Release Date: April 16, 1964
Label: Decca
Popular Songs:
Not Fade Away (YouTube)
Route 66 (YouTube)
Carol (YouTube)
Songs You Need to Listen To:
Tell Me (YouTube)
I’m a King Bee (YouTube)
Mona (YouTube)
Written By: Andy Trcka
April 17, 2020
Right out the gates the Rolling Stones were good. From day one they were the boys you wouldn’t want to see your daughter bring home. Scruffy, edgy, raw – where John and Paul wanted to “hold your hand,” the Stones were begging to “spend the night.” On The Rolling Stones, the emotion and raw sexuality poured out on stage 30, 40, 50 plus years later is fully displayed. “I Just Want to Make Love To You,” the 3rd song on the album, renders no illusions of the Stones intentions!
“Tell Me,” is the lone Jagger/Richards original on The Rolling Stones thus it’s also the first Mick and Keith song officially released. Fragility front and center, Mick is pleading for a gal to come back to him. This message contrasts with many early Stones hits that were unabashedly delivered from the male perspective, for example: “Under My Thumb” or “Play With Fire.”
I want you back again
I want your love again
I know you find it hard to reason with me
But this time it’s different, darling you’ll see
You gotta tell me you’re coming back to me (repeat)
Songwriters: Keith Richards/Mick Jaggar via London Recordings
“Tell Me” is both my favorite of the album and one of my best-loved Stones songs. Rhythm and lead guitars dancing with one another, Keith’s voice hauntingly floating in the background, and Mick pouring out his vocals as if they were an instrument – here and throughout The Rolling Stones, the distinctive qualities that made the Stones great are evident.
While the Stones stamped the songs with their brand, The Rolling Stones is also a product of its times. This is obvious as many tracks have a poppy, almost beachlike vibe. The song “Route 66” has left an impression on the American landscape as pronounced as the highway itself. The route begins near the juke joints of Missouri and ends at Santa Monica California’s pier. The Stones rendition of this classic song is a guitar-heavy dose of dance inspiring rock and roll. Side one features the bubbly *Nanker Phelge collaboration, “Now I’ve Got a Witness.” This song is driven by Ian Stewart’s piano and interestingly enough, features Brian Jones on harmonica. In time Mick would emerge as the Stones premier harpist, something no doubt of consternation to Jones, the brilliant instrumentalist. “Walking the Dog,” the albums final track, is poppy, light-hearted and ensures listeners exit the record in a happy mood.
The album is hardly all camp though; rawness and a tapestry of American musical influences are on display throughout. In time the Stones would meld their various blues, rock, gospel, and soul influences into a unique Stonesy blend. But here, with “I’m a King Bee,” they deliver a track that sounds as if it poured out of a blues hall in Chicago’s Southside. “King Bee” was regularly featured in early Stones lineups and is still occasionally played today. “Honest I Do” is another blues heavy track that has the added bonus of Jones and Richards guitar interplay that is a hallmark of the Stones modern sound.
FYI! Nanker Phelge was a pseudonym used for many Stones collaborative efforts. The exact composition of the collaborative is still debated today, but basically Jagger, Oldham, Richards, Stewart, Jones, Watts and Wyman are the rumored collaborators.
My Love Bigger Than a Cadillac…
“Not Fade Away” is a beloved song by generations of fans for multiple bands. It’s one of those rare songs made famous by three bands.”Not Fade Away” was first popularized by the rock pioneer Buddy Holly. Then the Stones pumped up the tempo of it, released it as a single in the UK and included it as the opening track to this album in the US. Brian Jones’ harmonica charges through the song like a train barreling through town. Shortly after the Stones, the Grateful Dead picked up the song, typically pairing it with other songs in an extended Jam (Spotify). Debate rages regarding which version is best.
Buddy Holly, the Rolling Stones and The Dead all released the song in a compact period, but for other tunes popularized by a trio of bands, the passage of time can intensify the argument regarding preferred versions. For example, Dylan or Hendrix fans might loathe the Dave Matthews version of “All Along the Watchtower.” My own dear mother hates the Janis’ rendition of “Me and Bobby McGee,” a song also popularized by Waylon Jennings and the Grateful Dead. Mom prefers the version of its songwriter – Kris Kristofferson. Personally I figure the more the merrier, but my accommodating proclivities are hardly universal.
London in the early 1960s
Accessing American blues in early 60s London was a chore. Basically you had to tune into Radio Free Europe, hear it in a club, have access to a mail-order catalog, or be introduced by a friend. And don’t forget, often friends are helpful, sometimes they are not as they might recommend Barry Manilow. Of these options, the clubs were scarce. Brian and company regularly played at three London clubs: The Crawdaddy, Marquee, and the Eeling. It was the Marquee Club where the Rolling Stones played their first gig on July 12th, 1962. At this moment they were a cover band, playing the likes of Jimmy Reed, Eddie Taylor and Chuck Berry. Soul, blues and R & B poured forth from the stage. For the Stones it wasn’t as much as they were covering but rather sharing the music they loved. The audience didn’t care if the Stones wrote the material or not as they were being exposed to the diverse and fiery sounds of American music.
The early Stones were lead by Brian Jones. He recruited the various Stones, suggested what songs to play, helped book their gigs and being the instrumentalist he was – served as their principal musical arranger. Gradually, the clubs the Stones played grew larger. Slowly, as their stages literally grew, Mick found he could fill the stage and he transitioned to frontman. Watch Mick perform early in their career, his restraint is palpable, you can tell he’s dying to shake loose.
Mick’s desire is justified when you consider what they were playing. The tracks “Mona” and “Carol” on this album beg to be played live. “Carole” is a Chuck Berry tune that to this day makes an audience sway. Similarily, “Mona (I Need You Baby)” (featured on the UK release of The Rolling Stones) with it’s wondering drumbeat and Mick’s soulful singing, is a tune that’s easy to sashay to. “Mona,” not as much, but both these songs still grace their current setlists.
First albums are a curious thing. Some are as titanic as an earthquake and the band never replicates the magic. Sometimes a first album is stinky and you wonder how they ever caught on. Frequently first albums are serviceable and lay the groundwork for future efforts. The latter is true for this album. The Rolling Stones present the listener with a collection of soulful, blues-leaning rockers that leave you wanting more. They would carry these influences forward to future efforts and meld them in a patented Stones sound. Lusty motivations, snarling blues, stunning musicianship, profound songwriting ability – all the hallmarks that Stones fans still love today can be found on The Rolling Stones.
Up Next for Andy’s Stones
This is the 12th of 24 albums reviewed. We’re halfway through this odyssey! Sometime in the coming week or two I’ll send out a summary and compilation playlist of the albums we’ve covered. Not exactly sure what the summary will look like but it will most likely feature a summary of the rare tracks I’ve tried to point you towards and also links to the music that influenced the Stones. Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Chuck Berry, etc…it’s all good stuff and needs to be shared.
Following the summary we’ll dive back into reviews. 1976’s Black and Blue and 1971’s Sticky Fingers were both released in April so the next review will be one of those and will be sent sometime in early May. Reach me if you have a preference.
Post Script
Sources: The info about Stones in London in the 1960s was largely drawn from a class I took this summer on www.coursera.org. The class was taught by the University of Rochester and was entitled The music of the Rolling Stones 1962 – 1974. Check out Coursera for loads of interesting music-related classes! As always I referenced the liner notes and Wikipedia pages for the albums.
Thanks yet again to Tim Kopischke for helping me think of songs made popular by three bands/artists. I couldn’t remember the title “Me and Bobby McGee” and TK jogged my memory.
Thank you to Brad J, Mike S and Lou B – I can always count on you if I need to chat about the Stones.
We’re halfway through these reviews and this is the first my Mom has appeared in a review. Kind of funny as both her and Joe (my brother) more than anyone influenced my musical taste. Those two set me on the path of outlaw country, Rolling Stones, John Denver and Pearl Jam…awesome stuff. Lord knows what crap I’d be into if it weren’t for them.
Thank you to grammerly.com and thesaurus/dictionary.com. Great resources! Please don’t judge them by my sloppiness! These apps/sites are trying to help me not butcher the English language.
Casey – let me know if I missed any shoutouts
gramsghost.com 