Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones Complete
Recording Sessions 1962 - 2012

50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Rolling Stones

1066. SEX DRIVE
(Jagger, Richards) 5.07

7-18 January 1991: Place: Hit Factory Studio, London, England.
Rolling Stones with Katie Kissoon, Tessa Niles, Kick Horns.
Producer: Chris Kimsey, The Glimmer Twins.
Engineer: Mark Stent, Charlie Smith.
Mix: Chris Kimsey.
USA LP FLASHPOINT: 2 April 1991: No. 16 - 5 weeks
UK LP FLASHPOINT: 8 April 1991: No. 6 - 7 weeks
Japan Track CD Sexdrive (Club Version): 18 July 1991
Netherlands Single: 19 August 1991
UK Track 12-inch Sexdrive (Club Version): 19 August 1991
USA Single: August 1991
UK CD box set THE SINGLES COLLECTION 1971-2006: 45 X 45s: 11 April 2011
USA CD box set THE SINGLES COLLECTION 1971-2006: 45 X 45s: 26 April 2011

The funky Sex Drive was worked on at the same time as the recording for Highwire took place. It is a retro-funk number with memories of Hot Stuff and James Brown. The song may have started its writing process in Tokyo in February 1990. Katie Kissoon and Tessa Niles, both very well respected session singers, were on backing vocals and the four-piece Kick Horns added the brass. They were probably there to record some over-dubbing for the FLASHPOINT album. Julien Temple directed the video at the Shepperton Studios, Twickenham, London, in May 1991. Bill Wyman made an appearance but was missing from the Highwire video filmed in New York. This time a psychiatrist's chair was used in a Freudian way for some sex therapy, with scantily-clad girls swarming around in see-through, plastic dresses. Charlie Watts did the spoof diagnosis of Mick's problems. The three girls come to Mick's aid from behind a stage curtain but Ronnie and Keith encourage them to return,
the latter closes the curtain at the end. Singer, actress and sultry model Lisa Barbuscia, who played the lead minx in a G-string and see through mac, dated Mick briefly. This video was for late night viewing only, prompting a re-cut to allow some daytime screening on MTV and other stations.

The song was re-mixed by Michael Brauer in various formats which were made available on European and Japanese-only releases. The track also ended up on the mainly live album FLASHPOINT and apparently displaced a version of Undercover. There is also a single with a count in (* a - 4.28). It marked the end of Chris Kimsey's direct production credits. All told, his six-album tenure had helped to shift more than 15 million copies, making him the best-selling Stones producer.

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