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Rolling Stones unreleased: Blood Red Wine

Recorded during the Beggars Banquet sessions in May 1968, Blood Red Wine stands as one of the Rolling Stones’ most evocative unreleased tracks. Written by Jagger and Richards at a moment of creative reset, the song strips everything back to essentials: acoustic guitar, Nicky Hopkins’ restrained piano, and Mick Jagger’s quietly mournful vocal. Lyrically, it unfolds like a winter vignette, rich in warmth, devotion, and melancholy imagery. Though left off the final album, the song captures the intimate, roots-driven spirit that defined the Beggars Banquet era, offering a rare glimpse into a band rediscovering emotional depth and subtlety after years of excess.

Written by: Jagger/Richard
Recorded: Olympic Sound Studios, London, England, May 13-18 1968 (Beggars Banquet sessions)
Guest musicians: Nicky Hopkins (piano)

From Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012
A slow track with strumming acoustic guitar and a smooth piano providing the back-drop for Mick Jagger’s mournful vocals. The lyrics offer contrasting imagery “I got red blood, and I got blood red wine which I bring you, when the snow lies heavy on the ground. If you get cold I wrap my coat around…don’t you stay on that snowy ground“

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Blood Red Wine: A Hidden Gem from the Beggars Banquet Era

In May 1968, during the fertile Beggars Banquet sessions at London’s Olympic Sound Studios, The Rolling Stones recorded a hauntingly beautiful track that never saw official release—Blood Red Wine. A slow, intimate number, it blends Mick Jagger’s melancholy vocals with Keith Richards’ tender acoustic strumming and Nicky Hopkins’ graceful piano lines. The lyrics unfold like a winter tale of longing and devotion: “I got red blood, and I got blood red wine which I bring you…” It’s a song wrapped in warmth and loneliness, evoking a fire-lit shelter against the cold. Though left off the final album, Blood Red Wine captures the emotional depth and rustic simplicity that defined Beggars Banquet, offering a glimpse into a band rediscovering its raw, soulful core after years of electric chaos and psychedelic detours.

Olympic Sound Studios and a Creative Turning Point

Olympic Sound Studios in Barnes, London, was more than just a recording space—it became the heart of The Rolling Stones’ late ’60s reinvention. Founded in 1962, the studio’s advanced technology and expert engineering attracted top rock artists, but it was with the Stones that its legend truly grew. They first stepped through its doors in 1965, returning frequently through the Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed sessions. Under the guidance of engineer Glyn Johns, the band embraced a freer, rootsier sound, experimenting without restraint. From Gimme Shelter to You Can’t Always Get What You Want, Olympic became the setting for some of their most defining moments. Blood Red Wine, though unreleased, embodies that creative rebirth—a quiet masterpiece from a band learning that sometimes, less noise and more feeling can say everything.

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