Ignored Obscured Restored
A new documentary about the life of Anita Pallenberg was recently released. Pallenberg, The First Lady of The Rolling Stones, was a significant part of the band, even though she was not a musician.
The film is superb. The story moves along briskly. It has excellent video footage (much of it from private home movies), great interviews (including audio from Keith Richards), and readings from Pallenberg’s unpublished memoir (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).
One of my favorite moments was learning that Richards wrote “You Got the Silver” for Pallenberg after the birth of their first son, Marlon. Though Richards was reluctant to become a father, this was a very tender moment in their often stormy relationship.
“… Silver” is a bluesy, deep cut from Let It Bleed (1969). It is one of the few songs on which Richards is the lead vocalist. The Stones recorded a version with Mick Jagger singing lead but opted to include Richards’ version on the album. That was an appropriate choice given the personal nature of the track.
Hey babe, what’s in your eyes?
I saw them flashing like airplane lights
You fill my cup, babe, that’s for sure
I must come back for a little more
You got my heart you got my soul
You got the silver you got the gold
You got the diamonds from the mine
Well that’s all right, it’ll buy some time
By the time of the Let It Bleed sessions, founding Rolling Stone Brian Jones was, for the most part, a “no show.” But he did contribute an autoharp part to “… Silver.”
Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg can be seen on most streaming services (to rent for $6.99). Here is a link to the New York Times review of the film:
Enjoy… until next week.