Mick Jagger reveals how he created new song 'Strange Game' for Slow Horses series
He spoke about the process of creating the track
Last updated 5th Apr 2022
Sir Mick Jagger released his new track 'Strange Game' on 1st April and joined Simon Mayo to talk about the song. The Rolling Stones frontman joined us on Greatest Hits Radio on Monday 4th April for an exclusive interview and spoke about the new song and the gripping series it features in.
'Strange Game' is the theme tune for the new Apple TV+ show Slow Horses, and Mick worked with Academy-nominated writer Daniel Pemberton to create the track.
The follows British spies that have been moved to the 'dumping ground department of MI5' for making mistakes in their career, with Gary Oldman playing the role of leader of the dejected agents.
Speaking about how this collaboration came about, Mick said: "Daniel Pemberton who wrote all the music for the series, sent me an email. He's written so much good stuff and he said, 'Would you like to write the theme song for this? And he sent me the track but the track didn't have any melody. It just had a track and no words or anything.
"So, I was sort of intrigued because I'd actually read the books. I like the books very much so I kind of knew what the scenario was. I knew who were the characters, what kind of characters they were. I knew the Gary Oldman character and I knew the milieu that they worked in this horrible, sleazy office and all that. So I kind of was ahead of the game."
Watch the lyric video for 'Strange Game':
Mick also explained how the song got its name: "I said to him (Daniel), 'I assume you want this to be called Slow Horses, like the theme'. He said, 'No, no, no. I really don't want it to be called that.' So, then I came up with the strange game, you know, that they're in this strange spy game. So, I just came up with that as an alternate title and we just went from there."
As for the name of the show, he revealed: "It's a sort of pun, and Slough House is a pun on Slow Horses, you know. The Slow Horses are these characters that have been in the Secret Service that have made errors early on, most of them, early on in their careers and so they're sort of put out to grass, but they're not fired."
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Take a look through Mick Jagger's incredible career:
Mick Jagger's childhood home
Michael Philip Jagger was born on 26th July 1943 and was brought up in a semi-detached house in Dartford, Kent (pictured). His future bandmate Keith Richards lived just around the corner.
Mick Jagger's early years
Mick Jagger grew up with a keen interest in blues records, and was a fan of the likes of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. He also always had a love for singing and was in a church choir as a child. He attended the London School of Economics from 1960 and considered becoming a journalist or politician before pursuing his music career.
Before The Rolling Stones, he formed the band Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys with his friend Dick Taylor and was the lead singer for the group.
1961 - Keith Richards and Mick Jagger meet
Having previously known each other from primary school, Keith and Mick met at Dartford train station in Kent in 1961 and started talking about music. This was the start of a long friendship and hugely successful career.
A commemorative plaque was added to the spot in 2015 and in 2021 The Rolling Stones Twitter account posted a photo of a personalised plectrum and the caption: '60 years on the same train 🚂' to mark the anniversary of their meeting.
1962 - The Rolling Stones form
Rock band The Rolling Stones officially formed in 1962, made up of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Billy Wyman and Brian Jones.
The group was named after one of their favourite Muddy Waters tracks 'Rollin Stone', and they later added 'The' to their name to sound more formal.
1963 - The Rolling Stones get a record deal
Starting out playing covers of songs and touring throughout 1962, with a five-month residency at Eel Pie Island Hotel on the River Thames, The Rolling Stones signed to Decca Records in 1963 and focused on writing their own music.
1964 - The Rolling Stones release debut album
The Rolling Stones brought out their debut album in 1964. The self-titled album went to Number 1 in the UK and included hit tracks 'Not Fade Away' and 'Tell Me (You're Coming Back)'.
1969 - The Rolling Stones play at Hyde Park
In 1969, The Rolling Stones were the headline act at Hyde Park, playing to a crowd of 250,000–500,000 people. The show came just days after the tragic death of former member Brian Jones, and was the first time the group had performed together in two years.
Mick Taylor joined the band, replacing Brian as a guitarist until he left in 1964 and the spot was taken by Ronnie Wood in 1975.
1970 - Mick Jagger starts acting career
As well as singing, Mick also tried his hand at acting and has appeared in several films over the years. He took on the role of Ned Kelly in the film of the same name in 1970 as well as playing the character Turner in Performance in the same year. Mick went on to appear in the films Freejack (1992), Bent (1997), and The Man From Elysian Fields (2002).
1985 - Mick Jagger releases music as a solo artist
Tensions in the band led Mick Jagger to focus on solo music and his individual artistry, and he released 'She's The Boss' in 1985 which was met with good reception, and the track 'Just Another Night' was a real hit with fans.
He followed this up with the album 'Primitive Cool' in 1987, 'Wandering Spirit' in 1993 and 'Goddess In The Doorway' in 2001.
1989 - The Rolling Stones comeback
After taking a break in the late 80s, The Rolling Stones reunited to bring out 'Steel Wheels' in 1989 and 'Voodoo Lounge' in 1994.
Their 'Voodoo Lounge' album went to Number 1 in the UK and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 1995. They also went on a year-long tour to promote the album, which broke records as the highest-grossing tour of its kind at the time.
1995 - Mick Jagger starts Jagged Films
In 1995, Mick Jagger got behind the camera and co-founded production company Jagged Films with Victoria Pearman. He produced several movies, with the first being historical drama Enigma (2001) starring Kate Winslet. That year they also released a documentary about the singer called Being Mick.
2003 - Mick Jagger receives Knighthood
In 2003, Mick became Sir Mick Jagger as he was awarded a Knighthood by Prince Charles for his services to music. He was joined by his father Joe and daughters Elizabeth and Karis at the ceremony and commented that his father was "very proud".
2009 - Mick Jagger joins SuperHeavy
In 2009, Mick joined the group SuperHeavy which also included Joss Stone, Dave Stewart, A. R. Rahman, Leon Mobley, and Damian Marley. They released their debut self-titled album in 2011.
2019- 2021 - The Rolling Stones go on 'No Filter' tour
In recent years, The Rolling Stones have put more focus on touring than releasing new music, and in 2019 the band embarked on their 'No Filter Tour' in the UK and US. However, some of the tour had to be rescheduled to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Charlie Watts sadly passed away in August 2021, and the US leg of the tour was the band's first without their friend and bandmate. At the first show back on the tour, Mick Jagger dedicated the show to Charlie, addressing the crowd to say: "It's a bit of a poignant night for us because its the first tour in 59 years that we've done without our lovely Charlie Watts. We've got so many memories of Charlie, and I'm sure some of you that have seen us before have got memories of Charlie as well. And I hope you remember him like we do."
2022 - James Brown documentary
In February 2022, a new documentary called James Brown: Say It Loud was announced, with Mick Jagger as one of the executive producers. The series is expected to air in 2023.
2022 - Mick Jagger creates theme song for Slow Horses
Mick Jagger co-wrote and recorded the track 'Strange Game' for the Apple TV+ series Slow Horses.
The 'atmospheric and infectious' song was co-written by Academy Award-nominated film composer Daniel Pemberton, and was released along with the series premiere on 1st April.
2022 - The Rolling Stones' 'SIXTY' tour
To celebrate their 60th anniversary, The Rolling Stones embarked on a UK tour in June and July. The three-date 'SIXTY' tour saw the group play classics such as 'Satisfaction', 'Paint It Black', 'Tumbling Dice', 'Sympathy for the Devil' and 'Gimme Shelter'.
2023 - Mick Jagger's very own harmonica
From 18th January 2023, Mick began teasing on his Instagram page that he had an upcoming collaboration with Lee Oskar harmonicas. Then, on 25th January, he shared the official design, uploading an energetic clip of him playing his brand new harmonica!
Upon it's release, Mick wrote: 'Always loved Lee Oskar harmonicas and now I've been lucky enough to collaborate with them on a harmonica of my own.'
2023: The Rolling Stones announce 'Hackney Diamonds'
The Rolling Stones announce their first album with original music in 18 years, called 'Hackney Diamonds'. They also released the first song from their album called 'Angry'.
The musician also opened up about how writing a theme song differed from writing other music: "It was quite an enjoyable experience just writing something that was specific, you know, for a certain purpose, rather than just writing a song that you might sit down at home and write whatever you're feeling at the time or your inner emotions or whatever.
"This is about something specific; specific characters and situations and so on. So, it's a different kind of songwriting."
Watch the trailer for Slow Horses:
How can I listen to Mick Jagger on Greatest Hits Radio?
Mick Jagger joined Simon Mayo to talk about his new song 'Strange Game' on 4th April. You can listen back to the full interview by clicking the link below.
Listen back to our exclusive interview with Mick Jagger:
When are The Rolling Stones going on tour?
Mick Jagger will take to the stage with his bandmates for The Rolling Stones' 60th anniversary tour later this year.
The Rolling Stones' 'SIXTY' UK tour dates:
June 2022
Thursday 9th - Liverpool, Anfield Stadium
Saturday 25th - London, American Express presents BST Hyde Park
July 2022
Sunday 3rd - London, American Express presents BST Hyde Park
How can I get tickets for The Rolling Stones' 'SIXTY' tour?
Tickets went on sale for The Rolling Stones UK tour on 18th March. The band will play three shows in June and July 2022 and you can get remaining tickets from the link below.
Where can I listen to The Rolling Stones' biggest songs?
You can hear the best of The Rolling Stones here on Greatest Hits Radio. Tune in to listen to the biggest hits of the 70s, 80s and 90s.
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