Rolling Stones: 30 years ago “Voodoo Lounge”. Today it lives again.

On July 11, 1994, 30 years ago, i Rolling Stones they presented their record to the world (back then there were “physical” media) “Voodoo Lounge”, the first work after the departure of the bassist Bill Wyman.

The 30 years since the publication are one of those anniversaries to be marked in red and which the discography celebrates with “succulent” reissues for fans. With regard to “Voodoo Lounge” two special reissues will be published on July 12th.

An edition on colored double vinyl (red and yellow) and a special edition exclusively for the Universal Music Italia Online Shop which will also include a 10″ colored vinyl (white) will be available. The latter will contain four additional tracks as bonus tracks. As with the album, all the bonus tracks bear the signature of Jagger-Richards and, except one, were written at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin at the end of the recording sessions for “Voodoo Lounge”.

The songs not present on the original album will also be available on streaming platforms for the first time. It's about: “I'm Gonna Drive“, original B-side of the single “Out Of Tears” with a slide guitar by Ronnie Wood; “So Young“, born during the recording sessions of “Some Girls” in 1978; “Jump On Top Of Me“, B-side of “You Got Me Rocking” and “TheStorm“, a tribute to Chicago blues.

“Voodoo Lounge” is an important album in the history of the Jagger/Richards band: it has sold more than six million copies worldwide, won the Grammy Award 1994 as Best Rock Album and includes epic songs like “You Got Me Rocking“, “Out Of Tears” And “Love Is Strong“.

After the abandonment of Bill Wyman the Rolling called to replace him (at the suggestion of Charlie Watts) the American Darryl Jones, who never entered the lineup but has always had (and still does) the role of collaborator. Jones came to the band after playing with Miles Davis (with whom he recorded two albums) and with Peter Gabriel, Herbie Hancock, Sting and Clapton among others.

“Voodoo Lounge,” which arrived five years after the band's previous album (“Steel Wheels”) followed the two solo experiences of Keith Richards (“Main Offender”, 1992) and Mick Jagger (“Wandering Spirit” 1993), after which the band met again to write the new album which was recorded at the Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin with the production of Don Was supported by the Glimmer Twins (Jagger & Richards).

The presence of Don Was was the object of “pressure” towards the Stones who would have preferred different sounds, while the producer pushed for a more “conservative” action that enhanced the blues, R&B and rock'n'roll roots of the band, in terms both sonically and stylistically.

In the end the American producer prevailed: and he was right because “Voodoo Lounge” was a success both in critical and commercial terms, bringing the Stones back to the top of the sales charts in the UK (in first place) and in the USA (in second place). step of the charts).

In addition to Jagger, Richards, Wood and Watts, the lineup also includes the aforementioned Darryl Jones in addition to the keyboard player Chuck Leavell (still on stage with the band today), l'organist Benmont Tench and the American Cajun accordionist Flaco Jimenez (now 85 years old).

Among the album's titles is “Blinded By Rainbows” a song that talks about the conflict in Northern Ireland and refers to people fighting for something regardless of the consequences. This is one of the Stones' rare political songs.

Mick Jagger wrote this song while working on his third solo album “Wandering Spirit“: “I was about halfway through it and I thought, “Well, this would be better suited to the next Rolling Stones album.” It was all in my head, rather than written down. I think it's good to have a song like that on the record, it shakes you up a little. Otherwise everyone's talking about girls, cars and immaturity.”

Here's how the band members explain the origin of the album's title. Says Ron Wood: “The title comes from my grandmother's apartment that I renovated for my mother. Keith immediately moved in and made a hand-drawn sign that said “Doc's Office and Voodoo Lounge” and attached to the window”.

Keith Richards explained: “The record company was screaming at us: 'We need a title, we need graphics'. In the end it was Mick who said: 'What about Voodoo Lounge? Why not? A bit like Beggars Banquet. Just the right number of syllables. “I was really mad at myself, after painting the sign and everything. I'm usually the one with the cheap ideas, not Mick. His ones are usually very expensive.”