Undercover of the Night
Encyclopedia
"Undercover of the Night" is the lead track and first single from English
rock and roll
band The Rolling Stones
' 1983 album Undercover.
composition, guitarist Keith Richards
going as far as saying, "Mick had this one all mapped out, I just played on it," in the liner notes to the 1993 best of Jump Back: The Best of The Rolling Stones
. The song was likely written in Paris
in late 1982, where recording began on the album. Guitarist Ronnie Wood described the fractious writing in 2003 as, "...just me, Mick and Charlie [Watts
]... [We] took it up into some wonderful adventures with all these different changes... There was a great percussive and acoustic version, which is the kind of song it should be. The final polished, glossed-up version may have been Mick's vision of the song..."
The lyrics see Jagger explore the then-ongoing political corruption in Central
and South America
;
Jagger said, in those same liner notes to Jump Back, that the song was, "...heavily influenced by William Burroughs'
Cities of the Red Night
. "Undercover of the Night" is notable as it is one of the few songs by the Rolling Stones which overtly explore political ideas, next to "Street Fighting Man
", arguably "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)
","Highwire
" and the more recent "Sweet Neo Con". Recording began in early 1983 and was resumed later that summer at New York City's
famed Hit Factory
. Of note are the two versions of this song, one featuring usual Rolling Stones bassist
Bill Wyman
and the other featuring guest Robbie Shakespeare. The song features a very rhythmic feeling, provided by Sly Dunbar
, Martin Ditcham, Moustapha Cisse and Brahms Coundoul, on various instruments ranging from bongos to timpani. Organ on the piece is performed by Chuck Leavell
, who would later become the Rolling Stones' regular pianist. Also of note is the song's use of dub
style (a sub-genre of reggae music) echo on the instruments.
, though the violent depictions spelled out by Jagger were believed to be why its popularity quickly waned. Jagger in Jump Backs liner notes: "I think it's really good but it wasn't particularly successful at the time because songs that deal overtly with politics never are that successful, for some reason." Richards countered: "There were a lot more overlays on this track, because there was a lot more separation in the way we were recording at that time. Mick and I were starting to come to loggerheads." The 1980s were famously a rough time for the leaders of the Rolling Stones.
An elaborate music video
was made for the song, featuring Jagger as detective helping a woman follow her boyfriend's kidnappers and Richards as the leader of the kidnappers who eventually shoots Jagger. The song has been performed sporadically on every tour since its release, most recently on the A Bigger Bang Tour
in 2006, and appeared on every compilation album since, including 2002's Forty Licks
.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
band The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' 1983 album Undercover.
Inspiration and recording
The song was largely a Mick JaggerMick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
composition, guitarist Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
going as far as saying, "Mick had this one all mapped out, I just played on it," in the liner notes to the 1993 best of Jump Back: The Best of The Rolling Stones
Jump Back: The Best of The Rolling Stones
Jump Back: The Best of The Rolling Stones is the sixth official compilation album by The Rolling Stones and was initially released worldwide, except in North America, in 1993...
. The song was likely written in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in late 1982, where recording began on the album. Guitarist Ronnie Wood described the fractious writing in 2003 as, "...just me, Mick and Charlie [Watts
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
]... [We] took it up into some wonderful adventures with all these different changes... There was a great percussive and acoustic version, which is the kind of song it should be. The final polished, glossed-up version may have been Mick's vision of the song..."
The lyrics see Jagger explore the then-ongoing political corruption in Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
;
Jagger said, in those same liner notes to Jump Back, that the song was, "...heavily influenced by William Burroughs'
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
Cities of the Red Night
Cities of the Red Night
Cities of the Red Night is a novel by American author William S. Burroughs. It is part of his final trilogy of novels, known as The Red Night Trilogy, followed by The Place of Dead Roads and The Western Lands, and was first published in 1981. It was his first full-length novel since The Wild Boys a...
. "Undercover of the Night" is notable as it is one of the few songs by the Rolling Stones which overtly explore political ideas, next to "Street Fighting Man
Street Fighting Man
"Street Fighting Man" is a song by English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones featured on their 1968 album Beggars Banquet. Called the band's "most political song", Rolling Stone ranked the song #295 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.-Inspiration:Originally titled and recorded...
", arguably "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)
Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)
"Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo " is the fourth track on The Rolling Stones' 1973 album Goats Head Soup.Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo "'s lyrics relate two stories: one based on the true story of New York City police shooting a boy because they mistook him for a bank robber,...
","Highwire
Highwire (song)
"Highwire" is a song by The Rolling Stones featured on their 1991 live album Flashpoint.Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Highwire" is one of the rare examples of the Stones taking on political issues - in this case, the fall-out from Persian Gulf War. On the song, Jagger said at the time...
" and the more recent "Sweet Neo Con". Recording began in early 1983 and was resumed later that summer at New York City's
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
famed Hit Factory
The Hit Factory
The Hit Factory was a recording studio in New York City famous for its clientele. It was officially closed for business April 1, 2005 whereas other Hit Factory studio locations remained open, such as in Miami, Florida.-History:...
. Of note are the two versions of this song, one featuring usual Rolling Stones bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
and the other featuring guest Robbie Shakespeare. The song features a very rhythmic feeling, provided by Sly Dunbar
Sly Dunbar
Lowell "Sly" Fillmore Dunbar is a drummer.-Biography:Dunbar, whose nickname was reportedly given for his passion for Sly & the Family Stone, launched his musical career while still in his adolescence, playing with a local group, The Yardbrooms, at the age of fifteen...
, Martin Ditcham, Moustapha Cisse and Brahms Coundoul, on various instruments ranging from bongos to timpani. Organ on the piece is performed by Chuck Leavell
Chuck Leavell
Chuck Leavell is an American pianist and keyboardist, who was a member of The Allman Brothers Band throughout the height of their popularity, a founding member of the jazz-rock combo Sea Level, a frequently-employed session musician, and later, the keyboardist for Eric Clapton and The Rolling...
, who would later become the Rolling Stones' regular pianist. Also of note is the song's use of dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
style (a sub-genre of reggae music) echo on the instruments.
Release
"Undercover of the Night" was released as the first single taken from the album on November 1, 1983. Initial reception was warm with the song reaching number 9 in the US and number 11 on the UK Singles ChartUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, though the violent depictions spelled out by Jagger were believed to be why its popularity quickly waned. Jagger in Jump Backs liner notes: "I think it's really good but it wasn't particularly successful at the time because songs that deal overtly with politics never are that successful, for some reason." Richards countered: "There were a lot more overlays on this track, because there was a lot more separation in the way we were recording at that time. Mick and I were starting to come to loggerheads." The 1980s were famously a rough time for the leaders of the Rolling Stones.
An elaborate music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was made for the song, featuring Jagger as detective helping a woman follow her boyfriend's kidnappers and Richards as the leader of the kidnappers who eventually shoots Jagger. The song has been performed sporadically on every tour since its release, most recently on the A Bigger Bang Tour
A Bigger Bang Tour
A Bigger Bang Tour was a worldwide concert tour by The Rolling Stones which took place between August 2005 and August 2007, in support of their album A Bigger Bang...
in 2006, and appeared on every compilation album since, including 2002's Forty Licks
Forty Licks
Forty Licks is a double compilation album by The Rolling Stones. A 40-year career-spanning retrospective, Forty Licks is notable for being the first retrospective to combine the band's formative Decca/London era of the 1960s, now licensed by ABKCO Records , with their self-owned post-1970 material,...
.