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Rolling Stones Songs: Cook Cook Blues

*Click for MORE ROLLING STONES SONGS 1962-PRESENT

Bad, bad, bad loving baby/ And I lay out my love alright…

*B-side of the Rock And A Hard Place single
Working title: Call Girl Blues
Written by: Jagger/Richards
Recorded: EMI Pathé Marconi Studios, Boulogne-Billancourrt France, Nov. 11-Dec. 16 1982; Olympic Sound Studios, London, England, May 15-June 29 1989
*Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book The Rolling Stones Complete Recording Sessions 1962-2012

Mick Jagger: vocals
Keith Richards: rhythm and lead guitar
Bill Wyman: bass
Charlie Watts: drums
Ron Wood: rhythm guitar, slide guitar
Guest musicians: Ian Stewart (piano), Chuck Leavell (organ)

Cook Cook Blues captures the Rolling Stones in their most unfiltered state—a loose, blues-driven session that feels alive rather than polished. Hidden on the B-side of Rock and a Hard Place, it offers a rare glimpse into the band’s creative chemistry at work.

Recorded during the Undercover sessions in 1982 and revived years later for Steel Wheels, the track spans two distinct phases of the Stones’ evolution. Mick Jagger’s later-added lyrics give shape to a groove that had already been simmering beneath the surface.

What truly defines Cook Cook Blues is its raw authenticity. With Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood trading guitar lines and Ian Stewart’s boogie-woogie piano pushing the rhythm forward, the song stands as a reminder of the band’s deep-rooted blues identity.

More about Cook Cook Blues by The Rolling Stones

*By Marcelo Sonaglioni

Cook Cook Blues: a hidden blues ritual in the Stones’ vault

Before it ever became a B-side Cook Cook Blues existed in that loose, creative space where the Rolling Stones often rediscovered themselves. Born during the Undercover sessions at Pathé Marconi Studios in November and December 1982—most likely November 11—the track carried early contributions from Ian Stewart and Chuck Leavell. Yet it wasn’t until seven years later, during the Steel Wheels recordings at Olympic Sound Studios in London, that Mick Jagger is believed to have added the lyrics. The result feels less like a finished composition and more like a captured moment: a band slipping back into a familiar groove, guided by instinct and steeped in the boogie-woogie pulse of the Old South.

From revival to release

Cook Cook Blues followed an unusual path, resurfacing years after its initial recording. When the Rolling Stones revisited it during the Steel Wheels sessions, the track gained a new layer with Jagger’s vocal, but its essence remained unchanged—raw and rooted in tradition. Rather than appearing on an album, it was chosen as the B-side to Rock and a Hard Place, released on November 4, 1989. That single, slightly shorter than the album version, reached number 23 in the United States and number 63 in the United Kingdom. While the A-side found chart success, Cook Cook Blues quietly held its place as a nod to the band’s enduring connection to the blues.

Production and interplay

Structurally, the track is a straightforward twelve-bar blues, a form the Rolling Stones have revisited countless times. Innovation isn’t the focus here—instead, it’s about feel and familiarity. The song unfolds like a jam, emphasizing interaction over precision. Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood lead the charge, alternating guitar lines from the opening fade-in to the closing note. Keith leans into a purer blues tone, while Ronnie answers with expressive slide work, creating a dialogue that feels both relaxed and deliberate. Beneath them, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman provide a steady, almost effortless groove. Chuck Leavell adds texture with an organ part that echoes the sound of a Hammond B-3, while Ian Stewart’s boogie-woogie piano injects energy and authenticity, reinforcing the track’s deep blues roots.

Voice and instinct

Mick Jagger’s vocal sits comfortably within the arrangement, gliding over the rhythm rather than dominating it. His delivery mirrors the track’s informal nature, maintaining a sense of ease throughout. Later on a subtle but telling moment unfolds: Ronnie Wood begins to step forward with a slide idea, only to hold back and let Jagger finish his line. It’s a small, almost accidental detail, yet it captures the essence of Cook Cook Blues. This isn’t about perfection—it’s about musicians listening, reacting, and trusting each other in real time, preserving the spontaneous spirit that defines The Rolling Stones.

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