Rewind: Exile on Main St - Rolling Stones (1972)

I'm not a huge fan of the Rolling Stones though I do have a fondness for a lot of their early singles and a few of their albums as well (Aftermath, Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, and Sticky Fingers) though after Exile On Main St there's only really tracks from various albums I liked.

I may get shot down for saying it but I think Exile On Main St was their last great complete body of work.

I won't go into all the details of how the album was made, better to go and have a read of Sean O'Hagan's piece for The Guardian back in 2010.

As today is the anniversary of its release I thought I'd stick it up on here just incase you might wish to indulge in some great tunes.

Exile on Main Street - Rolling Stones

Rolling Stones

Produced by Jimmy Miller

Released 12th May 1972

UK Album Chart #1

US Album Chart #1

Original Tracklist for the 2LP Set

A1     Rocks Off     4:33
A2     Rip This Joint     2:24
A3     Shake Your Hips     2:58
A4     Casino Boogie     3:30
A5     Tumbling Dice     3:30
 

B1     Sweet Virginia     4:25
B2     Torn And Frayed     3:40
B3     Sweet Black Angel     3:05
B4     Loving Cup     4:22
 

C1     Happy     3:00
C2     Turd On The Run     2:33
C3     Ventilator Blues     3:20
C4     I Just Want To See His Face     3:15
C5     Let It Loose     5:17
 

D1     All Down The Line     3:50
D2     Stop Breaking Down     4:34
D3     Shine A Light     4:15
D4     Soul Survivor     3:50

Personnel
    Mick Jagger – lead vocals, harmonica, percussion; rhythm guitar on "Tumbling Dice" and "Stop Breaking Down"
    Keith Richards – guitars, backing vocals; lead vocals on "Happy"; electric piano on "I Just Want to See His Face"; bass guitar on "Casino Boogie", "Happy" and "Soul Survivor"; lead guitar on "Tumbling Dice"
    Mick Taylor – guitars, slide guitar; bass guitar on "Tumbling Dice", "Torn and Frayed", "I Just Want to See His Face" and "Shine a Light"
    Bill Wyman – bass guitar
    Charlie Watts – drums

Additional personnel
    Nicky Hopkins – piano
    Bobby Keys – saxophone; percussion on "Happy"
    Jim Price – trumpet, trombone, organ on "Torn and Frayed"
    Ian Stewart – piano on "Shake Your Hips", "Sweet Virginia" and "Stop Breaking Down"
    Jimmy Miller – drums on "Tumbling Dice" (the outro), "Happy" and "Shine a Light", percussion on "Sweet Black Angel", "Loving Cup", "I Just Want to See His Face" and "All Down the Line"
    Bill Plummer – upright bass on "Rip This Joint", "Turd on the Run", "I Just Want to See His Face" and "All Down the Line"
    Billy Preston – piano and organ on "Shine a Light"
    Al Perkins – pedal steel guitar on "Torn and Frayed"
    Richard Washington – marimba on "Sweet Black Angel"
    Clydie King, Venetta Fields – backing vocals on "Tumbling Dice", "I Just Want to See His Face", "Let It Loose" and "Shine a Light"
    Joe Green – backing vocals on "Let It Loose" and "Shine a Light"
    Gram Parsons – backing vocals on "Sweet Virginia"
    Chris Shepard – tambourine on "Turd on the Run"
    Jerry Kirkland – backing vocals on "I Just Want to See His Face" and "Shine a Light"
    Mac Rebennack, Shirley Goodman, Tami Lynn – backing vocals on "Let It Loose"
    Kathi McDonald – backing vocals on "All Down the Line"