Continental Drift by The Rolling Stones

Album: Steel Wheels (1989)

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Songfacts®:

In 1989, The Rolling Stones went to Tangier, Morocco for three days to record this song with the Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar for the Stones' album Steel Wheels. After the recording sessions, Mick Jagger visited the village of Jajouka, which Brian Jones had visited in 1968. This song marked a return to the world music The Stones experimented with in the '60s.
The squeal at the beginning is Keith Richards scraping a knife against a bicycle wheel.

Comments: 8

Rod from From SwitzerlandThis was the opener at the Urban Jungle tour, the follow-up to the Steel Wheels tour. I saw them for the first time in 1990 playing in Basle. Cont drift started at 2:48, lights off and they got on the stage. Still get goose bumps. This was the best concert I‘ve ever been. Even it was raining the whole time. They played so great, never again they were rocking it off like this. Stones for ever.
Bachir Attar from MoroccoHere we see that there is credit above but the other postings on tube have no credit to the Master Musicians of Jajouka.This is sad sad sad.Why? We are poor musicians who have struggled hard and this credit should be given.
Billy from Birmingham, EnglandIn the opening video, there is a small snippet of IORAR to be heard when the tongue appears on the screen.
Bill from Erie, PaThis has been their entrance for every concert on every tour since Steel Wheels, I think. On their current (Bigger Bang) tour, "Drift" was played over a montage of little particles assembling to form the faces of Mick, then Keith, then Charlie, then Ronnie. After Ronnie's face faded from the giant screen, the stage was lit up by fireworks and they started playing. At the concerts I went to, they started with "Start Me Up" twice and "Brown Sugar" once.
Johnny from Los Angeles, CaThe Stones are in the Jungle!!!!!
Johnny from Los Angeles, CaStrange. Good entrance, though. I wonder what other songs a bicycle is used in?
Frank from Pittsburgh, Pawas the entrance music on the 'steel wheels' tour
Chelsea from Nyc, OrThe song began while Mick and Keith were sequestered away, writing material for Steel Wheels. Keith woke up one morning to find Jagger playing the repetitive Keyboard loop on a little keyboard.

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