Rolling Stones songs: Wanna Hold You
*Click for MORE ROLLING STONES SONGS 1962-PRESENT

This time it’s not for fun/ That you’re the only one…

Written by: Jagger/Richards
Recorded: EMI Pathé Marconi Studios, Paris, France, Nov. 11-Dec. 16 1982; Compass Point Studios, Nassau, Bahamas, May 1983; The Hit Factory, NYC, USA, June-July 1983
*Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012

From the The Rolling Stones – All the Songs book:
Keith Richards wrote “Wanna Hold You” in Paris, in a little eight-track
studio that he rented from a friend around October 1982. Mick Jagger went
to visit him on two or three nights, and thus the song was born, with Keith
singing and playing guitar, and Mick on drums.
I wanna hold you; I hope you find it funny that I got no money, but if you
stick with me, you’re gonna get some love for free… Keith Richards adopts
his finest voice to declare his love to his new beloved. After Anita
Pallenberg, with whom he had a relationship that was simultaneously
passionate and destructive, Patti Hansen entered the life of the guitarist and
Stones songwriter at Studio 54 in March 1979—the seventeenth, to be
precise. In January 1980, Keith wrote in his diary: “Incredibly I’ve found a
woman. A miracle! I’ve pussy at the snap of a finger but I’ve met a
woman!” Patti and Keith would get married on December 18, 1983 (the
rock star’s fortieth birthday!), a month and a half after the release of
Undercover.

Keith is in love, and sings about it with great sincerity. He would later
explain in an interview that the title of his song references “I Want to Hold
Your Hand” by the Beatles, and that its structure resembles that of the early
Lennon-McCartney numbers. However, he also provides assurance that his
own signature is immediately identifiable and that apart from the harmonies
and refrains, his song owes nobody anything. It is probably on one of his
Telecaster 5-strings in open G that he launches “Wanna Hold You.” He
establishes an exhilarating rhythm supported by the excellent and
imperturbable Charlie, who discharges his metronomic responsibilities to
perfection. Ron Wood is on bass, which is unfortunately a little undermixed.
Ronnie also looks after the second rhythm guitar part, which is strongly
colored by phasing, and plays a number of solo phases after 2:14,
presumably on a Fender Stratocaster. The two guitarists share the backing
vocals and it looks as if Mick plays no part at all in this number. Please
note: there is no synthesizer on Keith’s song…