An Early Take of The Rolling Stones’ ‘Shine A Light’ (1971)

By Marcelo Sonaglioni on July 3, 2025

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Rolling Stones Unreleased: Shine A Light (early take)

Original title: Get A Line On You
Written by: Jagger/Richard
Recorded: Olympic Sound Studios, London, England, July 23 1970: Rolling Stones Mobile, Nellcote, France, July/Oct.Nov. 1971; Sunset Sound Studios, Los Angeles, USA, Dec. 1971-March 1972; RCA Studios, Los Angeles, USA, March 1972
*Data taken from Martin Elliott’s book THE ROLLING STONES COMPLETE RECORDING SESSIONS 1962-2012

*Click for MORE STONES UNRELEASED TRACKS

rolling stones unreleased shine a light early take 1971

A Glimmer in the Shadows of Exile

Before it became Shine a Light, the song began life as Get a Line on You, a title that hinted at its raw emotional urgency. The Rolling Stones first laid down early versions at Olympic Sound Studios in London back in July 1970, but the track would go through multiple transformations across continents—recorded again at Nellcote in France, refined at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles, and touched up at RCA Studios in early 1972. Like much of the Exile on Main St. album, this alternate take reflects the band’s chaotic brilliance during that era—boozy, broken, and oddly beautiful. What stands out in this version is its vulnerability. Mick Jagger’s vocals sound stripped down and spiritually searching, a stark contrast to the swagger usually associated with the Stones. The gospel overtones were always there, but here they shimmer with something rougher, less polished—more confessional than triumphant. It’s the Stones, not posing, but pleading—and that makes it shine. (Ref. The Rolling Stones Shine)

**When Exile Found Its Light**

Exile on Main St. wasn’t just a record; it was a messy, mythic moment. Tracked in tax exile and drenched in decadence, its songs were cut in mansion basements, hotel rooms, and smoky studios. Shine a Light, in its alternate form, captures the soul of that madness—an unreleased snapshot of a band trying to hold it all together. This version feels more uncertain than the final mix, with Keith Richards’ guitar parts looser and the backing harmonies more raw than reverent. And yet, that’s its power. It reminds us that even legends leave behind sketches, and sometimes those sketches are masterpieces in their own right. Hearing this unreleased take is like cracking open a dusty vault and finding a beating heart inside.

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