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Rolling Stones unreleased: Munich Hilton
MUNICH HILTON: AN UNLEASHED JAM Munich Hilton is pure Stones charm rolled into one jam. Keith’s guitar riffs drive the track like a runaway train, while Charlie Watts’ drums and cymbals keep everything tight and punchy. There’s a mammoth 10-minute instrumental, a shorter five-minute cut, and a rare vocal mix where Mick’s words blur into the music. Rumor has it Ian McLagan added some organ magic too. It’s raunchy, rolling, and totally addictive—classic Stones experimentation at its finest.
Written by: Jagger/Richard Recorded: EMI Pathé-Marconi Studios, Boulogne-Billancourt, France, Oct. 10-Dec. 1977; Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas, Jan. 18-Feb. 12 1977; EMI Pathé-Marconi Studios, Boulogne-Billancourt, France, Nov. 11-Dec. 16 1982 (Some GirlsandUndercover sessions) Guest musicians: Ian McLagan (piano)
From Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012: Munich Hilton, inspired by the 1974/75 Munchen recording period and the town’s Hilton Hotel, is a lengthy number centred around one of Keith’s guitar riffs. Similar in style to Tumbling Dice, it raunches and rolls. Charlie Watts’ percussion, cymbals and hi-hat is very distinctive in the mix. There are three versions -the longest is an instrumental lasting over 10 minutes, a short five minute version and a rarer vocal mix. The vocals are not clear and the lyrics cannot be distinguished as plainly as on this version. It’s possible that Ian McLagan played organ on the instrumental version of it.
Munich Hilton is a deep dive into the Stones’ experimental side, stretching their sound over sprawling riffs and textured rhythms. Inspired by the Munich recording sessions of 1974–75 and named after the town’s Hilton Hotel, the track revolves around one of Keith Richards’ signature guitar lines, giving it that instantly recognizable, rough‑and‑ready Stones swagger reminiscent of Tumbling Dice. Charlie Watts’ drumming stands out in the mix, his cymbals and hi-hat providing a sharp, almost hypnotic pulse that drives the song forward. The track exists in three main versions: a mammoth instrumental that runs over ten minutes, a tighter five-minute cut, and a rare vocal mix (this one)
In this vocal version, lyrics blur into the mix, leaving Mick Jagger’s words more impressionistic than literal. Rumor has it that Ian McLagan added organ textures to the instrumental, layering additional color onto an already rich sonic palette. The result is a track that feels both familiar and tantalizingly elusive—a Stones jam that invites repeated listening to catch every subtle twist and turn.
Three Takes, Endless Layers
The instrumental version is a sprawling, nearly cinematic ride, giving each player room to stretch out. Keith’s guitar riffs loop and evolve, while Watts’ percussion keeps a steady heartbeat under the layers. The vocal version, by contrast, hides the words behind the music, letting emotion and tone take the lead. Whether it’s the rare vocal mix or the ten-minute instrumental, Munich Hilton captures the Stones at a point of playful experimentation, bridging structured rock with improvisational freedom.
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