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Most bands spend their fiftieth anniversary dusting off old stage outfits and accepting lifetime achievement awards, but The Rolling Stones decided that was far too boring. Instead of resting on their laurels, they hunkered down in a Paris studio to prove they hadn’t lost their bite. Enter One More Shot, a track that feels less like a polished radio single and more like a defiant middle finger to the concept of retirement. It is raw, punchy, and possesses that distinct, instinctual chemistry that only comes from decades of surviving each other’s egos. Forget the nostalgia trip; this is a clear reminder that when the Stones stop moving, the world keeps spinning, so they might as well keep taking shots.
I’ll make your play/ Yeah, make my day/ Put me in correction for my own protection/ In your jurisdiction spare the crucifixion…
Written by: Jagger/Richards Recorded: Studio Guillaume Tell, Suresnes, France, Aug. 20-23 2012
Mick Jagger: vocals Keith Richards: rhythm guitar, backing vocals Charlie Watts: drums Ron Wood: rhythm and lead guitar Guest musicians: Darryl Jones (bass), Chuck Leavell (keyboards)
More about One More Shot by The Rolling Stones
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni
One more shot at forever
By the time One More Shot finally roared out of the speakers, it already carried decades of history in its bones. This wasn’t just another late-period Rolling Stones track—it was a reminder of how instinct, chemistry, and shared scars still define the band’s core. The song’s journey began quietly in 2011, in New York City, where Keith Richards sketched out a demo not for himself, but with Mick Jagger firmly in mind. It was written with reunion energy, shaped by a partnership that had survived ego clashes, long silences, and creative detours. When the Stones reconvened One More Shot became both a statement and a spark: proof that rock ’n’ roll, when fueled by belief and familiarity, doesn’t age—it reloads.
From New York demo to Paris session
Chronologically One More Shot starts far from the spotlight. In 2011, Keith Richards recorded a demo in New York City with no grand release plan attached. The intention was simple and deeply Stones-centric: if the band reunited, this song belonged to Mick Jagger. As Richards told Q magazine, “I thought, if we get the Stones back in the studio, this is made for Mick. He and I have a very tight partnership. One that’s had to survive several knocks, but that strengthens the bond, in a way.”
That bond—often strained, always productive—became the engine that pushed the track forward. When the Rolling Stones finally entered the studio in Paris, One More Shot was ready to go. Paired with Doom and Gloom, it formed part of the band’s first new studio material in seven years, recorded specifically for GRRR!, the 50th anniversary compilation album that celebrated half a century of survival, swagger, and noise. Rather than feeling like a nostalgic afterthought, the session unfolded with urgency and purpose.
Boom, let’s cut ’em
Efficiency is not usually the first word associated with the Rolling Stones, yet this Paris session defied expectations. “It was probably the quickest Rolling Stones recording session I can remember, ever,” Keith recalled in 2012. “We cut two tracks in three days.” The reason was preparation: Richards arrived with One More Shot fully formed, Mick Jagger brought Doom and Gloom, and the rest followed instinctively.
There was no overthinking, no endless polishing. The band simply locked in and played. According to producer Don Was, smiles spread across the studio once One More Shot was “in the can.” That reaction said as much about the band’s internal chemistry as it did about the music itself. The result was a track energetic enough to stand not just as album filler, but as a statement—strong enough to be chosen as the second single from GRRR!, reinforcing its role as a contemporary exclamation point on a retrospective release.
Anatomy of a Stones rocker
From its opening seconds One More Shot announces itself through a classic Keith Richards riff, delivered with that unmistakable touch and sound. The formula may be familiar, but it still works. Ronnie Wood responds with a sharp, clear-toned phrase redolent of the sixties—specifically The Byrds—while Darryl Jones lays down a bass line in the spirit of Bill Wyman before easing into a more personal groove.
Charlie Watts, unchanged by time, approaches the track with his signature imperturbability. His swing and individual touch remain intact, reinforcing why he’s long been considered one of rock’s finest drummers. Chuck Leavell divides his attention between piano and Hammond B-3, filling out the sound without clutter. Ronnie’s presumed slide solo adds texture rather than flash. Musically, the track bridges eras: the raw urgency of Street Fighting Manmeets the uplift of Mixed Emotions, tying the Stones’ past directly to their present.
Meaning, repetition and resolve
Lyrically One More Shot is direct and unapologetic.“Give me one more shot / Baby it’s all I got” captures the desperation of an ex-lover pleading for redemption. There’s no hidden symbolism, no layered allegory—just persistence, a theme The Glimmer Twins have explored since the 1960s. At its core, the song reinforces a familiar truth: rock ’n’ roll and the Rolling Stones are inseparable forces, fueled by refusal to quit.
Released digitally on 9 January 2013 via iTunes, the single arrived packaged with a remix by Jeff Bhasker, subtly reframing the track for a modern listening context without altering its core identity. Still, the song isn’t without its critics. Mick Jagger delivers a solid lead vocal, but some listeners are left with the feeling they’ve heard it all before. The “na na na” backing vocals hint at complacency, slightly dulling the edge. And yet, despite that sense of repetition, One More Shotstands as a reaffirmation. It may not reinvent the band, but it doesn’t need to. Sometimes, survival itself is the message—and the Stones deliver it, one more time.
Producer Don Was (2012): “It’s got all this fucking power. Everyone was smiling. You can recognize it’s the Rolling Stones from a mile away”
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