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Rolling Stones songs: Claudine
There was blood in the chalet/ And blood in the snow/ She washed her hands of the whole damn show…
CLAUDINE: THE STONES’ LOST SCANDAL SONG Claudine was the Stones at their cheekiest—full of Chuck Berry swagger and wicked bite. Written for Some Girls in 1978, the track told the notorious tale of French actress Claudine Longet, who shot Olympic skier Spider Sabich in ’76. She swore it was an accident, but the tabloids went wild. Too hot for release back then, the song became one of those buried gems that proved the Stones never shied away from controversy.
When Mick Jagger and Keith Richards crafted Claudine for Some Girls in 1978, they knew they had dynamite in their hands. The track was raw, cheeky, and pure Chuck Berry energy—but the subject matter was too hot to handle. The song spins the tale of French actress Claudine Longet, infamous after the 1976 shooting of her boyfriend, Olympic skier Spider Sabich. Longet insisted the gun fired by accident, but the scandal made headlines worldwide. For the Stones, it was irresistible material.
Yet legal worries clipped its wings. Claudine stayed buried for decades, until the 2011 Some Girls reissue finally gave fans the chance to hear it. Keith later admitted he wished it had made the cut from the start, calling Longet “a perfect Some Girl.” What we got in 2011 as part of the extender version of the Some Girls album wasn’t just a song—it was a time capsule, proof that even the Stones had to tread carefully.
Claudine Longet: Love, Scandal, And A Fatal Shot
The Rolling Stones never tiptoe around scandal. From politics to passion, they’ve always pulled stories from the headlines, much like Bob Dylan did with Hurricane, or with Joey. When they stumbled upon the sensational tale of Claudine Longet, it was simply too charged to ignore. On March 21, 1976, Longet’s boyfriend, Olympic skier Spider Sabich, returned to their Aspen home after a day on the slopes. In the bathroom, preparing for a shower, he was shot in the abdomen. Though not usually fatal, the wound caused massive blood loss. He died en route to Aspen Valley Hospital—with Longet beside him.
Her defense was simple: the gun discharged accidentally while Sabich was showing her how to use it. Longet insisted their life together was warm and free of conflict. Police, however, painted another picture—cocaine in her system and a diary that hinted otherwise. Yet both diary and blood tests were tossed from the case due to lack of a warrant. Without that evidence, the prosecution’s case collapsed. Longet was convicted only of “criminally negligent homicide,” sentenced to a $250 fine and 30 days in jail—time she was allowed to serve on weekends so she could remain with her children.
From Courtroom Drama To Rock Inspiration
The story didn’t end in the courtroom. Public suspicion lingered, especially when Longet grew close to her defense attorney, Ron Austin, whom she later married. Her ex-husband, singer Andy Williams, also made headlines by driving her to and from trial, openly supporting her despite the scandal.
Longet’s saga is ripe for a Stones song: a glamorous actress, a fallen hero, love, betrayal, and blurred lines between guilt and accident. It’s messy, tragic, and irresistibly human—the kind of tale that transforms into rock ’n’ roll myth.
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