Flashpoint (album)

History

Recorded across North America, Europe and Japan, Flashpoint is also the first Rolling Stones release of the 1990s and, unlike previous live sets, includes two new studio tracks: "Highwire" and "Sex Drive"; the former was released as a single earlier in 1991 and was a comment on the Gulf War.

Although the live selections are mostly familiar hits mixed in with new tracks from Steel Wheels, Flashpoint also includes lesser-known songs like "Factory Girl" from 1968's Beggars Banquet and "Little Red Rooster", originally a No. 1 UK hit single in 1964, featured here with special guest Eric Clapton on guitar.

Bill Wyman's departure

As Flashpoint was The Rolling Stones' final release under their contract with Sony Music, the band signed a new lucrative long-term worldwide deal with Virgin Records in 1991, with the exception of Bill Wyman. After thirty years with the band, the fifty-five-year-old Wyman decided that he had other interests he wanted to pursue and felt that, considering the size of the recently completed Steel Wheels project and tour, it was fitting to bow out at that time. Although he would not officially announce his departure until January 1993 – during the interim the rest of the band had repeatedly asked him to reconsider – he had talked about leaving the band for at least ten years. After his departure, Ronnie Wood was finally taken off salary and made a full member of the Rolling Stones partnership, eighteen years after he joined the band.

Release

Flashpoint was released in April 1991 and was generally well-received, with "Highwire" becoming a rock radio hit, and managed to reach No. 6 in the UK and No. 16 in the US, where it went gold.

In 1998, Flashpoint was remastered and reissued by Virgin Records, and again in 2010 by Universal Music.

Track listing

All songs by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, except where noted.

CD

1. "(Intro) Continental Drift" – 0:26
2. "Start Me Up" – 3:54 (26 November 1989; Death Valley Stadium; Clemson, South Carolina)
3. "Sad Sad Sad" – 3:33 (19 December 1989; Atlantic City Convention Center; Atlantic City, New Jersey)
4. "Miss You" – 5:55 (25 November 1989; Gator Bowl; Jacksonville, Florida)
5. "Rock and a Hard Place" – 4:52 (25 November 1989; Gator Bowl; Jacksonville, Florida)
6. "Ruby Tuesday" – 3:33 (27 February 1990; Korakuen Dome; Tokyo, Japan)
7. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" – 7:26 (25 November 1989; Gator Bowl; Jacksonville, Florida)
8. "Factory Girl" – 2:47 (6 July 1990; Wembley Stadium; London, England)
9. "Can't Be Seen" – 4:17 (26 November 1989; Death Valley Stadium; Clemson, South Carolina)
10. "Little Red Rooster" (Willie Dixon) – 5:15 (19 December 1989; Atlantic City Convention Center; Atlantic City, New Jersey)
11. "Paint It Black" – 4:02 (13 June 1990; Olympic Stadium; Barcelona Spain)
12. "Sympathy for the Devil" – 5:35 (26 February 1990; Korakuen Dome; Tokyo, Japan)
13. "Brown Sugar" – 4:06 (28 July 1990; Stadio Delle Alpi; Turin, Italy)
14. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" – 5:00 (27 February 1990; Korakuen Dome; Tokyo, Japan)
15. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" – 6:09 (26 November 1989; Death Valley Stadium; Clemson, South Carolina)
16. "Highwire" – 4:44
17. "Sex Drive" – 5:07

Vinyl LP

1. (Intro) "Continental Drift" – 0:29
2. "Start Me Up" – 3:54
3. "Sad Sad Sad" – 3:33
4. "Miss You" – 5:55
5. "Ruby Tuesday" – 3:34
6. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" – 7:26
7. "Factory Girl" – 2:48
8. "Little Red Rooster" (Dixon) – 5:15

1. "Paint It, Black" – 4:02
2. "Sympathy for the Devil" – 5:35
3. "Brown Sugar" – 4:10
4. "Jumpin' Jack Flash" – 5:00
5. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" – 6:08
6. "Highwire" – 4:46
7. "Sex Drive" – 4:28

Other songs/B-sides and charity single

The following songs were recorded during the same set of concerts and later released as B-Sides:

All tracks besides "Gimme Shelter" released in 1990.

Personnel