Both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards remember making a choice to come back in 1973 showcasing a mellower side of the Rolling Stones. Set for release tomorrow (September 4th) is the deluxe expanded Goats Head Soup reissue.
The album's lead single, “Angie,” was released on August 20th, 1973 — 11 days before Goats Head Soup — and scored the band its second chart-topper of the new decade. Keith Richards, who was the primary writer of the song, told Uncut, “For the Stones to put out a ballad was unusual. But we'd put out 'Little Red Rooster' years before, which was the most unlikely single ever. I think that's one of the things I really liked about the band, especially in the early days — y'know, toss it on a dime and say, 'Yeah, that's a damn good record, and it makes a change — lets do it!'”
Mick Jagger went on to say that the Stones tackling ballads was not as unique as one might think: “Obviously, we'd had ballads before that had been successful, like 'As Tears Go By,' which was tuneful, with strings. 'Angie' was a very big hit — huge in France, Italy, and all that — and it drove the album.”