Today I'm returning to the Mick Jagger camp, but this time it's to peruse his 80's solo albums.
When the Rolling Stones were penning their deal with Columbia Records in 1983, unbeknownst to the remaining members, Jagger was piggybacking a clause within it that would grant him a three-album solo deal. It would ultimately be the rub that drove a giant wedge between friend and collaborator, Keith Richards, who felt the singer's priorities should have been to their band.
Though his 1985 debut, She's The Boss, would be well received, peaking at number thirty-three on the Billboard 200, Richards would not personally see it as a good album. He'd later go on to compare it to Adolph Hitler's Mein Kampf, stating, "Everybody had a copy, but nobody listened to it.
Yeah, um...I don't know anyone who owned Mein Kampf. Just saying.
With its release came the Billboard Hot 100 hits, Just Another Night, peaking at number twelve, and Lucky In Love, which reached number thirty-eight. Just Another Night would also become a smash on the rock charts, where it ultimately took the number one spot. So, basically, for Keith's opinion, maybe take it with a grain of salt.
Right from the get-go, I have to admit that I prefer Jagger's solo efforts, as compared to his work with the Rolling Stones. Whereas the Stones deliver a flair of rhythm and blues, when working alone, Mick brings a solid pop rock sound. This is a more favorable sound for my ears, what with growing up in an era of new wave synth pop.
While I came across his solo work because of the track, Just Another Night, opening tracks, Lonely At The Top, and 1/2 A Loaf, immediately hooked me. Candidly, I may like them more than the hit, which is no slouch by any means.
One does need to point out that the instrumentation on this record is a notch above the average, and that's because of the massive pool of talent which was called in for the project. On keyboards and synthesizers, you have Guy Fletcher (Dire Straits), Herbie Hancock, Jan "Miami Vice" Hammer, John Bundrick (The Who), and Chuck Leavell (Allman Brothers). Meanwhile, on guitars you have Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Nile Rodgers, and G.E. Smith (Hall & Oates). Mind you, that's not all of the musicians for those instruments, and doesn't even touch on the bass and drum players.
Overall, it's not a bad album. It's not perfection by any means, but then again, Mick Jagger, in my opinion, never was. The definite standouts were the two above noted opening tracks, along with Just Another Night, and Secrets. As for the rest, they're relatively skippable.
As July 1985 rolled around, Mick and pal, David Bowie were scheduled to sing a duet performance at Live Aid. Bowie would perform from Wembley Stadium in London, while Jagger sang from the stage at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, as practice was underway, they found that the one-second delay caused by the satellite broadcast kept them out of sync with each other. With neither artist willing to lip sync, they devised an alternate plan. Record a "new" song and film a music video.
The 1964 Martha and the Vandellas Motown classic would ultimately be selected because of its opening line, "Calling out around the world", which matched the theme of Live Aid. For a true deep dive, look no further than recording engineer, Mark Saunders, who posted on his own website the story of being there in person for the recording session.
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