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The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band was in a period of transition. In December 1974, guitarist Mick Taylor announced he was leaving The Rolling Stones. The Stones had already weathered the loss of Brian Jones in 1969 and now they were, once again, without a guitarist. The sound of music was changing, too, with the rise of punk and disco even as prog and heavy rock remained entrenched on the charts. Where did that leave the band who had just proclaimed “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)” on their 1974 album? The answer would be found on 1976’s Black and Blue, an album which today remains somewhat lost in the shuffle coming between It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll and 1978’s Some Girls. Now, Black and Blue has returned in a brand-new remix by the prolific Steven Wilson, available in a variety of formats including a 4CD or 5LP Super Deluxe box set as well as smaller 2LP/2CD and 1LP/1CD configurations.
Black and Blue is the sound of a band working to rediscover itself. Keith Richards took on the lion’s share of the guitar work after Taylor’s departure while the group “auditioned” others. Guitar heroes Jeff Beck, Harvey Mandel, Robert A. Johnson, and Wayne Perkins all contributed to the sessions, as did Faces’ Ronnie Wood. Having previously inspired and played on the title track of 1974’s It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll and toured with the band in 1975, Wood was uniquely positioned. He played on three songs on Black and Blue (“Cherry Oh Baby,” “Hey Negrita,” and “Crazy Mama”) and was introduced on the album’s release date (and its cover photograph) as an official member – a position he holds to this day. He seamlessly joined Richards, Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman in the lineup.
The band’s second album to be co-produced by Jagger and Richards as The Glimmer Twins, Black and Blue featured the Stones’ trademark blend of blues and rock alongside reggae, jazz, soul, and funk influences. Percussionist/drummer Ollie Brown and pianist Ian Stewart were on hand alongside Billy Preston, whose piano and/or organ could be heard on six of the LP’s eight original tracks, and another longtime Stones keyboardist pal, Nicky Hopkins. Jagger and Richards contributed all of the songs save for the cover of Jamaican singer Eric Donaldson’s “Cherry Oh Baby.”
Black and Blue flirted with the fusion of disco and rock on the opening “Hot Stuff.”  Though little more than an extended riff on the title phrase, it anticipated Some Girls’ chart-topping “Miss You” which proved the Stones could rule the dancefloor without sacrificing their musical integrity. Even better was “Hand of Fate,” a western-evoking, murder-themed rocker in the tried-and-true Stones style with perhaps the album’s strongest hook.
The Glimmer Twins cooked up a lengthy, sentimental ode with “Memory Motel,” a bittersweet paean to faded remembrances of lovers past (“You’re just a sweet memory/And it used to mean so much to me…”) Distinguishing the track is a rare, shared lead vocal from Mick and Keith. The deep-soul ballad “Fool to Cry” shimmers in Steven Wilson’s new mix, bringing subtle detail to the fore in both the band performance (including Wayne Perkins’ guitar solo) and Jagger’s deeply-felt lead.
Ronnie Wood inspired the down-and-dirty “Hey Negrita,” another loose, riff-based jam with lyrics taking a backseat to the Latin-tinged funk. A dash of reggae could also be heard on “Hey Negrita,” with the Stones paying full and credible homage to the genre on the cover of Eric Donaldson’s “Cherry Oh Baby.”
One of the album’s marquee guests, Billy Preston, shines on “Melody” (“It was her second name…”) with its loping, late-night blues/jazz vibe and brass chart by Arif Mardin. The protagonist of “Melody” is after the woman who done him wrong, a theme which continues on “Crazy Mama.” The lyrics’ misogyny aside, “Crazy Mama” offers the most raucously enjoyable band performance of Black and Blue.
Steven Wilson’s new stereo mix is typically respectful of the original, bringing only a subtle touch that tends to bring up Bill Wyman’s bass and the individual instrumental textures such as the often-prominent piano. He’s avoided extending the fades or otherwise rebuilding the tracks, resulting in an album which is both familiar and gently fresh.
The Super Deluxe Black and Blue continues with a short bonus disc or EP (mixed by Mark “Spike” Stent) which opens with two outtakes. “I Love Ladies” has Jagger deploying his best falsetto while the track channels a bit of a Philly soul vibe in its crisp intro, as well. A storming and funky cover of Shirley and Company’s 1974 disco smash “Shame, Shame, Shame” once again shows the Stones meeting the dancefloor on their own terms.
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Four instrumental jams round out the disc. The “Chuck Berry Style Jam” with Harvey Mandel pays homage to the rock and roll pioneer with recognizably Berry-esque licks and appropriately pounding piano. Ronnie Wood’s old pal Jeff Beck is heard on three tracks, among the most coveted to see official release. On “Rotterdam,” he trades licks with Richards and Robert A. Johnson. It’s a boisterous and spirited high-energy jam anchored by the versatile Charlie Watts’ drums. The slow-burning scorcher “Blues Jam” finds Beck in purely dazzling mode as he plays with his volume knobs in lyrical mode over the primitive blues rhythm. A version of Jeff Beck Group keyboardist Max Middleton’s “Freeway Jam” appears here, too; while Charlie Watts sounds right and home with its jazz modes, the Stones jam failed to ignite the magic of the recording included on Beck’s own, George Martin-produced 1975 album Blow by Blow. Fascinating though they are, these jams are unlikely to have much repeat value (unlike the two strong outtakes); some alternate takes of the album’s songs might have fleshed this disc out.
Far more exciting is the live material included in the Super Deluxe sets. The 2-CD concert album Live at Earls Court 1976 has been sourced from the band’s six-night May ’76 residency at the (now-demolished) Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London and mixed by Declan Gafney. Black and Blue guests Billy Preston, Ian Stewart, and Ollie Brown joined the Stones for the concerts. In addition to the expected old favorites (but no “Satisfaction”), the setlist includes “Fool to Cry,” “Hey Negrita,” “Hot Stuff,” and “Hand of Fate” as well as exciting Preston solo spots on his 1974 chart-topper “Nothing from Nothing” and 1971 hit “Outa-Space.”
Whereas that show is audio-only, the new box sets also premiere Live at L’ Abattoir on Blu-ray Disc. This re-presents a television special recorded at the Pavillon de Paris, nicknamed L’ Abattoir, or “The Slaughterhouse” just a month later than the Earls Court shows. In front of the 10,000-strong audience, the Stones fed, as always, off the audience’s abundant energy. At roughly 55 minutes, it’s a shorter version of the show, but retains “Outa-Space” as well as album cuts “Hand of Fate,” “Hot Stuff,” and “Fool to Cry” along with select Stones classics. Audio is available in DTS-MA, Dolby Atmos, and PCM Stereo formats.
The Blu-ray also includes stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes of the original album plus high-resolution and stereo mixes of Earls Court. (Oddly, there is no track listing for the Blu-ray Disc anywhere within the Super Deluxe 4CD/BD package.) Wilson shows considerable freedom on the Atmos mix of Black and Blue, opening up the soundstage to place the listener in the middle of the recording studio to strong effect; the Earls Court Atmos mix is solid but conservative. The Blu-ray also includes the outtakes and jams in hi-res stereo. (The CDs have all been mastered by Matt Colton.)
Unsurprisingly, the packaging for this set is top-notch. The 100-page hardcover book is photo- and image-heavy, with Paul Sexton providing a new essay to put the band’s activities during this period into proper context. The CDs are housed in wallets within a folder bearing the original album artwork while the Blu-ray Disc has a slot in the hardcover book. A two-sided lyric sheet and a foldout poster for the Paris show round out the set.
Black and Blue tends to be overshadowed by the albums which came directly before and after. If its songcraft isn’t as uniformly strong as those albums or the Stones’ finest, it remains a testament to the joy they found in playing together and with friends. The new Super Deluxe Edition is short on revealing studio material – despite the electrifying presence of Jeff Beck – but strong on live music and presentation. There’s no shame, shame, shame in that.
Black and Blue is available now. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
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2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
4CD/BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
5LP/BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada​​​
Joe Marchese
JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song and beyond, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with labels including Real Gone Music and Cherry Red Records, has released newly-curated collections produced and annotated by Joe from iconic artists such as Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and The Supremes, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, The Spinners, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Meat Loaf, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Liza Minnelli, Darlene Love, Al Stewart, Michael Nesmith, and many others.
Joe has written liner notes, produced, or contributed to over 200 reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them America, JD Souther, Nat “King” Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, BJ Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, Petula Clark, Robert Goulet, and Andy Williams.
Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray.
Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.