To commemorate the upcoming 2020 reissue of their critically acclaimed album Goats Head Soup, The Rolling Stones have released a previously unheard studio track from the 1973 record called Criss Cross.
The previously unreleased song was recorded between 1972 and ’73 during the Goats Head Soup studio sessions and only ever played live on a handful of occasions in the past, when fans referred to it as “Criss Cross Man.”
Thanks to different bootleggers across the world, a variety of early live recordings of the funky, blues-inspired track have circulated among Stones fans for years. However, the official studio version of Criss Cross remained a hidden, unheard gem for more than 45 years — until Thursday, when the iconic British rock band shared it, along with an accompanying music video.
The Diana Kunst-starring short follows an often-half-naked woman (Guindilla Ontanaya) on different ventures across the world, as she dances along to the guitar-driven, keyboard-heavy tune in a variety of settings — including the roof of a remote building in a vast oceanic location.
The video both begins and ends with footage of Ontanaya running towards the ocean from the shore of a beach. Throughout the film, the actor can be seen running through the streets of New York City, jumping off a cliff, driving in the desert and riding the subway, among many, many other things.
In the video’s description, the nearly five-minute montage is described as “a video diary” by Kunst. It was recorded between 2015 and 2020.
Criss Cross serves as only one of three previously unreleased songs that will be packaged in the upcoming Goats Head Soup reissue, along with the album’s original 10 tracks — which includes the No. 1 smash-hit ballad, Angie.
As well as a track called All the Rage, the Stones will release an unheard cut called Scarlet, which features former Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page.
Scarlet also happens to be the name of Page’s first child, Scarlet Page, who was born in 1971. Whether the song was written about her, however, is unclear.
Also included in the 4LP and 4CD Goats Head Soup box set will be an audio release of the Stones’ infamous Oct. 1973 concert at the Forest National Arena, near Brussels, Belgium, which is best known as The Brussels Affair.
Another disc will include demos and outtakes from the Goats Head Soup studio sessions, as well as “rarities and alternatives.”
Criss Cross is now available through all major streaming platforms. The official music video can be seen above.
For more information about the upcoming Goats Head Soup reissue, you can visit the official Rolling Stones website.
The entire box set, along with various other formats of the album will be released on Sept. 4 worldwide.
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