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Sometimes the best Rolling Stones songs didn’t actually belong to the Rolling Stones—at least not at first. Blue Turns to Grey is one of those odd little gems that slipped into the world through other artists before Mick Jagger and Keith Richards finally claimed it themselves. It’s a reminder that the band’s songwriting ambitions were growing faster than their own release schedule, quietly planting future classics in unexpected places. While everyone remembers the massive hits, this charming early composition shows another side of The Rolling Stones—less swagger, more melody, and just enough heartbreak to prove they already knew their way around a great pop song.
You think you’ll have a ball/ And you won’t care at all…
Written by: Jagger/Richard Recorded: RCA Studios, Hollywood, USA, Sept. 6 1965
Mick Jagger: vocals Keith Richards: rhythm guitar, backing vocals Brian Jones: 12-string guitar Bill Wyman: bass Charlie Watts: drums
More about Blue Turns to Grey by The Rolling Stones
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni
A Poetic Turn In The Stones’ Early Songcraft
By the mid-1960s Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were increasingly leaning into a poetic sensibility that surprised even longtime followers of their raw R&B roots. Blue Turns to Grey stands out as one of the clearest examples of their early fascination with emotional storytelling, taking the fragile perspective of a heartbroken young man who watches his world drain of color after being left behind by his girlfriend. Instead of drowning in despair, he waits—perhaps for her return, perhaps for someone new—hoping that the grey will eventually return to blue. The melancholy tone of the lyrics fits neatly within the era’s rising folk-pop palette, while still revealing the duo’s growing talent for blending vulnerability with catchy melodic turns. In many ways, the song marked a small but important shift, hinting that the pair were beginning to explore more nuanced emotional territory than their earlier compositions suggested.
Early Versions And Unexpected Hits
Before the Rolling Stones ever released their own recording, Blue Turns to Grey had already begun its life through other voices. In early 1965, producer Andrew Loog Oldham shepherded versions by The Mighty Avengers and the American duo Dick & Dee Dee into the marketplace. Shortly after Tracey Dey issued her own single, oddly crediting the composition to “K. Richard – A. Oldham,, perhaps a reflection of Oldham’s deep involvement in shaping the Stones’ early output. Yet the version that truly captured public attention belonged to Cliff Richard & The Shadows. Recorded at Abbey Road and released in March 1966, their interpretation soared to number 15 in the UK charts, turning the tune into a bona fide hit long before British audiences ever heard the Stones’ original take.
The Stones’ Evolving Craft
When the Rolling Stones finally recorded their version—on September 5 or 6, 1965—they were deep in the process of refining their songwriting voice. Keith Richards later admitted that he and Jagger were still figuring out how to craft songs that suited the band’s identity, but Blue Turns to Grey shows just how rapidly they were learning. Compared to earlier works like Tell Me (You’re Coming Back) the composition demonstrates a new grasp of melody, structure, and emotional expression. Brian Jones plays a crucial role in shaping the track’s texture, adding a Byrds-like folk-rock shimmer with his Rickenbacker 12-string, drenched in vibrato. Keith complements him with equally expressive vibrato on either his Firebird VII or Epiphone Casino, the two guitar lines weaving together into a bright, chiming tapestry. Beneath them, the rhythm section supports the tune with a polished pop pulse, letting Mick Jagger deliver one of his most tender early vocal performances, double-tracked and reinforced by Keith’s harmonies.
Release History And Lasting Reception
Oddly, despite its strength, Blue Turns to Grey never made the cut for the UK version of Out of Our Heads. Instead the Stones chose to issue it later that year on the US-only album December’s Children (And Everybody’s), where it nestled comfortably among a mix of spirited originals and savvy cover choices. Fans wouldn’t see a UK release until the 1971 compilation Stone Age. Some speculated that its bright, jangly character—reminiscent of the Byrds and steeped in the folk-rock trend—made it feel more at home in the American market, where that sound was rapidly gaining ground. Even today, listeners note how its gentle melody and soulful undercurrent place it at an intriguing crossroads: part folk-rock, part pop, part rhythm-and-blues, and unmistakably a preview of the more sophisticated songwriting Jagger and Richards would soon deliver. Far from being a forgotten early effort, Blue Turns to Grey now stands as a vibrant milestone in the evolution of the Stones’ craft.
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