Rolling Stones/Unreleased 1968-1969

On New Year’s Eve, there was a movement that shocked Stones enthusiasts around the world. Suddenly, unreleased recordings of the Stones from 1968 to 1969 were released on YouTube under the name “69RSTRAX.” The plan was to secure the rights to the unreleased music by distributing it on YouTube on the last day before the copyright protection period expired. Although it is the largest volume, there are also many pirates from bootlegs, such as the Oakland performance, which was blown away by the direct quotation of “Liver”. However, there is one thing that is only true for Stones-focused accounts. It also includes rare sound sources that have never been heard before, which is surprising enthusiasts all over the world. At the same time, the moment 2020 arrived, “69RSTRAX” disappeared from YouTube in the blink of an eye. This is nothing more than saying, “Yes, it’s been released! Copyright protection has been extended.” Due to its unexpected disappearance, enthusiasts around the world were left stunned. After all, it’s the internet. Even for just 24 hours, the sound source was firmly captured by enthusiasts. This release is a collection of rare studio tracks from there. Now let’s introduce each track. 1. Ruby Tuesday The first surprise this time is the re-recorded version of this song. The mere fact that such a sound source existed is quite an impact, but Mick’s singing and Charlie’s drumming are certainly those of the late 60’s. Well, I wonder why the re-recording was done, but if this is for “ROCK AND ROLL CIRCUS”, it will make sense. The completeness of this re-recorded version is sufficient, but I am concerned about the fact that Brian’s recorder is not included here. Did you arrange it by omitting it in order to give it a more sophisticated finish than in 1966, or did you intend to have him play it during the actual performance? In any case, it is a re-recorded version that suggests that the oldies-oriented song was dropped from the list of candidates before the video recording. Mono 2. Honky Tonk Women Another mix discovered on Yellow Dog’s “BLACK BOX”. This is a famous version because Keith shouts “Aaah” in the intro, and Mick’s vocals are also taken differently. Even in “69RSTRAX”, the sound is a little noticeable, but there is no noise that seems to come from acetate like in “BLACK BOX”. The degree of separation between the piano and horn section has also been improved. Stereo 3. Country Honk A different mix was previously discovered that did not include the introductory horn and also did not include the fiddle played by Byron Verline, but this is a completely different take of the backing track. The tempo is faster than the released version, and the crisp piano played by Ian Stewart and the presence of Bill’s bass are noticeable. A take that is more honky tonk than country. Loose stereo 4. Sympathy For The Devil This is also a recording for “ROCK AND ROLL CIRCUS”, but it’s a different take with a rather rough atmosphere. The performance that starts with Mick’s count is rather similar to another take in the studio heard in the movie “ONE PLUS ONE”. What’s more, it’s impressive that Keith keeps adding Obrigado throughout. However, it cannot be denied that the performance lacks cohesiveness, which is probably why it died. Monaural 5. This is a session sound source of a song from Stray Cat Blues’ “69RSTRAX”, which is included in the only album “BEGGARS BANQUET”, and is a separate take of the backing track, which appears to be in the early recording stages. The performance consisted of Keith, Charlie, Bill, and Nicky Hopkins. Although it is still played in a rough tone, the sturdy atmosphere is still powerful enough. Mono 6. Gimme Shelter 7. You Got The Silver These have been familiar for a long time, “Keith sung version” and “Mick sung version” respectively. However, they probably wanted to include these in “69 RS TRAX”. There are two types of mixes for the “Gimme Shelter” Keith version, but the one heard here is the one discovered in “TIME TRIP VOL.4”. Stereo 8. Love In Vain Now, the surprising sound source continues from here. This is the first version of “Love In Vain” recorded on May 23, 1968. The version later recorded in “LET IT BLEED” was recorded in March 1969, so this belongs to the outtakes from the “BEGGARS BANQUET” session. That’s why the performance arrangement is completely different. It feels more like Robert Johnson’s version, and it’s interesting to see Charlie doing the rhythm on a washboard. I guess it was shelved because of its simplicity, but this is a wonderful alternative take. stereo. 9. Let It Bleed This is also a completely different take of the backing track. Like the other take of “Country Honk,” the tempo is faster here. I think it sounds quite fresh to ears that are used to hearing the album version’s solid performance. Mick sings a little bit from the middle, but it’s mostly instrumental. Mono 10.Midnight Rambler Another take of the backing track starting with Glyn Johns’ take call “19”. However, the performance ended in less than a minute. Perhaps Keith sensed that his playing needed a little more crispness. Mono 11. Gimme Shelter　This is another mix heard on “BLACK BOX” etc. If you compare it to the album version, it’s different from the bass that comes in the intro. However, Mick’s vocals are completely different, and the feature is that most of the chorus is sung as “come on, children” instead of “rape, murder.” Still, his vocals are double-tracked and have effects applied, giving them a high degree of perfection. It may have been originally considered for release in this state. From there, the bass and Mick’s vocals were replaced, and the result was reborn like that. And the sound quality has improved dramatically compared to “BLACK BOX” etc. 12.Wild Horses　This is another surprising mix. Surprisingly, the strings are overdubbed throughout the entire song. The atmosphere is reminiscent of “As Tears Go By” in some places, and I was really surprised that there was no country taste like the released version. On the other hand, I am also surprised by the fact that even though they had already done the work of putting strings on the track (of course, recording costs were involved), they had not done so. As the performance progressed further, an armonica (glass harmonica) appeared and the atmosphere escalated into an idyllic atmosphere. However, since the original is a masterpiece, this dramatic finish is also quite wonderful. It’s a different mix that will both move you and shock you. Stereo 13.Sister Morphine　This is an early version that became known around “TIME TRIP VOL.4”, where Keith plays the chords on a dobro guitar instead of an acoustic guitar. Until now, it had faded out when Charlie joined, but for the first time, the performance was recorded completely. As a result, it turned out to be a long version lasting nearly 7 minutes. Stereo 14.Brown Sugar 15.Wild Horses Both are familiar to enthusiasts, the so-called “Shelley” mix of the American version of “HOT ROCKS”. Since both were rare separate mixes, they have been included in items many times, but all of them were equalized to cover up the roughness of the recordings (as a result, they tended to be crisp). On the other hand, the key point this time is that the sound quality is quite warm. Stereo 16.You Can’t Always Get What You Want “69RSTRAX” full of amazing sound sources concludes with a session scene with the choir who led the opening of this song impressively. That scene was glimpsed in 8mm video in the “CROSSFIRE HARRICANE” documentary, but this time the sound source has finally appeared. The 20-minute session scene documents Mick rehearsing the chorus. This is done in a very peaceful atmosphere, with Glyn Johns occasionally giving advice to Mick. The ladies in the chorus laugh a lot from time to time, and you can almost feel the atmosphere of, “Oh no, we’re being asked to do this by Mick Jagger.” After that, a person who appeared to be a conductor appeared and the chorus was completed in earnest. This is really interesting. Mono In the end, the sound source of “69RSTRAX” was a big fuss on New Year’s Eve, but a CD that neatly summarizes it has finally been released. After all, it is special to be able to listen to it carefully once again on a recording. Last year’s “LET IT BLEED (50TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED DELUXE EDITION)” did not have any rare tracks that enthusiasts wanted, and many people were probably disappointed. For that reason, there is no doubt that you will be excited by the number of newly discovered sound sources that you can listen to here. Above all, enthusiasts who were shaken by the sudden disappearance of “69RSTRAX” can now rest assured. And will MSG69 appear next? (79:56) 1. Ruby Tuesday (Rock And Roll Circus Recording, Olympic Sound Studios, December 1968) 2. Honky Tonk Women (Alternate Lyric Version, Olympic Sound Studios, March 1969) 3. Country Honk (Instrumental, Olympic Sound Studios , May 1969) 4. Sympathy For The Devil (Rock And Roll Circus Recording, Olympic Sound Studios, December 1968) 5. Stray Cat Blues (Instrumental, Olympic Sound Studios, March 1968) 6. Gimme Shelter (Keith on Lead Vocal, Olympic Sound Studios, March 1969) 7. You Got The Silver (Mick Jagger on Lead Vocal, Olympic Sound Studios, February 1969) 8. Love In Vain (Bluesier Version, Olympic Sound Studios, May 1968) 9. Let It Bleed (Instrumental, Olympic Sound Studios, March 1969) 10. Midnight Rambler (Instrumental, Olympic Sound Studios, February 1969) 11. Gimme Shelter (Alternate Version, Olympic Sound Studios, March 1969) 12. Wild Horses (with Strings & Glass Harmonica, Olympic Sound Studios , October 1970)　 13. Sister Morphine (Longer Early Version, Olympic Sound Studios, March 1969) 14. Brown Sugar (Alternate Hot Rocks Version, Olympic Sound Studios, December 1969) 15. Wild Horses (Alternate Hot Rocks Version, Olympic Sound Studios , December 1969) 16. You Can’t Always Get What You Want (Choir Sessions, Olympic Sound Studios, March 1969)