France French 7" discography / The CBS - SONY years [1986-1992]

The Rolling Stones - excerpt from the Harlem Shuffle artwork - © Bakshi - all rights reserved • France discography: The CBS - SONY years [1986-1992]Harlem Shuffle era

The Rolling Stones left EMI for Columbia [CBS] in 1986.
CBSFrom 'Harlem Shuffle' onwards, all records available on the French market were pressed in Holland [except for the one-sided promo 7" of 'Paint It, Black' live - sole genuine French pressing from this era].
The Dutch production was exported in Germany, Scandinavia, Italy... However, 'Paint it, Black' [live - CBS 657311 7], only distributed in France and in small quantities, remains the rarest single from the 90's.

CBS titles sleeve/labels
# view cat.# rel. date a-side / b-side information
NA CBSA 6864 28/02/86 Harlem Shuffle / Had It With You mispressed B-side*
NA CBSA 6864 28/02/86 Harlem Shuffle / Had It With You  
NA CBSA 7160 16/05/86 One Hit (To The Body) / Fight French yellow sticker
NA CBS 7 655193 16/08/89 Mixed Emotions / Fancy Man Blues light / dark PS
NA CBS 655422-7 09/11/89 Rock & A Hard Place / Cook Cook Blues sticker - no silver letters
NA CBS 655422-7 09/11/89 Rock & A Hard Place / Cook Cook Blues sticker - silver lettering
NA 655661 7 26/02/90 Terrifying / Wish I'd Never Met You sticker
NA 656197 7 13/08/90 Sad Sad Sad / Blinded By Love  
NA 656756 7 11/03/91 Highwire / 2,000 Light Year From Home (live)  
145 ROL 001 21/06/91 Paint It, Black (live) 1-sided promo in CS
NA 657311 7 06/91 Paint It, Black (live) / Play With Fire (live)  

* mispressed copy playing a Francis Cabrel's song on B-side.



CBS / SONY Dutch pressings unavailable in France :
  • 655981 7 - Almost Hear You Sigh / Break The Spell
  • 656068 7 - Angie / Silver Train (reissue)
  • 656892 7 - Ruby Tuesday (live) / Play With Fire (live)
  • 657334 7 - Sex Drive (single edit) / (Dirty Hands Mix)
  • 657597 7 - Jumpin' Jack Flash (live) / Tumbling Dice (live)

The Rolling Stones - Rock & Hard Place - CBS 655422 • France discography: The CBS - SONY years [1986-1992] The Rolling Stones - Rock & Hard Place - CBS 655422 - misprint missing silver background • France discography: The CBS - SONY years [1986-1992]

The 2 covers for 'Rock & Hard Place': the first run was misprinted, missing the silver background - rare.
Germany and France imported the Dutch singles and stuck custom stickers on. Above is the French one.

By the time 'Highwire' was out, in 1991, Sony had acquired CBS and the 7" format was to be dropped worldwide, soon limited to a collectors market.



The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black - Live - CBS 657311 • France discography: The CBS - SONY years [1986-1992] The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black - Live - CBS ROL 001 • France discography: The CBS - SONY years [1986-1992]

This cover - rare for this title - uses the same artwork than the common 'Ruby Tuesday' [live - CBS 656892] released in the UK and Holland. Both singles have the same B-side and were to promote the 'Flashpoint' live album in 1991.

Rumours want that Mick Jagger, unsatisfied with the picture, asked for the withdrawal of this single, which had also been released on 3" and 5" CDS, and 12" maxi-single. This was the last Rolling Stones 7" PS available in France.
Simultaneously, a one-sided promo-only single of this live version was issued on Columbia in France in a white custom stamped sleeve, and sent to radios.

The Rolling Stones - Sad Sad Sad - CBS 656197 • France discography: The CBS - SONY years [1986-1992]

'Sad Sad Sad' is one of the last few 7" singles with exclusive picture covers produced in small quantities in Holland and never issued in the UK which are always sought-after among collectors.