Rock and
Roll’s golden age was probably 1955. As veterans Bill Haley,
Little Richard, and Antoine
“Fats” Domino were reaching their
creative peaks; Chuck Berry, Roy
Orbison, Elvis Presley,
and the Crickets (featuring Buddy
Holly) were making their first significant
contributions. A major turning point in popular music occurred
that year, and when Bill Haley and the Comets' Rock
Around the Clock was featured in the film Blackboard
Jungle, it nearly caused riots at theaters
throughout the United States and would soon find its way across
the Atlantic with similar result.
By 1962, Rock music was losing it’s hold on American youth. The genre had always
been a revolving door for artists to come and go with little to
show before the next hit followed. Yet even for those who had
more than a single moment of glory, it was no different. Bill
Haley failed to have an original hit after 1957, and was soon
headlining revival gigs. The music almost did die in February of
1959, as the brilliant Buddy Holly was
lost, as were the Big Bopper and Richie
Valens. Eddie Cochran,
composer of Rock staples C'mon Everybody
and Summertime Blues, died in April of
1960. Though “Fats” Domino entered the sixties
unscathed, he failed to have an original hit after 1961. In November of that year, the American
magazine Variety proclaimed that "Rock and Roll was dying." Elvis Presley, whom had
long since shed his true rock and roll calling, was busy
alienating his remaining rock fans. Chuck Berry was in jail by
this time, and would only have a few scattered hits following his
release. Little Richard, whom between 1955-57 had a plethora of
rock classics to his name, decided to be a full-time minister.
Even the artists who entered the scene in later years (Chubby
Checker in 1960), failed to sell many records by
the end of 1962.
America was about to get what it needed from England,
where dozens of rock bands influenced by American artists named
above, whom in turn were influenced by great rhythm & blues
artists before them, entered the U.S.A. music charts. Bands whom
would introduce a new form of Rock and Roll which was not always
louder or more threatening, but emotionally deeper and more
realistic. Many of these bands made their own unique mark in the
sixties, though a fraction of them survived into the seventies,
and far fewer to the eighties. The sole survivors of Rock and Roll's great renaissance
are...
Mick
Jagger, Brian Jones, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, & Charlie
Watts (1964 from left)
This first section briefly overviews Rolling Stones album releases prior to 1966 by Decca in the UK and London (later Abkco) in the US. These are titles either unique to one side of the Atlantic, or have track listings and arrangement alternating in titles of the same name. All listings are in basic chronological order.
Which album may I show you?
1964 
The
Rolling Stones (EP)- Actually an extended single with
four (4) tracks which scored top-20 status as a British single
and a solid #1 on the UK EP chart. At least two of the selections
appear to have been transferred from different masters for later
release on LP. None of the selections were written by a member of
the Stones. The disc's strength came from You Better
Move On, a popular hit which would later appear in
the UK version of Through the Past, Darkly as a result.
| RELEASE | U.K. EP HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1964, Jan. 10 | #1 | Decca | DFE 8560 | unknown | You Better Move On |
1964 
The Rolling Stones (LP)- This
long player spent forty-two (42) weeks on the top-10 albums chart
in England, surpassing the Beatles’
A Hard Days Night and Beatles
for Sale as the most successful rock album of 1964.
The hand-clapping heard throughout the album is an acquired taste
for some from their early club days, yet this is easily overcome
by the Stones impressive covers of some rather obscure blues
songs. Though loaded with such covers, they gave an early
indication that (in the form of Tell
Me (you're coming back)) that would soon change. One of the original
twelve selections, Mona (I Need You Baby),
did not surface on their debut U.S. pressing. note-as
did the Stones in 1964, Boston-based rock group Aerosmith
covered Rufus Thomas’ Walking
the Dog and placed it at the end of their 1973
debut album.
| RELEASE | U.K. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1964, Apr. 17 | #1 | Decca | LK 4605 | unknown | Tell Me |
Yes Mick, your future is bright ahead.
1964 
England’s Newest Hit Makers - One
selection [Mona] was omitted from the
previously-mentioned album for release in the United States,
replaced by the chart-friendly cover of The Crickets' Not
Fade Away. This LP reached #11 on the US albums
chart, far better than any of their Rock contemporaries did in
their 1960's debut. Oddly, a shorter (fade-out) version of the
Jagger/Richards composition Tell Me (you’re
coming back) replaced the original, lengthier
version. note-The first album pressing was
accompanied by a full-color poster.
| RELEASE | U.S. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1964, May 1 | #11 | London | PS/LL3/375 | 500,000+ | Did not chart until July 26th |
1964 
five by five (EP)- This 5-track set compares well to
full-length LPs. Why these great songs did not appear on a UK LP
until 1971, skipping both Big Hits titles, is a mystery.
The record company executives in all their obliviousness,
actually made a good decision in releasing these selections with
additional tracks on the following US LP. They made good on
covers of Chuck Berry's Around
and Around
and oft-recorded blues track If
You Need Me. Empty
Heart and 2120 South Michigan Avenue
were both composed by the Stones.
| RELEASE | U.K. EP HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1964, Aug. 14 | #1 | Decca | DFE 8590 | unknown | 2120 South Michigan Avenue |
1964 
12x5 - Somehow,
the brains (and I use that term loosely) at London
Records found a way to transform the 5-track EP five
by five into this LP by including seven tracks from
various other sources. As the follow-up (in the U.S.) to their
debut album, it was quite sufficient. 2120 South
Michigan Avenue impressively opens the second side
with easily the Stones best instrumental recording, unfortunately
not found in it’s full length on the initial vinyl and CD
pressings. There are a number of other great songs and the fans
agreed, making it the most successful of the first three US LP
releases. Before making its debut on the 2002 Abkco remastered
series, the full-length version of 2120 SMA could
previously be found only on the rare Around And
Around German LP.
| RELEASE | U.S. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1964, Oct. 24 | #3 | London | PS/LL3/402 | 500,000+ | Time Is On My Side |
(1965) innocent looking enough
1965 
Rolling
Stones No. 2 - While continuing a trend that began in
1963, the Stones realized that the novelty of young British lads
making good on covers of classic American blues and rock songs
would soon wear thin but it was yet to show. Their cover of Under
The Boardwalk (also found on 12x5) was almost offensively
bad to American audiences yet found itself Australia's #1 single
for the month of February, 1965. Dale Hawkins' Susie Q closed this set to help listeners recover from
the forgettable Off The Hook. Though included on this album, the
song I Can’t be Satisfied did not
show up in the U.S. until 1972 (More Hot Rocks.)
| RELEASE | U.K. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1965, Jan. 15 | #1 | Decca | LK4661 | unknown | Susie Q |
1965 
Rolling
Stones NOW! - This is the lowest-charting studio
album released for the U.S. market in the history of the Rolling
Stones. Though reaching #5 is commendable, the consumer was in
want of something fresh to bite into and this album did not offer
much. The Stones were well aware of their situation and promptly
dealt with it from this point forward. As the first top-twenty
single in the US written by Jagger/Richards, Heart of
Stone made it’s album debut as track #4. The
amount of eventual B-sides outnumbered the hit singles on this
release. Though listed as running under three (3) minutes, the
opening track Everybody Needs Somebody to Love
is actually over five (5) minutes in length.
| RELEASE | U.S. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1965, Feb. 13 | #5 | London | PS/LL3/420 | 500,000+ | Heart Of Stone |
1965 
Out of Our Heads - Quite
altered from the UK edition of the same name in both cover design
and content. Choosing an alternate cover shot was deemed
necessary as it had been decided to have two US LPs to the one UK
release. This was the Stones first US #1 album with much help
from the hit singles The Last Time and (i
can't get no) Satisfaction. The collection
closed with a live recording I’m Alright,
which first surfaced on the UK EP got LIVE if you
want it!
| RELEASE | U.S. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1965, July 30 | #1 | London | PS/LL3/429 | 1,000,000+ | First U.S. #1 LP |
Sep. 1965
Satisfaction [Grammy®
Hall-of-Fame]]
is finally #1 world-wide.
1965 
Out of Our Heads - This
album - the first UK LP available in stereo - failed to complete
a hat-trick of #1 albums for the Stones due in part possibly to
the exclusion of their hit single (i can’t get
no) Satisfaction. Though far better than
the US pressing of the same name, it was not as well received.
The cover photo from this album would later re-appear on the US
LP December’s Children front.
| RELEASE | U.K. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1965, Sep. 24 | #2 | Decca | SKL/LK/4733 | unknown | I'm Free |
1965 
December’s Children (and
everybody’s) - This cult favorite among Stones
“butchered” albums has songs from an incredible number
of sources including the UK issue of Out of Our Heads
and both UK EPs Rolling Stones and got
LIVE if you want it! The 4th track Look
What You've Done appears on no other LP or CD.
First performed by Marianne Faithfull
in 1964, the Stones version of their own composition As
Tears Go By made it’s way on to this album as
well as the top-10 US singles chart in December.
| RELEASE | U.S. HCP | LABEL | CAT. NO. | SALES | select feature |
| 1965, Dec. 4 | #4 | London | PS/LL3/451 | 500,000+ | Get Off Of My Cloud |
The
following reviews of post-1965 Stones albums
are accompanied by “star” ratings
of one (*) to five (*****).
Half-stars are represented by a blinking star.
*
- poor effort.
** - fair
effort.
*** - good
listening.
**** - great listening.
***** -
ultimate rock classic.
1966 
Aftermath- The first
collection of entirely new compositions is the best example of
Brian Jones’ influence, as well as the maturing lyricism and
musical arrangement of Jagger and Richards. Released in the UK
only as a single, Paint It Black opened
the US pressing of this album with probably the best rock song
ever in which a sitar was used. Four
tracks including the hit single Mother’s Little
Helper were omitted for the US pressing, but the
album’s effectiveness is little diminished. Stupid
Girl, Flight 505, Under
My Thumb, and Goin’ Home
- whose arrangement Jim Morrison
imitated almost step-by-step in his live performance of Gloria
- are some of the many great tunes found on this, their best
pre-1968 album. Incidentally, Under My Thumb was the
first (of many) Stones songs which were unfairly labeled by the National
Organization for Women (NOW) who viewed the song to
be offensive and degrading to women. As a note for collectors,
this was the last of the cover variations judging by release in
either the US or UK.
rating-****
| Origin | RELEASE | HCP | LABEL | CAT No. | SALES | Select Feature(s) |
| U.K. | 1966, Apr. 15 | #1 | Decca | SKL/LK/4786 | unknown | 14 tracks |
| U.S. | 1966, July 2 | #2 | London | PS/LL3/476 | 1,000,000+ | 11 tracks incl. Paint It Black |
1967
Between the
Buttons- The last of the “butchered”
Stones titles is an odd collection of songs which Jagger once
labeled, “...a complete wash but for one or two
tracks...”. The UK pressing did not contain either of the
hit singles related to the recording sessions of this album, yet
the two alternative selections were impressive. The US pressing
omitted 2 great songs from the earlier UK issue (Please
Go Home & Back Street Girl),
replacing them with the double-hit, Let’s Spend
the Night Together/Ruby Tuesday. This title was not
well received upon release but has since been recognized as a
Jones-era classic. Miss Amanda Jones
provided a theme to the 1987 film Some Kind of
Wonderful, and She Smiled Sweetly
offered a touching moment from The Royal Tenenbaums.
Still hard to listen to from start to finish, it is nonetheless
valuable for at least a few reasons. Keith gets his first shot at
lead vox, sharing the spotlight with Jagger on Something
Happened To Me Yesterday. Back cover art by Mr. Charlie
Watts.
rating-**
| Origin | RELEASE | HCP | LABEL | CAT No. | SALES | Select Feature(s) |
| U.K. | 1967, Jan. 20 | #3 | Decca | SKL/LK/4852 | unknown | Back Street Girl |
| U.S. | 1967, Feb. 11 | #2 | London | PS/LL3/499 | 500,000+ | Miss Amanda Jones |
She's a Rainbow was a US #25
1967 
<(outer)
<(inlay)
Their
Satanic Majesties Request- The end result of a very turbulent
period for the Stones, this album is not the Sgt.
Pepper imitation that many protest, but it’s
mimic. Not to be used as an excuse, they still created great
music despite their lack of total enthusiasm. The band did not
receive support from their usual sources and opted to produce and
arrange this album themselves. Unofficially, the song 2000
Light Years from Home is one of the greatest
psychedelic songs ever conceived both musically and lyrically,
and remains as the most oft-performed live song from this album.
The prophetic 2000 Man, with references
to a man “...having an affair with a random
computer...” and whose “...name is a number...”,
was memorable enough to the American rock band KISS
that they - as well as a number of other notable acts - recorded
and continue to perform it live. Overall however the album is
confusing and over produced with a stream of nauseating sound
effects scattered about. Two songs which marked the only recorded
collaboration between the Stones and the Beatles
were realized during the sessions for this album, only to be
slated for individual release. Michael Cooper
would collaborate with both groups in 1967 as the
photographer of Sgt. Pepper and this ground breaking
3-dimensional album cover. That is Led Zeppelin’s
John Paul Jones arranging the strings
for the melodic She’s A Rainbow,
which itself became immensely popular 30 years later. The song
was a staple of live performances during Stones tours of
1997-2003, and supplied the theme for the 1998 iMac
computer promotional campaign.
rating-**
| Origin | RELEASE | HCP | LABEL | CAT No. | SALES | Select Feature(s) |
| U.K. | 1967, Dec. 8 | #3 | Decca | TXS/TXL/103 | unknown | Stones Produced |
| U.S. | 1967, Dec. 9 | #2 | London | NPS/NP/2 | 500,000+ | Inner sleeve was red version of cloud cover |
Brian (far right) is
fading away.
Jumpin' Jack Flash was a UK #1, but ...
Street Fighting Man is the undisputed King of Picture Sleeves.
1968
(inlay)
Beggars
Banquet- Keith Richards’ favorite album to
this day was the first in a series of magnificent albums released
during the latter part, and just beyond, the Brian Jones era.
With concern over content and cover design however, the album was
[commercially] the least successful for the Stones in this same
period. Most of the tracks found here have a lighter acoustic
sound such as in the excellent No Expectations,
but they hold up well beside the violent electric guitar,
stamping drums and sneering vocals of the powerful Street
Fighting Man, and the building, torturing
brilliance of Sympathy for the Devil.
The single from this period did not appear on the LP, yet Jumpin’
Jack Flash could have only made this album even
better.
rating-****
| Origin | RELEASE | HCP | LABEL | CAT No. | SALES | Select Feature(s) |
| U.K. | 1968, Dec. 6 | #3 | Decca | SKL/LK/4955 | unknown | Stones "white" album |
| U.S. | 1968, Dec. 7 | #5 | London | PS/LL3/539 | 1,000,000+ | Keith's favorite LP |
Honky Tonk Women was #1
in more countries than any other Stones single.
1969
Let it Bleed- This is
disputably the greatest Rolling Stones album ever. Difficult to
detect even a single weak moment on the entire Jimmy
Miller production. The group’s moment of true
brilliance is captured expertly by Miller on the album’s
opener Gimme Shelter, as well as in the
taunting blues of Midnight Rambler, and
the first released (non-shared) Richards lead vocal track You
Got the Silver. Despite Brian Jones having long
since detached himself from the group, he does appear on the
album beside newly-acquired guitarist Mick Taylor,
though the sessions were separated by many months. Honky
Tonk Women, an homage to Hank Williams which
appeared in alternate form on this album, would have suited
Jones’ blues feel which Taylor expertly performs in his
absence. Providing music for a great many number of films to this
day, virtually all of the selections found here are quite worthy
of such attention. Check out the Layla-like closing to Monkey
Man. Though some may argue that the live version of
Midnight Rambler [from Ya-Ya's] outperforms the
original, there is little doubt that You Can't Always
Get What You Want has never been improved upon.
During a turbulent period within the Stones as well as around the
globe, this album provided the most appropriate soundtrack to the
decade which was about to violently end.
rating-*****
| Origin | RELEASE | HCP | LABEL | CAT No. | SALES | Select Feature(s) |
| U.K. | 1969, Dec. 5 | #1 | Decca | SKL/LK/5025 | 300,000+ | 1st with Mick Taylor |
| U.S. | 1969, Nov. 29 | #3 | London | NPS-4 | 2,000,000+ | 1st stereo-only U.S. release |
See ...
Part II: Studio Albums 1971-2005
Part III: Compilations 1966-2005
Part IV: Live + Solo 1965-2004
Mick
Jagger (b. July 26, 1943).
Brian Jones (b. February 28, 1942 - d. July 3, 1969).
Keith Richards (b. December 18, 1943).
Charlie Watts (b. June 2, 1941).
Bill Wyman (b. October 24, 1936).
Ian Stewart (b. July 18, 1938 - d. December 12, 1985).
Mick Taylor (b. January 17, 1948).
Ron Wood (b. June 1, 1947).
Bobby Keys (b. December 18, 1943).
Chuck
Leavell (b. April 28, 1952).
Darryl Jones (b. December 11, 1961).
Dick Taylor (b. January 28, 1943).
GO
TO:
INTRO ... 1964-69 LPs ... 1971+ LPs ... Compilation LPs ... Live + Solo
Hit Singles ... Hit Albums ... Brian Jones ... Unit $ALE$ ... CDs
Reel Stoned ... US LP Label History ... Gigs & more Licks
Credits
All items, descriptions, reviews, and images contained in /the_rolling_stones/, and its sub-sections, were compiled solely by AC Palacio.
Contact Us : BeatZenith@beatzenith.com
