Saturday, October 22, 2011

Chess and RCA, once again (2)

Although he didn't play on the song (Jack Nitzsche did, at least on some cuts but not the final one), Ian Stewart played a role in the decision to release "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" as the Stones' next single. Bill Wyman recalls the recording of one of the band's trademark songs: On 10 May the band drove to Chess Studios for what became a nine-hour recording session, cutting several songs, including a first version of "Satisfaction", which wasn't very good.

Moving to Los Angeles on 11 May the band prepared for the next two days of productive recording sessions at RCA Studios, Hollywood. Attempting "Satisfaction" again, the sound suddenly went right with Keith using a fuzz-box and Charlie laying down a different tempo: the song just gelled. Keith and Mick were still not completely happy about it, though. After listening to the master tape, the band discussed whether it should be the next single, as Andrew Oldham and engineer Dave Hassinger were so positive about it.

The Stones decided to put it to the vote. Andrew, Dave, Stu, Brian, Charlie and Bill voted yes, while Mick and Keith voted no. The majority carried the day: it would be the band's next single. During the lenghty RCA sessions the band recorded a lot more songs, with Ian Stewart playing piano, organ and marimbas. On "Cry To Me", a country-soul ballad first covered by Solomon Burke in 1962, Stu joined the keys with Jack Nitzsche, with Stu on piano and Jack on organ.


Adapted from the following source: Bill Wyman, Stone Alone, Penguin Books, 1990.

1 comment:

  1. May 11-12, 1965: RCA Studios, Los Angeles, USA.
    The Rolling Stones: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (Jagger-Richards) (3:45)
    The Rolling Stones: I've Been Loving You Too Long (Butler-Redding) (2:53)
    The Rolling Stones: Good Times (Cooke) (2:00)
    The Rolling Stones: One More Try (Jagger-Richards) (1:57) The Rolling Stones: My Girl (Robinson-White) (2:42)
    The Rolling Stones: Cry To Me (Russell) (3:09) The Rolling Stones: The Spider And The Fly (Jagger-Richards) (3:41)

    650511B 11th - 12th May: Los Angeles, RCA Studios, Hollywood. Producer Andrew Oldham. Sound engineer: Dave Hassinger.
    - (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (Jagger-Richards) - Jack Nitzsche on piano and percussion
    - I've Been Loving You Too Long (Redding-Butler) - Ian Stewart on organ
    - Good Times (Cooke) - Ian Stewart on marimbas
    - One More Try (Jagger-Richards)
    - My Girl (Robinson-White) - note: the strings (Mike Leander Orchestra) were added at a later stage
    - Cry To Me (Russell) - Jack Nitzsche on organ
    - The Spider And The Fly (Jagger-Richards).

    Line-up: Mick Jagger (voc, harm, perc)/Keith Richards (gtr, bvoc)/Brian Jones (gtr, perc)/Ian Stewart (p)/Bill Wyman (bass)/Charlie Watts (dr). Additional musician: Jack Nitzsche on piano, organ and percussion.

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