Rolling Stones songs: I Want to Be Loved
*Click for MORE ROLLING STONES SONGS 1962-PRESENT

The touch of your hand drives me insane/ But baby, I want to be loved…

Written by: Willie Dixon
Recorded: Olympic Studios, London, England, May 10 1963
*Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012

From the The Rolling Stones – All the Songs book:
While it may come as something of a surprise to learn that the Rolling
Stones recorded one of Chuck Berry’s most pop-like compositions (that is
to say, one of those least imbued with the spirit of blues/rock ’n’ roll) for
the A-side of their first single, logic reasserted itself with the B-side. “I
Want to Be Loved” had, after all, been written by Willie Dixon and
performed by Muddy Waters, two emblematic figures of Chicago electric
blues and mainstays of Chess Records. In other words, two major points of
reference for the five young Londoners whose group took its name from a
Muddy Waters blues number: “Rollin’ Stone.”
Muddy Waters recorded “I Want to Be Loved” in 1955, with “My Eyes
(Keep Me in Trouble)” on the B-side. Eight years later, the Rolling Stones
put their name to a more up-tempo version. This blues number had already
been in the group’s repertoire for several months and had even been
recorded by them during the session at IBC Studios, with Glyn Johns as
producer and sound engineer.

The most striking aspect of “I Want to Be Loved” is Jagger’s voice. Unlike
the way it sounds on “Come On,” there is a youthful, fragile quality about
it. This time, however, the Stones are in their element. They are playing the
blues, and Brian Jones underlines this with his excellent harmonica playing,
with reverb, redolent of Big Walter Horton. Charlie Watts, playing a Sonor
Chicago Star kit (with very prominent snare drum) is solidly supported by
Bill Wyman’s bass and Keith Richards’s rhythm guitar. It is possible to hear
the latter speeding up slightly during the harmonica solo (around 1:10),
however. Finally, although present at the recording, and by contrast with the
March 11 version realized by Glyn Johns (which was, moreover, closer to
Muddy Waters’s version), Ian Stewart’s piano is totally inaudible. Roger
Savage, the sound engineer, provides an explanation: “The main thing I
remember was that Andrew told me to turn Ian Stewart’s piano microphone
off; he obviously didn’t want him in the band because he didn’t look the
part… When they came up the stairs to the control room to play back there
was no piano! Nobody said anything.