The ‘80s were a bleak period for rock’s stalwarts. Many entering their third decade as performers and grasping for relevance forced themselves into the ridiculous fashions and hairstyles that were de rigueur in an aesthetic age seemingly inspired by the contradictory influences of work-out videos and heavy cocaine abuse (headbands and neon sport coats? Thanks, Loverboy!). So seductive was the spandex-clad embrace of the Greed Years that even the World’s Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band couldn’t escape its clutches; one need look no further than the cover of Dirty Work for evidence. But tension was mounting among the members of the Rolling Stones as the pop-oriented compulsions of their lead singer threatened the group’s timeless appeal.

It was just as the creative strain began to percolate, prior to the release of 1983’s Undercover, that Mick Jagger sat down to discuss his predilection for dance music in this interview with Lisa Robinson. In a conversation perhaps more significant with hindsight, the former London School of Economics student reflects on the commoditization of music, and tip-toes around the delicate subject of his then-crumbling partnership with Keith Richards.

It’s remarkable to think that this 24-year-old artifact was recorded not even halfway into a musical career that continues to this day; in addition to being one of rock’s most charismatic singers, Mick, after all, is a business man. So it was a wise choice for his enterprise when the Stones resumed their hard-edged R&B sound and started dressing like pirates at the threshold of the 21st century. Relationships mended, at least on the surface, and the band has now been pleasing crowds for over 40 years. All criticism aside, imagine a world without the Rolling Stones coming around every three years to play “Start Me Up” one more time, then listen to this interview and remember a time when it almost happened.

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