" Single)
12. Live With Me (Live)
13. Let It Rock (B-side to "Brown Sugar" single)
14. Harlem Shuffle (New York Mix)
15. Mannish Boy (Live)
16. Thru And Thru (Live)

[FORD]

About half this stuff was already released on CD on the "Collectibles" disc that came with the deluxe version of "Flashpoint". But I'll probably pick it up for "Through The Lonely Nights" which is pretty scratchy on the bootlegs, and a cleaner copy of "Let It Rock".

Now what about that box set of the really rare stuff, Mick?

The one you promised us 5 years ago.........

[Warham]

Selling out to Starbucks, eh?

Corporate whores.

[Jérôme Frenchise]

Originally posted by VonHalen
1. Fancy Man Blues (B-Side to the "Mixed Emotions" single)
2. Tumbling Dice (Live)
3. Wild Horses (Live)
4. Beast Of Burden (Live)
5. Anyway You Look At It (B-side to "Saint Of Me" single)
6. If I Was A Dancer (Dance Pt. 2)
7. Miss You (Dance Version)
8. Wish I'd Never Met You (B-side to "Terrifying" single)
9. I Just Wanna Make Love To You (Live)
10. Mixed Emotions IV (12" version)
11. Through The Lonely Nightsa (B-side to "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll" Single)
12. Live With Me (Live)
13. Let It Rock (B-side to "Brown Sugar" single)
14. Harlem Shuffle (New York Mix)
15. Mannish Boy (Live)
16. Thru And Thru (Live)

Well, thanks a lot, VonH.! Now I know I won't buy it, since I already have most of those tracks on B-sides and various bootlegs...
They really could have chosen to release a much more pertinent compilation... Instead, we'll get this:

1. Fancy Man Blues: not bad at all, but well...
2. Tumbling Dice (Live): I love it, but already have 20 live takes of it, and it's already been released on "Love you live"...
3. Wild Horses (Live): one more time...
4. Beast Of Burden (Live): so original...
5. Anyway You Look At It (B-side to "Saint Of Me" single): maybe that one could have bettered "Bridges to Babylon" after all...
6. If I Was A Dancer (Dance Pt. 2): been on "Sucking in the Seventies" for so many years, only reissued recently though...
7. Miss You (Dance Version): fags will love it for twisting their asses...
8. Wish I'd Never Met You (B-side to "Terrifying" single): maybe a great one, maybe not...
9. I Just Wanna Make Love To You (Live): Muddy Waters will always rule on that one IMO...
10. Mixed Emotions IV (12" version): that was a really good track, but wtf can this 12-inch version bring?...
11. Through The Lonely Nightsa (B-side to "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll" Single): I've got that single on vinyl, a pussy ballad...
12. Live With Me (Live): if it's a version from the early seventies, why not?...
13. Let It Rock (B-side to "Brown Sugar" single): this one is really worth it (from "Get yer Leeds lungs out", 1971)...
14. Harlem Shuffle (New York Mix): see number 7...
15. Mannish Boy (Live): if it's that version recorded with Muddy Waters himself in a NY club, yeah!...
16. Thru And Thru (Live): why the fuck this boring tune? Why not "Before they make me run" from the late 70s, or even "Happy" from the 1972 or 73 tour?...

No, definitely no! Wrong choices from A to Z... There's plenty of much worthier stuff that's been covered with dust for as many years, like "I can see it" (their answer to Lennon who'd claimed the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus" - Can you walk on water?...), "I don't know the reason why" (a great long blues from 1969), "Brown Sugar" with Clapton on guitar at Keith's b-day in Dec. 1970), "Slave" with Jeff Beck on guitar (a 1975 track where Jeff's tremendous solo was replaced by a sax solo 6 years later on "Tattoo You"), "Claudine" ("Emotional Rescue" sessions, a real kick-ass rock 'n' roll track), "Honest man" (a fuckin' great Stonian rocker, "So young", "Jump on top of me" (two excellent rockers too, with those typical tongue-in-cheek lyrics of Jagger's...), added to better chosen live tracks (the year they were released on albums for instance), such as "Rocks off", "All down the line", "Rip this joint" from the 1972 tour, "Star star" from the 1973 tour, "Midnight Rambler" (from "Let it bleed" in 69, but ont the 72 and 73 tours they played it incredibly), or "Before they make me run" from the 1978 tour...

What about their hilarious videos from the CBS years ("Its only rock 'n' roll", "Hot stuff", "Miss you", "Neighbours", Start me up", "Undercover of the night"...)? They're still not reissued, just like great live stuff like "Ladies and gentlemen: the Rolling Stones" (1974). Meanwhile, they released their live boxed set I personally don't give a fucking damn about as it's pretty recent stuff...
Sure Mick and Keith had better not give people occasions to realize they were so much better in the 1970s... They sound so slow today, really... It's too obvious when you know their music by heart; now I can't wait for them to retire so that the "right" re-issues will come out at last.

[Jérôme Frenchise]

Originally posted by FORD
About half this stuff was already released on CD on the "Collectibles" disc that came with the deluxe version of "Flashpoint". But I'll probably pick it up for "Through The Lonely Nights" which is pretty scratchy on the bootlegs, and a cleaner copy of "Let It Rock".

Now what about that box set of the really rare stuff, Mick?

The one you promised us 5 years ago.........

Well, I should have waited before posting: you go much straighter to the point, Ford!

[FORD]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jérôme Frenchise

2. Tumbling Dice (Live): I love it, but already have 20 live takes of it, and it's already been released on "Love you live"...

This take is probably a little different. I'm guessing it's the B-side from a "Stripped" era single, and what they did was mix a backstage rehearsal of Tumblin Dice, where it's just Mick & the backup singers with Chuck Leavell on piano, in a gospel vibe, and then about 2 verses in, it kicks into the full band. Not earth shattering, by any means. But different.

7. Miss You (Dance Version): fags will love it for twisting their asses...

Hey, that 8 minute version of "Miss You" kicks ass. I just wish they would put the full 12 minute version out.

8. Wish I'd Never Met You (B-side to "Terrifying" single): maybe a great one, maybe not...

If you like the blues, it's great.

9. I Just Wanna Make Love To You (Live): Muddy Waters will always rule on that one IMO...

This was a rarity from the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tour, and released as a B-side of the "Highwire" single. It's a slow blues number - not like the version on their first album.

12. Live With Me (Live): if it's a version from the early seventies, why not?...

Probably not. It's another B-side from the same single as the "Tumblin Dice" above.

15. Mannish Boy (Live): if it's that version recorded with Muddy Waters himself in a NY club, yeah!...

Hopefully. I don't see how the version from "Love You Live" would be a rarity.

They're still not reissued, just like great live stuff like "Ladies and gentlemen: the Rolling Stones" (1974).

You can find that video here

[Jérôme Frenchise]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by FORD

Originally posted by Jérôme Frenchise

2. Tumbling Dice (Live): I love it, but already have 20 live takes of it, and it's already been released on "Love you live"...

This take is probably a little different. I'm guessing it's the B-side from a "Stripped" era single, and what they did was mix a backstage rehearsal of Tumblin Dice, where it's just Mick & the backup singers with Chuck Leavell on piano, in a gospel vibe, and then about 2 verses in, it kicks into the full band. Not earth shattering, by any means. But different.

7. Miss You (Dance Version): fags will love it for twisting their asses...

Hey, that 8 minute version of "Miss You" kicks ass. I just wish they would put the full 12 minute version out.

8. Wish I'd Never Met You (B-side to "Terrifying" single): maybe a great one, maybe not...

If you like the blues, it's great.

9. I Just Wanna Make Love To You (Live): Muddy Waters will always rule on that one IMO...

This was a rarity from the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tour, and released as a B-side of the "Highwire" single. It's a slow blues number - not like the version on their first album.

12. Live With Me (Live): if it's a version from the early seventies, why not?...

Probably not. It's another B-side from the same single as the "Tumblin Dice" above.

15. Mannish Boy (Live): if it's that version recorded with Muddy Waters himself in a NY club, yeah!...

Hopefully. I don't see how the version from "Love You Live" would be a rarity.

They're still not reissued, just like great live stuff like "Ladies and gentlemen: the Rolling Stones" (1974).

You can find that video here

Thank you FORD, once again... I might be changing my mind now... Let the Stones roll!