Switch to desktop

Hear the Rolling Stones' Classic Some Girls Like Never Before

Written by Holly Aguirre
Viewed 943 times
Video
Comments

« Previous Next »

The Rolling Stones are still rocking after all these years. cinemafestival / Shutterstock.com

Christmas comes early this year in the form of a re-mastered, expanded and digital edition of Some Girls, the Rolling Stones’ 1978 work of genius. The stylish box set comes packed with extras as well as some secret, unheard tracks. It seems that producer Don Was went creeping around his musical vault and unearthed a few rarities that are currently being kept top secret until the November 21 release. The treasure trove of extras in the box include a collection of images from a 1978 photo session with the prolific Helmut Newton and a seven inch single of “Beast Of Burden”, B-sided by “When the Whip Comes Down”. This is a must-have for any Stones fan.

The record, from the cover to the lyrics, was steeped in controversy much like the Stones themselves with their pending drug convictions, girlfriend stealing and hard-partying lifestyle. The original cover artwork was an intricate die-cut design portraying Mick and the boys in gaudy drag next to female celebrities and lingerie ads. Lucille Ball, Farrah Fawcett, Liza Minnelli, Raquel Welch and the estate of Marilyn Monroe threatened to sue if their likenesses weren’t removed. They were, and the cover was reworked. The Rev. Jesse Jackson lambasted the title track for certain lyrics pertaining to females in his racial pool. In spite of all the shouting, the music spoke for itself and remains, to this day, one of the Stones’ top albums, if not quite in the same league as Exile on Main Street.

The record, from the cover to the lyrics, was steeped in controversy much like the Stones themselves.

Jagger’s vocals are unabashedly relentless and unforgiving on tracks such as “Miss You”, “Shattered” and “Respectable”. We’re especially excited to hear the re-mastering of “Far Away Eyes” – though there really is nothing better than hearing it on vinyl or off a truck stop jukebox. Then, draw the curtains and crank up “Beast of Burden.”

Lastly, Some Girls solidified Ronnie Wood’s standing with the band, a member since 1975. His trademark pedal and steel playing added a richness to the Stones’ sound that some thought they’d never achieve after the departure of Brian Jones. Wood also co-wrote the “Shattered” B-side, “Everything is Turning to Gold”.

And if you're in the right place and the right time, you could catch the rarely seen concert movie, "Some Girls, Live in Texas." Shot on 16mm in Fort Worth, Texas in 1978, the film was upgraded to high definition with a 5.1 audio track. It includes an interview with Sir Mick filmed in August 2011 and features performances of many Stones classics including “Honky Tonk Woman”, “Tumbling Dice”, “Brown Sugar”, “Jumpin Jack Flash”, “Miss You” and “Beast of Burden”.