Retro Video of the Week: "Waiting on a Friend" by The Rolling Stones

This week's COVID-19-related Retro Video of the Week is one of my favorite Rolling Stone's songs, "Waiting on a Friend," off of 1981's Tattoo You album.  Right now, we're all waiting to hang out with friends non-virtually or without face masks or without having to stand or sit six feet away.

"Waiting on a Friend" is not only one of my favorite Stones songs, but it's one of my favorite songs to listen to and favorite videos to watch when I'm having some adult beverages with friends.  The song was originally written and recorded during the Goats Head Soup sessions in late 1972 and 1973, but there were no lyrics, and the band brought it back for Tattoo You.  In addition to the regular band members, jazz legend Sonny Rollins plays the sax, Santana member Michael Carabello plays the various non-drum percussion instruments, and Stones sideman Nicky Hopkins plays piano.

The video is spectacular sample from MTV's earliest days.  Mick Jagger is hanging out on a the stoop of an apartment building -- which, by the way, is the very same Manhattan apartment building featured on the cover of Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti, 96-98 St. Mark's Place -- while singing to himself, while three dudes sit on the steps and couldn't look less interested.  Meanwhile, Keith Richards stumbles around the East Village, eventually finding his way to Mick, and then takes several monster rips off his cigarette before the two get up and walk to a bar.  On the way, they pass by a pensive new waver looking out his window longingly when he should be drinking the can of Miller Lite sitting in front of him.

When they get to the bar, the rest of their band mates -- Charlie Watt, Ronnie Wood, and Bill Wyman -- are waiting for them.  Mick and Keith greet Ronnie.  Keith breaks the fourth wall momentarily by giving a death stare directly into the camera before taking a giant swig from what appears to be a labeless bottle of Michelob.  Charlie and Bill are in the background laughing their asses off for much of this.

The band then makes its way to the little stage at the back of the bar.  Mick is the last in line, swinging his arms like he's trying to prevent himself from drowning on the way up.  The band then takes their places with their instruments and conceivably starts playing.  No one in the bar seems to notice, except one guy who looks like a beatnik Mark Wahlberg, who just kind of nods his head.