Stoned (The Rolling Stones song)

Last updated
"Stoned"
Single by The Rolling Stones
A-side "I Wanna Be Your Man"
Released
  • September 1963 (1963-1101) (UK)
  • March 1964 (US – withdrawn)
Format 7-inch single
Recorded7 October 1963
Studio Kingsway, London
Genre Instrumental rock, Blues rock
Length2:07
Label
Composer(s) Nanker Phelge
Producer(s)
The Rolling Stones singles chronology
"Come On"
(1963)
"Stoned"
(1963)
"Not Fade Away"
(1964)

"Stoned" was released in the United Kingdom by the Rolling Stones on the Decca label on 1 November 1963, as the B-side to their version of "I Wanna Be Your Man". [1] Recorded in early October 1963, it was the first song released to be credited to "Nanker Phelge", and the band's first original composition, derivative of "Green Onions" by Booker T. & the M.G.s. This bluesy quasi-instrumental [2] features Jones on harmonica and Stewart on tack piano, with occasional vocals from Jagger who huskily recites "Stoned .... outa mah mind .... where am I at?" [3]

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 (multi-instrumentalist), 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 to work with the band as a contracted musician 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 Jones left the band less than a month before his death in 1969, having already been replaced by Mick Taylor, who remained until 1974.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 was contracted by the band to play bass. Since the firing of Stewart, the Stones have not had a keyboardist as a member of the band, but have had long working relationships with Jack Nitzsche (1965–1971), Nicky Hopkins (1967–1982), Billy Preston (1971–1981), Ian McLagan (1978–1981), and Chuck Leavell (1982–present).

Decca Records US/British record label

Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, along with American Decca's first president Jack Kapp and later American Decca president Milton Rackmil. In 1937, anticipating Nazi aggression leading to World War II, Lewis sold American Decca and the link between the UK and U.S. Decca labels was broken for several decades. The British label was renowned for its development of recording methods, while the American company developed the concept of cast albums in the musical genre. Both wings are now part of the Universal Music Group, which is owned by Vivendi, a media conglomerate headquartered in Paris, France. The US Decca label was the foundation company that evolved into UMG.

"I Wanna Be Your Man" is a Lennon–McCartney-penned song recorded and released as a single by the Rolling Stones, and then recorded by the Beatles. The song was primarily written by Paul McCartney, and finished by Lennon and McCartney in the corner of a room while Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were talking.

The single was briefly released in the United States on the London Records label early in 1964, [3] but was quickly withdrawn on "moral grounds" [2] until its inclusion on Singles Collection: The London Years in 1989. [4] It also appeared on the 1973 UK-only compilation No Stone Unturned , and on Singles 1963-1965 (2004). [1]

London Records record label headquartered in the United Kingdom

London Records is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America from 1947 to 1979 before becoming semi-independent.

<i>Singles Collection: The London Years</i> compilation album

Singles Collection: The London Years is a compilation album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1989. It was released as a 3-CD and a 4-LP set.

A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for release together as a single work, but may be collected together as a greatest hits album or box set. If from several performers, there may be a theme, topic, time period, or genre which links the tracks, or they may have been intended for release as a single work—such as a tribute album. When the tracks are by the same recording artist, the album may be referred to as a retrospective album or an anthology.

Personnel

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.

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 Zentgraf, Nico. "The Complete Works of the Rolling Stones 1962-2008" . Retrieved 2008-05-16.
  2. 1 2 per the liner notes for Singles Collection: The London Years.
  3. 1 2 The Rolling Stones, an illustrated record (1976) Roy Carr, New English Library, London. pp. 14, 104
  4. McPherson, Ian. "Time Is On Our Side - Stoned" . Retrieved 2008-05-16.

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