"I was severely stoked," says Fatboy Slim of the Rolling Stones' request that he remix "Sympathy for the Devil" for a new version of their Forty Licks greatest hits package. "The original has always been one of my favorite songs ever."
A single version will be out on September 16th, and Slim describes his mix a faithful take on the 1968 version. "Mick actually refers to it as the 'over-reverential' mix," he says. "I used to play it as the last song in my DJ set, but it always lacked power -- there are no drums or rhythm guitar! So me and Mick decided rather than just take it apart, I'd just give it enough power for the dance floor."
Slim is also finishing up his fourth studio album, the follow-up to 2000's Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars, for release early next year.
DAVID SWANSON
(August 4, 2003)