Shine a Light (The Rolling Stones song)

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"Shine a Light"
Song by The Rolling Stones
from the album Exile on Main St.
Released12 May 1972 (1972-05-12)
RecordedDecember 1971
Studio Olympic Sound, London
Genre
Length4:16
Label Rolling Stones Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Jimmy Miller

"Shine a Light" is a song released by English rock band the Rolling Stones' 1972 album Exile on Main St.

Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the early 1950s, and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later, particularly in the United Kingdom and in the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, a style which drew heavily on the genres of blues, rhythm and blues, and from country music. Rock music also drew strongly on a number of other genres such as electric blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz, classical and other musical styles. Musically, rock has centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass, drums, and one or more singers. Usually, rock is song-based music usually with a 4/4 time signature using a verse–chorus form, but the genre has become extremely diverse. Like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political.

The Rolling Stones English rock band

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. The first stable line-up consisted of Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman (bass), Charlie Watts (drums), and Ian Stewart (piano). Stewart was removed from the official line-up in 1963 but continued as a touring member until his death in 1985. Brian Jones was the original leader of the group. The band's primary songwriters, Jagger and Richards, assumed leadership after Andrew Loog Oldham became the group's manager. Their musical focus shifted from covering blues songs to writing original material, a decision with which Jones did not agree. Jones left the band less than a month before his death in 1969, having already been replaced by Mick Taylor, who remained until 1974. After Taylor left the band, Ronnie Wood took his place in 1975 and continues on guitar in tandem with Richards. Following Wyman's departure in 1993, Darryl Jones joined as their touring bassist. The Stones' touring keyboardists have included Nicky Hopkins (1967–1982), Ian McLagan (1978–1981), Billy Preston and Chuck Leavell (1982–present).

<i>Exile on Main St.</i> studio album by The Rolling Stones

Exile on Main St. is a studio album by English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was first released as a double album on 12 May 1972 by Rolling Stones Records and was the band's tenth studio album released in the United Kingdom.

Contents

Background

Although credited to usual Stones writers Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Shine a Light" was largely a Mick Jagger-Leon Russell composition. He began writing the song in early 1968 when the Stones still had guitarist Brian Jones as a member. The song was originally titled "Get a Line on You" and dealt with Jones's ever-worsening addiction to drugs and his detachment from the rest of the band

Mick Jagger British songwriter, singer of The Rolling Stones

Sir Michael Philip Jagger is an English singer, songwriter, actor and film producer who gained fame as the lead singer and one of the founder members of the Rolling Stones. Jagger's career has spanned over five decades, and he has been described as "one of the most popular and influential frontmen in the history of rock & roll". His distinctive voice and performances, along with Keith Richards' guitar style have been the trademark of the Rolling Stones throughout the band's career. Jagger gained press notoriety for his admitted drug use and romantic involvements, and was often portrayed as a countercultural figure.

Keith Richards British songwriter, guitarist of The Rolling Stones

Keith Richards is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the co-founder, guitarist, backing vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine called Richards the creator of "rock's greatest single body of riffs" on guitar and ranked him fourth on its list of 100 best guitarists in 2011, and the magazine lists fourteen songs that Richards wrote with the Rolling Stones' lead vocalist Mick Jagger on its "Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.

Brian Jones British multi-instrumentalist, founding member of The Rolling Stones

Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones was an English musician, best known as the founder and the original leader of the Rolling Stones. Initially a slide guitarist, Jones would go on to play a wide variety of instruments on Rolling Stones recordings and in concerts, such as rhythm and lead guitar, slide guitar, upright bass, sitar, dulcimer, various keyboard instruments such as piano and mellotron, marimba, harmonica, wind instruments such as recorder, saxophone, drums and numerous others.

A version of the song, under the title "(Can't Seem To) Get a Line on You," was made by Leon Russell at Olympic Studios in October 1969 with assistance from Jagger (lead vocals), Charlie Watts (drums), Leon Russell (piano), and probably also Bill Wyman (bass) and Mick Taylor (guitar). The recording was made during the recording sessions for the album Leon Russell (released 1970), where both Watts and Wyman contributed drums and bass to some of the tracks. However, the song was shelved until 1993, when it finally surfaced as a bonus track on the 24K gold re-release by DCC Compact Classics (DCC Compact Classics GZS 1049). [1]

Leon Russell American singer-songwriter, guitarist, pianist and session musician

Leon Russell was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling pop music records during his 60-year career. His genres included pop, country, rock, folk, gospel, bluegrass, rhythm and blues, folk rock, blues rock, surf, standards, and Tulsa Sound.

Olympic Studios cinema in Barnes, Richmond, London, England, formerly also used as a film and recording studio

Olympic Studios is an early 20th-century building in Barnes, London, which, after four years of closure, re-opened on 14 October 2013 as the new home for the Olympic Studios cinema. As well as a two-screen cinema, the building includes a café and dining room, a members' club and a recording studio.

Charlie Watts British drummer of The Rolling Stones

Charles Robert Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of the Rolling Stones since 1963. Originally trained as a graphic artist, he started playing drums in London's rhythm and blues clubs, where he met Brian Jones, Mick Jagger, and Keith Richards. In January 1963, he joined their fledgling group, the Rolling Stones, as drummer, while doubling as designer of their record sleeves and tour stages. He has also toured with his own group, the Charlie Watts Quintet, and appeared in London at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club with the Charlie Watts Tentet.

After Jones's death in 1969, the song resurfaced. Following revisions by Jagger, it was recorded again in July 1970 as "Shine a Light." A third recording at London's Olympic Sound Studios in December 1971 resulted in the final version of the song released on Exile on Main St.

London Capital of the United Kingdom

London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames in the south-east of England, at the head of its 50-mile (80 km) estuary leading to the North Sea, London has been a major settlement for two millennia. Londinium was founded by the Romans. The City of London, London's ancient core − an area of just 1.12 square miles (2.9 km2) and colloquially known as the Square Mile − retains boundaries that follow closely its medieval limits. The City of Westminster is also an Inner London borough holding city status. Greater London is governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly.

Saw you stretched out in room ten-o-nine
With a smile on your face and a tear right in your eye
Oh, couldn't seem to get a line on you
My sweet honey love

Berber jewelry jangling down the street
Make you shut your eyes at every woman that you meet
Could not seem to get a high on you
My, my sweet honey love

This final version featured Jagger on vocals, Stones producer Jimmy Miller on drums instead of Watts, and Taylor on electric guitar and bass guitar.

"I liked Shine a Light. I played bass on that. There are quite a few things I played bass on. I used the band's Fender Jazz bass for these because Bill wasn't there; he was late, and nobody bothered to wait. That used to happen a lot, actually. I don't mean that Bill was late a lot; we didn't always get there at the same time. If we felt like playing, we would".

- Mick Taylor, 1979

According to Wyman, he played bass on the song and Taylor was erroneously credited with playing bass, having pointed out the error via an advance copy of the album. He also says that he played bass on more tracks than was specified in the album's credits and that Jagger had gotten the credits wrong. [2] Also performing on the song are back-up singers Clydie King, Joe Greene, Venetta Fields and Jesse Kirkland. Billy Preston performs both piano and organ for the recording and had a distinct influence on Jagger and the song while mixing the album at Los Angeles' Sunset Sound Studios. Jagger claims visits to Preston's local church inspired the gospel influences apparent on the final recording while Richards was absent from these sessions. An alternative version without the backing singers and with a different guitar solo by Mick Taylor was released on bootlegs.

Clydie King American singer

Clydie Mae King was an American singer, best known for her session work as a backing vocalist. King also recorded solo under her name. In the 1970s, she recorded as Brown Sugar, and her single "Loneliness " reached No. 44 on the Billboard R&B charts in 1973.

Joe Greene is an American gospel and soul singer and songwriter. A male soprano, he was especially active in the late 1960s and the 1970s as a backing vocalist for rock artists seeking to achieve a more polished vocal performance on their recordings. As a songwriter during that time, he frequently collaborated with Billy Preston, co-writing the latter's Grammy-winning 1972 hit "Outa-Space" and other songs.

Venetta Lee Fields is an American born singer, musical theater actress and vocal coach. She was a backing vocalist for American and British rock and pop acts of the 1960s and 1970s including Ike & Tina Turner, Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand, Elkie Brooks, Neil Diamond, Steely Dan, and the Rolling Stones. Having emigrated to Australia in 1982 she took dual Australian-American citizenship. She recorded or toured as a backing singer for Australian artists, Richard Clapton, Australian Crawl, Cold Chisel, Jimmy Barnes, James Morrison and John Farnham.

After the release of Exile on Main St., Allen Klein sued the Rolling Stones for breach of settlement because "Shine a Light" and four other songs on the album were composed while Jagger and Richards were under contract with his company, ABKCO. ABKCO acquired publishing rights to the songs, giving it a share of the royalties from Exile on Main St., and was able to publish another album of previously released Rolling Stones songs, More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies). [3]

Allen Klein American businessman, music publisher

Allen Klein was an American businessman, music publisher, writers' representative and record label executive, most noted for his tough persona and aggressive negotiation tactics, many of which established higher industry standards for compensating recording artists. He founded ABKCO Music & Records Incorporated. Klein revolutionized the income potential of recording artists, who previously had been routinely victimized by onerous record company contracts. He first scored massive monetary and contractual windfalls for Buddy Knox and Jimmy Bowen, one-hit rockabillies of the late 1950s, then parlayed his early successes into a position managing Sam Cooke, and eventually managed the Beatles and the Rolling Stones simultaneously, along with many other artists, becoming one of the most powerful individuals in the music industry during his era.

ABKCO Records

ABKCO Music & Records, Inc. is a major American independent record label, music publisher, and film and video production company. It owns and/or administers the rights to music by Sam Cooke, the Rolling Stones, the Animals, Herman's Hermits, Marianne Faithfull, Dishwalla, the Kinks as well as the Cameo Parkway label, which includes recordings by such artists as Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, the Orlons, the Dovells, Question Mark & the Mysterians, the Tymes and Dee Dee Sharp. Until 2009, ABKCO administered Philles Records and its master recordings, including hits by the Righteous Brothers, the Ronettes, the Crystals and others.

<i>More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies)</i> 1972 compilation album of Rolling Stones music

More Hot Rocks is a compilation album by the Rolling Stones released in December 1972 on London Records. The album was a follow-up to the hugely successful Hot Rocks 1964–1971.

Live

"Shine a Light" first entered the Stones' setlist during the 1995 leg of the Voodoo Lounge Tour, and live performances of the song from this period were included on the 1995 album Stripped and its 2016 edition Totally Stripped. The Stones played the song occasionally during their Bridges to Babylon Tour (1997-98) and A Bigger Bang Tour (2005-07). The song gave its name to a 2008 Martin Scorsese film chronicling the Stones' Beacon Theatre performances on the latter tour, and the 29 October 2006 performance is included on the soundtrack album.

Legacy

The song's vocal melody was an influence on Oasis's song "Live Forever", released in 1994. The song has been covered multiple times in concert by Phish, the first time on 31 October 2009 when the band covered the entirety of Exile on Main Street as part of its musical costume. Elton John also performed the song live for 'Peace One Day' on 21 September 2012, and is a well-known Stones fan. The song was also featured in the 3rd episode season 6 of Californication "Dead Rockstars" performed by Tim Minchin (aka Atticus Fetch in the series).

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References

  1. ↑ See 691000A and 940125A on
  2. ↑ BassPlayer.com
  3. ↑ Goodman, Fred (2015). Allen Klein: The Man Who Bailed Out the Beatles, Made the Stones, and Transformed Rock & Roll. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 235–236. ISBN   978-0-547-89686-1.
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