The Stones Release “Bad Luck Hideaway” And It’s Got Me Thinking About The List Of All The Jagger/Richards Duets

The Rolling Stones have announced they are releasing a “deluxe” edition of their latest album Foreign Tongues that will feature five new songs: “Where There’s A Will There’s A Way” (a favorite saying of mine my whole life), “Who You Calling Crazy,” “Human Tide,” “Bad Luck Hideaway,” and “She Still Comes Around.”

This new configuration of the album will be called Foreign Tongues, Loose Lips and yes, I have my copy already pre-ordered. You can buy the new tracks on vinyl (with the original album on CD included) or as a double-CD and you can download the album from where you buy your music.

The new batch of songs have been described as including some blues, rock and even some country. I suspect we’ll get a ballad from Keith in there somewhere. The Stones released “Bad Luck Hideaway” as the teaser for Loose Lips as a B-side to “Mr. Charm.”

I already purchased Foreign Tongues on CD – it was the most economical format – and on MP3 from the dreaded Apple so I could get the track described as an “exclusive bonus track,” the aforementioned “Bad Luck Hideaway.” It was worth buying the record twice to get that extra song…

And now I’ve bought it three times. “Every time I think I’m out, they pull me back in.” It’s like I’m running down the street yelling, “Here, Mick and Keith, take my money…and please give a little to Ronnie.”

The newly released “Bad Luck Hideaway” is an awesome song. It features the late Charlie Watts on drums which is proof it’s a little older song. I think this comes from sessions they did with Don Was but don’t hold me to that. “Bad Luck Hideaway” features both Mick and Keith on lead vocals. It is a fabulous duet, one of their best.

“Bad Luck Hideaway” got me thinking about the other times the Stones deployed both Keith and Mick on lead vocals. In sixty-some years together as a band only six times, to my count, have Mick and Keith shared the microphone. The Who used to have Pete and Roger both sing on tracks – not always – but whenever they did those tracks were usually amongst my favorite Who songs (“Baba O’Riley” anyone?).

There are some folks out there that don’t like the “Keith songs” on Stones’ records. I love his weathered voice. I would always look for the Keith song whenever I bought a new Stones’ album. And when you throw in Mick as a duet partner, you can’t lose.

Perhaps Mick and Keith’s rather volatile relationship has deprived us of them duetting more often. It’s a shame because it’s usually pretty amazing when they do sing together. I compiled a list of the songs they’ve sung together over the years, these war weary rock stars, and they’re all pretty damn good.

1. “Connection” – Between The Buttons. This might have been Keith’s first featured vocal on a song. He sings along with Mick on the lead vocals so you might think of this as a harmony vocal from Richards but I think it counts. Montrose with Sammy Hagar on vocals went on to do a cover of the song. It’s about a hectic flight schedule.
2. “Something Happened To Me Yesterday” – Between The Buttons. Okay, this one is kind of cheesy. It’s campy and almost dance hall. But Keith actually sings part of the lead vocal, his first.
3. “Salt Of The Earth” – Beggars Banquet. Keith sings the first part of the song and then Mick takes over. A great acoustic-y track about the working class. They did this song at the NYC 2001 benefit show. It’s the Stones and Mick and Keith at their best.
4. “Memory Motel” – Black And Blue. I think this is a gem of an album with “Crazy Mama” and “Hand Of Fate” being two of their best, if overlooked, rock songs. But it was this ballad about love and loss on the road that drew me in. Mick sings the main part but when Keith breaks in with, “She’s got a mind of her own and she use it well,” well, goosebumps.
5. “Slipping Away” – Steel Wheels. Okay, I’m kind of cheating on this one. It’s a wonderful Keith ballad towards the end of the album. Mick predominantly sings backup with Lisa Fischer, Bernard Fowler and Sarah Dash. But at the end, Keith’s voice drops away and Mick’s voice comes to the forefront… it’s more like a cameo but it’s a gripping ballad about love slipping out of your grasp.
6. “Bad Luck Hideaway” – Foreign Tongues, Loose Lips. This is a laid back, mid tempo thing that I just took to immediately. To hear these guys trade lines in a song with Charlie on drums no less(!) is just amazing. “You’ll get no phone calls, bad luck hideaway.” Sounds like me in college.

I, for one – obviously – am looking forward to these four additional bonus tracks. I love that the Stones are on such a roll in terms of making new music. I’m hopeful that since they aren’t touring, perhaps they might mosey back into the studio and give us more…

You can cue the Star Wars meme of Kylo Ren screaming “More, more, more” as he fires on Luke Skywalker and yes, I’m guilty as charged when being greedy for more Stones music. Hackney Diamonds prior to Foreign Tongues also makes for fabulous listening. Enjoy all of these duets while we wait for Loose Lips to drop in November.

Oh, and if I’ve missed any Mick and Keith duets from their long career together, please drop those in the comments so I can add them to my list! Thanks!

Cheers!