Rolling Stones release “Scarlet” remix created by indie rockers The War on Drugs

UMeThe Rolling Stones have just released a new remix version of their 1974 archival tune “Scarlet” — which features guest guitar work by Led Zeppelin‘s Jimmy Page — that was created by acclaimed indie-rock group The War on Drugs.

The revamped track is available now via a variety of streaming services.  You also can check it out on YouTube.

Explaining how he approached the remix, The War on Drugs frontman Adam Granduciel writes, “I just re-imagined the song as if I had Mick [Jagger], Keith [Richards] and Jimmy in the room with me. After messing with my Linn Drum for a bit, the song fell into this double time thing and I just went with it.”

He continues, “I called my friend and band mate, Dave Hartley, to fill out the bass on the new groove. Then I figured if I had Jimmy Page in the room I’d probably ask him to plug into my favorite rack flanger so that’s what I did. My friend Anthony LaMarca added some last-minute percussion.”

Granducial adds, “I’m so honoured to have gotten to work on this especially since ‘Angie’ was probably the first ‘rock’ song that I asked to be played on repeat when I was really young.”

“Scarlet” is a previously unreleased track that The Rolling Stones recorded in October 1974 with Page and ex-Traffic/Blind Faith bassist Rick Grech. The song, which was issued last month as a digital single, will be featured on the upcoming deluxe reissue of The Stones’ 1973 studio album Goats Head Soup that’s due out September 4. The reissue is available for pre-order now.

Last week, an official music video for “Scarlet,” starring Irish actor Paul Mescal from the Hulu series Normal People, debuted on The Stones’ YouTube channel.

By Matt Friedlander
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