Merry Clayton’s backing vocals of the Rolling Stones classic are stuff of legend, and a crazy story of themselves, as that she did backing vocals for the very white redneck anthem Sweet Home Alabama (as she pointed out many times since, it wasn’t that sweet for black people). I never knew she did a version of her own, though.
I did a mashup of Gimme Shelter*, mostly because of her ‘rape…murder’ line, because she sold – nay stole – that song from them. The fact that I would use that song when I could happily drop pretty much all of the Rolling Stones back catalogue in the nearest black hole (no lie, in my world the Stones are one of the most overrated acts ever, more so than the Beatles), it’s praise for her indeed.
Sadly she was in a car crash and seriously injured on the 15th, my love goes out to her, I hope she gets well soon.
* Funny listening to my Ground Shelter mashup again, given Obama’s use of drone strikes it’s quite grimly and unintentionally ironic that combination…’depends how close to ground level you are…’ :-/
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