Watch the official video for archival 1974 Rolling Stones tune “Scarlet”

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Credit: Edward CookeThe official music video for The Rolling Stones‘ archival 1974 track “Scarlet,” which features musical contributions from Led Zeppelin‘s Jimmy Page and ex-Traffic/Blind Faith bassist Rick Grech, got its premiere today on the band’s YouTube channel.

The clip features Paul Mescal, the Emmy-nominated star of the popular Hulu series Normal People, playing a lovelorn guy sending a video message apologizing to an unseen woman named Scarlet. The video was shot at London’s famous Claridge’s hotel.

At the start of the clip, Mescal’s character is in his hotel room and says to the camera, “Hey Scarlet. I’m a little bit drunk. I’m sorry. I love you. So, I’m just gonna play you a song.” He proceeds to touch a a button on his laptop and “Scarlet” begins to play.

The rest of the video follows Mescal as he dances and flings himself around his room with abandon, stopping briefly for a drink and a smoke. He eventually makes his way into the hallway and down to the lobby and the dining room, finally collapsing on the floor as the clip ends.

The “Scarlet” video was directed by the video-directing duo Us, and was filmed during a socially distanced shoot at the hotel.

As previously reported, immediately prior to the clip’s premiere, an exclusive video chat between Mescal and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger was shown, but the conversation appears not to have been reposted online.

“Scarlet” was issued as a digital single and via streaming services last month, and is one of three previously unreleased tracks that will be featured on the upcoming expanded reissue of The Rolling Stones’ 1973 album Goats Head Soup.

The reissue will be released on September 4.  You can pre-order it now.

By Matt Friedlander
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