Keith Richards has shared a previously unheard cover of ‘My Babe’ from the 30th anniversary reissue of his solo LP ‘Talk Is Cheap’.
The Rolling Stones legend went through a period of unrest in 1986, when relations between the 75-year-old guitarist and the iconic rock ‘n’ roll group’s frontman Sir Mick Jagger, also 75, reached an all time low during the making of their album ‘Dirty Work’, which the former described as "forget about it times".
The ‘Satisfaction’ hitmaker felt the need to find a new challenge and so he started working with the drummer Steve Jordan, who contributed to ‘Dirty Work’, and admitted he was "dragged kicking and screaming" into the studio to start work on ‘Talk Is Cheap’, which was released two years later in 1988.
Jagger had also released his solo LP ‘Primitive Cool’ the year before, which no doubt spurred him on even more.
Richards has decided to reissue the record, including the rendition of blues legend Little Walter’s 1955 hit ‘My Babe’ and an accompanying lyric video, because he feels the songs have stood the test of time, and has insisted it’s not for the sake of "nostalgia"
He said: "This album holds up.
"I’ve been listening to it and not through the mists of nostalgia either because it doesn’t affect me that way. "This is more than the sum of its parts. I really admire it. We were having fun and you can hear it."
Richards also formed his own backing band, The X-Pensive Winos, featuring the likes of Jordan, Bobby Keys, Charley Drayton, Ivan Neville, Sarah Dash and Waddy Wachtel.
The latter he shares a bond like he has with his Rolling Stones bandmate Ronnie Wood.
He said: "Waddy and I are like Ronnie and me.
"Within five minutes it’s like you’ve known each other all your lives."
Work began on ‘Talk Is Cheap’ in August 1987 at Le Studio in Morin Heights, Quebec, and the following year, in May, recording sessions were held in Montserrat and Bermuda.
Mick Taylor – who was bass player in the Stones until Wood took over in 1975 – also make a guest appearance on the track ‘I Could Have Stood You Up’.
Richards signed to Virgin Records to make his solo career official, and the label eventually signed the ‘Paint It Black’ hitmakers – who had been with Sony Music – in 1993.
The guitar legend went on to release another solo LP, ‘Crosseyed Heart’, in 2015, and the compilation album ‘Vintage Vinos’, comprised of remastered solo and X-Pensive Winos tracks performed live at the Hollywood Palladium in 1988, was released 2010.
The 30th anniversary reissue of ‘Talk Is Cheap’ is released on March 29th via BMG.
The track-listing for ‘Talk Is Cheap’ the deluxe edition is as follows:
1. ‘Big Enough’
2. ‘Take It So Hard’
3. ‘Struggle’
4. ‘I Could Have Stood You Up’
5. ‘Make No Mistake’
6. ‘You Don’t Move Me’
7. ‘How I Wish’
8. ‘Rockawhile’
9. ‘Whip It Up’
10. ‘Locked Away’
11. ‘It Means A Lot’
Bonus tracks:
1. ‘Blues Jam’
2. ‘My Babe’
3. ‘Slim’
4. ‘Big Town Playboy’
5. ‘Mark On Me’
6. ‘Brute Force’