55th Anniversary Album Spotlight
England's Newest Hit Makers, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
Released May 30, 1964
Chart debut: June 27, 1964
Chart peak: #11, August 22, 1964
Wiki said:
The Rolling Stones is the debut album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released by Decca Records in the UK on 16 April 1964. The American edition of the LP, with a slightly different track list, came out on London Records on 30 May 1964, subtitled England's Newest Hit Makers, which later became its official title.
Recorded at Regent Sound Studios in London over the course of five days in January and February 1964, The Rolling Stones was produced by then-managers Andrew Loog Oldham and Eric Easton. The album was originally released by Decca Records in the UK, while the US version appeared on the London Records label.
The majority of the tracks reflect the band's love for R&B. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (whose professional name until 1978 omitted the "s" in his surname) were fledgling songwriters during early 1964, contributing only one original composition to the album: "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)". Two songs are credited to "Nanker Phelge" – a pseudonym the band used for group compositions from 1963 to 1965. Phil Spector and Gene Pitney both contributed to the recording sessions, and are referred to as "Uncle Phil and Uncle Gene" in the subtitle of the Phelge instrumental "Now I've Got a Witness."
As Stones albums go, I've always had a soft spot for their early, cover-laden ones, which were my first exposure to a lot of the songs thereon. Their first American LP opens with a cover that wasn't on its British counterpart, the Stones' not-too-impressive American single chart debut, a Bo Diddley-flavored cover of Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away":
(Charted May 2, 1964; #48 US; #3 UK)
The attitude is there, but the inspiration is lacking.
This is followed by the British album's opener, their enjoyable rendition of the 1946 classic "Route 66," which was written by Bobby Troup (later Dr. Early on
Emergency!) and had previously been recorded by Chuck Berry amongst many others:
Next up the Stones delve into their blues roots with "I Just Want to Make Love to You," written by Willie Dixon and originally recorded by Muddy Waters in 1954:
I feel like the Stones are a little more in their groove here. This was also the B-side of American single "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)".
After that is some slower blues, Jimmy Reed's
"Honest I Do".
"Now I've Got a Witness" is the first of the two group compositions credited to Nanker Phelge, an instrumental that's apparently based on "Can I Get a Witness," which they cover on the next side. In some versions of the album it bore the subtitle "(Like Uncle Phil and Uncle Gene)," a nod to Phil Spector and Gene Pitney, who both worked on the album. This one always struck me as sounding very generic mid-'60s.
The first side closes with "Little by Little," credited to Nanker Phelge and Phil Spector. Containing words and phrases, this gives us our first full taste of an original Stones song...and it's not bad.
It's back to the blues for the opening of side two,
"I'm a King Bee," written and originally recorded by Slim Harpo (James Moore) in 1957. The Stones' recording has a certain atmosphere/attitude to it, but it lacks the attention-grabbing energy of say...
...
"Carol," a Chuck Berry cover also done by the Beatles on the BBC.
"Tell Me," the Stones' second single in the States, is the only song on the album with a Jagger/Richards writing credit. As such, its distinct sound shows a certain promise of stronger compositions to come.
(Charted July 4, 1964; #24 US)
After that it's covers for the remainder of the album...such as the aforementioned
"Can I Get a Witness," a Holland/Dozier/Holland composition that had been a hit for Marvin Gaye in 1963. The Stones' version is enjoyable as its own thing, but it has nothing on Marvin's.
"You Can Make It If You Try" is a slower number written by Ted Jarrett and recorded by Gene Allison in 1957. I generally prefer fast/hard Stones to slow Stones.
The album closes on a more energetic note with the Stones' version of the 1963 Rufus Thomas hit
"Walking the Dog".
Wiki said:
Upon its release, The Rolling Stones became one of 1964's biggest sellers in the UK, staying at number one for twelve weeks.
The American version of the album, originally subtitled but later officially called England's Newest Hit Makers, was the band's debut American album and was released by London Records on 30 May 1964, a month and a half after the British version. The track "Not Fade Away" (the A-side of the band's third UK single) replaced "I Need You Baby", and the titles of the tracks "Now I've Got a Witness (Like Uncle Phil and Uncle Gene)" and "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)" were shortened to "Now I've Got a Witness" and "Tell Me" on most versions of the American release. Upon its release, The Rolling Stones reached No. 11 in the US, going gold in the process. To date, this is the Stones' only American studio album that has failed to place in the top five on the Billboard album charts.
An enjoyable listen overall, but it's easy to hear why the Stones weren't exactly setting the charts on fire yet.
Next up:
A Hard Day's Night and
Something New, The Beatles
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Wow, I never heard this. Pretty nice.
It's alright, but it's got nothing on the original IMO. It is fitting how, on my reverse-chart-order weekly playlist, Dionne's cover of somebody else's 1964 hit is immediately followed by Isaac Hayes doing "Walk On By".
