Time Is on My Side

Last updated
"Time Is on My Side"
Single by Kai Winding
A-side "Baby Don't Come On with Me"
ReleasedOctober 3, 1963 (1963-10-03)
Genre Rhythm and blues
Length3:05
Label Verve
Songwriter(s) Norman Meade a.k.a. Jerry Ragovoy
Producer(s) Creed Taylor

"Time Is on My Side" is a song written by Jerry Ragovoy (using the pseudonym "Norman Meade"). First recorded by jazz trombonist Kai Winding and his orchestra in 1963, it was covered (with additional lyrics by Jimmy Norman) by both soul singer Irma Thomas and then later the Rolling Stones in 1964.

Contents

Kai Winding

The song was first recorded by Kai Winding, a Danish-American jazz trombonist who was looking to take his career in a more mainstream direction. [1] Session arranger Garry Sherman contacted friend and colleague Jerry Ragovoy,[ citation needed ] who wrote the title, melody and chorus. The session singers Dee Dee Warwick, Dionne Warwick and Cissy Houston sang "time is on my side – you'll come running back" in a gospel style over Winding's trombone melody. [1] Produced by Creed Taylor and engineered by Phil Ramone, the recording was released on the Verve Records label[ citation needed ] in October 1963. It received some radio coverage but did not chart. [1]

Irma Thomas rendition

"Time Is on My Side"
Single by Irma Thomas
A-side "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)"
ReleasedJune 1964
Genre Rhythm and blues
Length2:50
Label Imperial
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Eddie Ray

On April 16, 1964, Irma Thomas recorded an R&B cover of the song as the B-side for the single "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)", released on Imperial Records. H. B. Barnum, the session director, suggested the song, and session singer Jimmy Norman wrote the lyrics during the recording. [2] [3] Thomas monologues during the song that her ex-lover, not she, will suffer for his bad behavior. [1]

Produced by Eddie Ray, Thomas' version of "Time Is on My Side" provided the inspiration for the title of her 1996 greatest hits release Time Is on My Side.

Rolling Stones version

"Time Is on My Side"
Timeisonmyside.jpg
Single by the Rolling Stones
from the album The Rolling Stones No. 2 and 12 x 5
B-side "Congratulations"
ReleasedSeptember 25, 1964 (1964-09-25) (US single version)
RecordedJune 24–26, 1964 (US single version)
Studio Regent Sound, London
Genre
Length2:50
Label London
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Andrew Loog Oldham
The Rolling Stones Americansingles chronology
"It's All Over Now"
(1964)		"Time Is on My Side"
(1964)		"Heart of Stone"
(1964)

Thomas' song came to The Rolling Stones' attention as they often bought U.S.-imported music from Soho shops. According to Garth Cartwright of the Financial Times , Thomas' "big chorus, blues flavour and callous dismissal of a lover" suited the band. [1] They first recorded the song in June 1964, within days of hearing it, at London's Regent Sound studios. They used a briefer organ-only intro and guitars in place of horns to create a rock anthem song, with vocalist Mick Jagger imitating Thomas' ad-libs. [1] [4] This looser arrangement was released as a single in the US, on September 25, 1964, [4] and was included the following month on their US album 12 X 5 . It became the band's first top ten hit in the United States. [5] Cash Box described it at the time as a "throbbing rhythm affair" with "an effective mid-deck recitation". [6]

The second arrangement (more tightly arranged and featuring guitar in the intro), recorded in Chicago's Chess studio on November 8, 1964, [7] [1] was released in the UK on January 15, 1965, [8] on The Rolling Stones No. 2 . This later rendition is the one that receives the most airplay and appears on most "best of" compilations. Both versions incorporate elements of Irma Thomas's recording, including spoken-word interjections in the chorus, a monologue in the middle of the song, and distinctive lead guitar.[ citation needed ]

The single peaked at No. 6 on the US Billboard Pop Singles Chart to become the Rolling Stones' first top ten hit in the US. Their previous single, "It's All Over Now", had peaked at No. 26.

A live version of the song from the band's 1982 live album, Still Life , reached No. 62 in the UK Singles Chart. [9]

The song was part of the British Invasion, in which English covers of black American songs received more U.S. radio attention than the original. Thomas refused to sing her version after the Rolling Stones' recording for multiple decades, telling interviewers that the band had not acknowledged her despite given support act slots to other singers like Tina Turner. In 1992, she began performing it again following a TV show appearance in which the host Bonnie Raitt introduced her as the original singer. [1] On May 2, 2024, during the Rolling Stones' performance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Jagger and Thomas performed the song as a duet, which was the first time the Rolling Stones had performed the song live since 1998. [10]

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1964–65)Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [11] 5
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [12] 3
Finland (Soumen Virallinen) [13] 20
France4
Germany (Official German Charts) [14] 28
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [15] 6
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade) [16] 2
Sweden (Kvällstoppen) [17] 17
Switzerland3
US Billboard Hot 100 [18] 6

Recordings by other artists

"Time Is on My Side" has since been covered by artists such as Indexi, Michael Bolton, Cat Power, Hattie Littles, Blondie, Wilson Pickett, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, the O'Jays, the Pretty Things, Lorraine Ellison, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Kim Wilson, Tracy Nelson, Patti Smith, [19] Andrés Calamaro (for his "El Salmón", a CD with 103 songs), and the Moody Blues (in 1965 and on the 1985 re-release of The Magnificent Moodies ).

Pop singer and pianist Vanessa Carlton recorded a version for a Time Warner digital video recorders commercial, which also served as promotion for her second album, Harmonium (2004), and received heavy rotation on US television during early 2005. [20] The newspaper Metroland reviewed her take on the song negatively, and wrote, "we tend to think time is most definitely not on her side — how else to explain the near-universal apathy to the release of her second album, Harmonium?" [21] Harmonium was not re-issued to include the song.

In 2004, Jimmy Norman, who wrote the lyrics to "Time is on My Side" but whose name was eventually removed from credits, [22] recorded it for the first time as the last track on his album Little Pieces.

In 2007, English soul singer Beverley Knight recorded it, featuring Ronnie Wood, for her fifth studio album, Music City Soul .

In 2012, American professional wrestler Bray Wyatt would often menacingly sing the chorus of the song during his promos. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rolling Stones</span> English rock band

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active across seven 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 of the band. After Andrew Loog Oldham became the group's manager in 1963, he encouraged them to write their own songs. The Jagger–Richards partnership became the band's primary songwriting and creative force.

<i>The River</i> (Bruce Springsteen album) 1980 album by Bruce Springsteen

The River is the fifth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released as a double album on October 17, 1980, by Columbia Records. The album was Springsteen's attempt at making a record that captured the E Street Band's live sound. Co-produced by Springsteen, his manager Jon Landau, and bandmate Steven Van Zandt, the recording sessions lasted 18 months in New York City from March 1979 to August 1980. Springsteen originally planned to release a single LP, The Ties That Bind, in late 1979, before deciding it did not fit his vision and scrapped it. Over 50 songs were recorded; outtakes saw release as B-sides and later on compilation albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Money (Pink Floyd song)</span> Song by Pink Floyd

"Money" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd from their 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. Written by Roger Waters, it opened side two of the original album. Released as a single, it became the band's first hit in the United States, reaching number 10 in Cash Box magazine and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sympathy for the Devil</span> 1968 song by the Rolling Stones

"Sympathy for the Devil" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones. The song was written by Mick Jagger and credited to the Jagger–Richards partnership. It is the opening track on the band's 1968 album Beggars Banquet. The song has received critical acclaim and features on Rolling Stone magazine's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" list, being ranked number 106 in the 2021 edition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not Fade Away (song)</span> 1957 single by The Crickets

"Not Fade Away" is a song credited to Buddy Holly and Norman Petty and first recorded by Holly and his band, the Crickets.

<i>Aftermath</i> (Rolling Stones album) 1966 album by the Rolling Stones

Aftermath is a 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.

<i>The Rolling Stones</i> (album) 1964 studio album by the Rolling Stones

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. 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.

<i>Got Live If You Want It!</i> (album) 1966 live album by The Rolling Stones

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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Follow the Sun</span> 1964 song by The Beatles

"I'll Follow the Sun" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles. It is a ballad written and sung by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was released in 1964 on the Beatles for Sale album in the United Kingdom and on Beatles '65 in the United States. The band played the song on the BBC radio programme Top Gear, and the track was released on On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2 in 2013.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Get Off of My Cloud</span> 1965 single by The Rolling Stones

"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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">She's a Rainbow</span> 1967 single by the Rolling Stones

"She's a Rainbow" is a song by the Rolling Stones and was featured on their 1967 album Their Satanic Majesties Request. It has been called "the prettiest and most uncharacteristic song" that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote for the Stones, although somewhat ambiguous in intention.

<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.

<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.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">19th Nervous Breakdown</span> 1966 single by the Rolling Stones

"19th Nervous Breakdown" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was recorded in late 1965 and released as a single in February 1966. It reached number 2 on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and Britain's Record Retailer chart, while topping the charts compiled by Cash Box and NME. In the UK, it broke the band's streak of consecutive number-one singles that had started with "It's All Over Now" (1964).

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If Not for You</span> 1970 song by Bob Dylan

"If Not for You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan from his October 1970 album New Morning. It was issued as the A-side of a single in Europe in early 1971. The song is a love song to Dylan's first wife, Sara Dylan. He recorded it several times in 1970; the session for the released version took place in New York in August. He also recorded the song with George Harrison on May 1, soon after the break-up of the Beatles, a session that attracted much speculation in the music press. The May recording remained unreleased until its inclusion on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take It or Leave It (Rolling Stones song)</span> Song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards

"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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Cartwright, Garth (February 11, 2024). "Time Is on My Side — how Irma Thomas reclaimed her 1964 track". Financial Times . Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  2. ↑ Dave Godin's Deep Soul Treasures: Taken From The Vaults Volume 1 (Media notes). Ace Records. 1997.
  3. ↑ Sargent, William (2021). Superstar in a Masquerade. Page Publishing. ISBN   978-1-64628-896-0.
  4. 1 2 Elliott, Martin (2012). The Rolling Stones Complete Recording Sessions 1962–2012 (50th anniversary ed.). London: Cherry Red Books. p. 42. ISBN   978-1-901447-77-4.
  5. ↑ Margotin & Guesdon 2016, pp. 80, 81.
  6. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. October 10, 1964. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
  7. ↑ Margotin & Guesdon 2016, pp. 81.
  8. ↑ Elliott, Martin (2012). The Rolling Stones Complete Recording Sessions 1962–2012 (50th anniversary ed.). London: Cherry Red Books. p. 38. ISBN   978-1-901447-77-4.
  9. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. pp. 467/8. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  10. ↑ Spera, Keith (May 2, 2024). "The Rolling Stones' age-defying 2024 Jazz Fest show went 'from old to new' with Irma Thomas". NOLA.com. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  11. ↑ "The Rolling Stones – Time Is on My Side" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  12. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 4677." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  13. ↑ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. p. 240. ISBN   951-31-2503-3.
  14. ↑ "The Rolling Stones – Time Is on My Side" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  15. ↑ "The Rolling Stones – Time Is on My Side" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  16. ↑ "Flavour of New Zealand, 4 February 1965". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  17. ↑ Hallberg, Eric (1993). Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3: Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962 - 19. 8. 1975. Drift Musik. p. 243. ISBN   9163021404.
  18. ↑ "The Rolling Stones Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
  19. ↑ "Patti Smith Group – Ask The Angels / Time Is On My Side (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. 1976-10-21. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
  20. ↑ "Time Warner's DVR is on your side!". Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Anna Cheek CD-Release Party". Archived from the original on December 5, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  22. ↑ Sisario, Ben (2004-11-03). "The songs (with a bumpy detour) never end". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-01-04.
  23. ↑ "FCW Bray Wyatt Promo". YouTube .

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.