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About The Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main St. sessionsin Los Angelesand Album Visuals
December 4-19, 1971: The Stones (all minus Charlie Watts) hold overdubs and mixes for the Exile On Main St. at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles, also recording more new tracks for the album.
In the early 1970s The Rolling Stones embarked on the creation of what would become one of rock’s most revered and mythologized albums, Exile on Main St.. What began as a chaotic, heat-soaked series of sessions in the damp basement of Nellcôte, Keith Richards’ rented villa in the South of France, would eventually evolve into a sprawling masterpiece that blended rock, blues, gospel, country, and soul. Although the core tracks were born during those famously wild days on the French Riviera, the album’s completion took place far from that bohemian exile.
By the time the band relocated to Los Angeles, they were focused on polishing the rough, deeply textured recordings they had captured overseas. At Hollywood’s Sunset Sound Studios, the Stones brought in an exceptional trio of gospel and soul vocalists—Venetta Fields, Clydie King, and Sherlie Matthews (members of the Blackberries)—to elevate the material with their powerful harmonies. Their contributions, layered with grit and warmth, added a spiritual weight to songs like Tumbling Dice, Let It Looseand Shine a Light, enriching the emotional landscape of the album.
Crafting the Visual Identity of Exile on Main St.
Simultaneously, as the music for Exile on Main St. was taking shape, its visual world was being crafted with equal care and imagination. The album’s artwork became an essential extension of its sound—gritty, layered, chaotic, and rich with character. Photographer Norman Seeff played a key role in this process, capturing strikingly candid and unvarnished images of the band. His photos revealed The Rolling Stones not as distant rock icons, but as a raw, lived-in group immersed in the creative turbulence of the era. These sessions produced some of the most memorable portraits associated with the album’s mythology.
Designer John Van Hamersveld took those images, along with a vast collection of vintage Americana, sideshow oddities, and carnival-inspired visuals, and assembled them into the now-iconic collage-style album cover. The artwork mirrored the eclectic spirit of the music itself—fragmented, unpredictable, and drenched in atmosphere. Its chaotic layout echoed the album’s murky sonic layers, giving listeners a visual entry point into the world the Stones had constructed.
Adding to this aesthetic, the back-cover photos were shot on Main Street in downtown Los Angeles, grounding the album in its urban surroundings. The worn, slightly surreal street scenes reinforced the themes of displacement, grit, and restless energy that permeate the record. Together, these visual elements formed a cohesive artistic statement that amplified the album’s impact. The fusion of Seeff’s photography, Van Hamersveld’s design, and the album’s urban backdrop helped solidify Exile on Main St.as not just a musical achievement, but a cultural and visual landmark that continues to resonate with fans and critics alike.
*Read more about The Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main St. sessions in Los Angeles, 1972 (from the LA Weekly)
Crafting the Soundscape: Sunset Sound Sessions
The final touches on Exile on Main St. came together at Hollywood’s legendary Sunset Sound Studios, a place whose warm acoustics and rich history helped shape countless classic records. Stepping into this iconic space, The Rolling Stones found the perfect environment to transform their raw French basement recordings into something richer, sharper, and fully alive. Surrounded by top-tier gear and an atmosphere buzzing with creative energy, the band dove into overdubs, vocal sessions, and final refinements with a renewed sense of purpose.
Among the standout contributors was pedal steel virtuoso Al Perkins, who later recalled the unusual thrill of recording with Mick Jagger singing live in the studio—an experience that added urgency and spontaneity to the sessions. This live-in-the-moment approach encouraged experimentation, allowing the band to push the edges of their sound while still staying true to their blues roots. What emerged were tracks that blended rock swagger, blues grit, and soul warmth with remarkable ease.
Together, these sessions at Sunset Sound completed the alchemy of Exile on Main St.—raw energy refined through expert musicianship, resulting in a timeless, genre-blurring masterpiece that continues to captivate listeners generation after generation.
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