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Rolling Stones songs: Mixed Emotions
So button your lip/ And button your coat/ Let’s go out dancing/ Let’s rock’n’roll…
Written by: Jagger/Richards Recorded: Air Studios, Montserrat, March 29-April 1989; Olympic Sound Studios, London, England, May 15-June 29 1989 Guest musicians: Chuck Leavell (piano), Luis Jardin (percussion), Sarah Dash, Lisa Fischer and Bernard Fowler (backing vocals), The Kick Horns (brass) *Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012
When The Rolling Stones dropped Mixed Emotionsin August 1989, fans couldn’t help but speculate: was this Mick Jagger’s musical comeback at Keith Richards after the latter’s solo jab, You Don’t Move Me? While Keith was convinced it was a response to their very public feud, Mick maintained otherwise, brushing it off as a love song about an unnamed woman. Still, the lyrics—“You’re not the only one with mixed emotions”—felt like they hit a little too close to home. Some cheekily dubbed the track “Mick’s Emotions” or even “Mick’s Demotion.”
Back to Business—and Montserrat
Keith Richards recalls recording the track in Montserrat, just before the island was devastated by volcanic eruptions. “We were the last guys to cut there,” he said. “That’s what happens when you work with The Stones.” Richards claims he had the music first and then brought it to Mick, calling it a “two-way street,” though the two hadn’t collaborated in person for months. Somehow, despite the tension, their musical chemistry clicked as always. The B-side, Fancy Man Blues, was laid down during a hurricane relief effort—appropriate, considering the emotional storms around it.
A Secret Show and a New Era
Mixed Emotions debuted live at a tiny 700-person venue—Toad’s Place in New Haven, Connecticut—on August 12, 1989. “Please be kind,” Jagger told the crowd. That show kicked off the Steel Wheels tour, their first in eight years. More than just a tour, it marked a business revolution: corporate sponsors, TV deals, and bypassing local promoters—all making the Stones serious cash. While some thought it might be their last big outing, the band proved otherwise. As always, The Rolling Stones rolled on—conflict, emotion, and all.
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