As a session musician, Nicky Hopkins played piano on countless records by such acts as the Who ('Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere,' 'The Song is Over') and the Kinks ('Sunny Afternoon,' 'The Village Green Preservation Society'). But it's his work with the Rolling Stones that he's best known for, and 'Loving Cup' is possibly his finest moment.

Hopkins' gospel-inspired piano elevates 'Loving Cup' into the perfect closer for 'Exile on Main Street's' first disc. His work on the brief key change in the bridge from G to Bb, which takes place at 2:14 in the video below, is masterful, creating the tension while giving the rest of the band room to create.

 

 

Watch the Rolling Stones Perform 'Loving Cup'

 

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