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Mick Jagger: vocals Keith Richards: lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals Brian Jones: harmonica Bill Wyman: bass Charlie Watts: drums Guest musicians: Ian Stewart (piano)
Early The Rolling Stones songs often hide fascinating stories, and One More Try is a perfect example. Tucked into the American version of Out of Our Heads, the track might seem minor at first glance—but it offers a revealing glimpse into the band’s fast-evolving songwriting in 1965.
Recorded during the same RCA Studios sessions that produced (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, the tune mixes humor, frustration, and bluesy attitude. Mick Jagger delivers lyrics about the limits of friendship and romance, while Brian Jones steals the spotlight with sharp harmonica playing.
Short, loose, and unmistakably mid-sixties Stones, One More Try shows the band experimenting with original material while still deeply rooted in rhythm and blues. It may not be one of their biggest hits, but it captures the moment when the young Stones were turning everyday troubles into raw, swaggering rock ’n’ roll.
More about One More Try by The Rolling Stones
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni
A small blues lesson in friendship and reality
In the mid-sixties The Rolling Stones were learning how to turn everyday frustrations into sharp little musical sketches, and One More Try is a perfect example of that early instinct. The song sketches a blunt moral tale: friendship and love both have limits, and those limits often appear the moment money or expectations enter the picture. Ask to borrow a little cash and suddenly the people who once called themselves friends look the other way. At home, things are no better—give someone everything she wants and still nothing changes. Delivered through Mick Jagger’s slightly stiff but earnest vocal, the message is almost brutally simple: sometimes the world’s answer is to sit down, stay quiet, and carry on. Short and unpretentious, One More Try captures the young band experimenting with songwriting that mixed humor, resignation, and a gritty blues sensibility.
Recording at RCA Studios in 1965
One More Try was recorded at RCA Studios on May 12–13, 1965, during one of the band’s most productive sessions of the era. The same dates produced a remarkable cluster of songs, including The Spider and the Fly, Good Times, Cry to Meand the future classic (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.
Despite being recorded alongside such strong material, the track followed a somewhat puzzling release path. It appeared on both the versions of Out of Our Heads prepared for the United States and continental Europe, but it was missing from the British edition. Why this happened remains unclear. One plausible explanation is simply timing—the deadline for the British pressing may have arrived before the track could be included.
Whatever the reason, the omission is curious because the song fits neatly within the band’s mid-sixties style. Compact and energetic, it reflects the blues-rock approach that defined the Stones at the time, when they were still deeply rooted in American rhythm and blues traditions while beginning to craft their own original material.
Production and musical character
Musically One More Try blends boogie-woogie energy with a touch of country-blues, creating a loose but effective groove. The performance highlights the musical strengths of several band members, especially Brian Jones. His harmonica runs throughout the track, in fact he steps forward with a short but memorable solo.
Jones possessed an impressive command of blues harmonica, arguably stronger than Mick Jagger’s technique at that stage. While Jagger would later shine on songs like Midnight Rambler or Stop Breaking Down, among many others, Jones already demonstrated a deep understanding of the instrument—remarkable for a young English musician at a time when very few players in England were seriously exploring traditional blues styles.
The guitar work from Keith Richards, most likely played on his distinctive “reverse” Gibson Firebird VII, gives the track its driving backbone. Jones may be accompanying him on guitar as well, although the recording does not make this entirely clear. Stu’s piano is also likely present, but it sits far back in the mix. Meanwhile, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts create a tight rhythmic framework that anchors the entire performance.
Songwriting style and early Stones attitude
From a songwriting perspective One More Try reflects the early partnership between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards when they were still experimenting with original material built around familiar R&B patterns. The song carries a relaxed, almost off-the-cuff feeling, as if it was written quickly and recorded with minimal fuss.
There is a sense that the band may have been under pressure to produce enough material for album releases, particularly for the American market, where LPs were often expected more frequently than in Britain. That could explain the track’s straightforward structure and brisk length. Yet the performance never feels careless. Instead, it shows the Stones gradually gaining confidence in their ability to write and perform their own blues-based songs.
The arrangement even hints at vocal harmonies reminiscent of The Beatles, giving the track a melodic twist that contrasts with its gritty lyrical theme. One can easily imagine the tune delivered in a slightly different style—almost like something Ringo Starr might have sung during the same period.
Later appearances and compilations
Although it was absent from the British version of Out of Our Heads, One More Try eventually resurfaced in later releases. The song appeared on the Stone Agecompilation, bringing it to listeners who might have missed the earlier American pressing. It was also included on The Rest of the Best, a compilation assembled for the German market.
In the U.K., the track did not officially appear until 1971, when it was included on Decca’s Milestones compilation. By that time, the Stones had already moved far beyond the raw blues-rock style of their early recordings. Yet hearing One More Try in retrospect reveals something important about their development.
Even if it was sometimes regarded as a minor or “throwaway” track, the song captures a moment when the band’s songwriting was beginning to feel more natural and confident. Its lively harmonica, relaxed groove, and dry humor about everyday troubles illustrate the growing insouciance that would soon define the Stones as they moved toward the more sophisticated material of the late sixties.
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