Scarlet (song)

Last updated

"Scarlet"
ScarletRollingStones.jpg
Single by The Rolling Stones featuring Jimmy Page
from the album Goats Head Soup (2020 reissue)
Released22 July 2020 (2020-07-22)
RecordedOctober 1974
Length3:44
Label Polydor
Songwriter(s) Jagger/Richards
Producer(s) Jimmy Miller
The Rolling Stones singles chronology
"Criss Cross"
(2020)
"Scarlet"
(2020)
"Troubles a' Comin"
(2021)
Music video
"Scarlet" on YouTube

"Scarlet" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones featuring guitarist Jimmy Page. The song was released through Polydor as a single from the reissue of the 1973 album Goats Head Soup on 22 July 2020.

Contents

Background and composition

"Scarlet" is written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and produced by Jimmy Miller. [1] It is described as "a raw, scratchy, loose limbed and actually rather sweet ditty with a cod reggae feel and lots [...] of guitars". [2] The lyrics narrate "a girl named Scarlet who is doing [Jagger] wrong". [2] It was recorded in October 1974. [3] Jagger stated that the song originated in musician Ronnie Wood's home in Richmond, London during a studio session with Richards and guitarist Jimmy Page, [2] while Richards recalled walking in during the end of rock band Led Zeppelin's session, after which their guitarist, Page, "decided to stay". [3] It is thought to be titled after Page's daughter, Scarlet Page. [4] When asked why it went unreleased for nearly 50 years, Jagger said that the song "wasn't really a Rolling Stones record". [5]

Remixes

On 14 August 2020, the band released a remix by rock band The War on Drugs, which introduced "a pulsing new groove that kicks into double-time for the chorus". [6] A second remix, featuring rock band The Killers and DJ Jacques Lu Cont was released on 28 August. It involved "a resonant, reverberating opening" and "layers of symphonic touches". [7]

Music video

The music video stars Irish actor Paul Mescal, and was filmed at Claridge's Hotel in London with social distancing. [8] It depicts Mescal in hotel rooms and empty bars, [9] leaving the titular character desolate voice messages, drinking, dancing, and eventually collapsing in the lobby. [5] The music video was directed by Chris Barrett and Luke Taylor, and released on 6 August 2020. [10]

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic. [1]

The Rolling Stones

Additional personnel

Charts

Chart (2020)Peak
position
US Adult Alternative Songs ( Billboard ) [11] 31

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rolling Stones</span> English rock band

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pioneered the gritty, rhythmically driven sound that came to define hard rock. Their first stable line-up consisted of vocalist Mick Jagger, multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, guitarist Keith Richards, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts. During their early years, Jones was the primary leader of the band. After Andrew Loog Oldham became the group's manager in 1963, he encouraged them to write their own songs. Jagger and Richards became the band's songwriters and primary creative forces, alienating Jones who developed a drug addiction that, by 1968, interfered with his ability to contribute meaningfully.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Jagger</span> British singer (born 1943)

Sir Michael Philip Jagger is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is the frontman and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards have written most of the band's songs together; their songwriting partnership is one of the most successful in history, and they continue to collaborate musically. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has been widely described as one of the most popular and influential frontmen in the history of rock music. His distinctive voice and energetic live performances, along with Richards' guitar style, have been the Rolling Stones' trademark throughout the band's career. Jagger gained notoriety for his romantic involvements and illicit drug use, and has often been portrayed as a countercultural figure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Jones</span> British musician, founding member of the Rolling Stones (1942–1969)

Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones was an English multi-instrumentalist and singer, and the founder, rhythm/lead guitarist, and original leader of the Rolling Stones. Initially a guitarist, he went on to provide backing vocals and played a wide variety of instruments on Rolling Stones recordings and in concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Richards</span> British musician, guitarist of the Rolling Stones

Keith Richards, often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership with the band's lead vocalist Mick Jagger is one of the most successful in history. His career spans over six decades, and his guitar playing style has been a trademark of the Rolling Stones throughout the band's career. Richards gained press notoriety for his romantic involvements and illicit drug use, and he was often portrayed as a countercultural figure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jumpin' Jack Flash</span> 1968 single by the Rolling Stones

"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released as a non-album single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by Rolling Stone magazine, the song was perceived by some as the band's return to their blues roots after the baroque pop and psychedelia heard on their preceding albums Aftermath (1966), Between the Buttons (1967) and especially Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967). One of the group's most popular and recognisable songs, it has been featured in films and covered by numerous performers, notably Thelma Houston, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Peter Frampton, Johnny Winter, Leon Russell and Alex Chilton. To date, it is the band's most-performed song; they have played it over 1,100 times in concert.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Taylor</span> British guitarist, former member of the Rolling Stones (born 1949)

Michael Kevin Taylor is an English guitarist, best known as a former member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (1967–1969) and the Rolling Stones (1969–1974). As a member of the Stones, he appeared on: Let It Bleed (1969), Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert (1970), Sticky Fingers (1971), Exile on Main St. (1972), Goats Head Soup (1973) and It's Only Rock 'n Roll (1974).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sympathy for the Devil</span> 1968 song by the Rolling Stones

"Sympathy for the Devil" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by the songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it is the opening track on the band's 1968 album Beggars Banquet. The song has received critical acclaim and features on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. It is the 22nd best ranked song on critics' all-time lists according to Acclaimed Music.

<i>Goats Head Soup</i> 1973 studio album by the Rolling Stones

Goats Head Soup is the 11th British and 13th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was released on 31 August 1973 by Rolling Stones Records. Like its predecessor Exile on Main St., the band composed and recorded much of it outside of the United Kingdom due to their status as tax exiles. Goats Head Soup was recorded in Jamaica, the United States and the United Kingdom. The album contains 10 tracks, including the lead single "Angie" which went to number one as a single in the US and the top five in the UK.

<i>Its Only Rock n Roll</i> 1974 studio album by the Rolling Stones

It's Only Rock 'n Roll is the 12th British and 14th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 18 October 1974 by Rolling Stones Records. It was the last Rolling Stones album to feature guitarist Mick Taylor; the songwriting and recording of the album's title track had a connection to Taylor's eventual replacement, Ronnie Wood. It's Only Rock 'n Roll combines the core blues and rock 'n' roll–oriented sound with elements of funk and reggae. It's Only Rock 'n Roll reached number one in the United States and number two in the UK.

<i>The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus</i> 1996 British film

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus was a concert film hosted by and featuring the Rolling Stones, filmed on 11–12 December 1968. It was directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who proposed the idea of a "rock and roll circus" to Jagger. The show was filmed on a makeshift circus stage with Jethro Tull, The Who, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and the Rolling Stones. John Lennon and his fiancee Yoko Ono performed as part of a one-shot supergroup called The Dirty Mac, featuring Eric Clapton on guitar, Mitch Mitchell on drums, and the Stones' Keith Richards on bass. The recently formed Led Zeppelin had been considered for inclusion, but the idea was rejected.

<i>Dirty Work</i> (Rolling Stones album) 1986 studio album by the Rolling Stones

Dirty Work is the 18th British and 20th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was released on 24 March 1986 on the Rolling Stones label by CBS Records, their first under their new contract with Columbia Records. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, the album was recorded during a period when relations between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards had soured considerably, according to Richards' autobiography Life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Firm (rock band)</span> British rock supergroup

The Firm were a British rock supergroup formed in 1984, featuring singer Paul Rodgers, guitarist Jimmy Page, drummer Chris Slade, and bass player Tony Franklin. The band released two albums in 1985 and 1986 and eventually saw their greatest chart success with the songs "Radioactive", "All the King's Horses", and "Satisfaction Guaranteed".

<i>Metamorphosis</i> (Rolling Stones album) 1975 compilation album by the Rolling Stones

Metamorphosis is the third compilation album of the Rolling Stones music released by former manager Allen Klein's ABKCO Records after the band's departure from Decca and Klein. Released in 1975, Metamorphosis centres on outtakes and alternate versions of well-known songs recorded from 1964 to 1970.

"Gimme Shelter" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones. It is the opening track on their 1969 album Let It Bleed. The song covers the brutal realities of war, including murder, rape and fear. It features prominent guest vocals by American singer Merry Clayton.

"Can't You Hear Me Knocking" is a track by English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1971 album Sticky Fingers. The track is over seven minutes long, and begins with a Keith Richards open-G tuned guitar intro. The main song lasts for two minutes and 43 seconds, after which it transforms into an extended improvisational jam. The entire track was captured in one take, with the jam being a happy accident; the band had assumed the tape machine had been stopped, and were surprised to find the entire session had been captured. Originally they were going to end the song before the jam started, but were so pleased with the jam that they decided to keep it in. Besides the regular Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger (vocals), Keith Richards (guitar), Mick Taylor (guitar), Charlie Watts (drums) and Bill Wyman (bass), the track also features conga player Rocky Dijon, saxophonist Bobby Keys, organist Billy Preston and additional percussion by producer Jimmy Miller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waiting on a Friend</span> 1981 single by the Rolling Stones

"Waiting on a Friend" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1981 album Tattoo You. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and released as the album's second single, it reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Respectable (Rolling Stones song)</span> 1978 single by the Rolling Stones

"Respectable" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1978 album Some Girls. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In the liner notes to the 1993 compilation album Jump Back: The Best of The Rolling Stones, Jagger said, "It's important to be somewhat influenced by what's going on around you and on the Some Girls album, I think we definitely became more aggressive because of the punk thing..."

"Moonlight Mile" is a song recorded by the Rolling Stones. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it appears as the closing track on their 1971 album Sticky Fingers. The song features multiple musicians playing alternate instruments due to the frequent absence of Richards during recording sessions of the period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Hit (To the Body)</span> 1986 single by the Rolling Stones

"One Hit (To the Body)" is the opening track to the English rock band the Rolling Stones' 1986 album Dirty Work. The first Rolling Stones single to feature a Ron Wood co-writing credit with Jagger and Richards, it charted in the U.S., Netherlands and Australia. Reaching number 80 in the UK, it was their poorest charting single at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doom and Gloom</span> 2012 single by the Rolling Stones

"Doom and Gloom" is the lead single taken from GRRR!, the 50th anniversary compilation album by the Rolling Stones. It was premiered on BBC Radio 2 on 11 October 2012. The song's recording marked the first time that Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood had been in the studio together for seven years, since completing their 2005 album A Bigger Bang. A lyric video was released on YouTube the same day.

References

  1. 1 2 "Scarlet – Jimmy Page, The Rolling Stones – Credits". AllMusic . Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 McCormick, Neil (22 July 2020). "The Rolling Stones and Jimmy Page's Scarlet is a raw reminder of what happens when rock stars collide" . The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  3. 1 2 Aswad, Jem (22 July 2020). "Rolling Stones Drop 'Scarlet,' Unreleased Track With Jimmy Page". Variety . Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  4. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (9 July 2020). "Lost Rolling Stones song with Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page to be released". The Guardian . Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  5. 1 2 Willman, Chris (6 August 2020). "Mick Jagger and Paul Mescal Share Notes on the Rolling Stones' Happy-Go-Drunky 'Scarlet' Video". Variety . Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  6. Doyle, Patrick (14 August 2020). "The Rolling Stones and War on Drugs Team Up for 'Scarlet' Remix" . Rolling Stone . Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  7. Legaspi, Althea (28 August 2020). "The Killers, Jacques Lu Cont Remix the Rolling Stones' 'Scarlet'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  8. Greene, Andy (6 August 2020). "Watch the New Rolling Stones Video 'Scarlet,' Starring Paul Mescal" . Rolling Stone . Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  9. O'Connor, Roisin (7 August 2020). "Paul Mescal gets drunk in a hotel room for new Rolling Stones video 'Scarlet'". The Independent . Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  10. Ryan, Patrick (6 August 2020). "Rolling Stones: 'Normal People' star Paul Mescal dances in tight tank in new 'Scarlet' video". USA Today . Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  11. "The Rolling Stones Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 August 2020.