Flashpoint (album)
Encyclopedia
Flashpoint is a live album
by British rock band The Rolling Stones
. It was released in 1991, having been recorded throughout 1989 and 1990 on the mammoth Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour
. It was the first live album by the group since 1982's "Still Life" (American Concert 1981).
, Europe
and Japan
, Flashpoint is also the first Rolling Stones release of the 1990s and, unlike previous live sets, includes two new studio tracks: "Highwire
" and "Sex Drive"; the former was released as a single earlier in 1991 and was a comment on the Gulf War
.
Although the live selections are mostly familiar hits mixed in with new tracks from Steel Wheels, Flashpoint also includes songs like "Factory Girl
" from 1968's Beggars Banquet
and "Little Red Rooster
", originally a #1 UK hit single in 1964, featured here with special guest Eric Clapton
on guitar.
in 1991, with the exception of Bill Wyman
. After thirty years with the band, the 55-year-old Wyman decided that he had other interests he wanted to pursue and felt that, considering the size of the Steel Wheels project and tour, it was fitting to bow out at that time. Although he would not officially announce his departure until January 1993 - during the interim the rest of the band had repeatedly asked him to reconsider - he had talked about leaving the band for at least ten years. After his departure, Ronnie Wood was finally taken off salary and made a full member of the Rolling Stones partnership, 18 years after he joined the band.
Flashpoint was released in April 1991 and was generally well-received, with "Highwire" becoming a rock radio hit, and managed to reach #6 in the UK and #16 in the US where it went gold.
In 1998, Flashpoint was remastered
and reissued by Virgin Records
, and again in 2010 by Universal Music.
, except where noted.
Side two
All tracks besides "Gimme Shelter" released in 1990 .
Additional personnel
Singles
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
by British rock band The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
. It was released in 1991, having been recorded throughout 1989 and 1990 on the mammoth Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour
Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour
The Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels Tour was a concert tour which was launched in North America in August 1989 to promote the band's album Steel Wheels; it continued to Japan in February 1990, with ten shows at the Tokyo Dome. The European leg of the tour, which featured a different stage and logo,...
. It was the first live album by the group since 1982's "Still Life" (American Concert 1981).
History
Recorded across North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Flashpoint is also the first Rolling Stones release of the 1990s and, unlike previous live sets, includes two new studio tracks: "Highwire
Highwire (song)
"Highwire" is a song by The Rolling Stones featured on their 1991 live album Flashpoint.Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Highwire" is one of the rare examples of the Stones taking on political issues - in this case, the fall-out from Persian Gulf War. On the song, Jagger said at the time...
" and "Sex Drive"; the former was released as a single earlier in 1991 and was a comment on the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
.
Although the live selections are mostly familiar hits mixed in with new tracks from Steel Wheels, Flashpoint also includes songs like "Factory Girl
Factory Girl (song)
"Factory Girl" is a song by The Rolling Stones which appears on their 1968 album Beggars Banquet.It is very similar to an Appalachian folk tune, especially due to its minimal arrangement, featuring Mick Jagger on vocals, Keith Richards on acoustic guitar, Rocky Dijon on conga drums, Ric Grech of...
" from 1968's Beggars Banquet
Beggars Banquet
- Personnel :The Rolling Stones* Mick Jagger – lead and backing vocals, harmonica on "Parachute Woman"* Keith Richards – acoustic and electric guitar, bass guitar on "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Street Fighting Man", backing vocals, lead vocals on opening of "Salt of the Earth"* Brian...
and "Little Red Rooster
Little Red Rooster
"Little Red Rooster" is a song that is a classic of the blues. Howlin' Wolf recorded "The Red Rooster" in 1961, a song credited to blues arranger and songwriter Willie Dixon, although earlier songs have been cited as inspiration...
", originally a #1 UK hit single in 1964, featured here with special guest Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
on guitar.
Bill Wyman's departure
As Flashpoint was The Rolling Stones' final release under their contract with Sony Music the band signed a new lucrative long-term worldwide deal with Virgin RecordsVirgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
in 1991, with the exception of Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
. After thirty years with the band, the 55-year-old Wyman decided that he had other interests he wanted to pursue and felt that, considering the size of the Steel Wheels project and tour, it was fitting to bow out at that time. Although he would not officially announce his departure until January 1993 - during the interim the rest of the band had repeatedly asked him to reconsider - he had talked about leaving the band for at least ten years. After his departure, Ronnie Wood was finally taken off salary and made a full member of the Rolling Stones partnership, 18 years after he joined the band.
Flashpoint was released in April 1991 and was generally well-received, with "Highwire" becoming a rock radio hit, and managed to reach #6 in the UK and #16 in the US where it went gold.
In 1998, Flashpoint was remastered
Audio mastering
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
and reissued by Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, and again in 2010 by Universal Music.
Track listing
All songs by Mick Jagger and Keith RichardsJagger/Richards
The songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, known as Jagger/Richards , is a musical collaboration whose output has produced the majority of the catalogue of The Rolling Stones....
, except where noted.
Compact Disc
- "(Intro) Continental Drift" – 0:26
- "Start Me UpStart Me Up"Start Me Up" is a song by The Rolling Stones featured on the 1981 album Tattoo You. Released as the album's lead single, it reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the UK Singles Chart.-Writing and recording:...
" – 3:54 - "Sad Sad Sad" – 3:33
- "Miss You" – 5:55
- "Rock and a Hard PlaceRock and a Hard Place (song)"Rock and a Hard Place" is a song by The Rolling Stones from their 1989 album Steel Wheels. It is the second single from the album, and remains to this day the most recent Billboard top 40 hit by the band.-Recording:...
" – 4:52 - "Ruby Tuesday" – 3:33
- "You Can't Always Get What You WantYou Can't Always Get What You Want"You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by The Rolling Stones released on their 1969 album Let It Bleed. Written primarily by Mick Jagger with assistance from Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone in its 2004 list of "500 Greatest Songs of All...
" – 7:26 - "Factory GirlFactory Girl (song)"Factory Girl" is a song by The Rolling Stones which appears on their 1968 album Beggars Banquet.It is very similar to an Appalachian folk tune, especially due to its minimal arrangement, featuring Mick Jagger on vocals, Keith Richards on acoustic guitar, Rocky Dijon on conga drums, Ric Grech of...
" – 2:47 - "Can't Be Seen" – 4:17
- "Little Red RoosterLittle Red Rooster"Little Red Rooster" is a song that is a classic of the blues. Howlin' Wolf recorded "The Red Rooster" in 1961, a song credited to blues arranger and songwriter Willie Dixon, although earlier songs have been cited as inspiration...
" (Willie DixonWillie DixonWilliam James "Willie" Dixon was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. A Grammy Award winner who was proficient on both the Upright bass and the guitar, as well as his own singing voice, Dixon is arguably best known as one of the most prolific songwriters...
) – 5:15 - "Paint It Black" – 4:02
- "Sympathy for the DevilSympathy for the Devil"Sympathy for the Devil" is a song by The Rolling Stones which first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1968 album Beggars Banquet. It was written by Mick Jagger credited to Jagger/Richards...
" – 5:35 - "Brown SugarBrown Sugar (song)"Brown Sugar" is a song by The Rolling Stones. It is the opening track and lead single from the English rock band's 1971 album Sticky Fingers...
" – 4:06 - "Jumpin' Jack FlashJumpin' Jack Flash"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by Rolling Stone, the song was perceived by some as the band's return to their blues roots after the psychedelia of their preceding...
" – 5:00 - "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" Satisfaction" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released in 1965. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. Richards's throwaway three-note guitar riff — intended to be replaced by horns — opens and drives the song...
" – 6:09 - "HighwireHighwire (song)"Highwire" is a song by The Rolling Stones featured on their 1991 live album Flashpoint.Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Highwire" is one of the rare examples of the Stones taking on political issues - in this case, the fall-out from Persian Gulf War. On the song, Jagger said at the time...
" – 4:44 - "Sex Drive" – 5:07
Vinyl LP
Side one- (Intro) "Continental Drift" – 0:29
- "Start Me Up" – 3:54
- "Sad Sad Sad" – 3:33
- "Miss You" – 5:55
- "Ruby Tuesday" – 3:34
- "You Can't Always Get What You Want" – 7:26
- "Factory Girl" – 2:48
- "Little Red Rooster" (Dixon) – 5:15
Side two
- "Paint It, Black" – 4:02
- "Sympathy for the Devil" – 5:35
- "Brown Sugar" – 4:10
- "Jumpin' Jack Flash" – 5:00
- "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" – 6:08
- "Highwire" – 4:46
- "Sex Drive" – 4:28
- "Rock and a Hard Place" and "Can't Be Seen", were not included on the vinyl version.
Other songs/B-Sides and Charity Single
The following songs were recorded during the same set of concerts and later released as B-Sides:- "2000 Light Years from Home2000 Light Years from Home"2000 Light Years From Home" is a song from The Rolling Stones' 1967 psychedelic rock album Their Satanic Majesties Request. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it also appeared as the B-side to the U.S. single "She's a Rainbow". Jagger reportedly wrote the lyrics in Brixton prison following...
" – 3:24 (14 June 1990; Olympic Stadium; Barcelona Spain) - Only released on "Highwire" singles - "Gimme ShelterGimme Shelter"Gimme Shelter" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones. It first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1969 album Let It Bleed. Although the first word was spelled "Gimmie" on that album, subsequent recordings by the band and other musicians have made "Gimme" the customary spelling...
" – 4:47 (26 November 1989; Death Valley Stadium; Clemson, South Carolina) - Charity single released in 1993 - "Harlem ShuffleHarlem ShuffleHarlem Shuffle can refer to:* "Harlem Shuffle" * Harlem Shuffle...
" (Bob Relf, Ernest NelsonBob & EarlBob & Earl were an American soul music singing duo in the 1960s, best known for writing and recording the original version of "Harlem Shuffle".-Career:...
) – 4:35 (27 February 1990; Korakuen Dome; Tokyo, Japan) - Only released on one of the variations of the UK "Ruby Tuesday" single - "I Just Want to Make Love to YouI Just Want to Make Love to YouIn 1961, Etta James recorded the song for her debut album At Last!. Her rendition also served as the b-side to her hit "At Last." In 1996, Etta James' version became popular in the UK after featuring in a Diet Coke ad campaign. As a result, the single was re-released there...
" (Dixon) – 3:58 (6 July 1990; Wembley Stadium; London, England) - Only released on "Highwire" singles - "Play with FirePlay with Fire (The Rolling Stones song)"Play with Fire" is a song by English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones, originally released as B-side to the song "The Last Time". It was later included on the American release of their 1965 album Out of Our Heads....
" (Nanker PhelgeNanker PhelgeNanker Phelge was a collective pseudonym used between 1963 and 1965 for several Rolling Stones group compositions. Stones bassist Bill Wyman explained the origins of the name in his 2002 book, Rolling with the Stones:...
) – 3:31 (26 November 1989; Death Valley Stadium; Clemson, South Carolina) - Released on "Ruby Tuesday" single - "Street Fighting ManStreet Fighting Man"Street Fighting Man" is a song by English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones featured on their 1968 album Beggars Banquet. Called the band's "most political song", Rolling Stone ranked the song #295 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.-Inspiration:Originally titled and recorded...
" – 3:43 (25 August 1990; Wembley Stadium; London, England) - Only released on "Jumpin' Jack Flash" Maxi-CD singles - "Tumbling DiceTumbling Dice"Tumbling Dice" is a rock song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for The Rolling Stones' 1972 double album Exile on Main St., and was the album's first single. The single peaked at #7 on the US charts and #5 in the UK....
" – 4:12 (24 August 1990; Wembley Stadium; London, England) - Only released on "Jumpin' Jack Flash" singles - "Undercover of the NightUndercover of the Night"Undercover of the Night" is the lead track and first single from English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones' 1983 album Undercover.-Inspiration and recording:...
" – 3:59 (19 December 1989; Atlantic City Convention Center; Atlantic City, New Jersey) - Released on the "Ruby Tuesday" single
All tracks besides "Gimme Shelter" released in 1990 .
Personnel
The Rolling Stones- Mick JaggerMick JaggerSir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
– lead vocals, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes... - Keith RichardsKeith RichardsKeith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
– vocals, guitars - Ronnie Wood – guitars
- Charlie WattsCharlie WattsCharles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Bill WymanBill WymanBill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Additional personnel
- Matt Clifford – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, French horn - Chuck LeavellChuck LeavellChuck Leavell is an American pianist and keyboardist, who was a member of The Allman Brothers Band throughout the height of their popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo Sea Level, a frequently-employed session musician, and later, the keyboardist for Eric Clapton and The Rolling...
– keyboards - Bobby KeysBobby KeysBobby Keys is an American saxophone player, and has performed with other musicians as a member of one of the notable horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by The Rolling Stones, The Who, Harry Nilsson, Delaney Bramlett, George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, Eric Clapton and Joe...
– saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... - HornsBrass instrumentA brass instrument is a musical instrument whose sound is produced by sympathetic vibration of air in a tubular resonator in sympathy with the vibration of the player's lips...
by The Uptown Horns – Arno Hecht, Paul Litteral, Bob Funk, Crispen Cloe - The Kick Horns - Horns on "Rock and a Hard Place"
- Bernard FowlerBernard FowlerBernard Fowler is an American musician, songwriter, producer, and actor. He has provided backing vocals with The Rolling Stones for over 20 years on recordings and tours, and has been a featured guest vocalist on the majority of solo albums released by the members of that band. He has also been a...
– backing vocals - Lisa FischerLisa FischerLisa Fischer is an American R&B singer and songwriter. She rose to fame in 1991 with her debut album So Intense, which produced the Grammy Award winning hit single "How Can I Ease the Pain". Known for her high notes, which extends into the whistle register, Fischer has been recognized as one of...
– backing vocals - Cindy Mizelle – backing vocals
- Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
– guitar on "Little Red Rooster"
- Live recordings by Bob ClearmountainBob ClearmountainBob Clearmountain is an award-winning American music engineer, mixer and producer. He has worked with many prominent names in music including Bruce Springsteen , The Rolling Stones , Bryan Adams , Robbie Williams Bob Clearmountain is an award-winning American music engineer, mixer and producer. He...
, David Hewett - Mixed by Christopher Marc PotterChris Potter (producer)Chris Potter is a British music producer and mixer, most famous for his work as long-term collaborator and producer of The Verve and Richard Ashcroft....
- Bernard Fowler – backing vocals on "Highwire"
- Katie Kissoon – backing vocals on "Sex Drive"
- Tessa NilesTessa NilesTessa Niles is an English singer, best known as a backing singer for a wide variety of artists.-Early life and career:Born in Kent, Niles began her professional singing career, as both a lead and a backing vocalist, in 1979...
– backing vocals on "Sex Drive" - Studio tracks mixed by Chris Kimsey and Mark Stent
- Engineered by Mark Stent
- Art direction and design by Garry Mouat and David Crow
Chart positions
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | UK Top 75 Albums | 6 |
| 1991 | The Billboard 200 | 16 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Highwire" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 57 |
| 1991 | "Highwire" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
| 1991 | "Highwire" | Modern Rock Tracks | 28 |
| 1991 | "Highwire" | Hot 100 Airplay | 70 |
| 1991 | "Highwire" | UK Top 75 Singles | 29 |
| 1991 | "Ruby Tuesday" | UK Top 75 Singles | 59 |
| 1991 | "Sex Drive" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 40 |
Certification
| Country | Certification | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Gold | 500,000 |
| France | 2× Gold | 200,000 |
| United Kingdom | Silver | 60,000 |
| Germany | Gold | 100,000 |