Text "Some Stones in Paris" (Jean Haristoy)

It were the best days in my life (almost) - now, it's just "a sweet ole memory". But I wish to go back to Paris before the end of the sessions, and after that, I wish to be in that plane to NY, with IORR (Bjørnulf, you're the best!).

As everybody knows (I hope you all know), the Stones are in Paris, recording their next vinyl work. The sessions have started in February, have been interrupted in March, and started again in the beginning of April. Keith arrived in Paris on April 03, coming from NY.

The studios in Boulogne-Billancourt were reserved since the date of April 01, so I was sure that they would stay a few weeks. I arrived in Paris on April 13 in the evening, and without losing a minute I joined Hervé in his apartment, where I met a very talented amateur photographer, François. Some of his pictures will maybe appear later in this magazine. We soon leaved the apartment and went to the restaurant where the Stones use to eat. It isn't a "high-class" restaurant you could imagine. The Stones eat only to feed, not to burn money with expensive food and wines. That surprised me.

Hervé, François and I were hungry and so we decided to go in and quietly eat, having always a look at the door. 30 minutes later, guess who I've seen?, Mr R'n R himself!, leaving a back room. I was really nervous, because my imagination was full of these fuckin' rock-star-clichés. He looked great because he looked human - he was the real Keith! I think he recognized Hervé when he looked at our table. He had a little smile, a moment of hesitation, and finally got to join Marlon who was in the street since a few minutes. We were sitting beside a window and it was easy to look in the street. When Keith passed by on the other side of the window, he suddenly turned to us, a very large smile on his face and opening his arms in a sign that means "It's me! Boys, what could I do for you?"

Why such a long introduction? Keith has always been my hero. Never in my life I'd have imagined he could be like that. All at once so simple and so close to his legend. I remember him dancing more than walking in the street. Later, during the week, I've seen each of the Stones, have taken some pictures, have talked (oh! so few) with them, but never again I had that shock like when I've seen the Rock'n Roll right in his eyes for the first time. The Stones are finally some normal human beings, just their life is different. They aren't protected by bodyguards, kind with fans, never rejecting them, always signing records and pictures. They answer your questions the best way they can, especially Keith and Stu, let you take as much pictures as you want (except to paparazzi).

The big surprise weren't the Stones themselves but the fans around the studios - most of them are really stupid. They only have two interests: having zillions of records signed and being pictured by their friends with the Stones, even not interested in the quality of the picture, not interested in asking a few questions about the sessions or some old songs never released - no, what they want are autographs and zillions of poor pictures. I haven't made a lot of pictures, because I wanted to take good ones, with only the members of the band and without all these stupide guys around. In fact, all these guys are only there when the Stones arrive at the studio. When they leave, in the morning, there's nobody, or almost nobody. So it's easier to take good pictures and the Stones are more relaxed. Maybe it could seem now a little silly, but I wanted to be on a picture with Keith. One morning I just asked him, he was OK, he was standing by my side, looking Hervé and his camera and we made the picture. I made the same for Hervé with Mick.

And what about the music? There were two doors between the Stones and us. The principal door was always closed while the second door was sometimes open, sometimes closed. When it was open one could hear every note of music very well. So we have spent some nights listening the band at work. Apart of some very old blues, all the played material seemed to be new. Most of the time they start from a very small riff, they repeat it again and again, with sometimes Mick trying to put some vocals in, adding new arrangements, changing little things, and after one night, a song is almost finished. Sometimes you can hear only Charlie and Bill working on their rhythm part. The sound is excellent, Charlie and Bill very powerful, Ronnie equal to Keith - but Mick doesn't sing as much as you could imagine. Probably he has to play some guitar or to ask the band try little ideas. But it's very productive. A simple riff becomes a song in a few hours. And when they leave the studio, they seem to be very happy, very satisfied. Two songs that I can remember are so good, they could be on the LP. One is a very strong rock rhythm, a little bit like "Tie you up", vocals are excellent. After the break where Mick shouts "you gotta" four times, Ronnie starts a solo, a superb lead guitar part, supported by Keith with a strong rhythm. In fact, I wonder if it was Keith or Ronnie, because Ronnie plays so good now! Another song I can remember is a medium tempo rock which could be as good as "Going mad". The guitars are very clear, never with distortion, but sometimes with phasing. It doesn't sound like on records, it sounds a little like the Doelen rehearsals 75. One night, Ronnie came alone to the studio and played for three hours. When Jo arrived, one hour later, she told us that the rest of the band would not come that night. Stu told us the same (en français, s'il vous plaît!), but we decided to stay. Ronnie played really good, it was incredible! When he leaved we asked him who was also playing. They were Chuck Leavell on keyboards, a bassist I can't remember his name, and - believe it or not - Stu on drums!!! Yes, Stu!

I think an album could be released this summer, there's a lot of good new songs. And don't worry about inspiration - there's enough! The Stones are here to work! The only people in the studio, apart of the band, are Chuck Leavell and the engineers. Chris Kimsey isn't here, Chuch McGee told me he'd be in Germany. The engineer is Dave Jerden (see MJ solo LP cover).

Publication

1985.06.12

Charlie is good tonight nr. 3

Note

The Norwegian Rolling Stones fanzine It's only rock'n roll nr. 28 (May 1997) holds a short report about Jean Haristoy entitled Happy moments. It contains a picture of Jean and Ron Wood in Paris 1985!