April 23, 2024

Music Note: Stickey Fingers Fifty-Five Years Zippered

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I can't believe it was 55 years ago, on April 23, 1971, that the Rolling Stones released their phenomenal album, Sticky Fingers. It has lived with me all those years and I have written about it with great images (link below), so, I wont go into that again; I'll go into what I didn't before.       
     
Sticky Fingers was the group's first release on its newly-formed label, Rolling Stones Records.           

     
The album cover design was by Andy Warhol, and when you're Andy Warhol, you’re going to go over the top and above. He made it advertising magic and art all wrapped up in one. So what did Warhol do? He gave the record a denim fly to unzip. The whole thing was like an in-your-face closeup of the hip-swinging band frontman Mick Jagger—though the cover is said to be model Joe Dallesandro.        
  
Sticky Fingers was the first album cover to feature a working zipper, and a blind alley for those who wanted to believe that was Jaggger’s enormous dong in those jeans. But the real owner of said penis giganticus remains a matter of some conjecture, but it can safely be said that it belonged to one of Warhol’s stable boys or hangers on.     
 
The zipper was a bit of a nightmare for both retailers and the record label, as when a stack of the album was boxed up or smashed together in an album bin the little zip/unzip tabby would damage the album.  This was later resolved by shipping the album with the zipper down so that the tab was only rubbing against the center of the album, where no music was contained.  Eventually the real zipper was omitted, replaced by an image of a zipper.       


 
 
I love every single track on the album but, as with all albums I love, I have a favorite and Moonlight Mile is IT! Moonlight Mile is really an under-appreciated work by the band, however, music critics Bill Janovitz and Robert Christgau are on record for praising the track's composition. On the subject of composition, it was the fruit of an all-night session between Mick Jagger and guitarist Mick Taylor.   
     
       
 
 
When the wind blows and the rain feels coldWith a head full of snow, with a head full of snowIn the window, there's a face you knowDon't the nights pass slow, don't the nights pass slow
 
The sound of strangers sending nothing to my mindJust another mad, mad day on the roadI am just living to be lying by your sideBut I'm just about a moonlight mile on down the road
 
Made a rag pile of my shiny clothesGonna warm my bones, gonna warm my bonesI got silence on my radioLet the air waves flow, let the air waves flow
 
Oh, I'm sleeping under strange, strange skiesJust another mad, mad day on the roadMy dreams is fading down the railway lineI'm just about a moonlight mile down the roadYeah-yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah
 
I'm hiding, sister, and I'm dreamingI'm riding down your moonlight mileI'm hiding, baby, and I'm dreamingI'm riding down your moonlight mileI'm riding down your moonlight mile
 
Let it go now, come on up, babeYeah, let it go nowYeah, flow now, babyYeah, home now, yeah
 
Yeah, I'm coming home'Cause I'm just about a moonlight mile on down the roadDown the road, down the road, yeahYeah-yeah-yeah, baby
 
 
      
     
     
Viewfinder links:       
        
Joe Dallesandro        
The Rolling Stones        
Rolling Stones ~ Stickey Fingers        
Mick Taylor        
Andy Warhol        
     
Net links:       
        
Amateur Photographer ~ Greatest album photography: Sticky Fingers      
UCR ~ Inspiration for Moonlight Mile            
     
YouTube links:       
        
 Rolling Stones ~.  
        Stickey Fingers       
        Moonlight Mile                
        
        
        
        
        
        
Styrous® ~ Tuesday, April 23, 2024        
        















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