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Rolling Stones songs: Come to the Ball
Are you hungry? I got plenty to eat/ Something strange/ That tastes bitter and sweet…
*Released version of Windmill(with vocals) Written by: Jagger/Richard Recorded: Dynamic Sounds Studios, Kingston, Jamaica, Nov-Dec. 1972; Vocals overdubs at RAK Studios, London, England, Spring 2021 Guest musicians: Nicky Hopkins (piano)
From Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012: The Stones started rehearsals for the upcoming tour in Los Angeles by using the opportunity to record and work on some GOATS HEAD SOUP material such as Dancing with Mr. D, Heartbreaker andStar Star. Windmill may have been a precursor to another outtake called Wind Call, which was recorded in 1974.
Much like Emotional Rescue before it, the Tattoo Youalbum was largely assembled from unreleased material, leftovers from previous recording sessions spanning the early to mid-’70s. However, unlike its predecessor, it never feels like a patchwork of outtakes. Instead, the album flows seamlessly, showcasing The Rolling Stones at their most polished and confident as a dominant stadium-rock force.
By 1981, the band had fully embraced their role as rock & roll’s premier live act, and Tattoo You reflects that energy. The album is packed with dynamic, arena-ready anthems, tight grooves, and a mix of swaggering rockers and soulful ballads. Rather than feeling like a collection of reworked odds and ends, it captures the essence of what made the Stones so electrifying—raw yet refined, gritty yet grand. The result is an album that not only stands as one of their strongest latter-day releases but also proves that even their “leftovers” could be legendary.
It’s funny to think that the Tattoo You 2021 Super Deluxe Edition—released for the album’s 40th anniversary—includes a batch of outtakes, considering no entirely new songs were recorded for the original sessions. But just like the main album, these bonus tracks come from the vault, a mix of unfinished songs from the ’70s that were dusted off and polished up for the reissue.
The Stones have done this before, revamping old material for deluxe editions of Exile on Main St., Some Girls, and Goats Head Soup, so the process isn’t new. And some of these tracks weren’t exactly unknown—bootleg collectors were already familiar with gems like Dobie Gray’s Drift Away, an early, slower version of Start Me Up, and the hard-grooving Fiji Jim.
Unlike Tattoo You, which feels like a fully realized album, this rarities collection has a looser, more patchwork vibe—but in the best way. There’s a fun, raw energy to it, from the Stones’ take on The Chi-Lites’ Troubles A’ Comin’ to their faithful rendition of Jimmy Reed’s Shame Shame Shame. That said, the rollicking boogie of Come to the Ball(originally recorded in 1972 under the title Windmill, with Mick adding new vocals in 2021) is another highlight, proving that even the Stones’ leftovers have plenty of fire.
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