Simon Phillips, who played drums on Mick Jagger’s 1987 solo album Primitive Cool and was a member of the band he took on tour the following year, suggested that the road trip was just a ruse to get the Rolling Stones into Japan.

Jagger booked shows in only Japan and Australia, seemingly as a result of the lukewarm response to the album. But in a new interview with Rolling Stone, Phillips said he wondered if there was another reason for the way things worked out on the 1988 road trip.



“When we started playing shows in Japan, half the set was Stones songs,” he said. “I felt, ‘What’s the point? Why do that? This is a chance for you to do something different, a solo project.' ... Unless, of course, this was part of a master plan to get the Stones into Japan. The problem was, the Stones could not enter Japan because of their drug convictions. … Mr. Udo of Udo Artists had to pull so many strings to get the government to allow Mick to come into the country. Maybe this was just a ploy to slowly get the Stones there.”

That’s exactly what happened two years later, Phillips noted. “Of course, that’s [Jagger’s] prerogative and totally up to him," he explained. "But from a purely musical and creative point of view, I found it strange. ‘Why are we playing all these Stones songs? This is your solo career.'”

Jeff Beck, who appeared on the album, had originally been part of the touring band, too, until he became unhappy with the direction things were taking. “We were trying to put a band together with Jeff, [bassist] Doug Wimbish, myself and Mick,” Phillips said. "But Mick didn’t want that. He wanted the dancing girls and the singers. It was a bit of a shame. And Jeff didn’t really want to do that, so they parted company.”

He recalled that they "did speak about this with Jeff way early, back in 1987. ‘Why are we doing this?’ And the band sounds great as a four-piece. Just add a keyboard player, and let’s play all the new material.’ I think it would have been more interesting, and historically it would have made a much bigger stamp.”

Phillips regretted he's no longer able to prove his point; his home burned down during the California wildfires of 2017. “I used to have a rehearsal tape of that band, but it unfortunately went in the fire,” he said. “It sounded amazing.”

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/mick-jagger-primitive-cool-tour/

The full 'Rolling Stone' interview with Simon can be found here :

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/drummer-simon-phillips-interview-mick-jagger-jimmy-page-toto-1115962/

I like Throwaway.

I don't know about the Japan visa strategy BUT

1) that austral-asia tour was absolutely intended in part to pressure Keith
to cave on various issues Mick regarded as essential, particularly forgetting
about Bill Graham's minimalism and moving on to Michael Cohl's mega-bucks
strategy. In other words "Hey, Keith, see? I can easily make Bill Graham money
on my own."  And so that's the reason Mick's band was playing a lot of Stones
songs, as a message to Keith: "And you think I won't use your songs for my solo
success? You think people won't come and see me?"

Keith's a smart guy. He caved.

2) Mick would use this strategy again when he wanted further concessions from Keith.
It was called SuperHeavy. The deals were in place for a SH mega-tour (stones songs,
Bob Marley songs, eurythmics songs etc) . Just waiting for Mick's signature...

Keith wisely caved again. Mick pulled the plug on SH, and became the defacto
manager of the Stones. He consults with Keith (and Charlie) of course, but if/when
push come to shove, Mick calls the shots. That's why, within the stones, peace has
reigned ever since.   

I think the better explanation is that Mick knew that if he didn't play a Stones heavy set, he wouldn't sell as many tickets and the shows would be less appreciated by the people buying the tickets. Is Simon Phillips releasing a book? This smells a little like that type of thing.

A SH mega tour? Mega where? Mustique? With the sales they had, SH wouldn't have too many people putting massive money on the line for that type of lineup. When is the last time Mick toured for something like that tour would have got him? I can't remember either.

The Wick wrote on Jan 24^th, 2021 at 10:18pm:

I think the better explanation is that Mick knew that if he didn't play a Stones heavy set, he wouldn't sell as many tickets and the shows would be less appreciated by the people buying the tickets. Is Simon Phillips releasing a book? This smells a little like that type of thing. A SH mega tour? Mega where? Mustique? With the sales they had, SH wouldn't have too many people putting massive money on the line for that type of lineup. When is the last time Mick toured for something like that tour would have got him? I can't remember either.

wick, all you're doing is quoting the conventional wisdom, the cover story

Irving Azoff, perhaps the most powerful music exec in the world, had agreed to
manage SH. he's not a fool

think! SH were not going to try to tour on the basis of their poor-selling album,
any more than Mick was doing his tour on the basis of Primitive Cool

the austral-asian tour was about getting to see a decent substitute for the
at-that-time non-touring stones

so the SH tour would have been about getting to see an "official" substitute for the stones
PLUS an "official" substitute for bob marley. plus AR Rahman had one the biggest
fan bases in the world

it would have been massive, even though you, wick, would have hated it, as would have
the great majority of the stones hardcore. mick brilliantly had created a situation
where the stones hardcore would have been irrelevant

all keith had to do to stop it was to let Mick run the Stones, which thankfully he did

We'll just have to disagree. Perhaps the Primitive Cool tour was a Stones test run, but that was in the 80s when he was a much bigger draw. Sorry Rev, don't buy the substitute argument.

Also, you're speculating about my tastes. I actually don't hate what Mick does outside the Stones. Not a big SH fan, and thought the album was largely dross, but I have always maintained that rather than the usual cliches about Keith being the life and soul of the Stones, Mick's ability to see beyond narrow confines is one of the main reasons for the Stones magic. For example, Mick was the first to plug into reggae despite everyone associating it with Keith. I just don't buy these musings. It would explain a lot if people are flogging books. If not, still don't buy it, but it would be more credible.

Throwaway and Say You Will are great songs (especially the 12" Say You Will), and the vinyl LP is a great demonstration record for a good analog system.

The Wick wrote on Jan 25^th, 2021 at 12:10am:

We'll just have to disagree. Perhaps the Primitive Cool tour was a Stones test run, but that was in the 80s when he was a much bigger draw. Sorry Rev, don't buy the substitute argument. Also, you're speculating about my tastes. I actually don't hate what Mick does outside the Stones. Not a big SH fan, and thought the album was largely dross, but I have always maintained that rather than the usual cliches about Keith being the life and soul of the Stones, Mick's ability to see beyond narrow confines is one of the main reasons for the Stones magic. For example, Mick was the first to plug into reggae despite everyone associating it with Keith. I just don't buy these musings. It would explain a lot if people are flogging books. If not, still don't buy it, but it would be more credible.

wick, I wasn't speculating that you were in any way anti-mick or a keith-bot

but i was speculating that you would have hated it if Mick left the Stones behind
for good because Mick decided Keith was just IMPOSSIBLE to work with as an
equal partner. Because among other things at that point Keith was a hopeless drunk.

I for sure would have hated it, even if I eventually understood why

My point is that Mick wasnt bluffing. He had had it with Keith's bullshit.
His escape plan was real, and included taking the Stones' 90% casual
fans with him...

Do i think Mick HOPED keith would see the light and get his shit together
and let mick take care of the business end without interfering?

Yes. I think that was Mick's primary goal.

And it worked out.

Sure, it sorta destroyed Joss and Dave but, ya know, collateral damage.
Mick never promised them anything, he never signed that tour agreement,
so they shouldnt have counted on it so desperately

Keith was a hopeless drunk, but the best material on Dirty Work and its outtakes came from him.  Perhaps that was Jagger's issue.  If they'd polished that material plus the best Jagger material from the outtakes, and used it to replace the worst material on the album line-up, they'd have had a great album, moving away from the hopeless pop that they never play onstage, or (as with One Hit), they stopped playing.

When I listen to the outtakes, I can't believe what a lot of opportunities were missed.  That's why I rate Dirty Work higher than Undercover, because there's no reserve potential in the Undercover outtakes.

Rev 20 Redlights wrote on Jan 25^th, 2021 at 1:13am:

My point is that Mick wasnt bluffing with SH. He had had it with Keith's bullshit. His escape plan was real, and included taking the Stones' 90% casual fans with him... Do i think Mick HOPED keith would see the light and get his shit together and let mick take care of the business end without interfering? Yes. I think that was Mick's primary goal. And it worked out. Sure, it sorta destroyed Joss and Dave but, ya know, collateral damage. Mick never promised them anything, he never signed that tour agreement, so they shouldnt have counted on it so desperately

So, in summary, I guess you could say that Mick used SH to save Keith's life and save
the Rolling Stones...

Thus, know ye all: the careers of Dave Stewart and Joss Stone did not die in vain, but rather for
a VERY good cause

This thread almost makes me wish I cared about SuperHeavy...worst name for a band since AudioSlave...and they were an amazing band...saw the tour and enjoyed every second of the show.