The Rolling Stones, Gimme Shelter - A Classical Musician’s First Listen and Reaction
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- #therollingstones #gimmeshelter #valenciatheaterseating
Just a shot away… just a kiss away… which one will we choose? This straightforward song addresses a complex real-world problem in a simple manner, which gives each of us the ability to give some shelter to those around us. And it made me ask myself - “Am I a Rolling Stones fan?”
Here’s the link to the original song by The Rolling Stones:
• Gimme Shelter (Remaste...
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Amy Shafer, LRSM, FRSM, RYC, is a classical harpist, pianist, and music teacher, Director of Piano Studies and Assistant Director of Harp Studies for The Harp School, Inc., holds multiple degrees in harp and piano performance and teaching, and is active as a solo and collaborative performer. With nearly two decades of teaching experience, she teaches privately, presents masterclasses and coaching sessions, and has performed and taught in Europe and USA.
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Credits: Music written and performed by The Rolling Stones
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Love the channel, love the song, love the review! Thank you!
Agree on all three points! Brava!
Merry Clayton's unhinged vocals on this are one of my favorite musical moments ever.
If you haven't already heard it, Clayton's churchy backup on Carole King's Way Over Yonder is exceptional.
Yes Mary Clayton's voice expresses the ultimate peak of emotion. Whenever I hear this song beginning to play I anticipate her vocals, like a little boy waiting to get through the candy store door. IMHO, there are few other vocals that match this one in intensity and 'feeling' in the rock world or any other world really.
Yes, imperfectly perfect! It feels like she momentarily hesitates when her voice cracked, so she is just behind the beat, which makes it sound incredible
The Stones and Pink Floyd both managed to stand back and let female vocalists grab us by the heart - thinking of Great Gig in the Sky, of course. Two historic performances.
That moment sends chills down my spine, Mary captures the moment and elevates this awesome song to the next level.
The 'creaking' sound is produced by a güiro, a percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines along the notches to produce a ratchet sound. It can be made from wood, gourd, metal, plastic or fiberglass. The guiro is believed to have originated in Puerto Rico with the Taíno people (the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean), so it features mostly in Puerto Rican music.
Over here (Portugal) it is known as reco-reco, an onomatopaic word to sound like the sound the object creates. We have a lot of that popular/ folk instrument, mostly made of wood. The ornaments people do in it makes each object a unique piece.
My music teacher in elementary school had one, and I got to play it several times in his classes.
When I heard this song, I knew instantly what that instrument was.
ditto@@toddmcclellan979
Was thinking a’washboard’ type of percussion instrument from bluegrass
Some have likened the guiro part to the death rattle at the end of life ominously carried throughout the song.
Sadly, this song is just as relevant today as it was in 1969.
Merry Clayton's vocals are so raw and emotional that it just grabs you right by the soul.
Maybe even more relevant if Trump wins and puts in his 50 thousand storm troopers we will be doomed
Merry.
@briangriffin5524 Thanks, I didn't even notice! My phone just autocorrects to my name! 😂
Simplicity is the point with The Stones. Anyone can strum along, anyone can sing the melody and they're not hard work to listen to. Their talent is subtly woven into every one of their songs which has ensured their enduring popularity. And still awesome to see live.😊
It is a harmonica and Jagger was playing it. They might have run the signal through a guitar Amp. That was often done at the time. All the guitars were played by Keith Richards. The two to this day are the greatest rock partnership of all time. For a fan like me the words of Keith are a bedrock of truth: "There's the sun, there's the moon, and there's the Rolling Stones."
Also in the sonic mix is Nicky Hopkins' piano and some unusual percussion.
@@marrrtinNicky just nails this groove. He always does. Nicky is the glue that holds the thing together
Sorry greatest rock partnership was John and Paul
@@stevenseul361NO!!! SAME LEVEL!!!
@@szeleddieWhy are you yelling calm down. I Disagree Stones had 8 number one songs and 12 number one albums. Beatles had 20 number one songs and 11 number one albums out of 12 recorded albums. Paul and John are the best working musical collaborators and you could throw in Elton John and Bernie Taupin. You're a Stones fan and that's great but please acknowledge that others were as good or even better than them.
That guitar sound you noticed is actually a harmonica
Yes. Plugged in to a guitar amp i think
Played by Mick Jagger.
Thanks for explaining It.
18 years to dyscover this, thank you
The cracking of Mary Clayton's voice is accompanied by a Wooohhh from Mick Jagger who couldn't contain himself in the recording booth when he heard that. It's a really good touch and witness of how organic this piece of music was
She was worried she blew the take when her voice cracked. Jagger’s shout was his excitement at what he had just heard. Obviously, he loved it and she didn’t do another take.
That is Mary singing "yeaah" . Where did people get Mick involved with her lines.
@@dougellis8904 You can hear a "Woooo!" in the background.
Song is like a wake up call. Evil and violence walks this earth and is always closer than most people are willing to realize. Great dive into this beautiful piece. Thanks Virgin rock.
And it's still as if not more violent and evil today as ever. Jim
@@bert0522 why is humanity afflicted with such perpetual horrors ?
Such a poor interpretation by the reviewer. From start to finish, it's an ethereal, heavy, driving, and ghostly song about the kiss of death. Jagger's not singing about "love, sister," as some sort of romantic passion. That "love," is the love of killing people. The "love" of death and destruction. "It's just a kiss away." The grind of a imperial war machine.
War, the ultimate rape of humanity. This song is one step away from Sympathy for the Devil. Penultimate horror.
I love the way you eloquently describe what the music portrays in your mind.
Did anyone else think 'I can't wait until she hears War Pigs?'
The best part is that she will listen to War Pigs without that stupid, ubiquitous George Orwell remake vid that causes reactors to read the lyrics wrong.
Or masters of war by Dylan
Machine Gun by Jimi Hendrix would be really interesting.
Yes she definitely needs to hear War Pigs and Machine Gun.
This is a favorite of a lot of people who are Stones fans. It's probably the best song a person can pick to describe what the Stones are about, very rooted in American blues and a touch of gospel singing in this particular one.
The first time I’ve ever heard someone call the opening of this song cheerful 😅
Cheerful. It's absolutely true, and I am sure many listeners feel that, but at the same time, melancholy
You and me both. I always found it haunting and foreboding.
Haunting I think is the word she should have used?
@@encoreunefois1XTotally agree with you. Cheerful?? That’s what she thinks? Interesting.
I've always loved the swampy atmosphere of the begiinning of the song. And when I realized it was an anti-war song I connected the swampy atmosphere to the fighting in the swamps of Vietnam. And told from the point of view of the frightened Vietnamese non-combants. Especially Mary Clayton's screams of horror. A mesmerizing classic.
Probably my favorite backing vocal ever. When her voice cracks...
Unbelievable passion.
The singer was deep into pregnancy and in pain
yes we get it. thanks for stating the obvious
@@47imagine stop being an ignorant and smug arse, you comment does you no favours
@@martin.baldock9719 Not 'in pain' but it was late at night and she was certainly uncomfortable.
I had tears in my eyes watching you unwrap this powerful song.
It’s just a kiss away.
To those that came of age during the Vietnam War, and especially those that faced the prospect of something almost unimaginable today (Military Draft Conscription), there is a connection to the overall “feel” of this song that just can’t be easily explained, it’s one of those “you had to be there” scenarios. There’s a reason the phrase “Oh, Children” is used in this song . . . teenagers and children on both sides were forcibly thrown into warfare and violence that had absolutely nothing to do with them.
The sense of tension and foreboding in the opening part of the song still brings back powerful emotions after almost 60 years.
In other words . . . they NAILED it.
no no, not NAILED it; N A I L E D it 🤓
I think she is the ONLY Person i know of, after hearing this for the first time, that did not talk for 5 Minutes about how amazing Merry Clayton's vocal solo was..!!!
She hardly mentioned it. I thought her jaw would drop while she listened to that
I find she's more about the instruments than the singing. That's why I also like to watch vocal coaches reacting to my favourite artists.
Favorite part of the song (about at 19:09 in this video) is when that woman's voice cracks as she is belting out all that soul and if you listen closely you can hear someone in the studio exclaim, "Wooo!"
it has a harmonica feel because it is a harmonica played electric blues style cupped close to a microphone. And Jagger is a somewhat underrated student of the blues harp masters.
That moment where Merry Clayton's voice cracked because she's pushing it too hard, followed with Mick's approving "woo!" Pure magic.
"Let it Bleed" is an all-time classic album.. You get what you need here!!
"i dont remember who's singing" "mick jagger" i love that!!!!
Knowing Jagger he would be more offended by someone not knowing it was him singing then he would be by their not liking the way he sings.
I've heard it a 1000 times, but I'm always startled by it, every time, from start to finish.
A fabulously mesmerizing, hypnotic, song.
Oh honey, that's a blues harp! Keith Richards, the guitarist here, arranged and assembled this entire song. It is a masterpiece. Mick wrote the incredible lyrics. Mary Clayton brought the gospel vocals. Perfect!
It's Merry.
The Rolling Stones have a way of burrowing in under your skin. Strange genius there. "Can't Always Get What You Want" next please...
Another great reaction!
_Gimme Shelter_ is one of those songs you simply have to play a few times before it gets under your skin. But when it does...
When the bass drops and Micks voice kicks in it takes you back to the 60s. True rock and roll. You can just picture American G.I.'s sitting there in a bunker smoking, listening to this on a radio.
And it's about war in the streets.
That high, sort of screeching, voice is not Jagger in falsetto mode, but gospel & soul singer Merry Clayton. Gives a great sonic boost halfway to the end, into the song!
Merry Clayton background vocals are amazing. I recommend watching the documentary 20 Feet from Stardom for all the amazing vocalists. Props to Lisa Fisher who continued the tradition for many tours.
I was 16 when this album came out this song in particular had a great effect on me. The reverb on the guitar.....saw them live in Chicago that year along with Chuck Berry. Great memories
This song you really need a couple of listens to fully appreciate it. It came about when everything seemed on the brink of collapse for the band, as it often was for them, frankly. This is possibly really what motivates the song. Strangely enough, they managed to hold their career together, strokes of fortune coupled with hard work. The production is undoubtedly what saves it; I'd say it contributes a solid 60% to its musical success. That, along with the session singer's performance. Some of the musicianship especially the guitar is very "loose" and jumbled, and rambling, Until it locks together, giving a powerful feeling of relief. This is another factor that people can maybe pick up,
That guitar sound that has a harmonica-ish sound is Mick Jagger on harmonica. I don't know what they used to get the distortion on it.
They used a harp mic plugged into a guitar amp (often a Fender). Several bluesmen & bands popularised that technique in the early days of electric music to create that raw bluesy sound. There are more sophisticated tools nowadays - harp amps, directional mics and such.
Mary Clayton 7 months pregnant and halfway across the world called in late one night to record her legendary backing track.. haunting. moving.. unforgettable
It’s Merry Clayton, and she was 4 months pregnant.
and allegedly because of this she had a miscarriage... quite a tragic story actually
Some of the story is recounted in the documentary, Twenty Feet From Stardom. Well worth a look.
Yeah hard to fathom how incredible that performance is for being pregnant and woken up in the middle of the night to sing a background track. Love the fact Jaggers Whoa when she wails away stayed in the track. Good video of her talking about it here: th-cam.com/video/ChONufP0FEs/w-d-xo.html
I have heard tell the story more than once and she has never said she called it in. She was in the studio.
Far and away my all time favorite Stones song. Thank you for analyzing it.
The beauty of Gimme Shelter is "The Groove". It chugs, it drives forward, its relentless, it's infestious... it's Rolling Stones and it's great imo :)
Charlie Watts drumming is a big part of the groove. It really demonstrates his reputation of tasteful drumming. It drives such a groove without being flashy.
It's also the way Mick says or sings the words that make his vocal style unique
The rocking chair sound is a Guiro, Latin American rhythm instrument.
The harmonica sounding guitar is actually a harmonica miked and ran through an electric guitar amplifier, which gives it the classic distorted blues harmonica sound.
**** They voice you are talking about is Merry Clayton, (one of the all time great background singers of the age). She also sang on Neil Young's self titled album on (The Old Laughing Lady).
I love this song, and I love the Sisters of Mercy cover even more for some reason.
Great cover by a band most people don't know exists.
Not as good as their cover of Jolene...
I can't wait for Amy to realize that it was a harmonica, all along ... and it sounded like Mick's vocals, because it was his mouth, and those famous lips! :) *
* Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals, harmonica
Keith Richards - backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars
Bill Wyman - bass
Charlie Watts - drums
Additional personnel
Merry Clayton - lead and backing vocals
Nicky Hopkins - piano
Jimmy Miller - güiro, maracas
* (Courtesy of Wikipedia)
Mick is playing harmonica when he's not singing the guitars and harmonica weave together along with the voices the piano bass and drums do their own weave countering to create a mesmerizing sound and rhythm. One of my favorites by my favorite band. Your takes and reactions take me back to when this brand new . I was 17. I will always tune into your show 👍
Just wanted to say I love your videos. I'm old so I love classic rock and the Stones have been my favorite band since I first really started paying attention to music when I was about fourteen. Keep up the good work and please, please never change.
Wonderful reaction. I think you'd like, "Can't You Hear Me Knocking." My favourite Stones song.
This distinct sound you mention is indeed a harmonica, played in that characteristically bluesy, distorted, way, by Mick Jagger.
Most rock music isn't directed at the brain, it's directed at the gut. To really love it, you have to feel it inside and let it build.
It’s still constructive to consult the brain to analyze how the music so effectively created a gut reaction.
Absolutely. that lets you appreciate it but it doesn't make you feel it.@@thundernels
100% true. The cerebral element in rock lyrics is often underappreciated, though. But yes, the power of a good rock song is first felt in the gut. Generally, I get the feel of a piece of music before paying attention to the finer details (after a few listens). Professional musicians are bound to have a different approach, which makes their opinions interesting and opens my ears to aspects I might have missed.
This song is in my First Aid Kit for difficult moments. It's a mantra, a thing of empathy and intensity underlined by the once-in-a-lifetime delivery by Merry Clayton. And yes that's an harmonica - and yes it matches Jaggers's voice, as he's playing it. You nailed it at the end, it's not just about a War zone specifically, it's about the conflict in our everyday lives, the psychological violence, the hopelessness, the constant fight for the legal tender (as Jackson Browne says). God where would I be without the weekly therapy brought by this tune. Eternal. Thanks for the great review.
I'm so glad you returned to the Stones, particularly since this is probably my favorite song of theirs, although tough competition. I am glad you had the lyrics handy since Jagger is known for not fully articulating the words. Don't feel out of place not liking Jagger's voice, many do not. He doesn't necessarily have a great singing voice, but he has a great Rolling Stones voice since it is so characteristic of their sound. He is probably the most famous front man in rock history, due in part to his on stage persona and energy, which is still present to this day for a man in his 80s.
Even though the melodic structure is repetitive, the variety of musical textures, slight variations, and dynamics from the various instruments keeps it interesting. They exemplify the essence of the rock sound the most amongst the top iconic bands, which by nature has a repetitive structures. As with most Stones songs I am a huge fan of Keith Richards guitar. The guitar that sounds like a harmonica, is in fact actually a harmonica.😉 Great commentary and message by you Amy, particularly at the end.
Keith wrote the initial track one afternoon during a thunderstorm over London, and also during a difficult point in the band's history, it's a really important song for him personally.
Listening to your Classical perspective on classical Rock music is refreshing, insightful, and unique! Thank you so much!
Ths song has one of the best intros of any rock song. Kind of glad she repeated it several times to digest it properly.. it is the perfect setup for, what I consider, to be the violence of the coming storm that this song is.
Charlie Watts drumming, Keith Richards guitar, Mick's vocal (and distorted harmonica) and Merry Clayton's backup vocal is perfection in every way.
The best intro of any song ever !!😂
Yep. The Stones were masters at creating openings where you felt, there's menace just around the corner.
The effect on the guitar that is very noticeable at the beginning of the song is a tremelo. The tremelo effect along with the interplay of the different guitars and the creaking sound of the Guiro (A Latin percussion instrument) further emphasizes the syncopated rhythm, (There is also a jerky, staccato rythm guitar phrase at the end of each verse). All of this combined produces music that might seem peaceful on the surface but the tension builds in a similar way to the theme song in the movie "The Exorcist." There is something slightly unsettling about it, almost like a children's nursery rhyme in a horror film. In contrast to the guitars, the vocals by the backup singers repeat a simple haunting melody. As the song reaches it's crescendo the female vocalist screams out "war" and "r*pe!"
Although the song is beautiful, I have always found it to be disturbingI "Sympathy For The Devil " might be taken as a clever attempt by the Devil at subtle persuasion as he takes credit for wars and assassinations while demanding sympathy and respect and in the end blames humans. But this song isn't gently instructive or reassuring at all, it is a warning! This song was part of the set during the Stone's Altamont concert in 1969 where someone pulled a knife and was shot by Hell's Angels who were hired as security. This event along with: the Tet offensive in Vietnam, the Tate murders by Manson, the assassination of Robert Kennedy and MLK marked the end of the so called "Summer of Love" period of the Hippie movement and began a darker phase.
Let it Bleed is the Stone's best album in my opinion, this dark song contrasts well with the warmer songs "Love In Vain" and "You Can't Always Get What you Want" which are also excellent. I would like to see the "'You Can't Always Get What You Want"reviewed soon while "Gimme Shelter" is still fresh in the mind.
Wow ...write a book already😂
Probably their greatest tune. At least top 5 for sure. It has a sort of foreboding that really connects.
"Rocking chair" creak in the open. Damn. That's good.
well, thats the most original ad i've ever seen! (of course, youre not getting paid, which makes it even more original!) 😁 ps great song and reaction as always
The "privelege" passage at the halfway point is well-put. Having done a tour in Afghanistan, this music captures the stress of being in a war zone, but keeps it at a distance. Heavier bands might have poured on more adrenaline, but here, the focus is not on the violence, but the shelter that's a shout away. Immortal.
One of my fav songs ever. Merry Clayton? Raw power!
31:30 Oh it grabs my emotions! To me, they really did manage to bottle something during recording that gets uncorked every time I listen to it. The rawness of the sound really lends itself to the effect.
Absolutely iconic Stones song and a favorite of many. The imagery of fire sweeping, burning like a “red coal carpet” in the streets surrounding my own home does indeed make me think how fortunate many of us are and how fragile our sense of peace and security really is; you hit the nail on the head with this assessment of the lyrics. I find it interesting that your impression of the intro is so different from my own… I’ve always thought that it sounds haunting, and foreboding; anticipating the horrors of what is to come. It also sets this really vintage, seedy kind of vibe that I feel is a bit of a Stones hallmark. I’ve never thought of it as homey in a rocking chair hahaha, maybe part of my listening experience is knowing what is coming. Much like you, when there’s the shift in mood with “Love, Sister”; it adds something magical, something worthy of reverence. I’m so glad that you did this song and hope you do more Stones songs soon!
She's a Rainbow is a gorgeous song from the Stones. Wild Horses, Moonlight Mile, You Can't Always Get What You Want all sound just lovely as well. It's Only Rock and Roll (But I Like It) is a funny song but weirdly deep in my opinion. Their catalog is huge, but most fans and casual admirers would agree with me about the ones I've mentioned I reckon. Much love. Your comments have pointed out to me the extreme relevance of Gimme Shelter in 2023. Thank you.
Those are all good but my favorite Stones ballad is Memory Motel.
Great list, I would like to ad ,,Anybody 've seen my babe" ?!
That first understated piano chord is the first hint at something ominous, like a peel of distant but quickly approaching thunder
p,s, Merry Clayton was very, very pregnant and called into the studio at night during a thunderstorm, and as she explains you can hear the nature of her mood. Tragically not long after she miscarried.
Been watching now for many months. Your approach from what I assume is as a more fortunate upbringing, gives a wonderful insight in how popular culture you may have missed out on can be enjoyed and also a different angle of how these songs can be perceived and enjoyed.. What a wonderful job you are doing...
I'm not a Stones fan either, but I do love this song. To me it almost seems like the point when rock & roll became rock.
23:59 "This guitar sound - is catching my ear because it's different from a lot of the guitar sound that I hear. It almost has a bit of a harmonica twang to it. And, in fact, it balances with this voice. It balances with Mick Jagger's voice It's as if... it is his voice without the words."
You brilliantly discovered, with your ears and mind, what was actually going on in the song. Mick Jagger is playing a harmonica (when not singing) and the fact that you described how it sounds like "his voice without words"... is one of the best descriptions of what is taking place in this track - that I have ever heard. Bravo, Amy! Bravo!
Probably my favorite Stones song (along with Can't You Hear Me Knockin).
So many great songs in the Stones catalogue to dissect! Their new song “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” is brilliant. Paint it Black, She’s a Rainbow, Moonlight Mile, 100 Years Ago, and Saint of Me would be great ones to unpack
How about ,,The worst" the little gem written by Keith, so ... stone - ish little song !
"Just a shot away… just a kiss away… which one will we choose?" Interestingly the Sisters of Mercy sing a cover of
Gimme Shelter with those lines swapped around to great effect.
You must react to "You Can't Always get What You Want" by The Rolling Stones. You'll love the classic french horns in it.
According to the 2013 film “20 feet from Stardom”, Merry Clayton was at home in her pajamas when after a phone call a car was sent to take her to the studio to record the background vocals. She was still in her pajamas!
Rollers and 8 months pregnant - and 2 in the morning
Song begins at 4:45.
I love how you're not only talking about the music, but the message as well. How peace is so fragile and taken for granted for many of us. That really resonated with me. I know, on an intellectual level, that the world is in a scary state these days, yet I still tend to focus on what's happening here and now in my life, in my small and RELATIVELY safe corner of the world. It's a tough balance to strike, to be aware of the darker parts of the human condition without being completely consumed by it. Great job so far... Resuming video now. Ps, this is probably my favorite TH-cam channel I've discovered this year! Keep it coming, I think you're really going to find the evolution of the Beatles particularly interesting as they move out of their adolescence and into their more mature years.
Ok.... Back to the video for real this time.
...as a rock musician from long ago I really dig your point in the analysis of this classic masterpiece. I love the way you play the song from the beginning one time to another like a real musician do, getting every subtlety displayed... thanks!!!
Omg this is another level of music reactions! Love it! Food for my musically analphabet, but very passionate, mind. Thank you!
There is a reason why The Rollingstones have been considered the greatest rock band ever. This song exemplifies that historical rock title. First, they actually play "pure" rock and blues which is the basis of rock music, but they detail topics of social, relationship, and personal, strife and struggle. They may be an acquired taste to some people, as Mick Jaggers voice is, but they do exemplify that which your channel is dedicated to, rock music. Your reaction and assessment of this song was so right on and I love the fact that you understood it so well. Now, go back and listen to Sympathy for the Devil again with the same "ear".
alright calm down lol
@@natmanprime4295 I am calm. You must be a nervous wreck in order to have read it as anything but calm. LOL
@@terrykennedy-lares8840 im not talking about your conscious self. im talking about your unconscious. "now. go and listen to symathy for the devil". the fact that you demand it, and also that theres virtually no musical quality to that song. youre a stones fanboy i get it but calm down
@@natmanprime4295 LOL. You are hilarious! I love people like your self, you jump to all sorts of conclusions and get yourself worked up into a tizzy. You just made my point, you took what I said and made it mean what you wanted it to. Also, while I appreciate the Stones for what they add to rock, I am not a "Fanboy" (another of your wonderful assumptions), if I am a fan of any group it's probably Led Zeppelin, I also am a fan of Amy and what she does. Now, here's a question you should ask yourself. Since, my post was directed towards her, what immature thought made you feel you had to "butt in"? Let's talk about YOUR unconscious now. Why did you feel that need? Think about it and then "calm down".
@@terrykennedy-lares8840 i explained why. i repeat: you're demanding that she analyse nothing but bongos. stop rambling and calm down.
Gimme Shelter is a timeless classic. The opening guitar riff is genius in its simplicity and very haunting. The backing vocals are another touch of genius as well . The best Stones compositions never date. You have covereed ' Angie ' - may I suggest ' Moonlight Mile' , ' Sister Morphine ' , ' Time waits for no-one ' , ' Beast of Burden ' and even perhaps the extended ' Miss You ' or ' Finger Print File '
I suggest "Mother's Little Helper" 😂😄
One of the real BADASS songs of all time!
It’s a harmonica, jagger is a real good harp player
Vlad perhaps you might consider “Rock Lobster” by B52s. Very fun Rock and roll song. Very popular to this day.
The foundation of the band includes a great deal of Chicago blues. Always assumed that the harmonica on the song reflects their love of Players like Little Walter.
I consider this THE rock song of the 20th Century. Mick Jagger and Merry Clayton's vocal, Keith Richard's guitar, Charlie Watt's drums, Nicky Hopkins' piano, Bill Wyman's bass, all are perfectly on point to me. Try 'Wild Horses' next, it will surprise you.
Heaviest Stones song !!!I love it!!!
Amy - that "creaking sound" at the beginning. Are you talking about:
The güiro is a percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines along the notches to produce a ratchet sound.
Jagger was playing a "blues harp," which helps explain why it has the same phrasing as his voice.
Many, like John Lennon, distinguish between a harmonica (which "has a button" to allow for a chromatic scale of 12 notes) and a blues harp (a diatonic instrument, using a so-called natural scale of 7 notes).
These blues harps are usually available in a few basic keys and the notes are much easier to pitch bend into specifically microtonal blue notes, those found between between the standard notes on a piano.
As for the "relatively calm" nature of this song, I think you are not considering that this was released on commercial radio in 1969 - so in comparison to "Baby Love" or "Cherish," this song WAS pretty intense.
The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. Love/Hate is similar to Genius/Insanity and Heads/Tails - two sides of the same coin.
As for being a fan of the Rolling Stones, "the band," I HIGHLY recommend you withhold your final judgment. Unlike most bands (excepting Beatles, Led Zep, Floyd, etc.), the Stones have a very WIDE RANGE of styles, even though they are most basically a R&B based band.
You still need to hear some Brian Jones (their founder and first lead guitarist who died in 1969 and was replaced by Mick Taylor until 1973 and was replaced by Ron Wood) era Stones where they explore different sounds like Lady Jane and Ruby Tuesday.
That's what I think, anyway.
My favorite Rolling Stones song!!!
Someday, look up the documentary “20 feet from stardom”. About backup singers that tried to make it big. The part about Mary Clayton is so awesome! I believe she had curlers in her hair and in a robe and slippers.
Very deservedly a short list classic. Excited to enjoy your always astute, detailed analysis.
The creaking is a guiro, a latin percussion instrument. And yeah, this song is maybe one of the most striking anti-war songs ever. That huge duality in the lyrics. Yes, we're always just a shot away from war and rape and murder, but at the same time we're always so close to love and harmony and it rests on us to wake up and make that decision. Also, the strange "guitar sound" you were hearing WAS a harmonica haha. It's a harmonica run through a vintage microphone to add distortion.
The intro to this song is so amazing. Keith is a genius.
What a fantastic review! Your words and insights did bring me a stronger perspective of this song! Not that I missed out on the meaning of the song. But your depth of insight is lifting the song even higher! Thank you!
I love the picturesque way you describe soundscapes
I have been a Rolling Stones fan since the sixties. Gimme Shelter is, in my opinion, the best thing that they have ever done.
In an interview I watched about the writing of this song, Keith Richards said he came up with the opening sequence while it London one afternoon and he said that the rain was absolutely pissing and the beginning does sound like rain coming down hard.
There's that portentous and ominous deep chord that starts to come in towards the end of that brilliant guiter medley in the beginning. Let's you know all is not necessarily going to be peaceful and well. One of the most brilliant openings and musical foreshadowings ever. Then there is that choir, and MERRY CLAYTON!! What more can be said about her..? Except brilliant, and a brilliant choice by the Stones to have her. She just fairly recently passed-away. R.I.P Mary, and thanks. ❤
The inevitability of war and the violence that comes with it, but also hope. Love is just a kiss away.
Sounds like your driving down the road in chill mode!
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'Sitting on one's front porch watching the world go by' was what I was thinking, with the vocal sounds being the ghosts of war approaching.
glad to hear your take on the song, as I also reacted to it on my channel
The way music changed during the decade of the 1960s absolutely mirrors the change in the world.
The Rolling Stones are the archetypal rock and roll band. No other band was more influential than them.
I'm not arguing with you but get ready for a boatload of replies from Beatles fans,
Definitely my favorite Rolling Stones song.
We're always on the brink ... we never learn. In June 1914 an assassin's bullet led to WW1 a horrific conflict we're still dealing with today. This song is a tear jerker. It's passion is incredible... during the female solo she screams the words to the extent where a couple times her voice cracks. I'm not a Rolling Stone fan so to speak but Gimme Shelter is a masterpiece. Thank you for the deep dive.