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Rolling Stones songs: Terrifying
I’m faithful as a swan/ I’m darker than a bat/ I’m friendly as a bear/ And tougher than a rat…
Mick Jagger: vocals, shakers Keith Richards: rhythm guitar, backing vocals Bill Wyman: bass Charlie Watts: drums Ron Wood: rhythm and lead guitar Guest musicians: Chuck Leavell (organ), Matt Clifford (keyboards), Roddy Lorimer (trumpet), Lisa Fischer (backing vocals)
Well ahead of the chorus Terrifying sweeps listeners into a wild, instinctive rush that feels utterly unstoppable, an animal-charged fever. Mick Jagger leans fully into instinctual metaphors—“I’m rutting like a goat, I’m horny as a hog”—letting us know this isn’t a polished love confession but a wild emotional surge he can barely keep contained. The entire song pulses with a hypnotic beat that recalls the dance-leaning swagger of the Hot Stuffera, wrapping raw imagery inside a seductive, groove-driven trance. Although the track carried enough energy to feel like a natural contender for the charts, its official releases in Europe—both the standard single and the maxi format loaded with remixes—failed to make a commercial splash. Yet within the Stones’ vast catalog, Terrifying stands out as one of their boldest dives into funk-rock intensity, a place where Jagger’s lyrical abandon and the band’s rhythmic muscle fuse into something both primal and meticulously crafted.
Production Power and Hidden Influences
The sound of Terrifying didn’t appear out of thin air—it grew from a creative environment steeped in experimentation and rhythmic exploration. The relentless, forward-pushing groove suggests that the fingerprints of Bill Laswell and Nile Rodgers, both influential in shaping Jagger’s She’s the Boss, lingered over the band’s approach. This track boasts a production style that is sleek yet fierce, polished but never sterile. Engineer Michael H. Brauer pushed the sonic boundaries to capture Bill Wyman’s bass in its fullest, richest presence, a detail observed by Stones’ researcher Martin Elliott through producer Chris Kimsey’s recollections. The result is a bass tone that sits not just beneath the music, but deep within it—tactile, throbbing, almost physical. The choices made behind the console clearly mattered; the song’s power is as much a product of studio obsession as musical chemistry.
A Rhythm Section In Full Flight
While the lyrics grab attention, the backbone of Terrifying is unquestionably its rhythm section. Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman craft a groove so unshakeable it feels carved in stone. Charlie’s drumming is tight and muscular, driving this song from the Steel Wheels album with steady confidence instead of flashy fills, while Bill anchors the whole production with the distinctive punch of what is almost certainly his English-made Wal bass. Together they build the track’s hypnotic propulsion, the kind that locks listeners into a trance before they even realize it’s happening.
Layered on top of that are Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood, whose guitar work provides the track’s unmistakable funk texture. Each contributes a rhythm part that clicks into place with effortless precision—Keith with his gritty edge, Ronnie with his fluid, funky touch. The lone guitar solo comes right at the start, most likely from Ronnie, played on his Stratocaster with a shimmering chorus or phasing effect that sets the tone before the vocals even appear. It’s not a grandstanding moment, but a sly, stylish tease that ushers the listener into the song’s kinetic swirl.
Keys, Horns and Sonic Colors
Much of Terrifying‘s richness comes from the colors woven throughout by keyboards and horns. Matt Clifford brings shimmering vibraphone-like tones—possibly crafted on a Yamaha DX7—that sparkle around the groove like flickering lights. His additional percussion elements, from cowbells to timbales, add layers of texture that keep the track lively from start to finish. Close listening around the 4-minute reveals how deeply these details are embedded into the arrangement; they aren’t embellishments but essential components of the song’s identity.
Chuck Leavell adds warmth and depth with his organ playing, filling the spaces between guitars and rhythm with steady, soulful resonance. Then there’s Roddy Lorimer of the Kick Horns, whose trumpet lines glide in with jazzy sophistication, never overpowering the mix but adding a smart, expressive lift. These touches, subtle yet purposeful, help transform Terrifying from a straightforward funk-rock track into a more layered and atmospheric listening experience.
Mick Jagger’s Low-Burning Fire
At the center of all this sonic architecture stands Mick Jagger, delivering a vocal performance that leans into restraint rather than his usual sharp swagger. Singing mostly in a lower register, Jagger channels desire not as a shout but as a simmer—controlled, smoky, and perfectly matched to the song’s groove. The raw imagery of his lyrics gains even more power when delivered in that tone: a man consumed, not just electrified, by desire. It’s a performance that underscores how Terrifying operates on dual levels: primal yet precise, wild yet calculated, playful yet deadly serious.
Through its blend of rhythmic insistence, lush sonic detail, and unapologetically visceral lyrics, Terrifying emerges as a standout moment in the Stones’ late-’80s output. It may never have claimed chart success, but its musical craftsmanship and emotional bite grant it a different kind of longevity—one rooted in the band’s ability to push boundaries while sounding wholly, unmistakably like themselves.
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