Before the Stones became the Stones, they were tearing into Chuck Berry. ‘Bye Bye Johnny’ captures a young band finding its swagger—and making plenty of glorious studio noise.
The Rolling Stones’ ‘Bye Bye Johnny’: Their Raw Chuck Berry Cover (1964)
The Rolling Stones’ ‘Con Le Mie Lacrime’: The Italian ‘As Tears Go By’ (1966)
‘Con Le Mie Lacrime’ finds The Rolling Stones speaking Italian—and sounding surprisingly elegant. Discover the strange story behind this forgotten 1966 detour.
The Rolling Stones’ Take on ‘Carol’ (1964): From Chuck Berry to Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out!
The Rolling Stones turned Chuck Berry’s ‘Carol’ into a raw 1964 rocker, with Keith Richards, Brian Jones and Charlie Watts pushing the song to the edge.
The Rolling Stones’ ‘Let It Loose (1972): Gospel, Desire and Surrender
What exactly is ‘Let It Loose’ about? The Rolling Stones create a gospel-soaked confession whose meaning even Mick Jagger admits he never fully understood.
The Rolling Stones’ ‘Talkin’ About You’: A Gritty 1965 Cover (1965)
The Rolling Stones slowed down Chuck Berry’s ‘Talkin’ About You’ in 1965, transforming a familiar rocker into a moodier, heavier groove with plenty of Stones swagger.
The Rolling Stones’ Take on ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is’: The Otis Redding Connection (1965)
Mick Jagger gets unexpectedly tender on ‘That’s How Strong My Love Is’, a 1965 Stones cover shaped by Otis Redding and Southern soul.
The Rolling Stones’ ‘Under My Thumb’ (1966): The Story Behind the Controversial Classic
‘Under My Thumb’ sounds deceptively breezy, but beneath Brian Jones’ unforgettable marimba lurks a song about revenge, role reversal, controversy—and plenty of Stones attitude.
The Rolling Stones’ ‘What a Shame’: Inside Their Chicago Blues B-Side (1964)
Recorded at Chess Studios, ‘What a Shame’ found The Rolling Stones deep in Chicago blues territory—and gave Jagger-Richards an important first.
The Rolling Stones’ ‘Jump on Top of Me’: The Voodoo Lounge B-Side That Deserved More (1994)
The Rolling Stones buried ‘Jump on Top of Me’ as a B-side, but this bluesy Voodoo Lounge outtake has a surprisingly wild story behind it.
The Rolling Stones’ ‘Sex Drive’ (1991): Mick Jagger’s Funky Confession
Mick Jagger turns confession into comedy on ‘Sex Drive’, while the Stones dive into funk, temptation and one of their strangest 1991 videos.
Stones Data on Substack
