The Rolling Stones have rehearsed up their 1986 hit ‘Harlem Shuffle’ to perform at some stage for the first time since 1990 on this current ‘No Filter’ tour.
‘Harlem Shuffle’ is one of four Stones songs fans can vote on for the setlist at the next show in New Orleans on Monday (15 July 2019). The other three are ‘Live With Me’, ‘Under My Thumb’ and ‘Bitch’.
If ‘Harlem Shuffle’ gets over the line this week it will be the first time The Stones have performed the song sine 25 August 1990 in London. The other three aren’t so rare. ‘Live With me’ was last performed in 2016, ‘Under My Thumb’ in 2018 and ‘Bitch’ just a few weeks ago in Chicago.
‘Harlem Shuffle’ was the first single of The Rolling Stones messy ‘Dirty Work’ album. While ‘Harlem Shuffle’ was well received and gave the Stones a Top 20 hit, the album didn’t fare so well. Not long after its release Mick Jagger decided he didn’t want to tour with the Stones and for the next three years they had effectively disbanded. This was the period Mick released his sloppy solo album ‘She’s The Boss’ and toured the world solo, ironically, performing a mostly Rolling Stones setlist.
‘Harlem Shuffle’ was a cover. The original by Bob & Earl in 1963 reached no. 44 in the USA and failed to cracked the UK and Australia, so it was a perfect song for the Stones to do, with most fans hearing it for the first time as a Stones song.
FUN FACT: Barry White, who would later become a soul legend, co-arranged the Bob & Earl version.
The Bob & Earl original was recently used in the opening credits of ‘Baby Driver’.
The Rolling Stones had to postpone their July 14 performance in New Orleans because of a hurricane. The show ill go ahead on Monday July 15 instead.
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