“It’s Only Rock’n’Roll (But I Like It)” is likely one of the most iconic Rolling Stones songs. It’s additionally a music with a tangled net of a historical past, having first been recorded on July 24, 1973, not in a conventional studio however at The Wick, Ronnie Wooden’s residence in Richmond.
In accordance with Invoice Wyman, who admittedly wasn’t there, “On Tuesday 24 July, Mick and Keith went to Ronnie Wood’s house, the Wick in Richmond, and recorded a version of ‘It’s Only Rock’n’Roll (But I Like It),’ with Ronnie, Kenney Jones, and Ian McLagan.” Ronnie, Jones, and McLagan had been all in The Faces with Rod Stewart. Different studies have David Bowie at Ronnie’s home, however that Keith was not there.
Regardless of the fact, someday later within the yr Willie Weeks, an American session musician who labored with each George Harrison and David Bowie round this time, added bass to the music. In April 1974, the essential observe that was recorded at Ronnie’s home was used to complete the music, with Ian Stewart including his distinctive piano to the observe.
In accordance with Mick, “The idea of the song has to do with our public persona at the time. I was getting a bit tired of people having a go, all that, ‘oh, it’s not as good as their last one’ business. The single sleeve had a picture of me with a pen digging into me as if it were a sword. It was a light-hearted, anti-journalistic sort of thing.”
“It’s Only Rock’n’Roll (But I Like It)” was launched as a single on July 26, 1974, three months earlier than the album of the (almost) identical title got here out. However the report firm on the time was unsure it was a single. In accordance with Keith, there was opposition to it, however as he mentioned on the time, “That song is a classic. The title alone is a classic and that’s the whole thing about it.”
It went high 20 in each America and the UK and has been performed at nearly each dwell present ever since. The one was promoted with a video directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg that options the band in sailor fits, enjoying in a tent that regularly stuffed with bubbles. The froth was detergent and the rationale they wore the sailor fits was that none of them wished to destroy their very own garments. In accordance with Keith, “Poor old Charlie nearly drowned… because we forgot he was sitting down.”
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