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Rolling Stones songs: It’s Only Rock’N Roll (But I Like It)
THE BIRTH OF IT’S ONLY ROCK’N ROLL (BUT I LIKE IT) Long before it became a Stones classic, It’s Only Rock’N Roll (But I Like It) started jamming in Ron Wood’s living room at The Wick in 1973. Ronnie, not yet a Stone but tight with Mick and Keith, laid down guitars with Jagger, while Willie Weeks, Ian McLagan, and Kenny Jones handled bass, keys, and drums. Even David Bowie dropped by to add backing vocals, giving the track that extra rock ’n’ roll magic.
If I could stick a knife in my heart/ Suicide right on stage…
Written by: Jagger/Richard Recorded: The Wick, London, Apr. 1974: Rolling Stones Mobile, Newbury and Island Recording Studios, London, England, May 20-25 1974 Guest musicians: Ron Wood (guitar), Willie Weeks (bass), Kenney Jones (drums), Ray Cooper (percussion), David Bowie (backing vocals) *Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012
More about It’s Only Rock’n Roll (But I Like It) by The Rolling Stones
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni
The Making of a Classic
The story of It’s Only Rock’N Roll (But I Like It) kicks off at Ron Wood’s home, The Wick, in 1973. Though not yet a Rolling Stone, Ronnie was tight with Mick and Keith, and his living room became the birthplace of the song that would define an album. Jagger and Wood laid down guitars, while Willie Weeks, Ian McLagan, and Kenny Jones—Wood’s Faces bandmate—rounded out bass, keyboards, and drums. Even David Bowie lent his backing vocals, straight from his Diamond Dogs sessions.
Wood’s influence didn’t stop there. After years with Rod Stewart and The Faces, he was working on his solo project I’ve Got My Own Album to Do in 1974. He roped in Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Mick Taylor, blending new tracks with two Stones originals, Act Together and Sure the One You Need, and his own collaborative I Can Feel the Fire. The result? A legendary lineup and a record that pulses with rock ’n’ roll energy.
Inside the Making of It’s Only Rock’N Roll (But I Like It)
Ronnie presented the initial version of the song to Mick Jagger, who took it back to the band. Recording engineer George Chkiantz was instrumental in overseeing the song’s development from Wood’s home studio to its final mix at Island Records. Keith Richards overhauled the guitar parts, favoring a Chuck Berry style, and even replaced Ron Wood’s lead guitar with his own acoustic 12-string. Mick Jagger re-recorded the vocals, and Ian Stewart added a piano part. Despite contributing to the initial recording, Ron Wood was only credited for “inspiration” on the album cover. Charlie Watts was satisfied with his original drum performance and didn’t feel a re-recording was necessary. Bassist Willie Weeks was juggling sessions with Rod Stewart (on Rod’s Smiler album) and Donny Hathaway, while Mick Taylor’s hospital stay during part of the recording process might explain his less enthusiastic opinion of the song’s overall sound.
It’s Only Rock’N Roll (But I Like It) isn’t a full-blown rock anthem; it has a mid-tempo feel with acoustic elements. Essentially, it’s Mick Jagger’s retort to critics who were predicting the band’s downfall. The pen-through-the-heart single cover reinforces this idea. As for its lyrics, especially the “suicide right on stage” part, might have seemed forced in the context of the mid-70s glam rock scene, but then it has stood the test of time, being featured on most Stones’ tours since its release. They could have been also influenced by David Bowie’s glam rock anthem Rock’n’Roll Suicide. Mick Jagger’s lyric about committing suicide on stage is a likely reference to the dramatic stage performances of other glam rock icons like Marc Bolan and Alice Cooper.
More Behind the Scenes of the Song
To build anticipation for the single, which was released ten weeks before the It’s Only Rock’N Roll album, the Stones filmed a music video directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Dressed in naval uniforms, they performed inside a giant inflatable tent. The video took a comical turn when the tent filled with foam bubbles, eventually engulfing drummer Charlie Watts, who exited the stage looking visibly annoyed (you can check that out in the Video Rewind – The Rolling Stones Great Video Hits home video released in the ’80s) .This video, along with promo videos of Till The Next Goodbye and Ain’t Too Proud To Beg were filmed and were promoted on Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert US TV Show.
Released in October 1974, just six months after its recording sessions were over, the It’s Only Rock’N Roll album, although it received generally positive reviews, it failed to achieve significant commercial success. It spent only nine weeks on the UK charts, marking their least successful album to date. This period represented a low point for the band, as 1974 was their first year without any live performances since their inception. While Keith Richards was eager to tour, Mick Jagger opposed the idea due to ongoing visa issues in the United States and the French ban, which was still in effect. The album was the first Rolling Stones album produced by the band themselves, marking the end of their collaboration with producer Jimmy Miller.
Mick Jagger on It’s Only Rock’N Roll (But I Like It)
“The title has been used a lot by journalists, the phrase has become a big thing. That version that’s on there is the original version, which was recorded half in Ron Wood’s basement, if I remember rightly. It was a demo. It’s a very Chuck Berry song, but it’s got a different feeling to it than a Chuck Berry song. You can’t really do proper imitations of people. You always have to start out by imitating somebody. In painting, some famous artist always starts out by being an impressionist. And then they become the most famous abstract artist….
…Or an actor starts out by imitating someone else’s style. And then you develop your own. And I think that’s what happened with this band and all the musicians that have played in it. You start off with one thing, and then you mutate into another, but you still acknowledge the fact that these influences came from here and here and here. Because not everyone knows that. But you make this new amalgam. And out of all this different music, all out these blues, out of all this country music, out of all this jazz and dance music and reggae music, you know, you make something that’s your own.”
More from Mick: “I was getting a bit tired of people having a go, all that, ‘oh, it’s not as good as their last one’ business. The single sleeve had a picture of me with a pen digging into me as if it were a sword. It was a lighthearted, anti-journalistic sort of thing”
It’s Only Rock’N Roll (But I Like It) was released as a single on July 26 1974 (with the beautiful Through the Lonely Nightsas the flip side)
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