Sunday, January 22, 2012

Sky

During Rolling Stones recording sessions at Olympic Sound Studios and Stargroves (with the Rolling Stones Mobile Unit, March-May 1970) Ian Stewart, together with brass players Bobby Keys and Jim Price, also recorded with Detroit-based band Sky. In 1970, Sky, whose members included Doug Fieger, John Coury and Robert Greenfield, was achieving local success in Detroit.

In a display of youthful bravado Fieger and Coury sent a letter to producer Jimmy Miller (Rolling Stones, Traffic, Spencer Davis Group, Blind Faith) saying that if he ever found himself in Detroit he should come by and listen to their band, and to everyone's  surprise, Miller took them up on the offer. With Miller on board, and Andy Johns engineering, Sky released two albums, "Don't Hold Back" (1970) and "Sailor's Delight" (1971).

Besides Stu, Keys and Price, other well-known musicians that turned up at the sessions included Nicky Hopkins, Chris Wood (Traffic) and Gary Wright. After their return to the US in 1971 the band broke up and members went their separate ways. Here are two songs from 1971's "Sailor's Delight", with Stu on piano.



1 comment:

  1. March-May, 1970: Olympic Sound Studios, London and Rolling Stones Mobile Unit, Stargroves, Newbury, England.
    The Rolling Stones: Brown Sugar (Jagger-Richards) (3:50)
    The Rolling Stones: You Gotta Move (McDowell-Davis) (2:34)
    The Rolling Stones: I Got The Blues (Jagger-Richards) (3:54)
    The Rolling Stones: Cocksucker Blues (Jagger-Richards) (3:29)
    The Rolling Stones: Dancing In The Light (Jagger-Richards) (2:44)

    700300B March - May: London, Olympic Sound Studios and Newbury, Stargroves (Mick Jagger’s house) with the Rolling Stones Mobile Record Unit. Producer: Jimmy Miller. Sound engineers: Glyn Johns, Andy Johns, Chris Kimsey (and Jimmy Miller for Cocksucker Blues).
    - Brown Sugar (Jagger-Richards) - Ian Stewart on piano, Bobby Keys on sax
    - You Gotta Move (McDowell-Davis) - Bill Wyman on electric piano
    - I Got The Blues (Jagger-Richards) - Billy Preston on organ, Bobby Keys on sax, Jim Price on trumpet
    - Cocksucker Blues (Jagger-Richards) - Mick Jagger (voc, gtr) only
    - Dancing In The Light (Jagger-Richards) - Nicky Hopkins on piano; instrumental
    - Dead Flowers (Jagger-Richards) - Ian Stewart on piano
    - As Now/Rock It/Traveling Tiger (Jagger-Richards) - all unverified.

    Line-up: Mick Jagger (voc, perc)/Keith Richards (gtr, bvoc)/Mick Taylor (gtr)/Bill Wyman (bass)/Charlie Watts (dr).
    Note: during these sessions Ian Stewart, Bobby Keys and Jim Price also recorded with the band Sky (album ‘Sailor’s Delight’, released 1971).

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