There has always been a symbiotic relationship between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards whenever a Rolling Stones song starts.
They might not have formed the band, but the strange, sleazy atmosphere when they lock in on the right part always fits their material perfectly whenever Richards starts one of his trademark open-tuning licks. So, how the hell is one of the most iconic songs on their finest albums something Richards was so quick to disown?
Because, really, ‘Keef’ was always loud and proud about most things that had his name on it. He was by no means arrogant, but it’s clear that he didn’t want to fade into the background when playing the opening lick to ‘Satisfaction’ or those ominous opening chords of ‘Gimme Shelter’. He was always about serving the song, though, and that sometimes meant leaving some space for his bandmates to play.
There could have easily been a ‘Glimmer Twins‘ solo album, but the key to any Stones song is adding the rest of the band behind them. While Steve Jordan has done a serviceable job taking over for Charlie Watts, nothing compares to the original drummer’s signature swing, especially when paired with Richards’s somewhat unsteady rhythm. It’s not exactly perfect, but there’s a push and pull listening to ‘Honky Tonk Women’ that can’t be manufactured anywhere else.
But compared to the softer songs in their catalogue, Richards was the first to admit that there was no reason to give him credit for ‘Moonlight Mile’, saying, “The only thing in Sticky Fingers I don’t have anything to do with is ‘Moonlight Mile’, ’cause I wasn’t there when they did it. It was great to hear that because I was very out of it by the end of the album, and it was like listening, really listening. It was really nice.”
It’s easy to see the track as Jagger’s song in many respects, but it’s not like he made the entire thing alone. Richards may deny playing on it, but he does have a few great licks towards the end. But if there’s anyone done dirty there, it’s Mick Taylor. His ability to weave the chords together and jam is the perfect complement to Richards’s guitar parts half the time, and for a song all about someone pining for their lover back home, the guitar’s practically crying on the original recording.
It’s nice to see him stand up for Jagger’s musical contributions, but it’s also strange to see Jagger out in full force like this. He always had a strange relationship with the band’s country tendencies, but whereas his singing on ‘Far Away Eyes’ could have easily been played off for laughs, this sounds like he took the inner workings of what made Gram Parsons great and channelled it into his own tune.
And whether either of them wants to admit it or not, the reason the tune works is because of how vulnerable it is. There are a lot of hang-ups that come with being a band known for being bad boys, but the only way that people can relate to someone is when that rough exterior comes down, and people see the real person behind everything.
It was never going to be easy to force that change, but when Jagger let his guard down, audiences saw someone lonely and willing to do anything he could to make sure he sees his other half one more time. After all, he said himself that he’s only a few miles out, and if it took him all night to get back home, you could bet that he was singing this song as he was riding down that lonesome highway.
