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The Rolling Stones had a lot of potentially interesting choices for a second single from their new album Hackney Diamonds. Even when all we know beforehand is the personnel, there’s so much to choose from. “Live by the Sword,” which features the classic 1976-1991 lineup in the studio for one last time? “Bite My Head Off,” which actually has none other than Paul Bloody McCartney on bass? “Get Close,” which has Elton John tickling the ivories? The one they chose, “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” includes a particularly intriguing match-up: Stevie Wonder and Lady Gaga.
Before I get onto the track itself, I should point out the massive generational gap between our guests. Stevie Wonder might actually be one of the few rock legends to have been in the game longer than the Stones. By the time the Rolling Stones released their first single “Come On,” Stevie had not only put out three albums, he had already released “Fingertips” as a single. By the time they recorded their second single, “Fingertips” had already topped the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile, when the Stones released their most recent album of new material, A Bigger Bang, Stefani Germanotta was just an NYU dropout nobody had heard of. She wouldn’t even have come up with the name Lady Gaga for about a year. But enough about the biographical trivia. What about the song?
The Song
Simply put, it sounds great. Lady Gaga in particular sounds amazing. When she dropped on the scene, she was singing songs that just sounded mediocre. She seemed more interested in getting attention for her bizarre fashion sense than her music. Or maybe being one of a few celebrities to actually like the paparazzi, if one of her songs was any indication. And yet, she’s moved beyond that. She meshes very well with the gospel vibe the track seems to be going for. At times, she even seems to channel Claire “Great Gig in the Sky” Torry. The only negatives I might have are that Stevie Wonder’s keyboard parts don’t sound particularly Stevie, and that they released a version without the Coda, which is one of the best parts of the song.
Mick’s Comments
Quoth Mick Jagger, “She’s a really great singer and I’d never heard her sing quite that style before. Not exactly. We did it live in the room and that was a great experience, her just coming in the room and her just opening up and seeing her bits and feeling her way and then getting more confident.”
He also added, “It’s all played live. And of course, we did overdubs, but it’s all played in the room. Yeah, there’s that moment, especially in that session where we had Stevie, and you’re feeling your way out a little bit and then you do that soul ending, which is you do sometimes on stage where you stop and you start.” Before you ask how they did overdubs if it was all played live, I think I might have an answer. Apparently, Stevie plays piano, Fender Rhodes, and a Moog synthesiser. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that even Stevie Wonder can’t play all three keyboards at once.
As it stands, I hope we get to see more tracks like this when the album comes out on October 20. Also, as a side note, my Dad thinks this song sounds like a John Prine song. I’ll let you be the judge of that:
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