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Rolling StonesSongs: Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)
I hear the knock on my door that never comes/ I hear the telephone that hasn’t rung…
More about Tell Me (You’re Coming Back) by The Rolling Stones
A Rough Gem with a Pop Soul
Tell Me (You’re Coming Back) marked a turning point—not just for Mick Jagger and Keith Richards as budding songwriters, but for the dynamics within the Rolling Stones. Contrary to their raw R&B roots, this pop ballad revealed a surprising vulnerability in their sound. Though sentimental and soft by Stones standards, Tell Me still holds a compelling, almost haunting quality. With harmonies that flirt with Beatles-style melodicism and a shift from melancholic verses to a pleading, more upbeat chorus, the song delivered an emotional performance that stood apart from their usual blues swagger. Acoustic-driven and unpolished, it echoed much of the British Invasion’s softer edge in 1964, though with a rough charm unique to the Stones. The longer album version even features an extended guitar solo not found in the radio cut. While the band would soon develop a harder edge, Tell Me remains an early sign that they were far more versatile than critics claimed.
Locked Doors and Open Paths
Though often considered a myth, the tale of manager Andrew Oldham locking Mick and Keith in their London flat until they produced original material captures a moment of real transformation. Whether true or not, it led to Tell Me—and their songwriting partnership began to blossom. This also began to shift musical leadership from Brian Jones, whose blues purism clashed with Oldham’s pop ambitions. Jagger later recalled recording it in the modest Regent Sound studio, noting its departure from the Motown and R&B covers they were used to. Keith described the process as casual and chaotic: dubs thrown down with little expectation they’d become singles. Despite differing memories—Bill Wyman dismissed the “lock-in” as legend—the song marked the rise of the Jagger-Richards catalog. Even Gene Pitney’s early Jagger-Richards track, That Girl Belongs to Yesterday hints at the duo’s growing reach beyond just band recordings.
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