Maps of Music

Black and Blue (1976)

Where the lyrics of Black and Blue take you, and where it was really made.

The album's promotional campaign showed a bruised model bound above an image of the band, and its billboard on Sunset Boulevard drew a multiyear protest.

Key places

Musicland Studios in Munich (1976)

Recording site Musicland Studios — The band returned to Musicland Studios in Munich in December 1974 to begin work on the new album. The same studio was used again for overdubs that December. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Rotterdam mobile studio (1976)

Recording site Rolling Stones Mobile Studio (Rotterdam) — The band auditioned Taylor's replacement in Rotterdam, and the only album track recorded in the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio there was "Melody". The point marks the city, not an exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Overdubs in Montreux (1976)

Recording site Mountain Recording (Montreux) — In October and early November 1975 the band recorded overdubs in Montreux, Switzerland. The point marks the city, not an exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Atlantic Studios in New York City (1976)

Recording site Atlantic Studios (New York City) — The album was completed at Atlantic Studios in New York City in February 1976, the last recording stage before release. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Cover shoot on Sanibel Island (1976)

Album cover Sanibel Island Beach (Sanibel Island) — In February 1976 the band flew to Sanibel Island Beach, Florida, where fashion photographer Hiro shot the album cover art. The point marks the island, not an exact spot on the beach. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Black and Blue: thirteenth studio album by the Rolling Stones
• Released 23 April 1976 by Rolling Stones Records
• Third album the band produced itself, with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards producing as "The Glimmer Twins"
• Blends hard rock and roll with heavy reggae and funk influences
• The only single, "Fool to Cry", reached the top 10 in the US and UK

Background

• Guitarist Mick Taylor quit in December 1974 as the band began recording the album
• Replacement auditions included Wayne Perkins, Harvey Mandel, and Ronnie Wood
• Mandel, Perkins, and Wood's guitar work appears on the finished album
• Wood joined the summer tour and became an official member in February 1976
• Richards' heroin addiction, legal and corporate issues, and Taylor's departure left the unit in serious disarray

Recording

• Sessions began at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany
• The only album track recorded in the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio in Rotterdam was "Melody"
• Overdubs were recorded in Montreux, Switzerland, in October and early November 1975
• More overdubs were added back at Musicland in Munich that December
• Jimmy Page borrowed some of the Rolling Stones' studio time to finish his overdubs for Led Zeppelin's Presence
• The album was completed at Atlantic Studios in New York City in February 1976

Cover

• Fashion photographer Hiro photographed the band at Sanibel Island Beach, Florida, in February 1976

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Formed in London in 1962 as an English rock band; their first stable line-up was Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts.
• Jones named the band after a Muddy Waters song; they were rooted in blues and rock and roll.
• Manager Andrew Loog Oldham encouraged them to write their own songs, and the Jagger–Richards partnership became their main creative force.

Members

• Current: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood (joined 1975).
• Former: Brian Jones (died 1969), Mick Taylor (1969–1974), Bill Wyman (1962–1993), Charlie Watts (1963–2021, died 2021).
• Steve Jordan became their drummer after Watts' death.

Career

• Hits included "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1965), "Paint It Black" (1966) and "Start Me Up" (1981).
• Their 1969 Hyde Park show and Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main St. are key points of their career.
• Formed Rolling Stones Records in 1970, whose tongue-and-lips logo became their band logo.
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989; the band has sold more than 250 million albums.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Reviews were mixed, with some critics liking the album and others bewildered by it
• NME: Charles Shaar Murray called it "a letdown of hideous proportions"
• Creem: Lester Bangs called it the first meaningless Rolling Stones album
• Phonograph Record: praised "Memory Motel" as the most powerful piece of music the Stones had made in four years
• Rolling Stone: Dave Marsh felt the album's mediocrity came from the Glimmer Twins running production too loose
• The Miami Herald: called it a sampler of pop influences such as salsa, disco, and reggae

Reappraisal

• AllMusic: Stephen Thomas Erlewine praised the album as longer on grooves and jams than songs
• Uncut: called the album an "unlikely triumph" and one of the Stones' most underrated albums
• The Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Colin Larkin called it less than impressive but ranked it #536 in his All Time Top 1000 Albums
• The Rolling Stone Album Guide: points to "Fool to Cry" and "Memory Motel" as the album's high points

Records

• UK: reached No. 2 on the album chart
• US: spent an interrupted four-week spell at number 1
• US: went platinum

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The only album track recorded in the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio in Rotterdam was "Melody".
• "Melody" features the first audible count off on a Rolling Stones track.
• Billy Preston received only an "inspired by" credit on the album, and he resented it, which led to his estrangement from the band.
• Two extra tracks from the Rotterdam sessions, "Slave" and "Worried About You", were later released on 1981's Tattoo You.
• The billboard inspired a multiyear protest by Women Against Violence Against Women; the billboard was removed and the radio ads were canceled.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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