Okay, you all probably know me by now. I like challenges, even if they dislike me with a passion most of the times. You know, after two successful song replacements with Low Rider and Bad To The Bone, I knew I had to go for a bigger shot this time; and oh man, allow me tell you about this one, because it was a true challenge. So there I was, checking out the 22 Most Overplayed Songs in Movies list, trying to decide which one appealed the most to me for this week, and there they were. One of the most influential bands of all time, The Rolling Stones, with one of their most iconic songs ever, Gimme Shelter, and I couldn’t help myself but to open my eyes wide in excitement.
So far, I’ve always found myself asking the same question while reading this list: what did such a great song like this do to deserve to be in such an infamous list? Only to realize that the answer to that question lies in the question itself. All of these songs are great, and that’s precisely why they’ve become worned out in films with the passing of time. Great music is timeless, and there’s little question about that. Gimme Shelter has appeared in a total of 27 films, television shows and iconic commercials since its release back in the ’69. That’s just insane to me, especially when you see that Martin Scorsese alone has featured the track in three major feature films: Goodfellas (1990), Casino (1995) and The Departed (2006), in a span of barely over fifteen years.
Speaking of Martin Scorsese, who just happens to be one of my favorite directors ever, the film choice for this one was pretty easy. The Rolling Stones just go so well in the sequence where they’re featured in Goodfellas. There’s a certain feeling it produces when Henry is playing the “wise guy”, thinking he’ll get away with this new “business” of him as the song plays in the background. He thinks he knows better than anyone else, and for a long while, it seems like he does. It’s absolutely beautiful. The upbeat rhythm of Gimme Shelter is an omen for good times to come. Henry’s getting away with it; the infidelity, the betrayal against the people who introduced him to the world of crime, his brand new cocaine trade, everything, and you just can’t help feeling happy for him:
So the challenge for this one was clear: I needed to make something as good as the Rolling Stones. I love the feeling of the song, and in this sequence of Goodfellas, it just fits in perfectly. Changing it too much would've been a shame, so I stuck to the main structure and tempo, kept the early 70s vibe of the song with that rusty and subtle overdrive on the guitars, and just did my best to emulate one of the most renowned guitarists of all time, Keith Richards. That was quite the challenge, man. Keith is definitely not the most skilled guitarist ever, but there’s an attribute in his playing style that is often underrated. He feels the song, and the simplicity of his playing adapts to whatever the song needs. That’s what I had a really rough time with. I struggled to make something simple and straight to the point, straight to the feeling, but a recording session of several hours and a blister on the ring finger later, I think I finally got it:
The result made me very happy, actually. I'm very proud of this one. I've always been a classic rock kind of dude, but I've always focused my song writing more towards the ‘80s hard rock scene, with a lot more flare to the songs, so stepping down in that regard was a very unsettling, but nice experience in the end.
Did you like my take on "Gimme Shelter" for Goodfellas? Did you absolutely hate it? Let me know in comment section down below, or in any of my social media. Until next time, folks, and remember: choose life, choose a real career.
Comments