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Rolling Stones songs: Can I Get A Witness
But it hurts me so inside/ To see you treat me so unkind/ Somebody, somewhere tell her it ain’t fair…
Mick Jagger: vocals, handclaps Keith Richards: guitar Brian Jones: tambourine, backing vocals Bill Wyman: bass, backing vocals Charlie Watts: drums Guest musicians: Ian Stewart (piano)
More about The Rolling Stones’ take on Can I Get A Witness
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni
Origins and Inspirations
Long before the Rolling Stones stepped into a studio to record their rendition of Can I Get a Witness the song had already cemented its identity within the rapidly expanding universe of Motown. Crafted by the powerhouse songwriting trio Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland, the composition fused the fervor of Black church call-and-response traditions with the sleek, forward-driving soul sound that Motown was honing in the early 1960s. The title borrowed directly from a ritual familiar to countless congregations, where a preacher’s question—“Can I get a witness?”—called forth a unified and resonant “Amen.”
When Marvin Gaye recorded the track on July 17, 1963, alongside the Supremes and the Holland–Dozier–Holland team on backing vocals, the piece transformed from a simple idea into a spirited blend of gospel cadence, rhythmic pop sophistication, and Gaye’s uniquely sensitive delivery. Even before its release, the song pulsed with cultural weight and artistic ambition.
The Motown Recording
Marvin Gaye’s studio session at Hitsville U.S.A. captured a performance that balanced gospel vitality with Motown’s trademark polish. Eddie Holland later recalled discussing the song with Gaye only once, noting the singer’s recurring frustration with material written above his natural vocal comfort zone. That slight friction, however, lent urgency to the final result. The original arrangement moved confidently through handclaps, bright horn lines, and a lively piano foundation that propelled the melody with buoyant energy. Released on Motown’s Tamla imprint in September 1963, the track reached number 22 on the Billboard pop chart, marking an important stage in Gaye’s early ascent. More than a routine single, it stood as a hybrid: a soul anthem deeply informed by church tradition, shaped by Detroit’s pop assembly line, and fully animated by Gaye’s expressive nuance.
The Stones’ Radical Approach
When the Rolling Stones took on Can I Get a Witness in early 1964, they approached it not as seasoned interpreters of soul but as a young band still piecing together their stylistic identity. Their live repertoire leaned heavily on electric blues and rhythm and blues classics, yet the inclusion of contemporary soul material pushed them into fresh territory. Ian Stewart’s boogie-woogie piano became the backbone of their arrangement, giving the track a Ray Charles-like swing while keeping it firmly rooted in rock ’n’ roll.
The biggest surprise came from Mick Jagger’s vocal delivery. Instead of his more familiar phrasing, he adopted a rasping, breath-driven tone that startled many first-time listeners. Andrew Loog Oldham later revealed why: Jagger hadn’t fully learned the lyrics, prompting him to sprint from Regent Sound to pick up the sheet music from the publisher’s office. Returning slightly winded, he recorded the vocal immediately—hence its breathless intensity.
Bill Wyman: “Andrew Oldham was always pushing us to get us to do Motown things like Can I Get a Witness. And he was right as well; he was more right than we were. And, of course, when Mick and Keith got into writing, the songs came out more like he was looking for. Keith was always more into Soul music than me or Charlie, and Mick loved soul performers like Wilson Pickett and James Brown.”
Andrew clarifies the situation by noting that he recommended the Stones cover Can I Get a Witness. but Jagger was unfamiliar with the lyrics. “I called Freddy Bienstock, who published the song,” he recalls, “and Mick ran from Regent Sound to pick up the sheet music left in reception at Freddy’s Savile Row office.” When he got back, Mick hurried directly to the microphone, “and that’s the reason the vocal on our Can I Get a Witness sounds so breathless.”
A Place in Music History
Though the Stones’ version is not usually singled out as a standout moment from their early catalog, it occupies a compelling place in the story of their artistic development. With Keith Richards anchoring the rhythm on a Harmony 12-string guitar, Brian Jones contributing tambourine and possibly guitar overdubs, and Keith, Brian, and Bill Wyman providing vocal harmonies, the recording became an earnest if slightly rough attempt to bridge British rock sensibilities with American soul craftsmanship. The track’s session unfolded during a historic moment in pop culture.
On February 4, 1964—the same day the Stones recorded Can I Get a Witness—the Beatles played their final show at the Olympia in Paris before departing for the United States, igniting the British Invasion. In that sense, the Stones’ recording stands as a small but telling marker of a transitional era: a moment when British groups were beginning to reinterpret, re-energize, and ultimately reshape the American musical traditions they so admired.
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