Sweet Virginia

Last updated
"Sweet Virginia"
Song by The Rolling Stones
from the album Exile on Main St.
Released12 May 1972 (1972-05-12)
Recorded30 June – July 1970, 7 June 1971 – March 1972 [1]
Studio
Genre
Length4:27
Label Rolling Stones Records
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Jimmy Miller

"Sweet Virginia" is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and was the sixth song on the Rolling Stones' 1972 double album Exile on Main St. The song is a slow country-inspired composition with a saxophone solo.

Contents

This album was mostly recorded in Villa Nellcôte, France, [2] as well as at Olympic Studios in 1970, with vocal overdubs added in early 1972 at Sunset Sound Studios. The song features a harmonica solo by Jagger and a saxophone solo by Bobby Keys. Drummer Charlie Watts plays a country shuffle rhythm. [3] An alternate version without the backing singers was released on bootlegs. The song was also released as the B-side of the Stones' "Rocks Off" single in Japan. [4]

The version of the song that the band re-recorded for Stripped is featured in Martin Scorsese's 1995 film Casino . The original recording is played over the closing credits of Rian Johnson's 2019 film Knives Out . [5]

History

"Sweet Virginia" is an acoustic song that is thought to have been influenced by Gram Parsons and by the drug-fueled atmosphere of Nellcôte, where the album was mostly recorded during a series of chaotic recording sessions. [6] [2] The lyrics allude to drug use and pills and low-grade heroin (“drop your reds, drop your greens and blues”, "I hid the speed inside my shoe", and "got to scrape that shit right off your shoes"). [6] .

In a 1973 Crawdaddy interview, Parsons modestly confessed that he 'didn't work with the Stones that much. I did a few things with them...like with "Wild Horses", "Dead Flowers", and "Sweet Virginia"...I sang on "Sweet Virginia". Gram thought that he 'sort of did' turn the Stones on to a more basic consideration of country. [7]

Reception

Classic Rock History critic Matthew Pollard rated "Sweet Virginia" as the Rolling Stones' 4th best deep cut, calling it "a pretty little Country-inspired work of genius that’s thought-provoking and inspiring as it is a real crowd-pleasing sing-along." [8]

After the release of Exile on Main St., Allen Klein sued the Rolling Stones for breach of settlement because "Sweet Virginia" and four other songs on the album were composed while Jagger and Richards were under contract with Klein's company ABKCO Records. ABKCO acquired publishing rights to these songs, giving it a share of the royalties from Exile on Main St.. Additionally, ABKCO was able to publish another album consisting of previously released Rolling Stones songs, More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies) . [9]

Live performances

"Sweet Virginia" was performed by the Stones during their 1972 American tour, and it was featured in the concert film Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones , released in 1974. The Stones performed the song occasionally in 1973, and it returned to their set-lists on their 1994 Voodoo Lounge Tour, 2005 A Bigger Bang Tour, and 2017 No Filter Tour.

"Sweet Virginia" has also been covered in concert by the bands Phish [10] and Old Crow Medicine Show.

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon: [1]

The Rolling Stones

Additional musicians

Related Research Articles

<i>Exile on Main St.</i> 1972 studio album by the Rolling Stones

Exile on Main St. is the tenth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 12 May 1972 by Rolling Stones Records. The 10th released in the UK and 12th in the US, it is viewed as a culmination of a string of the band's most critically successful albums, following Beggars Banquet (1968), Let It Bleed (1969) and Sticky Fingers (1971). Exile on Main St. is known for its murky, inconsistent sound due to more disjointed musicianship and production, along with a party-like atmosphere heard in several tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruby Tuesday (song)</span> Song by the Rolling Stones

"Ruby Tuesday" is a song recorded by the Rolling Stones in 1966, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honky Tonk Women</span> 1969 single by the Rolling Stones

"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.

"Sweet Black Angel" is a song by the Rolling Stones, included on their 1972 album Exile on Main St. It was also released on a single as the B-side to "Tumbling Dice" prior to the album. The song features a West Indian rhythm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Happy (Rolling Stones song)</span> 1972 single by the Rolling Stones

"Happy" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1972 album Exile on Main St. Featuring guitarist Keith Richards on lead vocals, it was released as the second single from the album in June 1972, entering the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 69 on 15 July 1972 and reached No. 22 on 19 August 1972.

"Sittin' on a Fence" is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the English rock band the Rolling Stones. The song was given to the singing duo Twice as Much, who released it as their debut single in May 1966. This version became a Top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart, and also received some attention in the United States, where it charted on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Out of Time (Rolling Stones song)</span> 1966 song by the Rolling Stones

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?</span> 1966 song by the Rolling Stones

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mother's Little Helper</span> 1966 song by the Rolling Stones

"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.

"Ride On, Baby" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in 1965. It was first released as a single by Chris Farlowe in October 1966 and reached No. 31 on the British charts. The Rolling Stones' own version appeared a few months later on Flowers, an album released only in the US in June 1967. It was recorded during the Aftermath sessions in December 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dandelion (Rolling Stones song)</span> 1967 single by the Rolling Stones

"Dandelion" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and first released as a B-side to "We Love You" in August 1967. As recently as October 2023 Keith Richards confirmed that John Lennon and Paul McCartney sing backing vocals. Billboard described the single as "an easy beat rocker with good story line."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Last Time (Rolling Stones song)</span> 1965 single by the Rolling Stones

"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.

"Goin' Home" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was the longest popular music song at the time, coming in at 11 minutes and 35 seconds, and was the first extended rock improvisation released by a major recording act. It was included as the sixth track on side one of the United Kingdom version and the fifth track on side two of the American version of the band's 1966 studio album Aftermath.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2000 Light Years from Home</span> 1967 single by the Rolling Stones

"2000 Light Years from Home" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on their 1967 album Their Satanic Majesties Request. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it also appeared as the B-side to the American single "She's a Rainbow", and charted as a single in Germany.

"Think" is a Mick Jagger and Keith Richards composition that first appeared as a Chris Farlowe single which reached No 37 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1966.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stupid Girl (Rolling Stones song)</span> Song by the Rolling Stones

"Stupid Girl" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the song featured on the band's 1966 album Aftermath. It was also issued as the B-side of the U.S. "Paint It Black" single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Down the Line</span> 1972 single by the Rolling Stones

"All Down the Line" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, which is included on their 1972 album Exile on Main St.. Although at one point slated to be the lead single from the album, it was ultimately released as a single as the B-side of "Happy".

"Torn and Frayed" is a song by the Rolling Stones that appears on their 1972 album Exile on Main St. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In his review of the song, Bill Janovitz called it "a twangy, three-chord honky tonk, but not typically country", and said, "The progression of the chords brings gospel music to mind".

"Loving Cup" is a song by the Rolling Stones, which appears on their 1972 album Exile on Main St.

"I Am Waiting" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and released on the band's 1966 studio album Aftermath.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Margotin & Guesdon 2016, p. 378.
  2. 1 2 "We rank the songs on The Rolling Stones' double LP 'Exile on Main St.'". Far Out Magazine. 2020-05-12. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  3. ↑ Ciani, B. (2006). Great Rock Drummers of the Sixties (2nd ed.). Hal Leonard. p. 177. ISBN   9780634099250.
  4. ↑ Rocks Off (Japanese Single). The Rolling Stones. Rolling Stones Records. 1972.{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ↑ Moran, Sarah (2019-11-27). "Here's Every Song On Knives Out's Soundtrack". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2022-11-01.
  6. 1 2 "100 Greatest Rolling Stones Songs, #35 "Sweet Virginia" (1972)". Rolling Stone. 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2020-07-20.
  7. ↑ Ehler, Jay (July 1973). "Gram Parsons Sweeps Out The Ashes". Crawdaddy. p. 3. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  8. ↑ Pollard, Matthew (28 December 2023). "10 Rolling Stones Songs That Are Fan Favorite Deep Cuts". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ Mockingbird Foundation (2004). The Phish Companion: A Guide to the Band and Their Music. Hal Leonard. pp. 266, 313. ISBN   9780879307998.
  11. ↑ Babiuk & Prevost 2013, p. 353.

Notes

  1. ↑ While it was later rumored that American musician Gram Parsons contributed backing vocals to the track, Taylor stated in 2002 that he, and not Parsons, was the one singing. [11]

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.