LOL

I was right about this bit - I'd be disappointed if the only audio material we got was 3 songs to fill out an 80-minute CD, but I really don't think that this project was delayed for months just so Mick and Keith could go through a lot of old tapes and give Don Was a paltry three songs to mix. 
I don't imagine there were a lot of songs finished for Exile that weren't released. After all, the Stones were putting out an album every year or so at this point, and this one was an 18-track double album which came out only a year after their previous release. As well as that, the album was assembled from a collection of new songs cut at Nellcote plus songs originally written and recorded during sessions for Let it Bleed and Sticky Fingers in 1969-70.

but was very pleasantly surprised to be proved wrong with this   - Much more chance of 'Ladies & Gentlemen' being released though - although I dont think theres much likelihood of that happening either


I figured they'd go down the 'Archives' route eventually (they continue to show few signs of life with regard to creating new work and there's only so much mileage they'll be able to get out of compilations and remastering old albums with no new songs), but getting the 'Ladies & Gentlemen' reissue so soon has been the surprise of the year for me.

Still a lot of questions unresolved about what happens after this, though. I think it'll be a success and they'll do more, but how they'll release future expanded reissues is something to be thought about. People at UMG have commented on Sticky Fingers and GHS being possible future candidates and suggested that there would be two reissues a year and Keith has hinted at Some Girls being next, but what about the rest of their back catalogue? There are plenty of leftovers from other 'non classic' albums (Emotional Rescue, Dirty Work, Voodoo Lounge) that are releasable, and surely a few multi-disc releases covering their entire career would be a more satisfactory way of doing things - released in tandem with archive video material on DVD/Blu-ray as well as a series of concert archive performances.

They really should appoint a group of people to oversee their archives and work together with them, as this venture has enough potential to take things forward well into the next decade when they're almost certainly going to be no longer a working band.

What passport business? LOL

Persuade me?

I'd give my left ball to do that.

YOU ARE Hired!!

SoulPlunderer wrote on May 15^th, 2010 at 6:37pm:



Yep...they could put out (off the top of my head), a series of 2-CD sets a year apart consisting of the following :

Vol. 1 - Early demos (Blue Boys, IBC demos etc) through to 1965 (Decembers Children)
Vol. 2 - 1966 (Aftermath) through Buttons, TSMR until Beggars Banquet (late '68) or maybe early '69 to cover the final sessions with Brian
Vol. 3 - early 1969 through 1972 (Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers, Exile)
Vol. 4 - late 1972  through 1975 (GHS, IORR & Black & Blue)
Vol. 5 - 1977 - 1980 (Some Girls, Emotional Rescue & Tattoo You)
Vol. 6 - 1982 - 1991 (Undercover, Dirty Work & Steel Wheels/Flashpoint) - covering the final albums with Bill.
Vol. 7 - 1993 - to date (Voodoo Lounge, Stripped, BTB, 40 Licks, ABB)

(I know its a bit lopsided, but some eras saw them more prolific than others and this idea disregards whats in circulation at present, and concentrates more on the amount of material they did record instead and whats likely to be of interest and also releasable)

In between they could put out an archive concert release series (maybe via the website) featuring live shows from all eras in random order. Maybe specialised multi-disc series of shows aimed at collectors (selling it through the website acknowledges that its of limited commercial interest and cuts down on overheads) such as the 3 MSG '69 shows, 4 MSG '72 shows, 4 London '73 shows, etc or else specific standalone releases such as Brussels '73, BBC Sessions etc.

Now if that doesn't make any serious Stones fan drool, I don't know what will. Don Was has teased us with this talk about a massive vault, and now they've dipped their toes into the water, its really time to take the plunge properly.

Here's a synopsis of what the Grateful Dead have done in recent years, with the Dick's Picks series being replaced by the 'Road Trips' and 'Digital Download' releases.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dick%27s_Picks_series#Dick.27s_Picks

Imagine a Stones equivalent.



I spend far too many waking hours thinking about this to be honest, but the possibilities are endless and if its properly organised could be a project that keeps their music alive and appreciated beyond their own lifetimes.

The important thing is that its done soon before a) the tapes rot to the stage where they become unusable and b) the fanbase and target market dies off through old age or boredom

Thanks....to be honest, I'm not any more an authority than anyone else, though, which is the problem. I'm just another fan with 'a headful of ideas that are drivin' me insane'. I'm hardly alone in that regard. I'm sure there are dozens of other nutcases out there with similar ideas and most of them probably have a finer ear for the technical side of things than I have.

I do think the Stones should follow the lead of other acts of a similar vintage and delegate a few people (who clearly have enough time on their hands) to oversee a series of archive releases (which obviously the Stones would have the final word on - its just a way of saving them from doing the dirty work that they probably and understandably cant be bothered with). They dont necessarily have to be technically minded - its more a case of good housekeeping and finding material that they could suggest or recommend is releasable.

As for contacting Don Was and Universal, etc. You've read my mind. I've actually tried doing that. No response as yet, though, but it's a start.

I think I'd go for a series of Live stuff from 69-73. Something akin to Dylan's bootleg series.
We have mainstream releases from every major tour since 1981....and I'm frankly burned out on that.
Since they're reliving their glory years now, including the L&G rerelease, why not mine some that gold from the 71 British and 72 American tours? Complete the 71, 72 retrospective. We've seen the latterday Stones in every conceivable format throughout the 90s and 2000s. Unlike many fans, I'm fine without a tour if they go back into the archives and solidify their legend.