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Rolling Stones unreleased:32-20 Blues
THE ROLLING STONES AND MORE GRITTY DELTA BLUES Back in June 1972 at Dallas’ Sumet-Burnet Studio, the Rolling Stones laid down a gritty take on Robert Johnson’s classic 32-20 Blues. This unreleased gem captures their raw blues obsession, blending swagger with vintage Delta vibes. Though never officially released, the track showcases the Stones’ knack for transforming early blues into their signature rock attitude.
Written by: Robert Johnson Recorded: Sumet-Burnet Recording Studio, Dallas, TX, June 23 1972
This was Johnson’s second single. Both tracks were featured in Samuel B. Charters’ 1959 book The Country Blues and later included in Columbia’s 1961 compilation album King of the Delta Blues Singers. 32-20 Blues is clearly inspired by Skip James’ 22-20 Blues and is essentially a direct cover. Johnson adapted the original piano blues to his guitar and altered the caliber in the title—likely because there is no standard handgun or pistol with a 22-20 caliber. (Skip James originally mentions a .32 pistol in his song and later refers to a .44 caliber, similar to Roosevelt Sykes’ 44 Blues)
In fact Robert Johnson made only slight adjustments to the lyrics, humorously moving the location of the ineffective doctors from Wisconsin, where James had recorded, to Hot Springs, a well-known health resort. At the end, he alludes to the traditional song In the Pines with the line “where did you stay last night.” Despite retaining the original’s violent lyrics—such as “If she gets unruly, thinks she don’t wanna do / Take my 32-20 now and cut her half in two”—Johnson’s version is an exhilarating performance, delivered with a versatile vocal style and a steady rhythm played on the guitar’s bass strings.
32-20 Blues was recorded on Thursday, November 26, 1936. The next day, Robert Johnson recorded Last Fair Deal Gone Down along with six other tracks. That week, he recorded roughly half of his entire body of work. Some listeners may find Robert Johnson’s music repetitive and challenging, but the guitar parts are actually rich with endless variations and creative innovations.
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