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Wandering Spirit
Studio album by Mick Jagger
Released	9 February 1993
Recorded	February–September 1992
Genre	Rock blues rock hard rock
Length	54:05
Language	English
Label	Atlantic
Producer	Mick Jagger and Rick Rubin
Mick Jagger chronology
Primitive Cool (1987) Wandering Spirit (1993) Goddess in the Doorway (2001)
Singles from Wandering Spirit
"Sweet Thing" Released: January 1993 "Don't Tear Me Up" Released: April 1993 "Wired All Night" Released: 1993 "Out of Focus" Released: July 1993

Wandering Spirit is the third solo album by Mick Jagger, released in 1993. It became his only solo album released in the 1990s, and was co-produced by Jagger with Rick Rubin. The album was commercially successful, reaching No. 12 in the UK and No. 11 in the US, getting a gold certification from the RIAA.

Background

Following The Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels (1989), Jagger began writing new material for what would become Wandering Spirit. In January 1992, after landing Rick Rubin as co-producer, Jagger recorded the album in Los Angeles over seven months until September 1992, recording simultaneously as Keith Richards was making Main Offender.

Jagger kept the celebrity guests to a minimum on Wandering Spirit, only having Lenny Kravitz as a vocalist on his cover of Bill Withers' "Use Me" and bassist Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers on three tracks.

Following the end of The Rolling Stones' Sony Music contract and their signing to Virgin Records, Jagger elected to sign with Atlantic Records (which had signed the Stones in the 1970s) to distribute what would be his only album with the label.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Christgau's Consumer Guide
Entertainment Weekly	B+
Los Angeles Times
NME	6/10
Rolling Stone
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Select
USA Today

Released in February 1993, Wandering Spirit was commercially successful, reaching No. 12 in the UK and No. 11 in the US, going gold there. The track "Sweet Thing" was the lead single, although it was the second single, "Don't Tear Me Up", which found moderate success, topping Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart for one week. Critical reaction was very strong, noting Jagger's abandonment of slick synthesizers in favour of an incisive and lean guitar sound.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mick Jagger, except where noted

Personnel

• Mick Jagger – vocals, clavinet, guitars, harmonica, percussion, arrangements (14)
• David Bianco – Moog synthesizer
• Billy Preston – acoustic piano, organ, clavinet
• Benmont Tench – acoustic piano, organ
• Matt Clifford – harpsichord, virginal, string arrangements and conductor
• Brendan O'Brien – guitars
• Jimmy Rip – guitars, percussion, arrangements, music director
• Frank Simes – guitars
• Jay Dee Maness – pedal steel guitar
• John Pierce – bass (1, 4, 5, 7-11, 13, 14)
• Doug Wimbish – bass (2)
• Flea – bass (3, 6, 12)
• Curt Bisquera – drums (1-6, 8-14)
• Jim Keltner – drums (7)
• Lenny Castro – percussion
• Courtney Pine – saxophones
• Robin McKidd – fiddle
• Lynn Davis – backing vocals
• Jean McClain – backing vocals
• Jeff Pescetto – backing vocals
• Sweet Singing Cava-Leers – backing vocals
• Lenny Kravitz – vocals (6)

Production

• Mick Jagger – producer
• Rick Rubin – producer
• David Bianco – engineer (1-12), mixing
• Manu Guiot – engineer (13)
• John Brough – engineer (14)
• Jim Champagne – assistant engineer
• Steve Holroyd – assistant engineer
• Peter Lewis – assistant engineer
• Steve Musters – assistant engineer
• Dave Rouze – technical assistance
• Stephen Marcussen – mastering at Precision Mastering (Los Angeles, California)
• Janice Crotch – album coordinator
• Arnold Dunn – musician and studio liaison
• Melanie Nissen – art direction
• Richard Bates – design
• Valerie Wagner – design assistant
• Annie Leibovitz – photography

Charts

Certifications and sales

Notes

1. Parisien, Roch. "Wandering Spirit – Mick Jagger". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
2. Christgau, Robert (2000). "Mick Jagger: Wandering Spirit". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-24560-2. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
3. Altman, Billy (12 February 1993). "Wandering Spirit". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
4. Cromelin, Richard (7 February 1993). "Mick Jagger 'Wandering Spirit' Atlantic". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
5. "Mick Jagger: Wandering Spirit". NME. 13 February 1993. p. 32.
6. Puterbaugh, Parke (18 February 1993). "Mick Jagger: Wandering Spirit / Paul McCartney: Off the Ground". Rolling Stone. p. 56.
7. Evans, Paul (2004). "Mick Jagger". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 415–16. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
8. Collis, Clark (March 1993). "Reviews: New Albums". Select. p. 72. Retrieved 30 December 2024.
9. Gundersen, Edna (9 February 1993). "Jagger keeps edge; McCartney stays safe". USA Today.
10. "Australiancharts.com – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
11. "Austriancharts.at – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
12. "Dutchcharts.nl – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
14. "Charts.nz – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
15. "Norwegiancharts.com – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
16. "Swedishcharts.com – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
17. "Swisscharts.com – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
18. "Mick Jagger | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
19. "Mick Jagger Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
20. "Jahreshitparade Alben 1993". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
21. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1993". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
22. "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
23. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1993". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
24. "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
25. "Austrian album certifications – Jagger, Mick – Wandering Spirit" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
26. "Canadian album certifications – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Music Canada. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
27. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Mick Jagger; 'Wandering Spirit')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
28. "French album certifications – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit" (in French). InfoDisc. Select MICK JAGGER and click OK. 
29. "Dutch album certifications – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 20 August 2019. Enter Wandering Spirit in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1993 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
30. "New Zealand album certifications – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
31. Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish). Iberautor Promociones Culturales. ISBN 8480486392.
32. "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Wandering Spirit')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
33. "American album certifications – Mick Jagger – Wandering Spirit". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 20 August 2019.

External links

• Rolling Stone review

• 1993 albums
• Mick Jagger albums
• Albums produced by Mick Jagger
• Albums produced by Rick Rubin
• Atlantic Records albums