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Rolling Stones unreleased: Dancing Girls
Written by: Jagger/Richard Recorded: Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas, Jan. 18-Feb. 12 1979 (Emotional Rescue sessions)
Before Dancing Girls ever took shape, The Rolling Stones were deep into one of their most exploratory phases. As the Emotional Rescue era unfolded between late 1979 and early 1980, the band found themselves pushing harder into new territories—flirting with disco grooves, experimenting with reggae-tinged rhythms, and reshaping their approach to dance-driven rock. These sessions, held at Pathé Marconi Studios in Paris, became a creative crossroads where all five members leaned into unfamiliar textures and spontaneous ideas. The productivity was remarkable: so many tracks were generated that several leftovers later formed the backbone of Tattoo You, including Hang Fire, Little T&A and No Use in Crying. Even I Think I’m Going Mad, another by-product of this fertile period, surfaced a few years later as a B-side. The era was defined by risk-taking and reinvention—an environment where a fragment like Dancing Girlscould be born.
A Fragment Without A Home
Although written by Jagger and Richards, Dancing Girlsnever grew into a fully realized piece. The track was originally recorded earlier in 1979 at Compass Point Studios in Nassau, during the first wave of sessions for what would become the Emotional Rescue album. Martin Elliott notes in his book The Rolling Stones Complete Recording Sessions that the song suffered from unfinished lyrics and lacked a clear identity, sounding more like a collage of familiar ideas than a confident new creation. The introduction recalls She’s So Cold, while its riff echoes fragments from the also unreleased Brown Leaves, and its guitar textures nod toward what the band had explored on Just My Imagination. Ian Stewart’s piano—always a grounding force—adds warmth, but even his touch couldn’t elevate the piece into something the band felt compelled to finish.
Creative Overflow and Unreleased Footprints
What Dancing Girls truly represents is the sheer overflow of creativity during this period. The Emotional Rescue sessions were not just about chasing a new sound—they were about seeing how far The Rolling Stones could stretch themselves without losing their identity. Ideas were constantly tested, reshaped, and abandoned if they didn’t ignite something new. Some experiments, like Richards’ cover of We Had It All, eventually found release decades later on deluxe reissues. Others, likethis one, remained left behind, serving as snapshots of a band caught between reinvention and instinct. Even in its unfinished state, the track reflects an era of transformation—one where The Rolling Stones allowed themselves the freedom to experiment, discard, and evolve in real time.
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