Mixed Emotions (Rolling Stones song)

Recording

The song is an upfront rocker, with Richards, Jagger and Ronnie Wood sharing guitar duties. Charlie Watts handled drums while Bill Wyman played bass. Additional performers were piano and organ from Chuck Leavell, the Stones' touring keyboardist since the 1980s. Backing vocals are provided by Jagger, Richards, plus Sarah Dash, Lisa Fischer, and Bernard Fowler, the latter two longtime touring vocalists for the Stones. Brass was provided by the Kick Horns while Luis Jardim provided percussion.

Music video

To match the upbeat nature of the song, the music video featured the Stones, playful and smiling, performing the song as well as recording it. This stands in stark contrast to the band's previous video, 1986's "One Hit (To the Body)", filmed during a time when relations between Jagger and Richards were at an all-time low, and which featured uncomfortable physical sparring between the two.

Release

Released as the album's first single on 21 August 1989, "Mixed Emotions" made it into the top 10 in the US, going to number five, and was also a number-one hit on the Album Rock Tracks chart for five weeks and in Canada for one week. The song was the Stones' last top-ten hit in the United States to date, although they would go on to have more chart hits on the Album Rock Tracks (now Mainstream Rock) chart. The single's B-side was "Fancy Man Blues", a non-album track recorded during the Steel Wheels sessions.

The song was regularly performed during the 1989–1990 Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour and is included on the live albums Live at The Tokyo Dome and Steel Wheels Live. "Mixed Emotions" appears on all compilation albums, including Jump Back, Forty Licks, GRRR!, and Honk. The 12-inch remix of "Mixed Emotions" by producer Chris Kimsey was rereleased on the Rarities 1971–2003 compilation, in 2005, along with "Fancy Man Blues".

Track listing

1. "Mixed Emotions" (7-inch version) – 4:00
2. "Mixed Emotions" (Chris Kimsey's 12-inch) – 6:10
3. "Fancy Man Blues" – 4:54

Personnel

Adapted from Steel Wheels liner notes.

The Rolling Stones

• Mick Jagger – lead vocals, backing vocals, guitar, shakers
• Keith Richards – guitar, backing vocals
• Ronnie Wood – guitar
• Bill Wyman – bass guitar
• Charlie Watts – drums

Additional musicians

• Chuck Leavell – organ, piano
• Sarah Dash – backing vocals
• Lisa Fischer – backing vocals
• Bernard Fowler – backing vocals
• Luís Jardim – percussion
• The Kick Horns – brass

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

References

1. (5 May 2017). "Ranking All 374 Rolling Stones Songs".
2. (19 August 1989). "New Singles".
3. (1989). "Steel Wheels". Rolling Stones Records/CBS Records.
4. (30 September 1989). "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles".
5. Nyman, Jake. (2005). "Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja". Tammi.
6. (23 September 1989). "Playlist Report: Italy".
7. "Top 100 Singles of '89".
8. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1989". Dutch Top 40.
9. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1989". [[MegaCharts]].
10. (23 December 1989). "1989 The Year in Music: Top Album Rock Tracks".
11. (26 August 1989). "New Singles".
12. (2 September 1989). "New Singles".
13. "ミックスト・エモーションズ {{!}} ザ・ローリング・ストーンズ". [[Oricon]].
14. (16 September 1989). "New Singles".