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Rolling Stones unreleased: 19th Nervous Breakdown (alternate take)

By the end of 1965 the Rolling Stones were running on nerves, not sleep. A brutal second U.S. tour had pushed them to the edge, and Los Angeles became the backdrop for exhaustion, tension, and creative overload. Out of that fog came 19th Nervous Breakdown, a phrase Mick Jagger tossed off almost accidentally, yet one that perfectly captured the band’s state of mind. Burned out but buzzing, the Stones funneled their frayed energy straight into the song. The result wasn’t polished or polite—it was sharp, restless, and real. A snapshot of a band cracking under pressure and turning that stress into pure rock ’n’ roll electricity.

Written by: Jagger/Richard
Recorded: RCA Studios, Hollywood, CA, USA, Dec. 8-10 1965
*Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012

*Click for MORE STONES UNRELEASED TRACKS

Exhaustion Meets Inspiration

By late 1965, the Rolling Stones were completely fried. A punishing second U.S. tour had left them physically wrecked and mentally wired, and when the band landed in Los Angeles, Mick Jagger and company were running on fumes. Sleep was scarce, nerves were shot, and the pressure of nonstop success was starting to show. In that fog of exhaustion, the phrase 19th Nervous Breakdown slipped out almost by accident—Jagger casually tossing around words that perfectly summed up the chaos, frustration, and overload of five young musicians being pushed far beyond their limits. Ironically, that fragile, on-edge state became the song’s greatest strength. The burnout, the adrenaline, and the sense of barely holding it together seeped straight into the lyrics, giving them a sharp, authentic bite. .

Inside the Studio: Hollywood, December 1965

Once they hit RCA Studios in Hollywood from December 8–10, the Stones turned that raw exhaustion into music. This alternate rawer take of 19th Nervous Breakdown gives a glimpse into the band experimenting, stretching out lines, and testing riffs, capturing a grittier, more immediate energy than the released version. Keith’s guitar riffs cut sharper, Charlie’s drums hit harder, and Jagger’s vocals almost stumble into the mic with unfiltered honesty. It’s a rare peek at a legendary band at their creative peak—tired, messy, and unpolished—but somehow perfect. Listening to this take, you feel the electricity of a band living at full throttle, documenting their own nervous breakdown in real time.

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