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Rolling Stones unreleased: No Spare Parts (early version, 1977)
Written by: Jagger/Richards Recorded: EMI Pathé-Marconi Studios, Boulogne Billancourt, France, October-December 1977 (Some Girls sessions)
From Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012: A worthwile country rock song with Ron Wood’s pedal steel accompanying a piano track (potentially featuring Mick Jagger) Mick does a country-hick drawl to the juice laden, lonely heart sentiments.
More about No Spare parts (early version) by The Rolling Stones
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni Originally recorded in 1977 (at the time a very solid country-rock tune with Ron Wood’s pedal steel adding some twang over a piano track, and with Mick Jagger leaning towards a country-style drawl, bringing out the heartache and longing in the lyrics), No Spare Parts is one of twelve bonus tracks featured in the deluxe two-CD edition of Some Girls, which was released in November 2011. Written by Mick Jagger, this overlooked gem brings an extra dimension to the iconic album. Jagger shared that the song originated during the Some Girls sessions but wasn’t fully developed at the time. “I later completed the idea and turned it into a finished piece,” he explained. “It’s about driving from San Antonio to Los Angeles to meet a woman—something I actually did once—so it’s based on my personal experience.”
A quintessential road song, No Spare Parts—with overdubs added at Le Fork Studios in 2011—follows its narrator on a long journey across the vast American terrain. Along the way, he faces mechanical setbacks, navigating highways and desolate backroads while carrying an emotional burden. The lyrics not only illustrate the physical challenges of the trip but also evoke a deeper sense of loneliness and longing. Yet, this solitude feels almost poetic, magnified by the expansive landscapes of the United States, where the open road becomes both an escape and a reflection of the narrator’s inner world.
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