riffkeither wrote on Nov 1^st, 2008 at 5:06pm:




i would like to hog tie you, baste you in milk for 24 hours and then let hungry baby lambs skeltonize your quivering body............

I gotta say, when I bought it at c. 13 years old, I thought Edward was a piece of crap.  I heard it a couple years ago, and I still feel that way.  All I got for my "reduced price" was:

1) A cartoon of Sir Edward Lewis
2) The knowledge that the name of that famous bit of circus music (actually a Victorian music hall ballad) is "The Loveliest Night of the Year"
3) a decent "tongue" sleeve, that migrated to another Stones record, so I still have it despite ditching Edward long ago.

It was a Fuck-you to Decca.  But they could have given up some hot boot tracks for us, like Two Trains Running, Blood Red Wine, etc., and fucked Decca just the same by giving up material that would sell, but for only the $3.98 "reduced price" instead of LP prices.  They were never capable of thinking like the Clash, though.

Gazza wrote on Nov 1^st, 2008 at 9:02pm:


OK - Then I only got two things.  Now it sucks more.

Gazza wrote on Nov 1^st, 2008 at 8:35pm:
Of course i know it was studio outtakes , i'm just asking for more !
because once i read in rock n folk that Ry Cooder said that it was one the greatest jam he ever played with the Stones , and that they  have recorded a lot !
I guess Mick got te tapes ...

Gazza wrote on Nov 1^st, 2008 at 9:02pm:


According to Nicky, they were in the studio and Brian Jones called to Nicky to give him an E on the piano; Nicky couldn't hear him and Brian yelled, "Give me an E for Edward!"

andrews I often wondered that too

I remember the excitement I felt on finding a copy of "Edward" . it was only ever available as an import here. at least my copy was UK pressing . i got it in about 79/80. Anyway, given the personel i, like i suspect  most would, had high expectations. However, I  also remember the feeling of Major Disappointment that passed over me upon listening to it.

Although i have not heard it for around 20 years (see CD revolution)  I remember that "It Hurts me Too" kind of works  in a blusey jammy way  (but its no revelation0 and "The Loveliest Night of the Year" is the only track that really had anything resembling a memorable melody

gotdablouse wrote on Nov 2^nd, 2008 at 5:50pm:


You're right!  RSR-Atlantic, 1972.  So why the suicidal move?  Why fuck Atlantic?  Ahmet could have told them it was unsaleable shit.  Why didn't he?

It just shows that nothing really got done because Keith wasn't there.

I think it was recorded in about May '69 or so when Ry Cooder was guesting to play on the 'Let it bleed' sessions. Apparantly Keith wasn't there on  the particular day they taped this stuff because he couldn't stand Ry for some reason.

I actually like 'Jamming with Edward' .... it provides insight into where a lot of the feels that wound up on 'Let it bleed' and also 'Honky tonk women' come from..... it is good to listen to Ry's rhythms and the way he comps.... Keith learnt a lot from Ry. Ry was right into open G and open D tunings.

Ry once said in an interview that he jammed with the Stones for about 2 weeks, and they had the recording machines rolling for the whole time, and that the Stones got just about everything he knew down on tape........ I suppose that was when 'Sister Morphine' and 'Love in Vain' were taped.

I can hear in Ry's playing some of the rhythms and feels that ended up on 'Midnight Rambler'. And Nicky Hopkins is always good to hear anytime anyway. I don't mind it.

When I first ever bought 'Jamming with Edward' way back in the mid 70's, it was on vinyl and sold for $3.99. Most other LP's at the time sold for about $5.95.... so it was never presented to the public at full price, not originally anyway. And it was also obvious from the original sleeve that it was NOT an official band release - (there was a sticker that made that obvious - can't quite remember what it said), but a release from 'Rolling Stones Records', which was offering it as a sort of curio. So to me it was never a ripoff, or even an intended ripoff, just a glimpse into their world.

The songwriting credits for the most part read 'Hopkins/Cooder/Watts'. Maybe they put Ry's name on the credits to square up with him to settle a legal dispute... maybe nothing to do with that at all.

There are always lots of complaints about the lack of releases from the archives.... I share this view. I would love to have lots more releases like 'Edward'.... up to now with the unreleased stuff there is only what is on the boots. For all I know there are some really interesting things that have still never seen the light of day.

It has the names of three Stones on it, including Jagger.  By that logic, it ought t be up in the same ballpark as "The London Howlin' Wolf Sessions," which has only two Stones but is not a rip.

The "reduced price" was dealt with in my original post.  Please - don't read like my students read.

The inherent disclaimer in "reduced price" is trumped by the list of players.  From wiki:

"On the strength of The Rolling Stones' association with the album, Jamming With Edward! reached #33 on the U.S charts, although it failed to reach the UK listings."

#33 in the US in 1972?  The year of Yes, ELP, Stevie Wonder, "Exile," etc.?  Formidable for a "reduced price" album - indicative of high expectations primed by "Sticky Fingers."

What the all-star cast gave us is pointless and incoherent "jamming," the kind we routinely edit out of multi-CD DLs today when we burn them, having lost patience with it from records like "Edward."

What does the great third-billed Stones ringleader contribute to merit being billed above Watts and Wyman?  Weak harp-honking and the occasional off-mic shout or grunt.

Gazza wrote on Nov 1^st, 2008 at 9:02pm:

Indeed.  Nicky wrote an instrumental song called "Edward the Mad Shirt Grinder" which he recorded when he was with Quicksilver Messenger Service.