Scarlet

Composers: Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
Recording date: c. October-November 1974 & c. April-June 2020
Recording locations: Island Recording Studios, London & The Wick, Richmond, England; Sinus Studios, Berne, Switzerland; & La Fourchette, Pocé-sur-Cisse, France

Chief engineers: Howard Kilgour & Rod Thear
Mixer: Craig Silvey               Never performed onstage

Note: actually an IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N ROLL-era recording

Probable line-up:

Drums: Bruce Rowland
Bass: Ric Grech
Acoustic guitar: Mick Jagger
Electric guitars: Keith Richards & Jimmy Page (incl. solo)
Lead vocal: Mick Jagger

Backing vocals:
Mick Jagger & Keith Richards

Piano: Ian Stewart
Organ: Ian Stewart
Percussion: Mick Jagger

 

Baby, you excite me
But you talk too much
Walking down on the corner
Love you much

Oh yeah

Scarlet
Why are you wearing my heart
On your sleeve?
Where it ain't supposed to be

Scarlet
Why are you tearing my heart
All to pieces?
It ain't the way you're supposed to be

Scarlet
Why are you keeping my heart
To yourself?
It ain't the way you're supposed to be

Scarlet, Scarlet

Ooh yeah

You don't have to change your mind
And leave this neighborhood so far behind
Honey, you don't have to cry no more
When I come a-knocking right at your front door

Scarlet, Scarlet
Scarlet

Scarlet
Why are you wearing my heart
On your sleeve?
Where it ain't supposed to be

Scarlet, Scarlet
Ooh

Scarlet
Scarlet

Scarlet
Why are you wearing my heart?
Scarlet
Why are you wearing my heart?
Scarlet
Why are you wearing my heart? Oh yeah
Scarlet
Why are you wearing my heart?

Scarlet

 
 

TrackTalk

Scarlet is a bit of an odd one, because it wasn’t really recorded for Goats Head Soup. It was just a song that we had knocking around. I remember doing it with a couple of other people, in addition to the version that was found.
- Mick Jagger, August 2020


That’s really difficult to remember. Jimmy has waltzed in on a few sessions over the years. And Scarlet, my feeling is that we walked in as Led Zeppelin had finished (a session)... or at least Jimmy and Ric Grech. I think our session was after theirs, and they stuck around (laughs).
- Keith Richards, August 2020


I spoke to (Jimmy Page) the other day. I said, I’m sure we did that at Olympic. He said, No, no I remember it really well. We did it in Ronnie Wood’s basement. And I said, Well, that’s weird, why isn’t Ronnie on it, then? Ronnie’s not a shy guitarist or bass player or anything. He said, No, we definitely did it in Ronnie Wood’s basement. He remembered it really well. So that’s me, Keith, and Jimmy.
- Mick Jagger, August 2020


It started out as a sort of gentle folk ballad. But then Keith suddenly decided, Right, now it's time to add the reggae guitars.
- Jimmy Page


Criss Cross and Scarlet, I didn’t do any vocals for. I just did some stuff at the end (for) my fade-out vocals.
- Mick Jagger, August 2020




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