Like what you see? Help keep it going! This site runs on the support of readers like you. Your donation helps cover costs and keeps fresh Rolling Stones content coming your way every day. Thank you!

Rolling Stones unreleased: Stop Breaking Down (alternate take)

Written by: Robert Johnson
Recorded: Olympic Sound Studios, London, England, June 16-30 and July 14-27, 1970

*Click for MORE STONES UNRELEASED TRACKS

Exploring Stop Breaking Down by the Rolling Stones

Stop Breaking Down is one of the alternate takes from the Rolling Stones’ 1970 sessions, originally recorded in London at Olympic Sound Studios. Robert Johnson, a legendary blues musician, wrote the song, which was initially released in 1937 as “Stop Breakin’ Down Blues.” The Stones’ version adds their unique flair to this classic tune. The alternate take was recorded during June and July of 1970, capturing the band experimenting with the blues and making it their own. The song features some of the deep, raw rock energy that the Rolling Stones are known for, blending blues influences with their signature sound. What sets this take apart is the way Mick Jagger and Keith Richards push the vamped groove further than on the familiar album version.

Haunting Vocals and Hypnotic Groove

Jagger’s vocal delivery vacillates between teasing whispers and impassioned shouts, as if he’s chasing Johnson’s own haunted phrasing through a London haze. Richards, armed with both slide and standard guitar, trades playful licks with Mick Taylor, whose blues-inflected lines drift and dive around the main riff. Bill Wyman’s steady bass anchors the performance, while Charlie Watts adds tasteful accents on the hi-hat and toms that underscore the song’s hypnotic pull. Overdubbed backing vocals and subtle keyboard flourishes—likely from Nicky Hopkins—add unexpected texture, hinting at the Stones’ willingness to push beyond a straight blues cover into something more exploratory. Though it never saw an official release in the band’s heyday, this alternate take has surfaced on bootlegs and deluxe editions, earning praise from collectors for its raw immediacy and the way it showcases a band at the height of their blues-rock fusion.

Like what you see? Help keep it going! This site runs on the support of readers like you. Your donation helps cover costs and keeps fresh Rolling Stones content coming your way every day. Thank you!

COPYRIGHT © ROLLING STONES DATA
ALL INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE IS COPYRIGHT OF ROLLING STONES DATA. ALL CONTENT BY MARCELO SONAGLIONI.
ALL SETLISTS AND TICKET STUBS TAKEN FROM THE COMPLETE WORKS OF THE ROLLING STONES. 
WHEN USING INFORMATION FROM ROLLING STONES DATA (ONLINE OR PRINTED) PLEASE REFER TO ITS SOURCE DETAILING THE WEBSITE NAME. THANK YOU.