"Bedspring Symphony" - The Brussels '73 Story

Street Fighting Man

Introduction: Brussels, 1973

There are probably more variations and releases of the first show from Forest National, Brussels, Belgium, October 17, 1973 in circulation than "LIVEr Than You'll Ever Be"! Jagger spoke of his desire to release a live album from the European tour on a CD titled "1973 Interviews" on the Goats Head record label. His idea was to release another album quickly after "Goats Head Soup", and to have one side live and the other side consisting of new studio recordings. Jagger describes the live version of You Can't Always Get What You Want that he wanted to release as: "we do a very different version of that on stage...we do another version, which is very good, and different you know, from the original". Unfortunately, the band was still plagued with copyright issues over the pre-1971 recordings with Decca, and the project never came to fruition. Another example of the many hassles with Decca over live albums. Jagger comments: "Unfortunately, we've got a lot of problems with our old record company, who won't let us re-record the songs that were already out". This situation was apparently resolved by the time "Love You Live" was released in September, 1977, as there was a clause in their separation with Decca that stipulated that the band could not re-release Decca era songs for seven years after they left the label. The great live music from this period will never be commercially released for this reason.

The best known source of the Brussels performance is the King Biscuit Flower Hour (KBFH) radio show broadcast. There is a different show spliced into the broadcast, which is from Empire Pool, Wembley, London, September 9, 1973, but there is also a nearly complete version of the Brussels show in circulation as well. The following is a first level pass at the broadcast distinctions and some words on the music:

* denotes Wembley source

** denotes both Wembley and Brussels sources available

No * denotes Brussels

Note: Star Star was played at both Brussels and Wembley after Tumbling Dice, but not on public broadcast!

A represetitive running order of the Europe '73 Set-List and comments:

Brown Sugar: Some recordings have an opening with an announcer saying "And now ladies and gentlemen it's the Rolling Stones", and drum pounding that ping-pongs from channel to channel.

** Gimme Shelter: Brussels and Wembley versions are distinctly different. More on this in Section II.

** Happy: Two different occasions when Keith starts in time and gets most of the words!

Tumbling Dice: Charlie's hammering rhythm, and the crowd clapping in the middle section of the song make this a standout version.

** Dancing With Mr. D: Taylor and Richards are "on".

* Heartbreaker: Much more interesting in the live setting. Taylor feels and accentuates the song with his use of the "wah-wah" effect. Not played during the first show Brussels, Oct. 17, 1973.

Angie: A masterpiece replete with Taylor and Preston solo's.

You Can't Always Get What You Want (11:06): Long improvised solo's by Taylor and Bobby Keys highlight the center section of the song. Listen for Keith's rhythm playing during the saxophone solo. A testament to his skill as a rhythm guitarist.

Midnight Rambler (13:03): Jagger's Rock opera in three long movements. The audience gets into the act in the middle section of song by answering Jagger's "Ouwoo's".

Honky Tonk Women: Keith captures a rich guitar tone for this one.

All Down The Line: "Oh, heard the wires a humin' "

Rip This Joint: Charlie's drumming comes through like a shot to the mid-section!

Jumpin' Jack Flash: On the best quality recordings you can hear a "wah" effect in the middle section of the song.

** Street Fighting Man: The Wembley version is one of the most intense pieces of music ever recorded! By the time Jagger gets to his last three shrieks your hair will be standing on end! Even the resonating feedback after the last chord is played adds to the effect. On some recordings Jagger can be heard growling "Good Night"...

The closing hypnotic wallop of Rip This Joint, Jumpin' Jack Flash, & Street Fighting Man is really something. Fortunately, this intense and frenzied performance has been "preserved for the future".

Brussels, October 17, 1973 First Show Actual Set List & Running Order:
Brown Sugar/Gimme Shelter/Happy/Tumbling Dice/Star Star/Dancing With Mr. D/Angie/You Can't Always Get What You Want/Midnight Rambler/Honky Tonk Women/All Down The Line/Rip This Joint/Jumpin' Jack Flash/Street Fighting Man

Happy, Gimme Shelter, and Street Fighting Man can vary between Brussels and Wembley. Heartbreaker was not played at the Brussels broadcast show. A broadcast quality Dancing With Mr. D from Wembley September 9, 1973, has been mixed into a box set that also has Brussels sources.

Splices can be attributed to commercial and announcer breaks. Additional splices or fades show up on CD's made from LP's, and are due to breaks in the album sides.

The unauthorized sources in the following section are those with the closest song lists and running order to the actual broadcast. Other title are either spliced with different broadcast dates and/or arranged with different song sequences.

Brown Sugar/Happy*/Dancing With Mr. D/Angie/You Can't Always Get What You Want/Midnight Rambler/Rip This Joint/Jumpin' Jack Flash/Street Fighting Man*

Broadcast Media: Reel-to-reel tape and LP

Cross Reference of Unauthorized Sources: "The Rolling Stones: European Tour 1973" Trade Mark of Quality (RS 561-A/B)/"West Germany" Box Top Records (RS 561-A/B)/"headin' for an overload" Totonka (PI5053A/PI5054) CD2

Gimme Shelter*/Tumbling Dice/Brown Sugar/Heartbreaker*/Angie/Honky Tonk Women/Midnight Rambler/All Down The Line/Street Fighting Man*

Broadcast Media: Reel-to-reel tape

Cross Reference of Unauthorized Sources: "Bedspring Symphony (A Box Lunch and Meat Whistle Live in Concert)" The Amazing Kornyphone Record Label (TAKRL 1941-A/B)/"Lapping Tongue Set" 2LP /"Reverse Blues" 2LP Beacon Island Records (2S 713-A/B, the original TAKRL matrix is scratched out)/"Bedspring Symphony" CD Chapter One (CO 25113)/"headin' for an overload" Totonka (PI5053A/PI5054) CD1

Highlights from 1974 KBFH broadcasts:

Angie, All Down The Line, and Street Fighting Man*

Broadcast Media: Reel-to-reel tape

Brown Sugar/Happy*/Gimme Shelter*/Tumbling Dice/Heartbreaker*/You Can't Always Get What You Want/Dancing With Mr. D/Angie

Honky Tonk Women/Midnight Rambler/Rip This Joint/Jumpin' Jack Flash/Street Fighting Man*

Broadcast Media: Two reel-to-reel tapes

Cross Reference of Unauthorized Sources: "Nasty Music" 2LP. A Singers Original Double Disc, SODD 2-012 A/B/C/D (add MSG July 26, 1972 tracks)/"Nasty Songs" TAKRL ( 24409-A/B/C/D)/"A Tour De Force" 2LP Saturated Recordworks (2S701)/"Jump" 2CD Flashback (04.90.0118)/"Nasty Music" 2CD (SODDCD-012-1/2)

First airing of the lost Brussels '73 tracks, including the horn (re)mix of Brown Sugar.

The three Brussels tracks are: Brown Sugar/Happy/Gimme Shelter

Broadcast Media: CD (18 F 0200 A) See Part II for more details.

Cross Reference of Unauthorized Sources: "The Rolling Stones" DIR Broadcasting (18F02)/First three tracks of "Brussels Affair" 2LP & CD Chameleon Records (CHAM 8812)/"King Biscuit Flower Hour" Vol. 1 LP

Brown Sugar - Rotterdam Oct. 14, 1973/Street Fighting Man/Gimme Shelter/Happy/Tumbling Dice/Dancing With Mr. D/Heartbreaker*/Angie/Honky Tonk Women/Midnight Rambler (edit)

Broadcast Media: CD (3 Y 003 00 B)

Cross Reference of Unauthorized Sources: "King Biscuit Flower Hour" Vol. 2 LP/"Nasty Remixes" Singer's Original Double Disc (SODD-012)/"Nasty Music" 20Bit Master Recording (20 BIT-01)

"Nasty Remixes" and "Nasty Music" CD's are rearrangements of the actual broadcast, but have most of the same musical content. Add Brown Sugar, Gimme Shelter, & Happy from the September 27, 1987 airing, and Star Star from Newcastle Sept. 13, 1973 (RTL). There are also the two edits of Midnight Rambler at 2:42 and the other at 5:37 that result in nearly a 4 minute cut of the song.

A re-broadcast of the September 27, 1987 show. The dialog is different and this time the Brussels tracks are referred to as vintage 1974.

Broadcast Media: CD

I remember reading or listening an interview with one of Stones on the "Love You Live" album. He said they considered releasing a version of Angie from the '73 European tour on the record because it was a excellent version of the song and it had a great solo from Taylor. He went on to say something to the effect that it was time to make a break and represent the music from the new line-up. There was still a memory of what must have been the Brussels version of Angie some 4 years later! Taylor had definitely come into his own by this time and had no difficulty taking center stage in the guitar playing department. Europe '73 was his last tour with the band, and we are left with great live music to mark the close of a Stones era.

1. Introduction: Alternating Drum Beats and Announcer
2. Brown Sugar (Nasty Remix: Horn Version – 20Bit)
3. Gimme Shelter (Bedspring Symphony VGP - TAKRL-1941: Wembley Version)
4. Happy (Nasty Remix – 20Bit)
5. Tumbling Dice (Nasty Remix – 20Bit)
6. Dancing With Mr. D (Nasty Remix – 20Bit: With missing opening bar "pasted" into the track)
7. Star Star (Nasty Remix – 20Bit: Newcastle, RTL Track)
8. Heartbreaker (Nasty Remix – 20Bit)
9. Angie (Nasty Remix – 20Bit)
10. You Can't Always Get What You Want (11:06) (Headin’ for An Overload)
11. Midnight Rambler (13:03) (Bedspring Symphony VGP)
12. Honky Tonk Women (Nasty Remix – 20Bit)
13. All Down The Line (Bedspring VGP)
14. Rip This Joint (Nasty Remix – 20Bit)
15. Jumpin' Jack Flash (Nasty Remix – 20Bit)
16. Street Fighting Man (Nasty Remix – 20Bit: Wembley Version)

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!

Copyright 1995 - 2008 by Chris M. All Rights Reserved.

Back To The Classics

Back To Home Page