More Rolling Stones Unreleased: ‘Hold On, I’m Coming’ (1968)

By Marcelo Sonaglioni on December 9, 2025

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Rolling Stones unreleased: Hold On I’m Coming

Written by: Hayes/Porter
Recorded: RG Jones Studios, Morden, Surrey, England, March 1-14 1968

From Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012:
Sam and Dave had had a 1966 hit with Hold On, I’m Coming. The song was run through and some ad-lib Satisfaction lyrics were added by Mick Jagger. Mick is also featured on guitar.

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More about the Rolling Stones rehearsing Hold On, I’m Coming

*By Marcelo Sonaglioni

rolling stones unreleased hold on I'm coming 1968

Hold On, I’m Coming: a rare moment in the shadows

Long before Hold On, I’m Coming became one of those intriguing gems buried in the band’s archives, the Rolling Stones found themselves experimenting with the track during a loose and spirited session in early March 1968. Working inside RG Jones Studios in Morden, the group approached the Sam & Dave 1966 hit not with the intention of polishing a finished product, but with the same restless curiosity that defined their Beggars Banquet period. These were days of transition—creative shifts, internal tensions, and a search for a new musical identity. Mick Jagger, brimming with spontaneous energy, threw in playful ad-lib lines borrowed from Satisfaction, blurring the edges between the song they were covering and the one that had already made them icons. What emerged was not a clean recording, but a snapshot: rough, spirited, and unmistakably shaped by the mood of a band in flux.

Raw power of Memphis soul

While many Northern soul acts at Motown were leaning toward polished pop touches and lush string arrangements, Sam & Dave took the opposite path, rejecting gloss in favor of grit. Their approach to Memphis soul was intentionally unrefined, and that raw edge fuels the power of Hold On, I’m Coming, their first Atlantic album. They weren’t interested in hiding behind ornate production; instead, like the blues and gospel pioneers who shaped the genre, they thrived on capturing lightning in the moment. With other landmark singles like You Don’t Know Like I Know alongside deeper cuts such as the fiery It’s a Wonder and the tender yet resilient Just Me, the album stands as a pure expression of down-home soul. Its honesty and immediacy embody the very spirit of Memphis music—unvarnished, heartfelt, and impossible to fake.

A session caught between eras

Although the song itself didn’t evolve beyond this exploratory run-through, the session reveals much about the Stones’ creative environment at the time. Producer Jimmy Miller had recently stepped into the picture, bringing a fresh sense of direction just as the band was preparing to reinvent its sound. Eddie Kramer, serving as sound engineer, captured this transitional energy with his usual precision, even when the music itself wandered into unrefined territory. Stu, the ever-reliable cornerstone of their early years, added his piano to the mix, giving the rehearsal a grounding familiarity amid the swirling changes surrounding the group.

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