Gimme Shelter (orchestrated intro)

The intro to the Rolling Stones 1969 track Gimme Shelter is one of the greatest moments in rock'n'roll. Its sonic architecture is based around Keith Richards' modal-tuned guitar figures and it conjures a mood of imminent danger or doom. Yet it feels great. Well...so does danger sometimes.

In the 1990s I came across an album of Stones music performed by The London Symphony Orchestra, and the version of Gimme Shelter was arranged by Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke. He did a pretty good job too; the mood of imminent chaos was accurately rendered even with the sedate classical sound of a full orchestra.

Last year, while creating a mix mash of instrumental music to be played before Waterboys shows, I synched the two versions - Stones' original and LSO treatment - and this is the result. I did the whole song, in fact, though I found the bulk of the song works better without orchestra, just as nature and Keef intended.

But the Stones-and-orchestra intro came out great. Play it loud and feel the mood of impending danger close round you - in a virtual way, of course.