Black and Blue
Template:Album infobox 2 Black And Blue is an album by The Rolling Stones and was released in 1976. It is notable for being their first studio album following guitarist Mick Taylor's departure, while Ron Wood made his first appearance on a Rolling Stones album, becoming an official member of the band by the end of Black and Blue's sessions. Although the album would meet with commercial success, most contemporary critics still consider Black and Blue a part of The Rolling Stones' artistically-lean period, starting with 1973's Goats Head Soup.
With barely any time to catch their breath following Mick Taylor's quitting, The Rolling Stones returned to Munich, Germany - the site of It's Only Rock'n Roll's recording - in December 1974 and began the recording of their new album, with Mick Jagger and Keith Richard (at the time under a heavy heroin addiction) - as The Glimmer Twins - producing again. With a view to have it released in time for the summer 1975 tour of the United States, the band broke for the holidays and returned in January in Rotterdam, Netherlands to continue the good work - all the while auditioning new guitarists as they recorded. Among the hopefuls were Jeff Beck, Rory Gallagher, Harvey Mandel, Wayne Perkins and Ron Wood, although only Mandel's, Perkins' and Wood's guitar work would appear on the finished album. With much work to follow, it was decided to delay the album for the following year and release the Made in the Shade compilation instead.
Following the conclusion of the tour, The Rolling Stones went to Montreux, Switzerland in October for some overdub work, while returning to the same Munich studio in December, after Led Zeppelin had recorded Presence in a matter of three weeks, to perform similar duties. After some final touch-ups, Black and Blue was completed in New York City in February 1976.
Stylistically, Black and Blue - so named for its black music influences - embraces funk with "Hot Stuff", reggae with their cover of "Cherry Oh Baby" and jazz with "Melody", featuring the talents of Billy Preston - a heavy contributor to the album. Musical and thematic styles were merged on the seven-minute epic "Memory Motel", with both Jagger and Richard contributing lead vocals to a love song embedded within a life-on-the-road tale.
Released in April 1976 - with "Fool To Cry", a worldwide Top 10 hit, as its lead single - Black and Blue reached #2 in the UK and spent an interrupted four week spell at #1 in the US, going platinum there. Critical view was polarized, with some finding its emphasis on jamming a reflection of the perceived weak songwriting, while others consider it an undervalued gem. Nonetheless, Black and Blue - which was supported in the summer of 1976 with a European tour - remains one of The Rolling Stones most overlooked albums.
The album was promoted with a controversial billboard on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood that depicted a bruised, bound woman under the phrase "I'm Black and Blue from the Rolling Stones — and I love it!" The billboard was removed after mass protests, although it earned the band widespread press coverage.
In 1994, Black and Blue was remastered and reissued by Virgin Records.
Track listing
All songs by Mick Jagger and Keith Richard, except where noted.
- "Hot Stuff" - 5:20
- Features Harvey Mandel on guitar and Billy Preston on piano
- "Hand Of Fate" - 4:28
- Features Wayne Perkins on guitar and Billy Preston on piano
- "Cherry Oh Baby" (Eric Donaldson) - 3:53
- Features Ron Wood on guitar and Nicky Hopkins on organ
- "Memory Motel" - 7:07
- Features Mick Jagger on piano, Billy Preston on synthesizer, Wayne Perkins on acoustic guitar and Harvey Mandel on electric guitar
- "Hey Negrita" - 4:58
- Inspiration by Ron Wood
- Features lead guitar by Ron Wood and organ and piano by Billy Preston
- "Melody" - 5:47
- Inspiration by Billy Preston
- Features Billy Preston on piano, organ and harmony vocal
- Horn arrangement by Arif Mardin
- "Fool To Cry" - 5:04
- Features Nicky Hopkins on piano and synthesizer
- "Crazy Mama" - 4:34
- Features Keith Richard on bass
