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Sometimes the most interesting Rolling Stones releases are the ones that spent decades hiding in the vault while everyone argued about the hits. That’s exactly the story behind Shame, Shame, Shame, a Jimmy Reed classic that quietly traveled from the Some Girls sessions to the expanded Tattoo You release. Reed’s fingerprints have always been all over the Stones’ music, from their love of raw electric blues to their recordings of songs like Honest I Do and Bright Lights, Big City. So when this long-circulating bootleg finally received an official release, it felt less like a surprise and more like unfinished business finally getting settled.
Well, now you walk out in the evenin’/ Don’t even say you goin’/ Six o’clock in the mornin’/ You come walkin’ home…
Written by: Jimmy Reed Recorded: Pathé Marconi Studios, Boulogne-Billancourt, France, Oct. 10-Nov. 25 and Dec. 9-16, plus overdubs at RAK Studios, London, Spring 2021
Mick Jagger: vocals, harmonica Keith Richards: guitar Ronnie Wood: guitar Bill Wyman: bass Charlie Watts: drums Guest musicians: Ian Stewart (piano)
More about the Rolling Stones’ take on Jimmy Reed’s Shame, Shame, Shame
*By Marcelo Sonaglioni
Jimmy Reed’s Enduring Influence Meets The Rolling Stones Again
Few blues musicians have cast a longer shadow than Mathis James Reed. Born on September 6, 1925, the American singer, guitarist, and songwriter helped shape the sound of modern electric blues through a style that was both simple and remarkably effective. His recordings crossed musical boundaries and attracted audiences far beyond the blues world. Hits including Baby What You Want Me to Do (1960), Big Boss Man (1961), Honest I Do (1957) and Bright Lights, Big City (1961), last two ones actually recoded by the Stones. Reed’s influence extended to artists such as Elvis Presley, Hank Williams Jr., Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and of course the Stones, who repeatedly turned to his catalog for inspiration. Music critic Cub Koda famously described him as “perhaps the most influential bluesmen of all”, a testament to the accessibility and lasting appeal of his music.
A blues favorite returns
More than four decades after Jimmy Reed’s death on August 29, 1976, The Rolling Stones once again paid tribute to one of their greatest musical heroes. For the expanded deluxe edition of Tattoo You, the band unearthed and completed their recording of Reed’s classic Shame, Shame, Shame (up to that onlyavailable in bootlegs) a song that highlights the deep blues roots that have always fueled the group’s sound. The track combines performances originally recorded during the late 1970s with additional work completed in 2021, allowing a forgotten studio gem to finally reach listeners.
From Paris to London
Shame, Shame, Shame was recorded at Pathé Marconi Studios in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, between October 10 and November 25, 1977, with further sessions held from December 9 to December 16. Decades later, overdubs were added at RAK Studios in London during the spring of 2021. The finished recording features the full band, plus Ian Stewarton piano. Together they capture the relaxed groove and understated power that made Jimmy Reed’s recordings so distinctive.
A treasure trove of Some Girls outtakes
The sessions that produced Shame, Shame, Shame were among the most productive of The Rolling Stones’ career. While working on what would become Some Girls, the band recorded dozens of songs, alternate takes, instrumentals, and unfinished ideas.
The release of Shame, Shame, Shame offers more than another archival recording. It provides a direct link between The Rolling Stones and one of the artists who helped define their musical identity. While the band explored punk, disco, country, and rock throughout the Some Girls era, the blues remained at the heart of everything they did.
By revisiting a Jimmy Reed classic, The Rolling Stones reaffirmed the importance of a musician whose influence continues to echo through generations of performers. The track stands as both a celebration of Reed’s legacy and a reminder of the blues foundation upon which the band’s remarkable career was built.
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