The Rolling Stones have announced the September 25th release of Steel Wheels Live – Atlantic City, New Jersey, culled from the band's December 19th, 1989 stop in Atlantic City's Convention Center. Steel Wheels Live will be released on limited edition 180-gram four-LP colored vinyl, as a two-CD/DVD set, SD Blu-ray/two-CD set, and on digital formats. The DVD portion of the package will feature the band's February 26th, 1990 Tokyo Dome concert, for which the audio of the show has already been released.
The audio portions of Steel Wheels Live, features a typical setlist from the band's first tour in seven years — with special performances by Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose and Izzy Stradlin joining the Stones for a rare take on 1968's Beggars Banquet finale, “Salt Of The Earth, Eric Clapton on “Little Red Rooster,” and late-blues legend John Lee Hooker on a simmering “Boogie Chillen.” The show was broadcast live at the time as a pay-per-view special.
The package also features a bonus disc of lesser-played tunes from the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tour — including such rarities as “Play With Fire,” “Almost Hear You Sigh,” and Willie Dixon's “I Just Want To Make Love To You.”
Keith Richards spoke about his and Mick Jagger's tentative reunion that led to the writing of 1989's Steel Wheels album and the Stones first tour dates since 1982: “For me, it's fun to work with Mick. Me and Mick can work together like nobody's business. We know each other so well, y'know? I went to Barbados and I said to my old lady — 'I'm gonna work. . . write some songs with Mick in Barbados for two weeks. So, I'll see you in two weeks — or (laughs) two days.' 'Cause either it'll work by then or it won't work, y'know? But it worked, y'know? Mick and I can sit down together and put some stuff together which — there's an amazing chemistry there that both of us can't deny.”
Rolling Stones backing vocalist Bernard Fowler came into the band's orbit during sessions for Mick Jagger's 1985 solo debut, She's The Boss, before hitting the road for Jagger's one and only solo tour, a 19-date 1988 Australasian trek. Fowler has remained a constant in the studio and on the road with the Rolling Stones for over 30 years. He told us that the secret for his longevity with the band is that he never played into the “are you a 'Mick camp' or 'Keith camp' guy”: “A lot of people make the mistake — or made the mistake — of taking a side. I even had somebody yell at me in catering: 'Who you think you are?! You're either with him or you're with him. Nobody is with them both!' And I said, 'That's your problem. I'm here for both of them.' Y'know, I'd go to Keith's room, we'd play dominoes all night, y'know? And chat and listen to music. And the next day, y'know, I'm talking to Mick and we're going out and hangin' out in a club. So, I never played that 'side' game. I was here for the Rolling Stones.”
The tracklisting to Steel Wheels Live – Atlantic City, New Jersey:
“Start Me Up”
“Bitch”
“Sad Sad Sad”
“Undercover Of The Night”
“Harlem Shuffle”
“Tumbling Dice”
“Miss You”
“Terrifying”
“Ruby Tuesday”
“Salt Of The Earth” – with Axl Rose & Izzy Stradlin
“Rock And A Hard Place”
“Mixed Emotions”
“Honky Tonk Women”
“Midnight Rambler”
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want”
“Little Red Rooster” – with Eric Clapton
“Boogie Chillen'” – with John Lee Hooker
“Can’t Be Seen”
“Happy”
“Paint It Black”
“2,000 Light Years From Home”
“Sympathy for the Devil”
“Gimme Shelter”
“It’s Only Rock N' Roll (But I Like It)”
“Brown Sugar”
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
“Jumpin’ Jack Flash”
Bonus Tracks:
“Play With Fire”
“Dead Flowers”
“Almost Hear You Sigh”
“I Just Want To Make Love To You”
“Street Fighting Man”
The tracklist to The Rolling Stones – Tokyo Dome (Live 1990) DVD is: “Start Me Up,” “Bitch,” “Sad Sad Sad,” Harlem Shuffle,” “Tumbling Dice,” “Miss You,” “Ruby Tuesday,” “Almost Hear You Sigh,” “Rock And A Hard Place,” “Mixed Emotions,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Midnight Rambler,” “You Can't Always Get What You Want,” “Can't Be Seen,” “Happy,” “Paint It Black,” “2000 Light Years From Home,” “Sympathy For The Devil,” “Gimme Shelter,” It's Only Rock N Roll,” “Brown Sugar,” “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction,” and “Jumpin' Jack Flash”
AUDIO: BERNARD FOWLER ON THE POLITICS OF THE ROLLING STONES BAND
AUDIO: KEITH RICHARDS ON 1989 REUNION WITH MICK JAGGER
