Rolling Stones songs: It Won’t Take Long
*Click for MORE ROLLING STONES SONGS 1962-PRESENT

And it won’t take long to forgive ya/ But it’s hard to forget/ ‘Cause it seems like it’s yesterday/ The day that we first met…

Written by: Jagger/Richards
Recorded: Studio France, West Indies, Nov- 2004; Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles, USA, March 7-9 and June 6-28 2005
Guest musicians: Chuck Leavell (organ)
*Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012

From the The Rolling Stones – All the Songs book:
This is another track in the great Stones rock ’n’ roll tradition. At more than
sixty years of age, the Glimmer Twins still kept the faith, and “It Won’t
Take Long” is the proof. Keith even pulls off the feat of going down a new
path and introducing a little variation to the riff we thought we had heard a
thousand times. Once again the lyrics are directed against women, or more
accurately certain women: those who can gain a fortune or lose their soul in
an instant. To an even greater extent than the (presumably ungrateful!)
woman in question here, time is at the center of the Stones singer’s
preoccupations in this song. And it won’t take long to forget you/Time it
passes fast, he sings.
It is no surprise that on this album, written by Mick and Keith without the
presence of any other band member, the Glimmer Twins give pride of place
to the guitars—and, of course, riffs. Thus Keith cannot keep himself from
launching “It Won’t Take Long” with his much-loved signature guitar style,
and the track then takes off at quite a pace, thanks to Charlie’s superb drum
part, featuring a resplendent snare drum. Mick is on rhythm guitar, and it is
regrettable that he confines himself to such a sober style of playing, having
demonstrated, notably on Bridges to Babylon, that he now possessed a
sufficient level of skill to be able to respond more elaborately to his two
fellow guitarists. For the time being, this task falls to Ronnie, who plays
both rhythm and solo. It is tempting to wonder about the impact his detox
has had, because here, as on the two preceding tracks, his playing is
brilliant: inventive and melodic, with an ideal sonority, qualities he has not
consistently had on previous recordings. Darryl Jones is on bass, but gives
the impression that he is holding back: his playing has become static by dint
of trying to keep things simple. As for Chuck Leavell, who could only be
heard at the very end of “Rough Justice,” this time his organ part is
completely inaudible! “It Won’t Take Long” is a good enough rock track,
but it lacks any real soul. It is merely filler.