"Love in Vain" is a haunting song that was written by Robert Johnson in 1936, supposedly for a woman named Willie Mae Powell. It became a contemporary hit when the Rolling Stones included it on their 1969 album, Let It Bleed.

For a time we thought the songs that were on that first album were the only recordings (Robert Johnson had) made, and then suddenly around '67 or '68 up comes this second (bootleg) collection that included Love in Vain. Love in Vain was such a beautiful song. Mick and I both loved it, and at the time I was working and playing around with Gram Parsons, and I started searching around for a different way to present it, because if we were going to record it there was no point in trying to copy the Robert Johnson style or ways and styles. We took it a little bit more country, a little bit more formalized, and Mick felt comfortable with that. - Keith Richards, 1990

We changed the arrangement quite a lot from Robert Johnson's. We put in extra chords that aren't there on the Robert Johnson version. Made it more country. And that's another strange song, because it's very poignant. Robert Johnson was a wonderful lyric writer, and his songs are quite often about love, but they're desolate. - Mick Jagger, 1995

Sometimes I wonder... myself (about how we developed that arrangement). I don't know! (laughs) We only knew the Robert Johnson version. At the time we were kicking it around, I was into country music - old white country music, '20s and '30s stuff, and white gospel. Somewhere I crossed over into this more classical mode. Sometimes things just happen. We were sitting in the studio, saying, Let's do "Love in Vain" by Robert Johnson. Then I'm trying to figure out some nuances and chords, and I start to play it in a totally different fashion. Everybody joins in and goes, Yeah, and suddenly you've got your own stamp on it. I certainly wasn't going to be able to top Robert Johnson's guitar playing. - Keith Richards, 1995

P.S. Our sister site Newstalgia's Saturday Night Concert is Crooked Cowboy and the Freshwater Indians concert from last March.

You can view this video right here by getting the latest version of Flash Player!

DOWNLOADS: 667

PLAYS: 3872

(If they only had Mick - they would have out Rolling Stoned The Rolling Stones)

Of all the so-called "British Invasion" bands of the 1964-1965 period, the one that stands out as being criminally ignored by U.S. audiences would have to be The Pretty Things. They were without question one of the most raw, loud and rowdy bands of the period, which may have been the reason they weren't picked up by any labels in the States until the late 60s. Reading press reports from New Musical Express and Melody Maker, their concerts and club dates were near-riots and their personal exploits became stuff of rock n' roll legend. It was said The Rolling Stones, whom various members of The Pretty Things were associated with early on, paled by comparison. They were, above all, a huge influence on a number of blues-based bands of the period - not only The Rolling Stones, but The Yardbirds and several others.

This track, Can't Stand The Pain, epitomized who they were during those early days when I picked up one of their first eps on import "The Pretty Things On Film".

If you're not familiar with them - now's the time to get acquainted with a legend.

You can view this video right here by getting the latest version of Flash Player!

DOWNLOADS: 86

PLAYS: 291

(The Rolling Stones - 1971 with Mick Taylor, guitar - Heading off to France shortly)

Something to go along with your post-Thanksgiving weekend - a live concert (via the BBC) from Leeds University on March 13, 1971.

Aside from this being one of the last stops on their infamous "Goodbye To Britain Tour" of 1971, I don't think any other explanation is necessary other than turn up the volume and enjoy the show.

You can view this video right here by getting the latest version of Flash Player!

DOWNLOADS: 45

PLAYS: 15

(Blur - put Britpop on the map - and we're glad they did)

Blur tonight. From the Popscene ep from 1992 - Mace. I always loved this band. I could never quite figure out the whole Blur vs. Oasis thing - I suspect it was more a publicity device than anything else. It was a bit like the Beatles vs. Rolling Stones supposed rivalry in the 60s. It was and is still possible to like both bands and their music and not play favorites. Especially on a Friday night.

Life is too short anyway.

You can view this video right here by getting the latest version of Flash Player!

DOWNLOADS: 48

PLAYS: 25

(Madder Rose - overlooked and under-appreciated)

I don't think any decade can lay claim to the one where the most music was the least appreciated. Sometimes it's just rotten timing. I could understand a lot of 60s bands being lost in the shuffle since, let's face it, every time The Beatles or The Rolling Stones released something it overshadowed just about anything else on the charts at the time. And I can sort of understand a lot of 90s bands getting lost in the shuffle - as I said last night, radio was falling down huge flights of stairs in their commitment to break acts, or even say who they were. But the 70s and 80s had their fair share of overlooked acts (we'll get into the 80s soon, I promise)as well. So it just makes for a lot of interesting discovery, since the world is crammed full of it.

So tonight I thought I would put up a track by the New York band Madder Rose, who released a string of albums from 1993 to their breakup in 1999. Most of their material has faded from view, for absolutely no good reason. They were a good band with some great music.

This track, Roland Navigator doesn't appear on any of their albums, or their singles. It was issued on a CD Magazine in the 90s called Volume in the UK, probably one of the more adventuresome and well written publications to come and go in the fickle world of publishing, and certainly one that turned a lot of people on to some great music they would never normally know about. It wasn't widely available in the U.S. - just showing up at Tower, Virgin Records and a couple of hardcore music stores.

At any rate - Roland Navigator appeared only on this compilation in 1994 and, apart from a few spotty downloads, isn't available anywhere else.

It's a nice tribute to a band who left before their time was up.

Well, everyone knows that it's not really a big deal that Noel Gallagher sort of quit Oasis the other day. This, on the other hand, is a big deal.

A source within the Stones inner-circle says, “Charlie Watts has quit the band. He will never record or tour with the band again”.

The news does not come as a surprise. It was common knowledge that Keith Richards had to talk Charlie into contributing to the A Bigger Bang tour but this time it seems there is no calling Charlie back to active duty.

“The Stones are looking to Keith's Expensive Winos drummer Charlie Drayton to fill the void in all future Stones' callings,” our source says.

With Mick Jagger planning more Stones activity next year, the departure of Charlie will be a huge blow to the band. Charlie was the backbone of the band.

Watts, who reportedly once punched Mick Jagger in the face for calling him "my drummer", and then literally added insult to injury, shouting "you're my f--king singer!" is (other than that) not known for outbursts or typical rock and roller shenanigans. Still married to the wife he met before the Stones got huge, and having managed to avoid the limelight for 46 years in the biggest band in the world, Watts is bowing out without much of a bang, which is by all accounts how he likes it.

Update:

Watts says it's just a rumor:

Despite rumors circulating that he has, Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has denied he's quitting the group, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday, despite reports from an Australia music blog. The report came from the usually credible Undercover(www.undercover.com.au) and caused a concern around the globe with music fans, since Watts' departure would probably mean the end of the classic rock band.

"Contrary to a fabricated story that ran this morning on a small music web site in Australia, drummer Charlie Watts has not left The Rolling Stones," spokeswoman Fran Curtis said in an emailed statement.

It's long been speculated that there was more to Rolling Stones guitarists death than a bad combination of drugs, alcohol and a swimming pool -- see above clip from Crimewatch in 1994. However, new developments have led Sussex police to re-examine Jones's death, the BBC reports.

Police in Sussex were handed new information connected to the musician's untimely death 40 years ago.

Mr Jones, was found dead at the bottom of a swimming pool at a house in Cotchford farm, Hartfield, East Sussex.

An inquest recorded a verdict of death by misadventure but speculation continued that he was murdered.

A spokesman for Sussex police said the force had been handed documents connected with Jones's death, prompting the review.

AP and Rolling Stone both have a bit more of the backstory.

In 1972, while touring in North America for Exile on Main Street, the Rolling Stones were accompanied by a film maker named Robert Frank, who filmed their each and every move -- including the band doing lines of cocaine amongst naked groupies backstage.

Once the Stones' management realized that all the band's mischievous activities were being documented, they had the film shut down on legal grounds, and the footage could only be viewed by anyone while Frank was present.

Now, 37 years later, all of the revealing C**ksucker Blues, as it was titled, is available on the world wide web. You can watch it all streaming here. This is NSFW, to say the least. Oh, so NSFW. If you don't know what that means, it means that there's lots of bad stuff in it and don't watch it at the office or with the little ones around.