Tell Me – Sixty years later and they keep coming back. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TheRollingStones

The Rolling Stones debut album was released in the United Kingdom on this day sixty years ago.

Interestingly, the album was released on the Decca label in the U.K., and six weeks later it was released in North America on London Records, with a subtitle that labeled them as ‘England’s Newest Hitmakers’. This tag demonstrates the effort to follow up the unprecedented success of The Beatles. Was this a marketing strategy? An unintended result of this approach saw the immediate rivalry between fan bases develop.

The album spent 12 weeks at #1 in the U.K. in 1964, while in the United States it managed to make its way to #11. Remarkably, ‘England’s Newest Hit Makers’ remains the only Rolling Stones American studio album release not to make the top five on the Billboard album charts.

Think about that?

There is a significance to this because, incredibly, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are still active all these years later. In fact, The Rolling Stones re-released ‘England’s Newest Hit Makers’ in August of 2022 and this re- issue coincided with the band’s 60^th anniversary tour.

Looking back sixty years this month, it is clear that The Rolling Stones and The Beatles took very different routes to success, and their ultimate status as legendary musical acts. On this date in 1964 The Beatles were celebrating 14 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, the Stones charted a more traditional course. It was all about the blues. Here is a review by Sean Egan of BBC Music that was shared in a 2010 book called ‘1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die’.

It’s a testament to the group’s brilliance that the result was still the best album to emerge from the early 1960s British blues boom … the ensemble lovingly delivered some of their favourite shots of rhythm ‘n’ blues.”

Sean Egan

In fact, although the album was called ‘England’s Newest Hit Makers’ it contained exactly one original Rolling Stones song. That is today’s feature, ‘Tell Me (You’re Coming Back’) which offered a glimpse of what Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were destined to become as a song writing team. While the rhythm and blues tributes served as a launching pad, the ultimate goal was to create a musical evolution.

[‘Tell Me’] is very different from doing those R&B covers or Marvin Gaye covers and all that. There’s a definite feel about it. It’s a very pop song, as opposed to all the blues songs and the Motown covers, which everyone did at the time.”

Mick Jagger

First Mick, Keith, Brian, Bill and Charlie needed to get the listeners attention, and then through the years they would come back…again and again and again…

For The Rolling Stones, ‘Tell Me’, which dropped the ‘You’re Coming Back’ on subsequent pressings, followed their two previous singles which famously offered the John Lennon/Paul McCartney song ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’

and the Buddy Holly classic ‘Not Fade Away’.

Yes folks, there was a time when The Rolling Stones needed an introduction. The delivery of ‘Not Fade Away’ in this clip served notice to the world.

The Rolling Stones were not just another band from England.

As much as The Rolling Stones had a dream about where they wanted to head as an act, much of what they were producing was being orchestrated by their management and production team. ‘Tell Me’exists as a prime example. The song was recorded during a couple of sessions at Regent Sound in West London. The recordings included tracks both with and without Ian Stewart on piano. In the end, it was revealed by Keith Richards that the entire song was literally a series of spliced overdubs.

‘Tell Me’ … was a dub. Half those records were dubs on that first album, that Mick and I and Charlie and I’d put a bass on or maybe Bill was there and he’d put a bass on. ‘Let’s put it down while we remember it,’ and the next thing we know is, ‘Oh look, track 8 is that dub we did a couple months ago.’ That’s how little control we had.”

Keith Richards

The recording shared at the outset of this post is the ‘long version’. It clocks in at 4:06. It does offer the Ian Stewart piano track, however the first pressing of ‘The Rolling Stones’ offered the piano-less track. The longer version that includes Ian Stewart is by far the superior piece of music. By the time ‘Tell Me’ managed to make its way to the United States on ‘England’s Newest Hit Makers’ it had been slightly edited to 3:48. The manipulation continued. When ‘Tell Me’ was determined to be the U.S. single, it was once again edited down to under three minutes to increase the likelihood of radio play. With Willie Dixon’s ‘I Just Wanna Make Love to You’ as the B-side, ‘Tell Me’ rose to #24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Not quite the level attained by The Beatles, but The Rolling Stones got just enough of a taste of success to determine what needed to be done to get to the next level.

By the time their second record, ’12 x 5’ rolled around in November the band had recorded three originals among their collection of R&B tributes. From that time forward the Stones committed to creating just a little bit of their own material on each album, while always sticking to their roots. For Mick and Keith, the song writing talent did not come quite as easy as it seemed to be for John Lennon and Paul McCartney, but in time they clearly got the hang of it. Famously, manager/producer Andrew ‘Loog’ Oldham is said to have confined them to a kitchen and to not come out until they had written something of merit. According to Keith Richards;

So, what Andrew Oldham did was lock us up in the kitchen for a night and say, “Don’t come out without a song.” We sat around and came up with ‘As Tears Go By’ It was unlike most Rolling Stones material, but that’s what happens when you write songs, you immediately fly to some other realm. The weird thing is that Andrew found Marianne Faithfull at the same time, bunged it to her and it was a fuckin’ hit for her – we were songwriters already! But it took the rest of that year to dare to write anything for the Stones.”

Keith Richards

Mick Jagger tells a slightly different story.

Keith likes to tell the story about the kitchen, God bless him. I think Andrew may have said something at some point along the lines of “I should lock you in a room until you’ve written a song” and in that way he did mentally lock us in a room, but he didn’t literally lock us in. One of the first songs we came out with was that tune for George Bean, the very memorable ‘It Should Be You’.

Mick Jagger

Here is ‘It Should Be You’ by George Bean.

And then The Rolling Stones and what goes down as their first true original. This dates back to 1963.

Just one more thing. Listen to ‘One Mint Julep’ by Ray Charles, which was produced by Quincy Jones, and note the similarities in the music.

Nevertheless, Mick and Keith had a template and they just kept right on going. It was a little sluggish at first, but once they got the hang of it…Once again, the significance of ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’ is recalled. This time by John Lennon. This speaks to how Mick and Keith observed John and Paul put the song together.

We were taken down to meet them at the club where they were playing in Richmond by Brian Epstein and some other guy. They wanted a song and we went to see what kind of stuff they did. Mick and Keith heard we had an unfinished song – Paul just had this bit and we needed another verse or something. We sort of played it roughly to them and they said, “Yeah, OK, that’s our style.” But it was only really a lick, so Paul and I went off in the corner of the room and finished the song off while they were all still sitting there talking. We came back, and that’s how Mick and Keith got inspired to write … because, “Jesus, look at that. They just went in the corner and wrote it and came back!” You know, right in front of their eyes we did it. So, we gave it to them.”

Keith Richards

It took a while for the Jagger/Richards style to emerge. Here is a case in point. Somehow, ‘Tell Me’ was initially offered as a Saturday afternoon dance routine.

This is a clip from a BBC show called ‘Take 7’ which was a variation on American Bandstand.

Compare this tame presentation to the greasy, garage band style portrayed in this footage from 1978. Style can either be emulated or cultivated. In the case of The Rolling Stones; they invented rock and roll raunch. Some would object to the suggestion that they are innovative, but when an act establishes trends and travels six decades of rock and roll terrain, there will always be paths that needed to be forged. The Rolling Stones reside at the cutting edge of originality and the authenticity is accented by the fact they have always taken time to thank their music mentors.

Professors of the School of Rock.

This may be their best quality.

As I moved ‘through the past darkly’ in search of cover versions of ‘Tell Me’ it was interesting to note that this song has fewer covers than most every other Rolling Stones feature I have written. The good news is what ‘Tell Me’ lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality.

Here is The Grass Roots from their 1966 album ‘Where Were You When I Needed You’. Evolving out of The Wrecking Crew, The Grass Roots are best known for songs like ‘Midnight Confessions’ and ‘Live for Today’. This is just a solid, straight forward nod to the Stones original.

Ted Tocks Covers always make time for The Andrew Oldham Orchestra. It’s important to understand how Oldham perceived the songs he produced, and then applied to an orchestral style. Elements of this are obvious in the Rolling Stones original. The importance of Andrew ‘Loog’ Oldham in the success of The Rolling Stones success cannot be understated.

Once again, a Ted Tocks Covers exploration has delivered me to former Cheap Trick drummer, Bun E Carlos. This is from his 2016 album ‘Greetings from Bunezuela’. The vocals are courtesy of Alejandro Escovedo.

When writing about The Rolling Stones it all becomes about perspective. Everything is seen through a lens that looks back through sixty years of music history. When you compound the analysis with the R&B artists who inspired them, the retrospective can take a listener back nearly a century. The reason ‘Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)’ is such a fascinating focal point stems from its significance as the band’s first original single. At the time there was an element of mystery. Were they just another band. Were they really ‘England’s Newest Hit Makers’. Would the fickle buying public gravitate to the message, and less refined style. Where The Beatles were seen as the boy next door type, The Rolling Stones were more like they undesirables from the wrong side of the tracks.

How would it all play out?

Six decades ago, this was all a story to be told.

Today we have the benefit of knowing the answer.

Time is on My Side – When the music is playing we have nothing but time. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers

Sit back and enjoy a sixty-year trip back in time. This Ted Tocks Covers feature will tie some interesting names together and the relevance will bring us right to the present day.

All of this will demonstrate that the musical timeline is not a fragmented list of occurrences, but more of a continuum.

Most listeners will recognize ‘Time is on My Side’ as The Rolling Stones first hit song in the United States. The Stones version was released in late September of 1964, almost a year to the day from the time jazz trombonist Kai Winding and his orchestra released ‘Time is on My Side’. The original recording was offered on this day exactly sixty years ago.

The lyrics they are singing are courtesy of Jerry Ragovoy, who was using the pseudonym, Norman Reade. This is where the interesting connections to music history really begin. Kai Winding was born in Denmark, and moved to the New York City area when he was 12. Among an impressive list of accomplishments, his musical resume consists of a stint as part of Benny Goodman’s orchestra during the post war period as well as many collaborations with J.J. Johnson. By the early ‘60s, Winding suggested to his session arranger Garry Sherman that he would like to experiment with a more commercial style. This is where Ragovoy’s early lyrics enter the equation.

Truth be told, the lyrics consist of two lines.

“Time is on my side” and “You’ll come running back to me”, on repeat in between Winding’s instrumentation which ultimately spoke to the lyricist who wrote the full set of lyrics.

Read on

The song is credited to Kai Winding. Song writing credits went to Norman Meade, ak.a. Jerry Ragovoy, and production credit went to Creed Taylor. It was released on the Verve label.

Take a listen, and pay special attention to the backing vocals. You will note that on the 45 the song is credited to Kai Winding with Vocal Group.

This stunning ensemble consists of Cissy Houston, Dionne Warwick and Dee Dee Warwick.

If you recognize the name Jerry Ragovoy, it is likely due to his collaboration with Bert Berns on the Janis Joplin hit ‘Piece of My Heart’ and Miriam Makeba’s classic ‘Pata Pata’ which gave way to the Jain hit ‘Makeba’ in 2015. More recently, this became a Tik Tok craze and brought Miriam Makeba’s legacy of advocacy to a whole new generation.

Are you with me so far? Because we have only got through the original version.

We have miles to go…

In the early part of 1964, Irma Thomas who was known as the ‘Soul Queen of New Orleans’ recorded an updated version of ‘Time is on My Side’. It was the B-side of her song ‘Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand). Arranger H.B. Barnum, who has links to The Coasters and the renowned song writing team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, employed the services of lyricist Jimmy Norman to create additional lyrics. According to stories related to Irma Thomas’s studio session, Norman completed the lyrics just moments before she arrived.

It is this version that captured the attention of The Rolling Stones. In fact, it was while Irma Thomas was touring the U.K. that Mick and Keith saw her perform. They were so impressed with ‘Time is on My Side’ that during a brief encounter they let her know that they intended to record the song. Check it out.

As one listens, they will recognize that The Rolling Stones borrowed from both of the recordings that preceded them.

Here is their original version. Notice that it includes a Vox Continental organ intro by Ian Stewart, instead of Keith Richards’s distinct lead guitar.

The version shared at the outset of today’s post was recorded in Chicago in November of 1964. It became the most famous version of ‘Time is on My Side’.

If you fast forward to The Rolling Stones 1981 American Tour in support of ‘Tattoo You’, you will hear a rendition that pays tribute to the Irma Thomas recording. This version was included as part of the live album ‘Still Life’ in 1982.

It must be reiterated that although somewhere along the way The Rolling Stones were labelled the “greatest rock and roll band of all time”, this is a term that the band has never accepted comfortably. Here is a quote from Mick Jagger during a 2022 interview with ‘Far Out Magazine’.

It’s just a stupid epithet. It just seems too Barnum and Bailey to me – like it’s some sort of circus act. The first time we heard it said was to introduce us every night. So, I used to say, ‘Will you please not use that as your announcement? It’s so embarrassing. And what does that mean? Does it mean the best, the biggest, the most long-lasting?’”

Mick Jagger

This protest from Mick Jagger feeds nicely into this recent interview with Tom Powers’ on the CBC Radio show Q.

If anything, The Rolling Stones are a showcase for everything that came before. Their greatest attribute is the ability to capture so much of what is good about music and then present it to their devoted audience for sixty years.

Because they are truly exceptional, they have managed to dominate the charts for over six decades. They are a living, breathing, cavalcade of everything good about many genres of music and what happens when we take the best of what’s around.

Going way back, Keith Richards offered this much more concise response to the simplistic label that has followed the Stones around.

(O]n any given night, it’s a different band that’s the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world,” 

Keith Richards

In many ways this defines what music really is for people who can truly live in the moment. If we can compartmentalize our listening experience, the greatest rock and roll band could be the one we are all listening to right now.

Sometimes life is better when we focus on the here and now instead of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future.

This is when time really is on our side.

Part of Ted Tocks Covers mission is to share original songs and then offer up cover versions that were inspired as a result of the initial creativity. So often, the original only presents a stepping stone to the song that ultimately takes the spotlight.

Let it be stated here that if I stopped at The Rolling Stones 1964 offerings I would have done ‘Time is on My Side’ a huge injustice.

Not only were there some fantastic versions recorded, but the names associated with these covers provide a unique trip through music history. This reality lends credence to the contention shared by both Mick and Keith in the quotes above.

Music truly is a journey through time.

Enjoy this 1965 orchestral performance by George Martin from his album ‘George Martin Scores Instrumental Versions of the Hits’. To no one’s surprise, Sir George had his eyes and ears on the greatest hits of the day.

Here is a fascinating cover. Check out The Moody Blues just a couple of years ahead of their breakthrough. It’s always interesting to hear legendary bands in their formative days.

Here is one more example of an act on the edge of stardom. This time it is The O’Jays who went on to record ‘Love Train’ among many other classics. This ride took them to a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2005. The O’Jays version of ‘Time is on My Side’ was on their debut album called ‘Comin’ Through’.

In 1966, Andrew ‘Loog’ Oldham who was a crucial figure in the early days of The Rolling Stones recorded an orchestral version of ‘Time is on My Side’ with The Andrew Oldham Orchestra. This is different, but it bridges the musical generations.

That same year, the great Wilson Pickett lent his soulful voice to ‘Time is on My Side’ on his album ‘The Wicked Pickett’. The guitar work on this track is by Chips Moman who wrote ‘Luchenbach Texas’ along with Bobby Eamons.

Now we take a giant leap ahead to 1991 with a fascinating cover by The Pretty Things & Yardbirds Blues Band from their album ‘The Chicago Blues Tapes 1991’. The core of this group consisted of Phil May and Dick Taylor; long-time friends of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards; they went to Sidcup Art College together. May and Taylor were joined by former Yardbirds drummer Jim McCarty. This all-star ensemble was joined by former Canned Heat bassist Richard Hite. This cover is also enhanced by the amazing backing vocals from Annette Frank and Diane Madison. This is a must listen.

Meanwhile, Keith Richards and his side project The X-Pensive Winos were working on their own version of ‘Time is On My Side. This had to be shared. Once again, the lady steals the show. Listen to Sarah Dash on vocals

Lost in all of this so far are the thoughts of Irma Thomas on the song she sang, and what it became. Clearly, ‘Time is on My Side’ became recognized as a Rolling Stones song. What did she think?

Well, early on she grew a little disenchanted with telling people who complimented her performance that she was not covering “that Rolling Stones song”. She eventually removed it from her set…for the better part of three decades…Until…

…This special New Year’s Eve broadcast from New Orleans, in 1992 where Irma Thomas was invited to share the stage with the magnificent Bonnie Raitt. Here is that performance.

In a later interview with a Dutch music series, Irma Thomas summed up Mick Jagger’s vocals in this way.

Vocally you have to be able to carry a note for more than a couple seconds. Melodically, he’s there. But they did it the way they did and I did it the way I did it and, you know, there’s an interpretation of singing. I tell people, ‘Mick can’t sing but he’s laughing all the way to the bank.'”

Irma Thomas

You have got to love the honesty.

Irma steals the show.

Now we must invoke the Tom Petty rule. If Tom Petty covers it, Ted Tocks Covers must share it. Here is Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers live from The Fillmore in 1997. They put their stamp on this timeless classic. Priceless.

Two years later we get a fun version by Blondie.  This is on New Year’s Eve 1999 as Debbie Harry and friends help their audience ring in the new millennium.

Just two more, because they also have to be shared. Please take a moment to listen to this recording because it takes us right back to the studio where Irma Thomas delivered her original. This is lyricist Jimmy Norman from his 2004 album ‘Little Pieces’. Forty years later, he took the opportunity to share his own sermon. It resides as the closing track on this album. For the purposes of today’s feature Jimmy Norman will be considered the co-MVP. Shockingly, somewhere along the way Jimmy actually lost the writing credit to this song, because The Rolling Stones’ publisher deemed Norman’s credit was not ‘legally binding’. Sadly, Norman died in 2011.

Listen…This is a beautiful version.

Finally, this recording by 2007 by Beverley Knight is so good I just had to include it. This is from her album ‘Music City Soul’. It should be known that Ronnie Wood contributed his guitar work to this album, but left this role on ‘Time is on My Side’ to James Long and Duane Denison.

Before I leave you, just know that Irma Thomas, the co-star of ‘Time is on My Side’, is still revered within the New Orleans music scene.

I love what I do and will till I close my eyes,” 

Irma Thomas

Whenever you hear this song spare a thought for the ‘Soul Queen of New Orleans’ and while you’re at it give a nod to Jimmy Norman.

Heart of Stone – An early Stones classic that draws from a range of musical roots. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TheRollingStones #AndrewLoogOldham #JimmyPage #MitchRyder #AllmanBrothersBand

Today, we go all the way back to December of 1964 and the early days of the Rolling Stones and the underrated Jagger/Richards classic ‘Heart of Stone’.

This gem was released as a single in the United States in late 1964, and then subsequently added to the 1965 U.S. released album, ‘The Rolling Stones Now’. Down the road a little, it became part of the British album release known as ‘Out of Our Heads’.

To aid in the promotion of the U.S. album release, producer Andrew ‘Loog’ Oldham wrote this piece of advertising copy.

This is THE STONES new disc within. Cast deep in your pockets for the loot to buy this disc of groovies and fancy words. If you don’t have the bread, see that blind man knock him on the head, steal his wallet and low [sic] and behold you have the loot, if you put in the boot, good, another one sold!

Andrew ‘Loog’ Oldham

It didn’t go over well and it was subsequently removed.

But it did serve well in adding to The Rolling Stones bad boy image which existed in carefully crafted contrast to The Beatles.

Just sit back and listen to ‘Heart of Stone’ and you will feel the blues and soul influence that was so instrumental in the Stones rise. But, there is something more. Hidden in the subconscious of this band, and just waiting to emerge about five years later was a strong country direction.

In 1975, The Rolling Stones released a compilation called ‘Metamorphosis’. This album included an early demo of ‘Heart of Stone’ that is jaw dropping good. Early in the track you hear the more pronounced backing vocals which create a sombre mood but it is the bridge that takes everything to Nashville. Listen to that guitar. The solo at 2:04 is none other than Jimmy Page who adds a phenomenal layer to Keith Richards homage to the other half of his music roots. It should be noted that ol’ Keef does a solid job too. Two legends. This version also includes Clem Cattini on drums. Absolute gold.

This was the first time that Jimmy Page lent his talent to a Rolling Stones track, but not the last. In 1985 The Rolling Stones released ‘Dirty Work’ and at the behest of his old friend Ronnie Wood, Page added his guitar prowess to the single ‘One Hit to the Body’. Jimmy Page can be heard playing the B-bender solo beginning at 2:27. Here you go.

This exists as just one more example of the lineage of the country rock sound, and how it meanders its way into some of the biggest hits. Sometimes it’s subtle, but it is there. Here is one of the creators of that sound; Gene Parsons, discussing his role in putting some more magic in Jimmy Page’s strings.

I installed StringBenders in two of Jimmy Page’s guitars—one in a Tele and one in a Les Paul. I think he always appreciated [Byrds guitarist and B-bender pioneer] Clarence White, and might have even been a fan. It must have been that ‘Clarence sound’ that convinced him to have the StringBenders installed.”

Gene Parsons

Just a Stones throw away is much discussed friendship between Keith Richards and Gram Parsons which fed a ton of material the band released between 1969 and 1974.

Wild Horses – The man behind the song. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #RollingStones #GramParsons #TheFlyingBurritoBrothers #LeonRussell #Melanie #OldandintheWay #JerryGarcia #IvoMatos #NealMcCarthy #WillieNelson #DeborahHarry #DaveMatthews

As always, when you trace a Rolling Stones song you open the doors to anywhere from a half century to a century of undeniable influence. They may be the greatest rock and roll band ever, but they would be the first to tell you that they owe a lot to the artists that blazed the trails. This is why Ted Tocks Covers loves writing about this band.

For today’s cover versions we head back to an interesting project from Andrew ‘Loog’ Oldham and his Orchestra in 1966. This is from ‘The Rolling Stones Songbook’.

Here is a fun live version by Mitch Ryder in 1988. A quality rocker who emerged from the Detroit rock and roll scene in the late ‘60s.

To conclude today’s feature, let’s move on to a band that in the early ‘70s presented a rival to The Rolling Stones in terms of popularity and live gate revenue. Unfortunately, a combination of drug and alcohol addiction, internal strife and tragedy strangled their ascent. Of course, I am talking about the Allman Brothers Band who much like the Stones drew from a strong blues, country, jazz and soul influence and rode that musical blend to great heights. Listen to this incredible cover of ‘Heart of Stone’ from their 2003 album ‘Hittin’ the Note’. It is difficult to describe how good this cover is.

First you get Gregg Allman’s vocals which, with all due respect to Mick Jagger, are better. Both tell a story, but somehow Allman does break hearts.

Accompanying Allman, is the superlative guitar work of Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks. It’s hard to imagine but they outperform Page and Richards.

Add to this, the rhythm section that includes the great Oteil Burbridge on bass along with Butch Trucks and Jaimoe on drums.

To top it all off Gregg Allman lends his distinctive Hammond B3 organ.

It just doesn’t get any better.

As fate would have it, ‘Hittin the Note’ would be the final studio album from The Allman Brothers Band. What a way to put a stamp on a career that offered a dozen studio albums and a wealth of staggering live albums. Fortunately for all their fans they continued touring through late October of 2014. Since that time the Allman Brothers family has lost both Butch Trucks and Gregg Allman.

Truth be told, as good as the Allman Brothers Band was in studio, they were that much better live.

To me, this is where the Allman Brothers Band outshines The Rolling Stones. If pressed I would rank them higher in my list of favourites. This may not be a popular opinion, and it could likely create some fun debates with a host of listening props to back up some carefully considered points.

Let me know your thoughts.

When it all comes down to it, we are so lucky to have the vast catalogue of material created by both acts.

Listening to both, is always time well spent.

Bitter Sweet Symphony – The fascinating story about a classic song from the ’90s. #MusicisLife #TedTocksCovers #TheVerve #TheRollingStones #AndrewLoogOldham #RichardAshcroft #AllenKlein #Moby #Coldplay

What a story this song has to tell.

To begin with, I want to be clear. It is beautiful and it is dark all at the same time. To summarize it is ‘bittersweet’. I think that is why Richard Ashcroft and The Verve called it the ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’. If that is where it ended, I would tell you handful of cool stories about its composition, then share a cover version and move on to the next post. But, the ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’s composition and release was just the beginning of a riveting story of what can happen when you don’t dot all your ‘I’s and cross all your ‘T’s before publishing an ‘original’ song.

Basically, the story begins with the distinctive strings sample that is incorporated in the song. In 1965, Rolling Stones manager/producer Andrew Loog Oldham created an orchestral cover of the Rolling Stones song ‘The Last Time’ with the Andrew Oldham Orchestra. It was written by David Whitaker. In 1997, The Verve negotiated the rights to use a six note sample of the string riff from Rolling Stones copyright holder, Decca Records. The Verve thought they were free and clear. The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft wrote these lyrics and laid the song down over the distinctive sample:

Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony this life
Trying to make ends meet, you’re a slave to the money then you die.
I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah.
No change, I can’t change, I can’t change, I can’t change,
but I’m here in my mold, I am here in my mold.
But I’m a million different people from one day to the next
I can’t change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

Well I never pray,
But tonight I’m on my knees, yeah.
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah.
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now.
But the airwaves are clean and there’s nobody singing to me now.

No change, I can’t change, I can’t change, I can’t change,
But I’m here in my mold, I am here in my mold.
And I’m a million different people from one day to the next
I can’t change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony this life.
Trying to make ends meet, trying to find some money then you die.
I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah.
No change, I can’t change, I can’t change, I can’t change,
but I’m here in my mold, I am here in my mold.
But I’m a million different people from one day to the next
I can’t change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
I can’t change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
I can’t change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no

It justs sex and violence melody and silence
It justs sex and violence melody and silence (I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down)
It’s just sex and violence melody and silence
It’s just sex and violence melody and silence
It’s just sex and violence melody and silence (I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down)
(It’s just sex and violence melody and silence)Been down
(Ever been down)
(Ever been down)
(Ever been down)
(Ever been down)
(Ever been down)

Richard Ashcroft

The combination is one of the most popular pieces of music from the 1990s. On this day in 1997 it began a four week run at #1 on the U.K. album chart. To many, it defined British popular music in the late ‘90s and it was even nominated for a 1999 Grammy Award for Best Pop Song.

Enter Allen Klein…The notorious businessman, music publisher, writer’s representative and record label executive was the owner of the rights to all Rolling Stones material pre-1970. Although The Verve gained rights to use the sample from Decca Records, they neglected to get the rights from Klein. By the time Allen Klein and ABKCO Records got wind of the release of ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ it was too late for The Verve to do anything about the oversight. Klein and his company sued Richard Ashcroft and The Verve.

Before I go any further, I need to share the Andrew Oldham Orchestra’s version of ‘Last Time’ which featured the sample that led to this controversy.

At this point you would likely not be surprised to learn that The Verve lost the lawsuit and they were forced to relinquish all royalties to Allen Klein. In addition, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were granted the songwriting credit for ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’. Richard Ashcroft’s take…$1000.

According to The Verve bassist, Simon Jones;

“We were told it was going to be a 50/50 split, and then they saw how well the record was doing. They rung up and said we want 100 percent or take it out of the shops, you don’t have much choice.”

Simon Jones – The Verve

The whole process left Richard Ashcroft; well…bitter.

“This is the best song Jagger and Richards have written in 20 years.”

Richard Ashcroft

He was right. It was their biggest UK hit since ‘Brown Sugar’.

It got even uglier. Although the ruling came down in favour of Klein, the money did not filter down to Andrew Loog Oldham. In 1999, he too received a settlement, but not before taking a shot at Richard Ashcroft.

“As for Richard Ashcroft, well, I don’t know how an artist can be severely damaged by that experience. Songwriters have learned to call songs their children, and he thinks he wrote something. He didn’t. I hope he’s got over it. It takes a while.”

Andrew Loog Oldham

That was a little harsh, don’t you think?

It all has a relatively happy ending. In May of this year, Richard Ashcroft was granted the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. During his acceptance speech he let the audience know that the dispute with ABKCO and the Rolling Stones was over as a result of a negotiation with Allen Klein’s son Jody and the Stones’ current manager Joyce Smith. During the speech he thanked Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for acknowledging him as a writer of a “masterpiece”.

“As of last month, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards signed over all their publishing for Bittersweet Symphony, which was a truly kind and magnanimous thing for them to do. I never had a personal beef with the Stones. They’ve always been the greatest rock and roll band in the world. It’s been a fantastic development. It’s life-affirming in a way.”

Richard Ashcroft

My evaluation; the music was a clear take off of the Andrew Oldham Orchestra’s rendition of ‘Last Time’. Without that sample the song would not be nearly so memorable. However, the lyrics are fantastic. The brilliance of the philosophical sentiment bundled up on the oxymoron title was testament to the vision of Richard Ashcroft. It’s a shame it took over 20 years to sort out the mess. A 50/50 arrangement could have been arranged between The Verve and Andrew Loog Oldham and David Whitaker. When it all comes down to it Allen Klein, Mick and Keith made out like bandits. But after all they were the ones in possession of the song’s rights and as they say;

“Possession is nine/tenths of the law.”

Derived from a Scottish expression

When I was researching this post, I was curious to discover how artists who chose to cover ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ would approach the piece. I found this version by Moby.

Remind me never to listen to another piece of music by Moby. This is horrible. They should be forced to pay Richard Ashcroft back for every dollar they made with this tripe.

Back in 2008, I remember watching Live 8 from Hyde Park in London on TV. Coldplay does ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ with Richard Ashcroft. Take note of the introduction by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. He introduces it as “one of the best song’s ever written”. It really is an impressive blend of talents.

Let the melody shine, let it cleanse your mind. Feel free to change.