Wednesday, April 23, 2008

I'm Going Down

The Rolling Stones
"I'm Going Down" (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards) – 2:52











By request. "I'm Going Down" is a track off Metamorphosis, that odds and sods compilation with the wacky Kafka cover released in 1975. I'm having trouble tracking down information on this particular song, but wikipedia says it dates to the Sticky Fingers sessions in 1970. It sounds like a half-formed studio jam – Mick seems to be improvising throughout, and there isn't really a melody to speak of – the chorus is especially limp.

In fact, the track sounds exactly like something that would have appeared on Keith's other solo album (the one I can't remember the name of – not Talk is Cheap, the one with "Eileen"): you've got your classic classic-era Stones midtempo groove, you've got your monster Keith open G riffing, and you have your undercomposed, underproduced vocal out front. Add in your hotshot session musicians (Bobby Keys on the sax, the improbably named Rocky Dijon on the congas) and you're good to go.

2 comments:

Mondo said...

Marvellous you're a star - I love this tune. I only came across it when my MP3 player shuffled it up.
(even though I've had Metamorphosis for about 20 years now) I only used to play Jiving Sister Fanny and I Don't Know Why from this album..

I've heard there's some debate about guitar work on the track too - (shifty whispers about Stephen Stills).

Now - you haven't got that heavy version of Gimme Shelter anywhere have you - as played over the end credits of Gimme Shelter movie

PS The Keef demo's here if you want to grab it..

Nanker said...

Hey Ron, if you're reading this, make sure you check out that link in the previous comment. You were right about the singer's name – it is Merrie Clayton.

I've got to get around to "Jiving Sister Fanny" one of these days. Now that I think of it, two of my favourite non-hit Stones tunes were on Metamorphosis – "Memo From Turner" was the other one. Maybe I should pick up that album.