In honour of Stones drummer Charlie Watts who has died at 80: This was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for the Stones’ 1972 double album Exile on Main St. As a single it reached No 7 in the US and number 5 in the UK.
Here is a live performance which appears on the 1974 Ladies and Gentlemen film:
I can’t select an outstanding Watts track but that was not the point – he was part of the background to the stars Jagger and Richards. He was not paid to be in the front line.
Charlie was brilliant and Tumbling Dice is as good an example of his drumming as any. It’s hard to explain why he was good – he just was. So unfussy, he looked like he was on the way to somewhere else and was just tapping the drums to pass a bit of time.
“Let It Rock” is great, no wasted beats from Charlie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjQqVz-nUy4
The live at Leeds version of “Let It Rock” is the best. B-side of “Brown Sugar”. I always put this any any juke box I find it on and it always raises eyebrows (except on people who’ve had Botox).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uJIKxglBvo