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Rolling Stones unreleased: Some Girls (alternate take, 1977)
Some Girls is already one of the Rolling Stones’ most unruly songs, but this unreleased 1977 take sounds like the band hasn’t quite decided where to draw the line—and that’s precisely the fun. Recorded during the Paris sessions, it trades some of the finished version’s polish for a looser, slinkier groove that feels almost caught in the act. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are still steering the song, but Sugar Blue’s harmonica gives the performance an extra dose of grit and bluesy tension. It’s a fascinating snapshot of the Stones experimenting in the studio, proving that even a song we think we know can still have a few surprises hiding in the tape.
Written by: Jagger/Richard Recorded: Pathé Marconi Studios, Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris, France, Oct. 10-Nov. 29 1977 (Some Girls sessions) Guest musicians: Sugar Blue (harp)
A Different Kind of Some Girls: Raw, Loose, and Full of Swagger
Before Some Girls (the album) became one of the Rolling Stones’ biggest late-‘70s comebacks, it was something much rougher—rawer, funkier, and more unpredictable. During the fall of 1977, the band hunkered down at Pathé Marconi Studios outside Paris, channeling the chaos of punk, disco, and their own exhaustion into something electric. This alternate take of Some Girls(the song)never released officially, captures the track in a far looser form than the version most fans know.
The groove is slinkier, the vocals more casual—almost off-the-cuff—and there’s a seductive strut to the rhythm that feels more nightclub than stadium. It’s not just an early version—it’s a different Some Girls altogether. While Mick Jagger and Keith Richards share writing credit, what really elevates the track is the unmistakable harmonica work by guest musician Sugar Blue. His playing adds grit, soul, and a bluesy tension that tugs the song in a whole new direction.
The Paris Sessions and Stones Reinvention
The 1977 sessions in Paris were a pressure cooker of creativity, indulgence, and reinvention. With disco invading airwaves and punk snapping at their heels, the Stones had to prove they were still relevant—and dangerous. The Some Girls album would eventually become a bold response, but this unreleased version of the title track reveals just how open the band was to experimentation in the studio. While the lyrics (in the Some Girls song), often viewed as provocative or controversial, hit differently here—less filtered, more conversational, almost like a rehearsal caught on tape. And that’s the charm. It’s a fascinating glimpse into a moment when the Stones weren’t just refining a hit—they were chasing a feeling. This take might not have made the final cut, but it stands as a swaggering, soulful artifact of a band unafraid to take risks, even in their second decade of stardom.
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