The Rolling Stones Top 75 Countdown (#69-67) & This Week's Statistics

Before we get to the Rolling Stones Top 75 Countdown, a word. Sometimes it seems that airing one's disappointment pays off. If you've read my comment from a couple of days ago, on the lack of interest for the Frank Ocean posts and on the dialogue with my Irish friend on his Facebook page, you'd be surprised to learn that since then Frank Ocean part 2 has doubled its visits (no change for part 1) and also during the last 24 hours there has been an impressive number of Irish people visiting the blog, after more than a week with no visits from Ireland at all. I've been pleasantly surprised. It is obvious that the path of communication between you and me is open, even if for various reasons that I totally respect, I don't get comments from that many people. Thanks guys and girls for your response! Now, to the Rolling Stones.

The song at #69 is a track from the last important album by the Rolling Stones, Tattoo You (1981). It's called Waiting on a Friend. The song is noted for its dreamy qualities brought on by the soft guitars, smooth rhythm, and Jagger's lilting refrain of "doo-doo-doo"'s. Stones-recording veteran Nicky Hopkins performs the track's running piano. The Stones hired jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins to perform the solo on this song, as well as two others on the album. On his addition to the track, Jagger said in 1985:

"I had a lot of trepidation about working with Sonny Rollins. This guy's a giant of the saxophone. Charlie said, 'He's never going to want to play on a Rolling Stones record!' I said, 'Yes he is going to want to.' And he did and he was wonderful. I said, 'Would you like me to stay out there in the studio?' He said, 'Yeah, you tell me where you want me to play and DANCE the part out.' So I did that. And that's very important: communication in hand, dance, whatever. You don't have to do a whole ballet, but sometimes that movement of the shoulder tells the guy to kick in on the beat."

Released as the second single after Start Me Up, Waiting on a Friend became a radio staple in the US where it reached #13 on the singles chart in early-1982. It did not fare as well in Europe, reaching only #50 on the UK Singles Chart but as high as #15 in Belgium and #17 in the Netherlands.

At #68 is Tell Me, featured on their 1964 self-titled album (later referred to as England's Newest Hit Makers in the US). It was later released as a single A-side in the US only, becoming the first Jagger/Richards song that the band released as a single A-side, and their first record to enter the US Top 40. The single reached #24 in the US and #1 in Sweden. It was not released as a single in the UK.

Even though the song is a pop ballad, there is a garage feel in the execution that gives it a very interesting edge. A definite precursor of things to come and a great song.

Finally for today, at #67, Shattered, another song from the 1978 album Some Girls. The song is a reflection of American lifestyles and life in 1970s-era New York City, but also includes influences from the English Punk Rock movement. Jagger wrote the lyrics in the back of a New York cab. Most of Richards' guitar work is a basic rhythmic pattern strumming out the alternating tonic and dominant chords with each bar, utilising a relatively modest phaser sound effect for some added depth. Due to the absence of bassist Bill Wyman, the bass track is played by Ronnie Wood. The song peaked at #31 in the US Singles chart.

Now, to this week's statistics: during the last 7 days, all of our major players showed up, so they all gained points, some more and some less. The week's Top 10 is as follows: 1. the United States of America 2. Greece 3. the United Kingdom 4. Ireland 5. France 6. the Netherlands 7. Finland 8. Germany 9. Russia 10. the Philippines. Special greetings to Finland and the Philippines, which crack the Top 10 for the first time. Also present in our little company were, in alphabetical order, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Mexico, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. So happy to have such a variety of friends!

As far as the all-time list is concened, the only change occurred because of Ireland's last-minute rush: for the first time in months, it managed to overtake Canada and land in 7th place, leaving Canada at #8. At #9 there's still Cyprus and at #10 there's still Portugal. They do, however, feel the heat of the countries behind them: past occupants of #10 Australia, Italy and Spain, as well as fast-moving China and the Netherlands.

France and the UK keep playing catch up in places 5 and 6, the UK shortening the distance to as low as 8 visits and then France widening it again to 16 visits. The Top 4 are unmoveable: 1. the United States of America 2. Greece 3. Russia and 4. Germany.