The Rolling Stones were very much a band in transition during the recording of their 1969 album Let It Bleed. They fired Brian Jones in the middle of it (he died shortly after). His replacement, Mick Taylor, came aboard so late in the sessions that he only played on a few tracks.
None of that stopped the Stones from releasing yet another flat-out classic. Here are five fascinating stories behind the songs on Let It Bleed.
A Backup Singer to the Front
The Stones ceded a big part of the spotlight on the lead track “Gimme Shelter” to singer Merry Clayton. Clayton not only provided background vocals on the track, but she was also granted the opportunity to sing lead on several lines. She was pushed to the upper register of her vocals, not an easy assignment considering she was pregnant at the time she laid down the part. At one point, her voice cracks on a high note. You can hear Mick Jagger’s voice faintly in the background at this moment, whooping it up to encourage her.
“Honk” Before the Hit
In July 1969, the Stones dropped the standalone single “Honky Tonk Women”. This was still an era when bands would occasionally offer songs to radio that didn’t appear on albums. But buyers of Let It Bleed didn’t completely miss out on the song. “Country Honk” contained the same melody and most of the same lyrics as “Honky Tonk Women”. But it took more of an acoustic approach. In fact, “Country Honk” was actually the first of the two songs to be recorded, even though it was released a few months down the line from the big hit version.
Welcome, Mick (the Other Mick, That Is)
Mick Taylor didn’t realize he was getting a chance to join the Stones when he first played with them. He thought it was just a session gig, not understanding that he had been recommended by his former bandleader, John Mayall, as a replacement for Brian Jones. The first song that he recorded with the band was “Live With Me”, a grinding rocker featuring some humorous lyrics from Mick Jagger. After hearing the results, the Stones soon made him a permanent member of the group. He’d stick with the band for another five years.
Keith Takes the Mic
Whenever a new Rolling Stones album appears, we now expect at least a couple of vocal showcases from Keith Richards. But that wasn’t always the case. It took a few years into the band’s recording history before Richards did anything more than sing backing vocals behind Mick Jagger. After a few songs where he split the lead with Jagger, he finally earned the opportunity to take the song all the way home on “You Got The Silver”. Even on that first try, you can hear how well his braying style fit the bluesy material.
Special Guests Galore
The Rolling Stones have never been absolute sticklers about recording with a set lineup. Case in point: On “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, drummer Charlie Watts was replaced on the skins by producer Jimmy Miller. Meanwhile, special guests were everywhere. The London Bach Choir sang the chilling opening part. Doris Troy, who hit the Top 10 in 1963 with “Just One Look”, is one of the backing vocalists. And the French horn comes courtesy of none other than Al Kooper, the man who played organ on Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone” among many other rock feats.
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