Bridges to Babylon is the twenty-first studio album by the English rock bandthe Rolling Stones, released byVirgin Records on 29 September 1997. Released as a double album on vinyl and as a single CD, it was supported by the year-long worldwideBridges to Babylon Tour that was met with much success.
Unlike the prior several albums, which the production and songwriting team of vocalistMick Jagger and guitaristKeith Richards had co-produced alongside a single outside producer, the Stones brought in an eclectic mix of superstar producers, including theDust Brothers,Don Was, andRob Fraboni, among others. Similarly, a wide array of guest musicians appeared on each of the tracks alongside band members Jagger, Richards,Ronnie Wood on guitar andCharlie Watts on drums. The sprawling album features a wide range of genres, including the Stones-standardblues rock, sample-ladenhip hop andrap. The band was once again not on speaking terms during the recording of the album, with Jagger and Richards each recording their parts separately and rarely appearing in the studio together. However, they had repaired their relationship well enough to embark on a wildly successful tour to support the album.
Though critics gave the album mixed reviews, it sold well, reaching platinum or gold status in many markets, and produced the worldwide Top 40 single "Anybody Seen My Baby?".
Following theVoodoo Lounge Tour from 1994 to 1995, and the albumStripped, the Stones afforded themselves a brief respite beforeMick Jagger andKeith Richards began composing new songs together in the summer of 1996, with demos to follow as they met in New York in November and London the following month. Another writing session took place inBarbados in January 1997.[1]
In March 1997, the band arrived in Los Angeles to start the recording sessions at Ocean Way Studios. After many albums recorded in isolated islands, working in a big city allowed for the contribution of various musician friends of the band.Bridges to Babylon was recorded until July, and the four-month production made it one of their most concise periods of recording in years. The sessions were frequently all-nighters that lasted until Richards got tired by the morning.[1]
AlthoughDon Was produced again, Jagger arrived before the other members of the Stones to seek local producers. First wereThe Dust Brothers, who had impressed Jagger with their work onBeck'sOdelay and theBeastie Boys'Paul's Boutique.[2] The Dust Brothers' contributions were initially five, but were reduced to three, which marked the only Stones songs to featuresampling.Danny Saber andBabyface were also brought in by Jagger, though the latter's contributions to the track "Already Over Me" were eventually discarded. Richards was not keen on the idea of working with 'loop gurus', going as far as expelling Saber from the studio once he found him overdubbing guitars. Richards brought inRob Fraboni for his solo material, and Was made sure to work with Richards and Jagger in separate rooms. DrummerCharlie Watts would relieve the tense environment by working with percussionistJim Keltner, whom he later drafted for a solo project. By the final week of recording, the Stones were not on speaking terms, with Jagger boycotting sessions arranged by Richards' crew and Watts leaving Los Angeles as soon as he finished his contributions.[1]
During the album's mastering, the chorus of the projected lead single, "Anybody Seen My Baby?", was found to resemble the 1992 hit "Constant Craving" byk.d. lang, a discovery brought to Richards' attention by his daughter Angela. Seeking to avoid possible future legal entanglements, Lang and her co-writerBen Mink were credited along with Jagger and Richards on the new tune.[3] It reached No. 22 in the UK and also became a US radio rock hit.
Once the Rolling Stones had pickedStefan Sagmeister to be the album's art director, Jagger told him to seek inspiration fromBabylonian art exhibited at theBritish Museum. Sagmeister was most impressed by aLamassu sculpture featuring a lion with a human head and beard and commissioned artist Kevin Murphy to paint a similarAssyrian lion in an attack stance. The first million units ofBridges to Babylon were encased in a specially manufactured filigree slipcase that gave the impression that the lion was embedded into the design. The desert background of the cover was extended throughout the booklet, featuring ruins that were the basis for the stage design of theBridges to Babylon Tour.[4][5]
Bridges to Babylon was released to mixed reviews. It reached No. 6 in the UK, No. 2 in France and No. 3 in the US, where it was certified platinum by theRIAA in November 1997.[13] As of January 2010,Bridges to Babylon had sold 1.1 million copies in the US.[14] Further singles "Saint of Me" and concert staple "Out of Control" were also minor hits.
By this point, the Stones had become a touring phenomenon. TheBridges to Babylon Tour in 1997 consisted of 108 concerts, with an elaborate stage design Jagger aimed to make similar toU2'sPopMart Tour.[1]
In 2009,Bridges to Babylon was remastered and reissued byUniversal Music.
