In a recent conversation with Rolling Stone, the Brazilian DJ Alok let slip some of the challenges he faced while working with rock legend Mick Jagger. It turns out that the Rolling Stones icon wasn’t the easiest person to please in the recording studio.
Alok’s encounter with Jagger began at a party hosted by none other than Jagger’s son, Lucas Maurice Morad-Jagger. After playing some tracks at the party, Alok and Jagger got talking, which eventually led to a collaboration on Jagger’s solo single ‘Gotta Get A Grip.‘ Remembering the time, Alok shared that it took him six tries to produce a version that won Jagger’s approval. After that, the musician recalled that there was a particular phone call he couldn’t help but chuckle at.
The call came while Alok was playing his piano, working on yet another remix. On the other end was Jagger, eager to hear the latest version of ‘Living In A Ghost Town.‘ Alok, having gone through multiple versions already, decided to express his sentiments. He picked up the phone and told Jagger he now understood why they did ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ as he is hard to satisfy. Alok then said the tenth version would be his last.
Here is what Alok recalled about working with Mick Jagger:
“Mick Jagger was doing a secret party in Brazil in 2017. I went there to meet up with his son; he has a Brazilian kid. I was invited to perform at the party and had a great experience. Actually, after this meeting, we did the song; I did the remix of ‘Gotta Get A Grip,‘ his single. After the COVID hit, he just called me, saying, ‘Listen, we are releasing a song now from Rolling Stones after eight years of not releasing. Would you like to jump in and do a remix?’ I said, ‘Yeah, for sure. I love to collaborate.’
I’ll tell you a funny story. When we worked on the first song, I remember that I had to do six versions until he got like, ‘Well, okay, this is it.’ On the second song, I think I was on the tenth version. He called me; I was recording myself playing piano. I answered the call, and I told him, ‘Listen, now I understand why you did this song ‘I Can Get No Satisfaction’ because you’re never satisfied. This is my last try with the tenth version.'”
Mick Jagger, known for his eclectic musical tastes and willingness to work with artists from various genres, seems to hold high standards when it comes to his music. While it’s great that Jagger is open to diverse collaborations, his standards evidently put Alok under great pressure.
