Undercover is the 17th British and 19th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1983. After their preceding studio album, Tattoo You, which was mostly patched together from a selection of outtakes, Undercover was their first release of all new recordings in the 1980s. With the advent of the MTV generation, the band attempted to re-invent themselves for a new era.
Front cover Back cover
Due to the recent advancements in recording technology, The Glimmer Twins (a.k.a. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards) were officially joined in the producer's seat with Chris Kimsey, the first outside producer the Stones had used since Jimmy Miller. They began recording at the Pathe Marconi Studios in Paris, France. After breaking for the holidays, they completed the album in New York Citythe following summer.
The making of Undercover was an arduous process, largely because Jagger and Richards' famous mid-1980s row began during these sessions. Jagger was keenly aware of new styles and wanted to keep the Rolling Stones current and experimental, while Richards was seemingly more focused on the band's rock and blues roots. As a result, there was friction, and the tension between the two key members would increase over the upcoming years.
The lyrics on Undercover are among Jagger's most macabre, with much grisly imagery to be found in the lead single and top 10 hit "Undercover of the Night", a rare political track about Central America, as well as "Tie You Up (The Pain Of Love)" and "Too Much Blood", Jagger's attempt to incorporate contemporary trends in dance music. Musically, Undercover appears to duel between hardrock, reggae and new wave, reflecting the leadership tug of war between Jagger and Richards at the time. "Pretty Beat Up" is largely aRonnie Wood composition, and Jagger and Richards were both reportedly reluctant to include it on the album.
Side A Side B
Undercover was released in November 1983 to generally warm reviews and reached #3 in the UK and #4 in the US. It was a relative disappointment however, breaking a streak of eight #1 albums (excluding compilations and live albums) in the US and failing to spawn any huge singles. Its cover artwork was covered with real peel-off stickers on the original vinyl edition, which when removed revealed other patterned geometric shapes.
"Think I'm Going Mad" was a track first recorded during the Emotional Rescue sessions of 1979. It finally arrived as the b-side to "She Was Hot". It was not included on the Rarities 1971–2003 collection and has never appeared on CD.
Lyric/picture insert front and back
| Released | 7 November 1983 |
|---|---|
| Recorded | 11 November–17 December 1982, May–August 1983 |
| Genre | Hard rock, disco |
| Length | 45:00 |
| Language | English |
| Label | Rolling Stones |
| Producer | The Glimmer Twins, Chris Kimsey |
Inner picture sleeve front and back
Track Listing
All songs by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, except where noted.
| Side one | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 1. | "Undercover of the Night" | 4:31 | ||||||||
| 2. | "She Was Hot" | 4:40 | ||||||||
| 3. | "Tie You Up (The Pain of Love)" | 4:16 | ||||||||
| 4. | "Wanna Hold You" | 3:52 | ||||||||
| 5. | "Feel On Baby" | 5:03 | ||||||||
| Side two | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length | ||||||||
| 6. | "Too Much Blood" | 6:14 | ||||||||
| 7. | "Pretty Beat Up" (Jagger/Richards/Ronnie Wood) | 4:03 | ||||||||
| 8. | "Too Tough" | 3:52 | ||||||||
| 9. | "All the Way Down" | 3:12 | ||||||||
| 10. | "It Must Be Hell" | 5:03 | ||||||||
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