Rolling Stones or the Beatles? It's the age-old rock and roll question. For me, aside from a brief affair with The White Album, it's always been The Stones. Everything prior to and including 1981's Tattoo You is a classic and essential part of rock and roll's history. And just last week I learned I was missing a piece of that puzzle when a friend passed on the Andrew Oldham Orchestra's Rolling Stones Songbook. Oldham, the manager for the Stones in the 60s, helped put together this instrumental compilation of early hits in 1966. The production style could easily fit onto a Tarantino set—it's dated in a specific era, but nevertheless achieves a timeless quality due to its complete air of cool. Andrew Oldham Orchestra - "Heart of Stone" (from The Rolling Stones Songbook)
The version of "The Last Time" on that album was the source of the string sample in "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by the Verve.
ReplyDeletePeople are quite surprised when the hear the ALO's 1966 orchestral version (of The Last Time) compared to the Verve's 'sampling' for Bitter Sweet Symphony 1996. It appears to my ear that the Verve were taking more from the ALO Orchestra than were allowed. I hope the ALO Orchestra shared in the spoils.
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