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Get in the groove and let the good times roll/ We’re gonna stay here to soothe our soul/ It could take all night long…
Written by: Sam Cooke Recorded: RCA Studios, Hollywood, USA, May 11-12 1965
Mick Jagger: vocals Keith Richards: guitar, backing vocals Brian Jones: guitar Bill Wyman: bass Charlie Watts: drums Guest musicians: Ian Stewart (marimbas)
More aboutThe Rolling Stones take on Good Times
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni
A Soul Song That Found a New Home
When The Rolling Stones entered RCA Studios on Sunset Boulevard in May 1965, history remembers the sessions primarily because they produced (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction. Yet another recording from those same dates deserves far more attention. Their version of Good Times, originally written and recorded by Sam Cooke, revealed a different side of the band—less aggressive, more relaxed, and deeply respectful of American soul music. Rather than reinventing the song, the Stones embraced its easygoing spirit while adding subtle touches of their own personality. The recording also carried unexpected emotional weight. Just five months earlier, Cooke had died under tragic circumstances, leaving behind a remarkable catalog that had already transformed popular music and influenced future giants such as Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye. In many ways, the Stones’ recording became both a tribute and a reminder of a remarkable talent lost far too soon.
Sam Cooke’s Lasting Legacy
On December 11, 1964, Sam Cooke was found dead inside a motel at 9137 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles. The motel manager told police she had shot the singer after he allegedly attacked her. Cooke was only thirty-three years old, and his sudden death shocked the music world.
Although songs like You Send Me and Chain Gang remain his biggest commercial successes, Good Times also became one of his memorable recordings, reaching No. 11 on the American pop charts in 1964. Filled with carefree optimism and lyrics celebrating living in the moment, the song carried no hint of the tragedy that would soon follow. Decades later, its joyful message remains one of Cooke’s defining musical statements.
Bringing Good Times Into the Studio
The Rolling Stones approached the recording with surprising restraint. Instead of turning the song into a blues-heavy rocker, they preserved much of its relaxed atmosphere. Charlie Watts opens with a simple tom-tom figure before the rest of the band settles into an easy, almost effortless groove.
The arrangement is built around tasteful contributions from every musician. Brian Jones plays his Gibson Heritage six-string acoustic guitar, while Keith Richards adds clean electric riffs using either his Les Paul or possibly his Firebird. Bill Wyman, likely playing a Framus, provides a steady, understated bass line. On the original version, Ian Stewart contributes marimba, adding subtle tropical colors that quietly enrich the recording without dominating it.
Perhaps the biggest surprise comes from Mick Jagger, whose relaxed vocal delivery avoids his usual intensity. Instead, he lets the melody breathe, matching the song’s carefree mood remarkably well.
Hidden Details and Unexpected Connections
Like many classic Rolling Stones recordingsGood Times contains small studio moments that reward careful listening. Half a minute into the song listeners can detect the beginning of Jagger singing the line “It could take all night long” before the vocal is abruptly erased during editing. The tiny imperfection remains one of the recording’s most interesting hidden details.
The session also marked an unexpected turning point in the band’s business history. Shortly afterward, the Rolling Stones signed with Allen Klein, the same manager who had previously overseen Sam Cooke’s career. That connection adds another intriguing link between Cooke’s legacy and the band’s own rise during the mid-1960s.
A Song That Still Speaks
Years after its releaseGood Times continued to earn admiration. In 1971 music critic Dave Marsh praised the song in a retrospective review, describing Cooke’s writing as the perfect expression of rock and roll’s emotional spirit. He singled out its celebration of living completely in the present, arguing that the lyrics captured exactly what the music had always represented.
The Rolling Stones never attempted to outshine Cooke’s original performance. Instead, they paid respectful homage to one of soul music’s greatest voices while quietly demonstrating how naturally American rhythm and blues fit into their own musical identity. More than sixty years later, their version remains an overlooked gem from one of the most productive recording sessions in rock history.
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