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Your tongue lickin’ way out of place/ I’ll rip it out/ I’ll stick a gun in your face/ You’ll pay with your life…
Written by: Jagger/Richards Recorded: Ocean Way Recording Studios, Hollywood, USA, March 13-July 1997 Guest musicians: Danny Saber (electric guitar, bass and keyboards), Jim Keltner (percussion) *Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012
From the The Rolling Stones – All the Songs book: I taught her everything/I taught her how to dream/I’m gonna teach her how to scream. The narrator is clearly motivated by a desire for revenge on his ex-girlfriend, and it is with a gun in his hand that he intends to satisfy this desire. The situation could not be clearer. The lover feels betrayed and plans to let his weapon do the talking, and then quit town without a trace. “Gunface” exemplifies the Stones’ new approach. It is simultaneously rock and funk, and bears the stamp of Danny Saber, a California producer and remixer, and onetime member of Black Grape. The producer and sound engineer of this Manchester-based alternative rock group was none other than the excellent John X. Volaitis, who was responsible for much of the technical work on Bridges to Babylon. “Gunface” has never been performed onstage.
The opening drums are reminiscent of “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder, but there the resemblance ends. This is not to take anything away from the extraordinary drum work, for Charlie is at the top of his game on this album. Jim Keltner’s contribution is also prominent, driving home the rhythm with his shaker before turning his attention to the congas, the maracas, and various other percussion instruments. Danny Saber, a veritable one-man band, plays a very effective low and funky bass line, and also throws in some guitar. And it is over this superb rhythm section that Keith (or possibly even Mick?) adds his own guitar and some masterfully crafted riffs, enhanced by a delay of the kind he had a tendency to overuse in the eighties (thanks to his MXR pedal). Ronnie then answers him, initially with a series of short solo phrases, some played with the fingers and some played slide (he does not come in until the twenty-fourth bar), and then with a heavily distorted solo at 2:54, almost certainly on his black Zemaitis. In the refrains, Danny Saber is also on keyboards, with synth pads and electronic effects that are frankly out of keeping with the musical world of the Stones and therefore not in the best of taste. Mick, meanwhile, gives a very good vocal performance, as at ease in R&B as he is in rock and blues.
