Recorded - Between March 6 and 9, 1966
Released - May 7, 1966 (US), May 13, 1966 (UK)
#1 for weeks of June 11 and 18, 1966.
Now we're getting somewhere...While there had been several proto-psychedelic and/or radically different rock songs that had charted high in '66, it was "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones that became the first psychedelic number one. Recorded during the sessions for their Aftermath album, the song sounds unlike any Stones song recorded so far. With a dark haunting tone, and rather poetic lyrics, "Paint It Black" shows the Stones on the cusp of the ever-growing Psychedelic music scene.
The funny thing is, "Paint It Black" isn't that psychedelic. Instead, it's a great example of raga rock. Raga rock combined Indian droning music patterns, which were traditionally played on sitars and tamburas, and replicated it with rock and roll instruments. Early examples include The Kinks' "See My Friend", and the Yardbirds' "Still I'm Sad". However, it wasn't until George Harrison used a sitar on "Norwegian Wood" that other rock musicians decided to follow suit. And thus, "Paint It Black", with a sitar played by Brian Jones, was the most authentic example of raga rock so far.
"Paint It Black" shows a growing maturity in the Stones' writing, with the biggest example being Mick Jagger's very dark, almost Gothic, lyrics. His vocal performance in this song is one of his finest moments. He sings the verses with a more hurt and delicate voice and takes on an angry tone for the chorus and the final verses. As the song fades out, we have a whole potpourri of humming backing vocals which act as a backdrop to Mick's most powerful lyrics in the piece such as, "I wanna see the sun, blotted out from the sky".
Of course, the vocals and lyrics are only half of the picture, as there is quite a bit happening in the music track. Keith Richards' haunting guitar part opens the song, and is soon duplicated and eventually overpowered by Brian Jones' even more haunting sitar part. Underneath these two, we have Charlie Watts providing a thunderous drum part. Finally, bassist Bill Wyman provides some really thrilling "Zooming" bass notes as the song fades out, courtesy of the bass pedals of an organ.
I'd go as far as to call "Paint It Black" the finest song The Stones released in 1966. It shows the group maturing and progressing, without entirely losing their blues roots. The Stones would spend the summer and autumn of 1966 working on another even more progressive album, which would ultimately be released in 1967. One of the songs from those sessions even hit #1, so I think you know what that means. I'll see all you fellow Stones fans in '67!
Final Verdict - "Paint It Black" remains one of the finest early Stones songs. With lyrics as black as night, and with a music track equally as haunting, it is another song I have no hesitation calling one of the best of '66.
Coming Up Next - "Paperback Writer" by The Beatles.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock and I've painted this page black...with text -
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