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Rolling Stones Songs: Luxury
Working on a Sunday in refinery/ Make a million for the Texans, twenty dollar me…
Written by: Jagger/Richard Recorded: Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany, Jan. 14-28 1974; Rolling Stones Mobile, Stargroves, Newbury, England, Apr. 1974; Island Recording Studios, London, England, May 20-25 1974 Guest musicians: Nicky Hopkins (piano), Ray Cooper (percussion) *Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012
Rewired Sound and Social Bite: The Studio Wizardry Behind Luxury
By 1974, The Rolling Stones weren’t just riding waves of rock stardom—they were tweaking the controls behind the scenes. The It’s Only Rock ’n Roll album marked a sonic evolution, not just in riffs but in recording magic, largely thanks to engineers like Keith Harwood and George Chkiantz. Harwood, who would later become associated with Led Zeppelin, was introduced to the Stones via Chkiantz, a longtime collaborator whose credits included the Let It Bleed sessions and Brian Jones’ 1968 Moroccan recordings. Their studio finesse brought a new layer of polish—and experimentation—to the Stones’ sound. Luxury, in particular, showcased this leap.
Though often labeled reggae, its vibe leans more calypso, serving as a rhythmic contrast to its bitter, working-class lyrics. Inspired by a tune Keith Richards heard while driving in Munich, the track attacks corporate greed head-on, with Mick Jagger snarling about bosses bathing in wealth while the narrator toils “seven days a week” for scraps.
Grit, Groove, and a Glimpse Ahead
Luxury wasn’t just sonically adventurous—it was thematically sharp. The song paints a vivid picture of labor exploitation, name-dropping oil barons in Texas who profit while workers are left behind. Lyrics like “Make a million for the Texans, twenty dollar me” cut to the heart of economic disparity, with Jagger and Richards both delivering vocal grit. Keith’s guitar dominates the track in true Richards fashion, and the Stones manage to keep things rocking at a laid-back pace. With Nicky Hopkins on piano and Ray Cooper’s dynamic percussion (he’d later play with Elton John, Clapton, and more), the song foreshadows the more genre-bending Black and Blue era. When the Virgin CD reissue dropped in 1994, a half-minute of this underrated track was restored—more time to soak in a song that doesn’t just groove, it growls.
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