8. “Harlem Shuffle”
NYC reference: “Just move it right here / To the Harlem shuffle”
Originally recorded in 1963 by Bob & Earl, the Stones’ 1986 cover made it to #5 in the US and helped bridge the gap between the Glimmer Twins during the fractured Dirty Work sessions:
In 1985, the mood in the Rolling Stones’ camp was decidedly fractious. With Mick Jagger busy promoting his first solo album, the other band members were cooling their heels and kicking ideas around in studios in Paris and then New York. Bobby Womack visited and they started playing “Harlem Shuffle”, a song by the US rhythm and blues duo Bob & Earl. When Jagger finally arrived, the group recorded their own version of the track, which hit the singles charts on both sides of the Atlantic. The role “Harlem Shuffle” played as ice-breaker between Jagger and Keith Richards added yet another chapter to the story of a classic record first issued 45 years ago.
Unfortunately, Womack probably wasn’t around to break the ice between Ralph Bakshi, Ren & Stimpy mastermind John Kricfalusi and the possibility that adding strange animated cats to the song’s music video would not turn out as cool as they hoped.
