Recorded - March 9 and 10 & May 30-June 5, 1969.
Released - July 4, 1969 (UK), July 5, 1969 (US)
#1 for weeks of August 23 and 30 & September 6 and 13, 1969.
1968 and 1969 were commercially very good times for The Rolling Stones. Their Beggar's Banquet album showcased the group going completely back to basics, with a prominent blues, folk, and early rock influence. In February 1969, three months after they starting work on their classic song "You Can't Always Get What You Want", they commenced work on their next album, Let It Bleed. One song from these nearly year-long sessions, "Honky Tonk Woman", was released as a standalone single in July. As fate would have it, certain tragic events shrouded the song's release.
Brian Jones had long been sealing his exit from The Stones. He gradually started contributing less and less to the music, missed whole recording sessions for songs, and was becoming increasingly eccentric. As a consequence, Jones only appears on "Midnight Rambler" and "You Got The Silver" on Let It Bleed. By the spring of 1969, he was fired, from the group that he formed. One day prior to Honky Tonk Woman's UK release, Brian Jones was found dead in his swimming pool, at only 27 years of age. The Stones paid tribute to their fallen founder by releasing live doves into the air during a free concert two days later.
Although Brian Jones may not have lived to see the release of "Honky Tonk Woman", his spirit is certainly present in the song's performance. It's a 12-bar blues with plenty of complex guitar parts, courtesy of new member Mick Taylor. With a prominent cowbell that gets the song jump started, and a punchy upbeat drum performance by Charlie, it's hard not to at least nod your head while listening.
Vocally, Mick Jagger delivers a superb gritty lead, with backing vocals by several outside singers including American girl group Reparata And The Delrons. These backing vocals blend in perfectly with the song, and never come off as overpowering or out of place. The lyrics of "Honky Tonk Woman" paved the way for the risque themes The Stones would tackle throughout the 1970's. One of the reasons this song works so well is that Mick sings with such conviction and just the right amount of sleaze. As a result, the song comes off as genuine as opposed to artificial.
Beggar's Banquet and Let It Bleed were only the first half of what would turn out to be a quartet of solid Rolling Stones albums. While it wouldn't be until 1971 that their next album was released, they could at least rest assured that their legacy as a classic rock band was all but, set in stone.
Final Verdict - "Honky Tonk Woman" features a convincing vocal performance, and plenty of tasteful guitar playing. Even in the 21st Century, the song still has relevance, and it hasn't aged one bit. Plus, it simply ROCKS, so you're guaranteed to enjoy it if rock and roll music is your cup of tea.
Coming Up Next - "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies.
Until Next Time, I'm Dr. Rock and I can't always get what I want -
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