I've said it before...I LOVE THIS ALBUM!!

From Wiki:

The making of Undercover was an arduous process, largely because Jagger and Richards' famous mid-1980s row began during these sessions. Jagger was keenly aware of new styles and wanted to keep The Rolling Stones current and experimental, while Richards was seemingly more focused on the band's rock and blues roots. As a result, there was friction, and the tension between the two key members would increase over the coming years. A compounding factor was the fact that Richards had emerged (to an extent) from his self-destructive lifestyle of the previous decade, and thus sought a more active role in the creative direction of the band, much to the chagrin of Jagger, who had enjoyed nearly a decade in relative control of the band.




From the radio/MTV friendliness of the title track on to She Was Hot (so glad I got to here that live in AC,2006!!)
to the grisly song titles...the album oozes with guilty pleasures from start to finish.

Pretty Beat Up is a total rocker of the highest degree and brings up weird self-pitying images in those lyrics.
Who hasn't felt like that at times???

Too Much Blood?? Its considered a single (release, MTV video and all)  but has never been played live
(would have been great to see/hear IMO...maybe with updated "Jagger rap").
It's never even been included in any compilation...(but Doom&Gloom has, go figure!).



Anyway...love it...and gonna listen to the album on the way home today with the top off (and the heat on, lol)
Should almost work out at 45 minutes long.

Wonder why I Think I'm Going Mad was left off and relegated to a b-side of SWH...Gazzapedia? Any ideas?

I will defend the greatness of 'Feel on Baby' to my dying breath

And I like the dub version too

Its a loud, violent album - which seems to be a conscious decision because there are versions of well over 30 OTHER songs that have been bootlegged many of which, if fully realised, would have steered the album in a somewhat different direction

I think like most 80's albums, the production hasnt aged well.

Title track an absolute barnstormer too. And the three videos were excellent. Every single one of them managed to get banned or censored for various reasons (in the case of 'She Was Hot', one reason was for product placement of a soft drink)

The 'Fully Finished Outtakes' collection that circulated in 2021 threw up some gems - Mick's rewrite of Otis Redding's 'I've Got Dreams to Remember' , the horn driven 'Big Truff' and a finished version of 'Still In Love' (one of the most beautiful hooks on any Stones song, released or otherwise)

I always thought 'Pretty Beat Up' was a bit of a throwaway that could have been worked on more. Check out the 'Art Collins Tapes' that circulated a while back and theres a terrific instrumental of it with a brass section (its booted as 'Pretty Beat Up (XMAS Issue)'' - no idea why)

'I Think I'm Goin' Mad' has a strange history. It was actually recorded in early 1979 for 'Emotional Rescue' but didnt make the cut. They worked on it again for 'Undercover' and theres a 14 minute version with Keith on vocals. The version that they released as the B-side to 'She Was Hot' in early 1984 though is a 1979 version - but they've removed the original sax part by Bobby Keys and overdubbed a new one by David Sanborn (if you're familiar with David's work he has a distinctly more jazzy sound than Bobby)

Always liked that track.  Deserved to be better known.  They missed a trick when it was omitted from Virgin's heavily flawed 'Rarities' cash-in in 2005.

By all accounts, they couldn't find the master tape.  ::)

Love this album. Bought it the day it was released. Quite different from the previous album Tattoo You.

It became the last album during the lifetime of Stu.

Sadly I no Iongrr have the insert which I think was for fans to join their official fan club.

I remember watching a TV discussion of "violence in music videos" at the time; two panelists and a moderator.  One guy was attacking the video for "Undercover of the Night" as being gratuitously violent; the other countered that the video was about political violence in Central America (Remember the shot of the Holiday Inn with "Bienvenidos San Salvador"?).  The first guy was actually clueless enough to say that there was no political content in the video!

Don't like this one at all...probably among my bottom 5 of Stones records...one of my friends really loves it so I gave it another try recently for her sake but I still cannot stand it, except for like 3-4 song that I enjoy

Hugely underrated. Production on some of the songs makes them appear less than they are. Undercover being one of them, and the lyrics are at a touch dodgy but they explored some wonderful sounds. Feel On Baby is wonderful, and All The Way Down could have been so much more. Don't think this was written by Julian Cope but a great write up on Julian Cope's blog about it: https://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/thebookofseth/the-rolling-stones-undercover-mixes

Gazza wrote on Nov 7^th, 2023 at 11:26am:

I always thought 'Pretty Beat Up' was a bit of a throwaway that could have been worked on more.

I love this song, but totally agree with your comment.

I always thought they could play PBU for their infamous walks to/from  the B-stage...always thought a great cue for Hot Stuff as well.
Both songs are strut worthy

I love this album too, that's why we have a header for it since 00:00 UK time, the picture on the header is my album, I bought it since it was released, not the very same day.

It was the one announcing Bill German's "Beggars Banquet" fanzine

Three videos from this album were recorded in Mexico City: "Undercover of the Night", "She Was Hot" and Too Much Blood", the first one before the release of the album

For me it is a great album, which, like GHS, was overshadowed by its predecessor.

Fav track: All

In light of Gazza's mention of Pretty Beat Up and your love of the album Voo, can't help but mention Ronnie Wood's live version, which is the best version of this song anywhere. Don't doubt you've heard it, but it's just so good and Bernard Fowler sings the hell out of it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2qFuovBQuU

Brainbell Jangler wrote on Nov 7^th, 2023 at 1:48pm:

I remember watching a TV discussion of "violence in music videos" at the time; two panelists and a moderator.  One guy was attacking the video for "Undercover of the Night" as being gratuitously violent; the other countered that the video was about political violence in Central America (Remember the shot of the Holiday Inn with "Bienvenidos San Salvador"?).  The first guy was actually clueless enough to say that there was no political content in the video!

Classic interview on 'The Tube' when 'Undercover of the Night' came out and the video got banned

Muriel Gray gets up to her neck in self righteousness whilst Mick and Julien Temple tear her a new arse

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JM6uWABNI4M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xL-AnL-gCo

Part of The Night - 58:56
I've Got Dreams to Remember - 1:16:00
Still In Love - 1:38:25
Big Truff - 1:45:34

Great LP….. love the outtake of All the Way Down

Nice podcast from Justin on this record, uploaded today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE4_oVz8prw

First record I spun after HD. The album doesn’t get old, the lady still does not approve of the refrigerator    part……