Rocker Mick Jagger offers voice to ‘Alfie’
When talking about what type of music would fit the story line for “Alfie,” director Charles Shyer briefed Mick Jagger on the girl-crazy title character’s insatiable quest for flesh.
“As Shyer was explaining this, Mick was raising one eyebrow,” composer Dave Stewart recalls. “I said to Charles, ‘I think Mick understands that.’ “
It’s hardly surprising that Stewart thought of Jagger when he was enlisted to work on the “Alfie” soundtrack. The Rolling Stones singer, after all, bears some resemblance to the original film’s leading man – a sexy, swinging British Lothario known for his revolving-door liaisons with young beauties.
But that’s not why Stewart, formerly of the synth-pop duo Eurythmics, settled on Jagger as the ideal voice for the “Alfie” remake, which opens in theaters Friday.
“Mick’s got one of those voices that very rarely comes along,” Stewart says. “All he has to do is hum, and it brings all these emotions of longing, a feeling of the past, a blues melancholy.”
Jagger recalls the original 1966 film only vaguely (“All I remember is Michael Caine talking to the camera”) and wasn’t concerned about reviving a generational milestone.
“That didn’t really worry me,” says Jagger. “There are only so many themes in movies, anyway. I wanted to see the script and see a bit of what Jude Law was like in the picture, which had only been shooting a few weeks. He seemed to have a handle on it.”
Despite pressing commitments to the Stones and his Jagged Films, Jagger agreed to collaborate with longtime pal Stewart.
“I’m always up for playing a bit of harmonica,” he says. “And I was only going to do three songs.”
The pair wound up writing, performing and producing 13 originals, including “Old Habits Die Hard” (the movie version is a Jagger solo; an alternate is a duet with Sheryl Crow), “The Blind Leading the Blind” and “Lonely Without You (This Christmas),” featuring Jagger and Joss Stone on vocals.
The 15-song soundtrack album, out now, also features Stone on the title theme, originally popularized by Dionne Warwick.
“Fortunately, Mick and I have been hanging out and playing acoustic guitars and writing songs for fun for 18 years, so this wasn’t stressful,” Stewart says.
Director Shyer was less certain about the match initially.
“Charles was worried that Mick’s voice would be too strong a presence and overpower Jude’s character,” Stewart says. “I explained that it could be used in more subtle, impressionistic ways. I told him I’d love to tip my hat to the ‘60s but not do ‘60s music, and I thought Mick could create the right mood.”
Jagger will unveil his own Jagged Films projects in coming days and plans to rejoin the Stones before year’s end to begin recording a studio album. The band’s two-disc “Live Licks” of tour highlights hits stores today.