Song of the Day 11/7: Mick Jagger, “Memo From Turner”

A lot of people think this is the Rolling Stones, but it’s actually Jagger backed by a band of studio musicians for his star turn in the film “Performance.” That’s Ry Cooder playing the slide guitar that dominates the track, along with Gene Parsons of the Byrds on drums and Randy Newman(!) on piano. Jagger sings the tune at a key juncture of the arty film, in which he plays a reclusive rock star who takes in a mobster on the run, only to experience an identity crisis in which the two men eventually switch personas.

This was actually the third version recorded. The first version found Jagger backed by Steve Winwood and Jim Capaldi of Traffic, with Winwood playing all the instruments except for Capaldi’s drums. Jagger’s vocal track was kept for the final version and shipped to Los Angeles, where producer Jack Nitzsche assembled the studio musicians to finish the track.

The Rolling Stones’ own take on the tune is faster and lacks the film version’s air of menace.