Rolling Stones announce 2019 US tour

[Vic2012]

Here's a question. I'm listening to Do Do Do Heartbreaker with headphones. The funky wah wah on one channel sorta sounds like an distorted, electric piano with a wah wah pedal, or is it a guitar? Calling Guitar Geek.

[Vic2012]

Nevermind. It is an electric piano.

[JJ88]

It's electric piano yeah. One of few songs which is not driven by Richards' riffing.

[Mister Triscuits]

It's electric piano yeah.

Played by Billy Preston.

[Vic2012]

I'm impressed also by their Motown covers (Ain't Too Proud To Beg, Just My Imagination). They kept pure R&R honest, and still do.

[JJ88]

Played by Billy Preston.

He later was in their touring band (and even sang a few of his own tracks). Not sure how good a fit he was there, unless you like 'Brown Sugar' with Moog squiggles.

[GuitarGeek]

Here's a question. I'm listening to Do Do Do Heartbreaker with headphones. The funky wah wah on one channel sorta sounds like an distorted, electric piano with a wah wah pedal, or is it a guitar? Calling Guitar Geek.

Actually, I believe it's a Clavinet through a wah wah pedal.

[Vic2012]

Billy Preston wasn't a huge star here in the US but he has the destinction of having been the fifth Beatle, and a contributing member of the Stones. He's Nicky Hopkins, and Ian Stewart. RIP.

[GuitarGeek]

Billy Preston wasn't a huge star here in the US but he has the destinction of having been the fifth Beatle, and a contributing member of the Stones. He's Nicky Hopkins, and Ian Stewart. RIP.

He also had a few hits during the 70's under his own name, e.g. That's The Way God Planned It, Nothing From Nothing, Space Race, etc. But during the 80's, he sort of disappeared off the face of the Earth, it seemed, in part to the "changing times", but also, I think because of his personal issues.

[Vic2012]

Actually, I believe it's a Clavinet through a wah wah pedal.

I think you're right. It sounds pretty badass. Kinda like Eddie and his electric piano on And The Cradle Will Rock. I always thought the rhythm guitar part was a guitar, but it was distorted piano.

[Vic2012]

He also had a few hits during the 70's under his own name, e.g. That's The Way God Planned It, Nothing From Nothing, Space Race, etc. But during the 80's, he sort of disappeared off the face of the Earth, it seemed, in part to the "changing times", but also, I think because of his personal issues.

I remember his radio hits, all those you mention. He was never on the same level as Stevie Wonder. He wasn't part of the whole soul scene in the US. His legacy is his work with the Beatles and Stones.

[GuitarGeek]

I think you're right. It sounds pretty badass. Kinda like Eddie and his electric piano on And The Cradle Will Rock. I always thought the rhythm guitar part was a guitar, but it was distorted piano.

A lot of people thought that was a guitar. I think he said it's a Wurlitzer played through an MXR Flanger and the same stock Marshall amp that Eddie used for recording guitar (I emphasize that it's stock, because for a long time he went around telling people that all these mods had been done to it, but I remember reading in Guitar World, I think it was, back in the early 90's, some famous amp tech did some restoration work on it, and he said that nothing beyond basic maintenance had ever been done to it).

Similarly, there's a bit in the studio version of Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys itself, by Traffic, that a lot people thought was a synth or sax being played through a distortion pedal. Steve Winwood said it was an organ. Then there's the "sax" solos on While You See A Chance, which was synth.

[Mister Triscuits]

Actually, I believe it's a Clavinet through a wah wah pedal.

Could be, but it's credited as piano on the LP inner sleeve. (Clavinet is credited on "100 Years Ago.")

[Vic2012]

Well, I'm sort of on this Stones binge, but I'm hearing some classic albums I've never heard before. Currently listening to Rod.....Every Picture Tells A Story. I've heard the hits, just never heard the album. Great album. The Brits interpreted Americana music so great.

[Jerjo]

Rod's early solo albums and the four Faces albums are just terrific. Loose, soulful, and just a lot of balls. And reportedly heroic amounts of drinking.

[Vic2012]

And now I'm listening to Never A Dull Moment. Just as good as the previous album.

[JJ88]

I like Rod Stewart all the way up to 'I Was Only Joking', but there was too much bandwagon-chasing commerciality for my taste after that. But hey, it worked for him- even now, in the UK at least, he's one of the few rock stars of a certain age who still sells big numbers of his 'new' albums. Most of them put an album out and after the first week the sales fall away big time. I believe The Stones did reasonably good business with that Blue And Lonesome covers album though.

[SteveSly]

I like Rod Stewart all the way up to 'I Was Only Joking', but there was too much bandwagon-chasing commerciality for my taste after that. But hey, it worked for him- even now, in the UK at least, he's one of the few rock stars of a certain age who still sells big numbers of his 'new' albums. Most of them put an album out and after the first week the sales fall away big time. I believe The Stones did reasonably good business with that Blue And Lonesome covers album though.

Stewart is going to be playing in Vegas when we are going to be out there this fall and I am considering going to see him. Never seen him before, and like others here, I like a lot of his early stuff. Looking youtube clips it looks like his voice is still in pretty good shape and he still has a good band. Still have not decided for sure yet.

[JJ88]

I should say of his 80s hits, I like 'Young Turks' and 'Baby Jane'. The latter has some regrettable 80s tropes and screechy session sax but I like it despite myself. The likes of 'Infatuation', 'Love Touch' etc., not so much.

The Faces have a ton of BBC sessions that have not been released. The 1971 live session with a very long version of 'You're My Girl' is particularly strong. Others have some oddities which they didn't record in the studio like a cover of Free's 'The Stealer'. (That track was released but not much else from that concert has been.)

I'd definitely recommend the first two Rod Stewart albums, An Old Raincoat... (or The Rod Stewart Album as it was known in the US) and Gasoline Alley. The title track of the latter is one of the best things Stewart/Wood ever recorded.

[Adm.Kirk]

He also had a few hits during the 70's under his own name, e.g. That's The Way God Planned It, Nothing From Nothing, Space Race, etc. But during the 80's, he sort of disappeared off the face of the Earth, it seemed, in part to the "changing times", but also, I think because of his personal issues.

He recorded some gospel albums at one point, perhaps this is when he "disappeared". Later he resurfaced in Clapton's band playing Hammond organ while David Sancious handled the synth work.

Bill

[GuitarGeek]

I should say of his 80s hits, I like 'Young Turks' and 'Baby Jane'. The latter has some regrettable 80s tropes and screechy session sax but I like it despite myself. The likes of 'Infatuation', 'Love Touch' etc., not so much..

I actually rather liked Infatuation, but then, what do you expect my reaction to a guitar based song, with a solo from Rod The Mod's former boss (who was doing a lot of sessions at the time, playing on records by people like Tina Turner, Mick Jagger, Stanley Clarke and others)? Also liked the music video, which had both Kay Lenz and B-movie legend Dick Miller in it.

The one that I thought wasn't too good was his version of All Right Now. That one goes on the worst covers ever list.

Young Turks was a coo song. I liked the way they took what was essentially a Springsteen wannabe song an slathered it in synths. And there's a nice twangy, sort of quasi-Duane Eddy guitar solo too. The girl in the video is E.G. Daly, who was later in one of my favorite movies, Valley Girl.

As for Baby Jane, I recall in the video both of the guitarists played Telecasters, but the song itself was way, way, way too MOR for my tastes.

[Jerjo]

Billy Preston definitely had some personal issues. It's a sad story. Just read his wiki page: sexually abused as a child, cuckholded by Sly Stone, addicted to alcohol and cocaine, busted for being caught with a teenage boy, etc. It is speculated that he turned to drugs to deal with his faith conflicting with his sexual orientation. He left the Stones in 1977 after a money dispute. That was before being a sideman in the Stones became a good paying gig.

[SteveSly]

I should say of his 80s hits, I like 'Young Turks' and 'Baby Jane'. The latter has some regrettable 80s tropes and screechy session sax but I like it despite myself. The likes of 'Infatuation', 'Love Touch' etc., not so much.

.

I would agree that some of his 80's era stuff is good too, but it was more hit and miss by that point.

[ronmac]

I friend of mine is one of the top illustrators in the world. He just posted this caricature of Keith. I thought I'd share it here.

[Vic2012]

NP: Live With Me from Let It Bleed. .