Recorded - between November 16 and December 13, 1966
Released - January 13, 1967 (UK and US)
#1 for week of March 4, 1967.
The Rolling Stones had already matured sound-wise with their 1966 album Aftermath. With their next release, 1967's Between The Buttons, they went several steps further. In November of 1966, as the album neared completion, there was a last minute addition to the album, "Ruby Tuesday", which ended up being The Stones' fourth US #1 hit, and a deserved one at that.
If you read up on the composer credit for "Ruby Tuesday", you'll see the song credited to "Jagger/Richards". In actuality, the song should be credited to "Richards/Jones". Keith Richards wrote the majority of the lyrics and worked with Brian Jones, on the musical melody. What would have been a simple melancholic song, about Keith's former girlfriend Linda Keith, turned into one of The Stones' finest Baroque pop songs. All thanks to Brian Jones and his experimentation with a wide variety of instrumentation.
Musically, there are no session musicians, just the five Rolling Stones. On recorder, we have Brian Jones playing in a very free-spirited way. Brian also provides a sublime backdrop of piano. On double bass, Keith Richards bows it while bassist Bill Wyman fingers the chords. Bill also plays regular electric bass which is heard in the choruses. Charlie Watts only shows up in the choruses, with some fine subtle drum fills.
Lyrically, this is quite a leap forward from their earlier works. With lines like "Lose you dreams and you may lose your mind" and "Don't question why she needs to be so free, she'll tell you it's the only way to be", it shows Keith writing in a very free-spirited way. The lyrics managed to be fully relevant amongst the counterculture, yet I feel they are still relevant to this very day.
Vocally, this is one of Mick Jagger's best vocal performances. It's easy to forget, due to The Stones' more hard-rock legacy that he could have a gentler side as well. Mick has gone on record as holding this song in high regard, and it still regularly appears in the Stones' set lists.
The Stones were certainly riding high after the success of "Ruby Tuesday". However, the rest of 1967 wouldn't be all sunshine and dandelions. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were busted for drug use in February, and spent much of the summer in and out of court, fearing that they would be forced to spend an extended period of time behind bars. Out of this chaos came the late 1967 album Their Satanic Majesty's Request.
Unlike Between The Buttons, which has psychedelic elements but stays rooted in rock and roll, "Satanic", is a very trippy psychedelic album that often sounds a bit too Sgt. Peppers influenced. Despite the mixed reaction the album received, it still contains some great songs such as "2000 Light Years From Home". By 1968, The Stones and especially Brian Jones realized it was time to drop flower power and go back to basics. We'll see where that led them to when we get to 1969.
Final Verdict - "Ruby Tuesday" works so wonderfully because it showcases The Stones firing on all cylinders. Great instrumentation, mature lyrics, and a splendid vocal performance, "Ruby Tuesday" gets two thumbs up from me, and deserves a coveted spot in your music collection.
Coming Up Next - "Love Is Here And Now You're Gone" by The Supremes.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and when the pop scene changes with every new day, still I'm going to miss reviewing songs like this -
No comments:
Post a Comment