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Rolling Stones songs: Turd on the Run
I boogied in the ballroom, I boogied in the dark/ Tie you hands, tie you feet, throw you to the sharks…
Written by: Jagger/Richard Recorded: Rolling Stones Mobile, Nellcôte, France, June-Nov. 1971; Sunset Sound Studios, Los Angeles, USA, Dec. 1971-March 1972; RCA Studios, Los Angeles, USA, March 1972 *Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012
Mick Jagger: vocals, harmonica Keith Richards: guitar, backing vocals Mick Taylor: guitar Charlie Watts: drums Guest musicians: Nicky Hopkins (piano), Bill Plummer (upright bass)
There’s a special kind of venom that Mick Jagger unleashes when he taps into his most cutting lyrical instincts, andTurd on the Run shows him in full strike mode. The song’s narrator, stung by betrayal after betrayal, feels cornered and humiliated—left with nothing but the memory of a lover who vanished with his diamonds and left behind a far more unpleasant “parting gift.” Jagger crafts the bitterness with a wink, but the fury feels real, feeding a vocal delivery that sounds like it’s racing to keep up with the frantic rhythm underneath. The entire track bolts forward like boogie-woogie on a caffeine overdose, electrified by swamp-blues harmonica, honky-tonk piano, and that unmistakable Stones swagger. This combination of lyrical spite and musical adrenaline makes the piece one of the most breathless moments on Exile on Main St., and a perfect example of the band’s talent for transforming chaos into pure rock alchemy.
Recording chaos in the Nellcôte basement
Before the venom found its voice, the song had to survive the unpredictable atmosphere of the Exile sessions in the stuffy basement of Nellcôte in southern France. These recordings were rarely straightforward; the Stones worked through constant comings and goings, with band members disappearing for days at a time. Keith Richards was often occupied with caring for his young son Marlon, while Mick Jagger had just married Bianca and was frequently away, too. Their absences left the rest of the band scattered, and many sessions dissolved into waiting games rather than productive takes. Bill Wyman, frustrated like everyone else, eventually returned home, assuming he’d be called back when needed. Because he wasn’t present during the early attempts at the song, the track’s bass part ended up being recorded later—hundreds of miles away.
Building the track piece by piece
The unusual production circumstances shaped the song’s sound in ways the band never planned. The upright bass you hear, much like on Rip This Joint, isn’t Wyman at all but Bill Plummer, who overdubbed his part at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles. That choice of instrument and player adds a punchy, roots-leaning drive that intensifies the rockabilly-meets-Chicago-blues character already embedded in the track. Keith Richards doubles down on that feel with sharp, relentless rhythm guitar work—almost certainly using his Gibson Les Paul tuned to open G. A second guitar part enters around the one-minute mark, likely Richards again, weaving a wiry countermelody through the frantic beat. The effect is a two-guitar engine that crackles with electricity, pushing the song forward like a speeding train rattling through a tunnel.
Charlie, Nicky and Mick: a trio in overdrive
If Keith provides the engine, Charlie Watts is the gears. His drumming here is a masterclass in controlled frenzy. Using brushes with the precision of a seasoned jazz player, he locks into a relentless tempo that never once slackens. Watts barely touches much of his Gretsch kit; instead, he sinks into the hypnotic heart of the groove, driving the momentum with obsessive focus. Nicky Hopkins, ever the chameleon, lights up the mix with piano lines that slide effortlessly between honky-tonk bounce and boogie-woogie flare. His playing brings the whole track to life, sounding both loose and impossibly tight at once. And over all this madness floats Mick Jagger, splitting his energy between a snarling, breathless vocal and bursts of harmonica playing. His harp work reflects genuine growth since Brian Jones’s passing—more confident, more expressive, and far more integral to the song’s character.
An underrated gem worth revisiting
When all these scattered pieces finally fused—basement recordings, later overdubs, jazz-infused drumming, swamp-tinged harmonica, and a poisonous tale of romantic disaster—they produced one of the most exhilarating deep cuts on Exile on Main St. Despite its intensity and craft, Turd on the Run often goes unnoticed among the album’s more famous tracks. Yet it captures something essential about the Stones during this era: a band thriving amid disorder, turning personal upheaval and logistical chaos into a sound that feels impossibly alive. With its feverish tempo, razor-sharp performances, and darkly comic storytelling, the song more than earns its place in the album’s mythology. For listeners willing to dive beneath the album’s surface, this overlooked burst of blues-rock fury is a hidden treasure waiting to be rediscovered.
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