The Rolling Stones | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 17 April 1964 | |||
Recorded | 3 January – 25 February 1964 | |||
Studio | Regent Sound, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 33:24 | |||
Label | Decca | |||
Producer | ||||
The Rolling Stones UK chronology | ||||
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The Rolling Stones US chronology | ||||
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Singles from England's Newest Hit Makers | ||||
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The Rolling Stones is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones,released by Decca Records in the UK on 17 April 1964. [2] The American edition of the LP,with a slightly different track list,came out on London Records on 29 May 1964,subtitled England's Newest Hit Makers,which later became its official title.
Recorded at Regent Sound Studios in London over the course of five days in January and February 1964,The Rolling Stones was produced by then-managers Andrew Loog Oldham and Eric Easton. The album was originally released by Decca Records in the UK,while the US version appeared on the London Records label.
The majority of the tracks reflect the band's love for R&B. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (whose professional name until 1978 omitted the "s" in his surname) were fledgling songwriters during early 1964,contributing only one original composition to the album:"Tell Me (You're Coming Back)". Two songs are credited to "Nanker Phelge" –a pseudonym the band used for group compositions from 1963 to 1965. Phil Spector and Gene Pitney both contributed to the recording sessions,and are referred to as "Uncle Phil and Uncle Gene" in the subtitle of the Phelge instrumental "Now I've Got a Witness".
First pressings of the album,with matrix numbers ending in 1A,2A,1B,and 2B,have a 2:52 version of "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)",which was pressed from the wrong master tape. Subsequent pressings include the 4:06 version. Early labels and covers also have misprints with the fourth track on side 1 listed as "Mona",which was later changed to "I Need You Baby",the subtitle of "Now I've Got a Witness" written "Like Uncle Gene and Uncle Phil",the word 'If' omitted from "You Can Make It If You Try",and 'Dozier' spelt 'Bozier'. "Route 66" is listed as "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66" on some versions of the album,and some later versions of the album have "I Need You Baby" listed as "Mona (I Need You Baby)" and the subtitles of "Now I've Got a Witness" and "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)" removed entirely.
The album cover photo was taken by Nicholas Wright. The cover bears no title or identifying information other than the photo and the Decca logo –an "unheard of" design concept originated by manager Andrew Oldham. [3] [4]
Upon its release,The Rolling Stones became one of 1964's biggest sellers in the UK,staying at No. 1 for twelve weeks.
The original British version of the album was released on compact disc in 1984,but became out-of-print on CD for many years afterwards. In November 2010,it was made available as part of a limited edition vinyl box set titled The Rolling Stones 1964–1969,and by itself digitally at the same time. The original title was also reinstated as part of The Rolling Stones in Mono CD box set,released on 30 September 2016. The album was only released in mono in both the UK and US;no true stereo mix was ever made.
The US version of the album,originally self-titled but later officially called England's Newest Hit Makers,was the band's debut US album and was released by London Records on 29 May 1964,a month and a half after the British version. The track "Not Fade Away" (the A-side of the band's third UK single) replaced "I Need You Baby", [5] and the titles of the tracks "Now I've Got a Witness (Like Uncle Phil and Uncle Gene)" and "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)" were shortened to "Now I've Got a Witness" and "Tell Me" on most versions of the American release. Upon its release,The Rolling Stones reached No. 11 in the US,going gold in the process. To date,this is the Rolling Stones' only American studio album that has failed to place in the top five on the Billboard album charts. [6] In August 2002,the album,by now officially called England's Newest Hit Makers,was reissued as a new remastered CD and SACD Digipak by ABKCO. [7]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [8] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [9] |
Entertainment Weekly | C+ [10] |
The Great Rock Discography | 8/10 [11] |
MusicHound Rock | [12] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [13] |
Tom Hull | UK:A− US:A [14] |
The album was included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (2010). [15] Sean Egan of BBC Music wrote of the record in 2012:"It's a testament to the group's brilliance that the result was still the best album to emerge from the early 1960s British blues boom …the ensemble lovingly deliver some of their favourite shots of rhythm 'n' blues." [16] It was voted number 418 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums . [17]
For his 1972 single "The Jean Genie",David Bowie aimed to replicate the sound of The Rolling Stones. He said:"I didn't get that near to it,but it had a feel that I wanted –that '60s thing." [18]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Route 66" | Bobby Troup | 2:20 |
2. | "I Just Want to Make Love to You" | Willie Dixon | 2:17 |
3. | "Honest I Do" | Jimmy Reed | 2:09 |
4. | "Mona (I Need You Baby)" | Ellas McDaniel | 3:33 |
5. | "Now I've Got a Witness (Like Uncle Phil and Uncle Gene)" | Nanker Phelge | 2:29 |
6. | "Little by Little" | Nanker Phelge, Phil Spector | 2:39 |
Total length: | 15:27 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "I'm a King Bee" | James Moore | 2:35 |
2. | "Carol" | Chuck Berry | 2:33 |
3. | "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)" | Jagger-Richards | 4:05 |
4. | "Can I Get a Witness" | Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland | 2:55 |
5. | "You Can Make It If You Try" | Ted Jarrett | 2:01 |
6. | "Walking the Dog" | Rufus Thomas | 3:10 |
Total length: | 17:19 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Not Fade Away" | Buddy Holly, Norman Petty | 1:48 |
2. | "Route 66" | Bobby Troup | 2:20 |
3. | "I Just Want to Make Love to You" | Willie Dixon | 2:17 |
4. | "Honest I Do" | Jimmy Reed | 2:09 |
5. | "Now I've Got a Witness" | Nanker Phelge | 2:29 |
6. | "Little by Little" | Nanker Phelge, Phil Spector | 2:39 |
Total length: | 13:42 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "I'm a King Bee" | James Moore | 2:35 |
2. | "Carol" | Chuck Berry | 2:33 |
3. | "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)" | Jagger-Richards | 4:05 |
4. | "Can I Get a Witness" | Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland | 2:55 |
5. | "You Can Make It If You Try" | Ted Jarrett | 2:01 |
6. | "Walking the Dog" | Rufus Thomas | 3:10 |
Total length: | 17:19 |
According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon, [19] except where noted:
The Rolling Stones
Additional musicians
Production and additional personnel
Chart (1964–1965) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [21] | 1 |
Finland (The Official Finnish Charts) [22] | 2 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [23] | 2 |
UK Albums (OCC) [24] | 1 |
US Billboard 200 [25] | 11 |
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
Croatian International Albums (HDU) [26] | 23 |
Greek Albums (IFPI) [27] | 64 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [28] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [29] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pioneered the gritty, rhythmically driven sound that came to define hard rock. Their first stable line-up consisted of vocalist Mick Jagger, guitarist Keith Richards, multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts. During their early years, Jones was the primary leader. Andrew Loog Oldham became their manager in 1963 and encouraged them to write their own songs. The Jagger–Richards partnership soon became the band's primary songwriting and creative force.
Between the Buttons is the fifth British and seventh American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 20 January 1967 in the UK and 10 February in the US. Reflecting the band's brief foray into psychedelia and baroque pop balladry during the era, the album is among their most eclectic works; multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones frequently abandoned his guitar during the sessions in favour of instruments such as organ, marimba, dulcimer, vibraphone and kazoo. Keyboard contributions came from two session players: former Rolling Stones member Ian Stewart and frequent contributor Jack Nitzsche. Between the Buttons would be the last album produced by Andrew Loog Oldham, who had, to this point, acted as the band's manager and produced all of their albums.
Out of Our Heads is the third studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released in two editions with different covers and track listings. In the US, London Records released it on 30 July 1965 as the band's fourth American album, while Decca Records released its UK edition on 24 September 1965 as the third British album.
"Not Fade Away" is a song credited to Buddy Holly and Norman Petty and first recorded by Holly and his band, the Crickets.
Aftermath is the fourth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. The group recorded the album at RCA Studios in California in December 1965 and March 1966, during breaks between their international tours. It was released in the United Kingdom on 15 April 1966 by Decca Records and in the United States in late June or early July 1966 by London Records. It is the band's fourth British and sixth American studio album, and closely follows a series of international hit singles that helped bring the Stones newfound wealth and fame rivalling that of their contemporaries the Beatles.
Got Live If You Want It! is an album of mostly live recordings by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was released in November 1966 by London Records in the United States. With its release, the label attempted to fill a marketing gap between the Stones' studio albums and capitalise on their popularity in the US market, which was heightened that year by a famously successful North American concert tour supporting their hit album Aftermath (1966).
"Ruby Tuesday" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones, released in January 1967. The song became the band's fourth number-one hit in the United States and reached number three in the United Kingdom as a double A-side with "Let's Spend the Night Together". The song was included in the American version of Between the Buttons.
"Honky Tonk Women" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was released as a non-album single on 4 July 1969 in the United Kingdom, and a week later in the United States. It topped the charts in both nations. The song was on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
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 successful Hot Rocks 1964–1971.
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.
"Let's Spend the Night Together" is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and originally released by the Rolling Stones as a double A-sided single together with "Ruby Tuesday" in January 1967. It also appears as the opening track on the American version of their album Between the Buttons. The song has been covered by various artists, including David Bowie in 1973.
"As Tears Go By" is a song written by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Rolling Stones' manager Andrew Loog Oldham. Marianne Faithfull recorded and released it as a single in the United Kingdom in 1964. Her song peaked at number nine on both the UK and Irish singles charts. Later, the Rolling Stones recorded their own version, which was included on the American album December's Children . London Records released it as a single, which reached number six in the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
"Get Off of My Cloud" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for a single to follow the successful "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". Recorded at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California, in early September 1965, the song was released in September in the United States and October in the United Kingdom. It topped the charts in the US, UK, Canada, and Germany and reached number two in several other countries.
"Out of Time" is a song by the Rolling Stones, first released on their 1966 album Aftermath. The most commercially successful version of the song was by Chris Farlowe, an English solo artist. Farlowe's single, produced by Mick Jagger, peaked at number one in the UK Singles Chart on 28 July 1966 and stayed at the top for one week. A shorter alternative mix of the Rolling Stones' recording was released in the US in 1967 on the album Flowers. A third version featuring Jagger's lead vocal and the orchestration and backing vocals from Farlowe's cover version was released on the 1975 rarities album Metamorphosis and as a single.
"Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was recorded in the late summer of 1966 during early sessions for what would become their Between the Buttons album. It was the first Stones single to be released simultaneously in both the UK and the US, and reached number five and number nine on those countries' charts, respectively.
"Mother's Little Helper" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. A product of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' songwriting partnership, it is a folk rock song with Eastern influences. Its lyrics deal with the popularity of prescribed tranquilisers like Valium among housewives and the potential hazards of overdose or addiction. Recorded in December 1965, it was first released in the United Kingdom as the opening track of the band's April 1966 album, Aftermath. In the United States, it was omitted from the album and instead issued as a single in July 1966 during the band's fifth American tour. The Rolling Stones' twelfth US single, "Mother's Little Helper" spent nine weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 8, and it reached No. 4 on both Record World and Cash Box's charts.
"The Last Time" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones featuring the Andrew Oldham Orchestra, and the band's first original song released as an A-single in the UK. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and recorded at RCA Studios in Hollywood, California in January 1965, "The Last Time" was the band's third UK single to reach number one on the UK Singles Chart, spending three weeks at the top in March and early April 1965. It reached number two in the Irish Singles Chart in March 1965, and was released on the US version of the album Out of Our Heads on 30 July 1965.
"Little by Little" is a song by the Rolling Stones recorded on 4 February 1964. Decca Records released it as the B-side to their version of "Not Fade Away" on 21 February 1964. The title stems from an identically titled track by Junior Wells and Earl Hooker, with the rhythmic similarity to "Shame, Shame, Shame" by Jimmy Reed, a song which was released the previous year. Reed was not credited for the song, however, Phil Spector was given co-credit with "Nanker Phelge". The song is also included on their April 1964 debut album The Rolling Stones.
"Tell Me (You're Coming Back)" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, featured on their 1964 self-titled album (subtitled and often called England's Newest Hit Makers in the US). It became the first A-side single written by Jagger/Richards to be released, although not in the United Kingdom. The single reached number 24 in the United States (becoming their first top 40 hit there) and the top 40 in several other countries.
"Take It or Leave It" is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It was initially given away by them to the Searchers, a band with declining chart success, in hopes of making them popular again. Pye Records released the single on 8 April 1966 and it peaked at number 31 on the Record Retailer chart in May of that year. Though it was more popular in mainland Europe, the single was their penultimate song to chart. It received mixed reviews in the British Press.