The album's cover artwork was covered with real peel-off stickers on the original vinyl edition, which when removed revealed other patterned geometric shapes.Ĭontemporary critical reception to the album was mixed. Undercover was the fourth consecutive Rolling Stones album to have its art direction handled by Peter Corriston (who had won a Grammy for his work on Tattoo You), with concept origination, photography and illustration by Hubert Kretzschmar. 1 albums (excluding compilations and live albums) in the United States and failing to spawn any huge singles. It was a relative disappointment, however, breaking a streak of eight No.
Undercover was released in November 1983, reaching No.
THE ROLLING STONES UNDERCOVER PROFESSIONAL
Release and reception Professional ratings Review scores It was not included on the Rarities 1971–2003 collection and was finally released on CD on the Singles 1971–2006 box set compilation. "Think I'm Going Mad" was a track first recorded during the Emotional Rescue sessions of 1979 and appeared as the B-side to the "She Was Hot" single. "Pretty Beat Up" is largely a Ronnie Wood composition, and Jagger and Richards were both reportedly reluctant to include it on the album. Musically, Undercover appears to duel between hard rock, reggae and new wave, reflecting the leadership tug of war between Jagger and Richards at the time. The lyrics on Undercover are among Jagger's most macabre, with much grisly imagery to be found in the lead single and top 10 hit " Undercover of the Night," a rare political track about Central America, as well as "Tie You Up (The Pain of Love)" and " Too Much Blood," Jagger's attempt to incorporate contemporary trends in dance music. A compounding factor was the fact that Richards had emerged (to an extent) from his self-destructive lifestyle of the previous decade, and thus sought a more active role in the creative direction of the band, much to the chagrin of Jagger, who'd enjoyed nearly a decade in relative control of the band. As a result, there was friction, and the tension between the two key members would increase over the coming years. Jagger was keenly aware of new styles and wanted to keep The Rolling Stones current and experimental, while Richards was seemingly more focused on the band's rock and blues roots. The making of Undercover was an arduous process, largely because Jagger and Richards' famous mid-1980s row began during these sessions. After breaking for the Christmas holidays, they completed the album in New York City the following summer. They began recording at the Pathé Marconi Studios in Paris, France in November 1982. Three singles were released from the album, with the highest-charting being top-40 release " Undercover of the Night."ĭue to the recent advancements in recording technology, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were officially joined in the producer's seat by Chris Kimsey, the first outside producer the Stones had used since Jimmy Miller. It would be the first Rolling Stones album in more than a decade to miss reaching No. It would be the last album released during the lifetime of Ian Stewart, a former member of the band and frequent contributor on piano. Besides the other principal band members, including guitarist Ronnie Wood, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts, the album featured many guest musicians. As a result, the album is an eclectic collection of songs covering a wide range of styles. Vocalist Mick Jagger sought to adapt to modern trends in music, favouring reggae, worldbeat, and new wave musical textures, while guitarist Keith Richards wanted the band to return to their blues rock roots. Tensions in the studio were high, as each of the principal songwriters wanted to take the band in a different direction. The band would move the label to Columbia Records for its follow-up, 1986's Dirty Work.Īfter the band's preceding studio album Tattoo You (1981) was mostly patched together from a selection of outtakes, Undercover was their first release of all-new recordings in the 1980s. Undercover is the 17th British and 19th American studio album by English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 7 November 1983 by Rolling Stones Records.
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