2 Rolling Stones songs Angus Young said he likes

Malcolm and Angus Young grew up inspired not only by their musical family, which included George Young, a member of the Easybeats and a future AC/DC producer, but also by many incredible British bands such as The Rolling Stones. They were especially influenced by the group’s early albums and particularly those in which they most strongly channeled their Blues influences.

Angus had the chance to become a good friend of the band, even having played with them. He once revealed which of their songs he likes and would not be happy if they didn’t perform them at a live show he attended.

2 Rolling Stones songs Angus Young said he likes

“Jumpin’ Jack Flash”

“If (go see) the Stones I wanna hear ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’,” Angus Young said after being asked by Absolute Radio about songs he would be upset if a band didn’t play live. In the late 70s, he actually wasn’t happy about the kind of music the band was releasing and used that song as an example of their best era.

“Well, they musta progressed the wrong way. I’ll tell you when it stopped getting’ good, when the Stones put out ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ and ‘Street Fighting Man’. Past that, there’s nuthin’, (…) Them (Led Zeppelin) and the Stones. They’re not playin’ it. The Rolling Stones get up and play soul music these days.”

Angus Young continued:

“This is supposed to be rock’n’roll. Leave that to the people who do it best, the black people. If the Stones played what they do best, they’d be a helluva lot better. They’d probably find themselves at ease,” Angus Young said in an interview with Classic Rock in 1977.

One of their biggest hits, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” was released as a single by the band in 1968 and became a number 1 hit in several countries. Besides the songwriters Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the band at the time was also formed by Brian Jones, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts. In the studio, Ian Stewart played piano on the track, Jimmy Miller recorded the backing vocals and Rocky Dijon played the maracas.

Curiously, Keith Richards is a big fan of AC/DC, which is why he invited the Young brothers in the past to perform with the band on stage. They were also The Rolling Stones’ opening act in Germany and Canada during some special shows in the early 2000s. “There are bands that you can’t tell who is doing what. Angus and Malcolm in a way, you know Angus gonna play the leads but their tightness is always impressive.”

“Being a guitar player is one thing, being a guitar player with another guitar player it’s to the power of. It’s not two guitars, it becomes five, six, ten. Doing these gigs together, we all enjoyed each other. I kind of like being taller than another guitar player as well (laughs). Bless their hearts, they are a great little bundle of energy,” Keith Richards said in the “Four Flicks” tour DVD.

“Honky Tonk Women”

“‘Honky Tonk Women’ (too), these are the songs I (would like to hear). If they didn’t play them, I ain’t coming back (laughs),” Angus Young told Absolute Radio in 2012. Curiously, Angus learned how to play the song before even knowing which chords he was actually playing. “Just listen to the opening chord in ‘Honky Tonk Women’. I’ve always admired someone like Keith Richards who, instead of playing six notes or chords, plays just one note and gets the same feeling across.”

“Often, by simplifying you focus on something and make it even better, more direct. I used to thrash away at ‘Jumpin Jack Flash’ as a kid. Then (I would) ask my brother Malcolm ‘what chord is that?’ He’d go ‘That’s E and that’s B. You play them all the bloody time!'”

Angus Young continued:

“I wanted to be flash, so I started soloing before I learned the basic chords. When all my mates were going for ‘House Of The Rising Sun’, I was going for ‘Purple Haze’,” he told Guitar World. “Honky Tonk Women” was released as a single by The Rolling Stones in 1969. It was one of their first songs to feature Mick Taylor on guitar. Besides Mick, Keith, Bill and Charlie, other musicians also appeared on the track. Nicky Hopkins played piano, Jimmy Miller played the cowbell, Steve Gregory and Bud Beadle played saxophones. Johnny Almond did the saxophone arrangements and Madeline Bell handled the backing vocals.

Although “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” might be one of The Rolling Stones’ best-known songs around the world, the two songs mentioned by Angus are the ones they have played the most live over the past six decades. According to Setlist.fm, “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” has been part of their live shows more than 1,200 times and “Honky Tonk Women” comes in second, having been played more than 1,150 times.