Writers: Jagger / Richards
Producer: The Glimmer Twins
Released: 10th May 1978 (US) , 26th May 1978 (UK)
Length: 3:31
Label: Rolling Stones
Disposition
Brit Boy:
Well obviously being Brit Boy I have heard of the Rolling Stones, although I haven’t really listened to anything more than their more famous stuff, I’m sure on the Top 500 album part of this blog I will have an opportunity to listen to at least a couple of their albums. This track although familiar to me is something which I haven’t listened to in a long time, so will serve more as a memory jog than a fresh listen but I am never the less looking forward to it. It’s interesting to note that there has been a recent resurgence in the Rolling Stones following their appearance at Glastonbury this year, part of my research on this post will be to find out whether they performed this track.
American Girl:
Of course I have heard of the Rolling Stones, I mean who hasn’t? However, I think they were a bit before my generation. I cannot name off the top of my head any Rolling Stones music (granted I am aware that I should be embarrassed by this fact). I know I will have heard their music before, granted I am unsure if this will (or won’t) be one of those songs. I can say with certainty that I have never owned a Rolling Stones album, or purchased one of their songs from iTunes. Considering we are reviewing the Rolling Stones magazine top “500” lists (for both songs and albums), it does make me wonder if the band and the magazine have any correlation. Looks like I require a bit more research….
Apparently, they do not. The magazine was founded in 1967, and began as an Indy publication meant mainly for “hippies”. The band however was founded in 1962. Both were named after the song “Rollin’ Stone” written by Muddy Waters. (I wonder if this song has made one of our lists?) Anyway, I am digressing. Time to listen to the track….
Review
I will probably lose all credibility at this point, but I have never heard this song before. Ironically according to Billboard Magazine’s Hot 100 list, “Miss You” was Number 1 on the week of August 5, 1978, which is three weeks before I was born. (For those enquiring minds, “Grease” by Frankie Valli was the Number 1 hit the week I was born, on September 1st.)
The song is quite good, and definitely deserves a spot on the list. I love the music I am being exposed to through the course of these reviews. Even while watching the original music video, I feel I get to experience a small window of the era into which I was born. With some of this older music, I am continually impressed with the lyrics as well. Songs were actually written with a purpose in mind. (Granted, when I first read the lyrics to “Miss You” I expected something sad and melancholy, not the upbeat, fun rhythm which Mick Jagger delivers.) The song still resonated with me, especially considering my Brit Boy just visited me last week and now we are in our separate homes across the country typing our blogs together during a Skype “date”. So yeah, I “Miss You”.
As this track starts, I instantly recognize this as one of their big hits of the late 70’s, released in 1978 on the Some Girls Album, the distinctive baseline has me instantly drawn in and once again bopping along. The lyrics instantly grab me and my subconscious kicks in and I start singing along.
I’ve been holding out so long
I’ve been sleeping all alone
Lord I miss you
I’ve been hanging on the phone
I’ve been sleeping all alone
I want to kiss you
I just love the way our brains work, we could swear blind we don’t know the lyrics to a song and then from out of nowhere they’re coming out of our mouth’s.
Although I am surprised after further research that it although it reached Number 1 in the US Billboard Charts it only reached 3 in the UK. Although it was competing with Father Abraham and the Smurf Song in the UK so I guess that’s understandable… You do realize that I will now have to go and watch / listen to this song now, I do remember loving that song when I was 4 years old (giving my age away for good or bad…).
As promised I did research the Rolling Stones set list for Glastonbury 2013 and as you can see they did play Miss You.
Jumpin’ Jack Flash
It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)
Paint It Black
Gimme Shelter
Glastonbury Girl
Wild Horses
Doom And Gloom
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking (with Mick Taylor)
Honky Tonk Women
You Got The Silver (with Keith Richards on lead vocals)
Happy (with Keith Richards on lead vocals)
Miss You
Midnight Rambler (with Mick Taylor)
2000 Light Years From Home
Sympathy For The Devil
Start Me Up
Tumbling Dice
Brown Sugar
ENCORE
You Can’t Always Get What You Want (with the Voice Choir and the London Youth Choir)
(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (with Mick Taylor)
Wow!!! Now the Rolling Stones have gone up so high in my respect, this performance at Glastonbury was stunning, 35 years on their performance sounds exactly like the 1978 album version. And what’s with Mick Jagger? How can a guy who will be 70 this month be jumping around the stage and performing better than guys a third of his age. He really is rock legend, I almost feel like I have let him down by not listening to him or realizing how amazing he actually is, but I guess this is one of the joys of visiting this list. Might I has that the rest of the band was also pretty fantastic. Still no bad songs and all will make it onto my I-pod, where to go next….
Aural Excitement 