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Rolling Stonessongs: Fancy Man Blues
I love to dance with my baby/ I love to while away the time…
Written by: Jagger/Richards Recorded: Air Studios, Montserrat, March 29-May 5, 1989; Olympic Sound Studios, May 15-June 29 1989
Mick Jagger: vocals, harmonica Keith Richards: guitar Bill Wyman: bass Charlie Watts: drums Ron Wood: guitar Guest musicians: Chuck Leavell (piano)
Fancy Man Blues tells a story that sits comfortably inside the timeless emotional world the Rolling Stones know so well: a man intoxicated by a woman’s charm, helplessly drawn to her smile, and content to lose entire afternoons in her company. Yet beneath his infatuation lies the shadow of a rival—another man who might have already claimed her attention. This quiet tension gives the narrator’s longing a nervous edge, turning what could have been an easy blues shuffle into something more smoldering. The seed of the song’s power, however, comes from the Stones’ lifelong devotion to the blues, a devotion stretching back to their earliest nights playing cramped London clubs.
Instead of leaning into the heavy punch of Chicago giants like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, Fancy Man Blues channels the humid, sensual pulse of Jimmy Reed and Slim Harpo. Recorded during the Steel Wheels sessions at AIR Studios in Montserrat in spring 1989, the track features Chuck Leavell’s piano nodding affectionately toward Ian Stewart’s spirit. Released first as the B-side to Mixed Emotions in August of that year, it later resurfaced on Rarities 1971–2003, reaffirming its place among the Stones’ underappreciated late-era gems.
Production and a band at full confidence
Despite being more than twenty-five years into their career when they cut Fancy Man Blues, the Rolling Stones sound not only confident but utterly in command of the genre that first shaped them. Their authenticity when playing the blues has always been one of their greatest strengths—never sounding like tourists, never overworking the form. Here, that authenticity is amplified by the unmistakable sense that the track was recorded live in the studio. The musicians interact with instinctive ease, responding to one another in real time, each player pushing the arrangement forward while leaving enough room for others to shine.
Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood carve out the guitar foundation together. One guitar pounds out a swampy rhythm, lumbering and distorted in true Louisiana style; the other weaves a lean, wiry lead commentary that erupts into a solo. The solo’s phrasing tilts slightly toward Richards, though hints of Ronnie’s melodic touch invite lingering debate among fans. Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman—the original Stones rhythm section—hold down the groove with their unfussy precision, although Bill’s bass unfortunately sits lower in the mix than some listeners might wish. Chuck Leavell completes the structure with a piano performance full of swagger and sly nuance, revealing why he became indispensable to the band’s late-era sound.
Vocals, harmonica, and the electricity of live play
Mick Jagger’s vocal performance is both controlled and raw, balancing his trademark sharpness with the relaxed looseness the blues demands. Yet while his singing is strong, it’s the harmonica that transforms Fancy Man Blues from a solid entry into a standout track. His two extended solos cut through the arrangement with dazzling clarity. The phrasing is fiery but never rushed, channeling classic blues harp traditions without slipping into imitation.
One of the most revealing moments arrives at 3:12, when Mick momentarily sings into his harmonica microphone. The resulting distorted burst—messy, accidental, wonderfully human—provides undeniable proof that what we are hearing is a true live studio take. It captures an electricity that can’t be manufactured, the kind of fleeting spark that can only happen when musicians are sharing the same air, responding instinctively, feeding off one another’s energy.
Context, legacy, and a deeper blues lineage
Fancy Man Blues didn’t just live on as a B-side. It later appeared on After the Hurricane, the George Martin-produced charity compilation raising relief funds after Hurricane Hugo devastated the Antilles in September 1989. Sharing album space with tracks by Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder (Ebony & Ivory) and The Police (Invisible Sun), the Stones’ contribution underscored both their ongoing relevance and their willingness to lend their legacy to larger causes.
What makes Fancy Man Blues endure is not its narrative simplicity—romantic competition is hardly unfamiliar territory—but the way the Stones revisit the music that made them who they are. Instead of polished nostalgia, the song radiates the spirit of a band reconnecting with its roots in real time. Jimmy Reed’s hypnotic sway, Slim Harpo’s whispering sensuality, the humid pulse of swamp-bred blues—all of it filters naturally through the Stones’ chemistry.
More than anything, the track stands as proof that, even deep into their career, the Rolling Stones could slip back into the blues with an ease that felt like coming home. Their passion for the genre had never faded, and in Fancy Man Blues, that passion becomes not just audible, but undeniable.
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