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Rolling Stones Unreleased: I Get a Kick Out of You
The Rolling Stones were supposed to be making a new Stones album in Dublin in 1993, not auditioning for a Cole Porter revival. Yet somewhere inside the Voodoo Lounge sessions, Keith Richards took the microphone by himself and recorded I Get a Kick Out of You. Because apparently Mick Jagger wasn’t the only Stone allowed to surprise everyone. Richards’ rough-edged vocal gives the old standard a completely different character, turning a polished American songbook number into something considerably more lived-in and Stonesy. The recording never made it onto an official release, which only makes this curious detour through the American songbook even more tempting for anyone digging through the band’s vaults.
*Keith Richards on vocals Written by: Cole Porter Recorded: Windmill Lane Recording, Dublin, Ireland, Nov. 3-Dec. 11 1993 (Voodoo Lounge sessions)
A Swing Standard Reimagined in the Voodoo Lounge Era
During the Voodoo Lounge sessions of late 1993 in Dublin’s Windmill Lane Recording studios, the Rolling Stones took an unexpected detour into classic American songwriting. Tucked away among blues-rock stompers and swampy grooves was a surprising, unreleased rendition of I Get a Kick Out of You, the timeless Cole Porter standard. Even more unexpected? Keith Richards, not Mick Jagger, takes lead vocals. With his raspy delivery and lived-in phrasing, Richards lends the tune a weary elegance—far from the polished crooning of Frank Sinatra or the Broadway stage. This version plays like a smoky late-night confession, where rock ‘n’ roll swagger meets old-school sophistication. It’s a moment that not only reveals the band’s range but also their willingness to tap into the American songbook and recast it in their own image. The result is less cabaret, more backroom ballad—a raw, Stonesy take on a melody that’s traveled generations.
Cole Porter Meets the Glimmer Twins
Originally penned in the 1930s, I Get a Kick Out of Youwas one of Cole Porter’s signature works—sharp, witty, and melodically rich. Its inclusion in Anything Goescemented his place among America’s great songsmiths. That the Stones—masters of blues and rebellion—would touch such a song shows both reverence and daring. Richards’ approach strips away the theatrical polish and replaces it with emotional grit, showing that a good song can live in any era, in any voice. Though never officially released, this 1993 recording stands as a fascinating footnote in their catalog—a bridge between Tin Pan Alley and rock ‘n’ roll.
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