Ruby Tuesday / Let’s Spend the Night Together
Released
January 13, 1967
January 14, 1967
Probably the most interesting Rolling Stones release so far for the UK, and I would say the same for the US if it wasn’t for Got Live If Ya Want It!. As bad as it is, you can’t deny that there’s a lot to say about it.
The reason for me saying that is that this release is a double A-side single. An interesting concept, coined by The Beatles for use in their single Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out, is not when both sides are hits, but rather when both sides were predicted to be hits (and promoted as such.) While before Day Tripper there were times when the B-side of a single charted higher than the A-side, they were still promoted as a b-side (but that probably changed when the record company realized they could make even more money from both sides.)
The Rolling Stones have every right to promote this as a double a-side. This single is special, and I’ll try my best to give you every piece of information on it that I care to read.
Ruby Tuesday
(Jagger / Richards [and Brian Jones])
A song written by Keith Richards (with no involvement by Jagger), and composition by Brian Jones, about his current girlfriend Linda Keith. At this time, she had left Richards and went for Jimi Hendrix of all people, and started to venture with drugs. Richards, whom I’m sure had many encounters with certain narcotics at this point, decided the best way to get her back is to tattle to her parents. Instead of going up to Richards and expressing her gratitude, like Richards probably expected, it gave her another reason why leaving him was a good idea.
Now we can get into the song itself, and what a song. And how do I even explain the beauty? It’s even harder to explain the way it was made. It involves Keith Richards and Bill Wyman on the same contrabass, accompanied by a piano played by Brian Jones and the Jagger’s vocals (as well as a recorder, also played by Brian Jones.) The song goes between these beautiful, soft verses to a soft rock chorus with drums and a slight 12-string acoustic. The instruments flow so naturally together, even the recorder is played to perfection and never steals the show. The contrabass shares lead to Jagger’s tender vocals during the verses, then makes way for the soft rock chorus (and a real bass.)
Ten out of Ten.
Let’s Spend the Night Together
(Jagger / Richards)
This song contrasts the other song, but has another interesting tidbit - a couple police officers noticed the front doors to the recording studio were open and walked in to see if everyone was ok, and Jagger ended up using their batons for a musical instrument. Finally, radio stations decided not to play this song too much because of sexual implications, but that really should be expected by The Stones at this point (but for some reason in 2006, China banned the use of this song during their performances.)
The song’s main focus is in it’s piano, played by Keith Richards. Sneakily played by Brian Jones is an organ, and despite having a relatively small part in the song, makes the song. The Watts’ drumming is fantastic, as it’s been for a while now, and it really carries the song along in a part as equally important as the piano. And finally, the vocals are as rocking as a rock and roll song should be.
However, I can’t help but feel something is missing. Maybe because it’s being overshadowed by Ruby Tuesday. Even without Ruby Tuesday, it just sounds like a rock song to me. Maybe it’s because Richards plays the bass and Bill Wyman is nowhere to be seen (that’s not the reason, but I just wanted to point that out.) Whatever it is, I just can’t put my finger on it. It’s still a great song, but I wouldn't call it perfect in any means (except in Watts’ drumming.)
9.5 / 10
I can safely call this single the greatest single the Rolling Stones have ever produced to this point. While I prefer several Rolling Stones songs over Let’s Spend the Night Together, the album itself has enough punch and power to be fantastic and trump other Stones singles. The publicity from their Ed Sullivan performance and the #1 spot in the charts for Ruby Tuesday only helped this single tenfold.
19.5 / 10 I would, and will, highly recommend
Also speaking of Ed Sullivan.
January 15, 1967:
The Rolling Stones go onto Ed Sullivan show to perform their recent release, and hit, Ruby Tuesday and Let’s Spend the Night Together. Since the song was too sexual for radio, mean old Ed Sullivan was also in the same boat and asked Jagger to change the lyric. Also, to play the songs with pre-recorded instruments to mime to (but live vocals.)
First is Ruby Tuesday, and he band is dressed to the fashion of 1967, and Brian Jones is forced to mime a recorder and Keith Richards is forced to the piano miming. In all honesty, Brian Jones does not look well. Watts is also not impressed, and I can’t say I like the idea of Jagger doing his flashy performance during this song. But I guess it’s what the people want. Actually, I hate it for this song.
Meanwhile Keith Richards plays his lonely contrabass. By himself. In sub-par synchronization with the music. And everytime the camera shows Charlie Watts, he looks like he wants to kill someone. Or be somewhere else, it’s the same face really. But I’d want to kill someone if I had to pretend to hit the cymbal without actually touching it. It’s hell.
Going into Let’s Spend the Night Together, I feel even more sorry for Charlie Watts. Also, everyone has their instruments again. And Jagger dances, but it’s acceptable now because it’s not a soft, sweet song.
Jagger rolls his eyes when he has to sing “Let’s spend some time together.” Because censorship. But he manages to throw in the original lyric, because rebels. And the song cuts off and everyone looks silly. Because time restraints.
Finally, while we don’t have this on film sadly, I can tell you the slipped lyric wasn't the reason The Rolling Stones were asked not to return. It was because the next time they went on stage, they were dressed as Nazis. And now you know, and knowing is half the battle.
Decided to throw that little bonus in there for reaching this point.
And yes, I call it a contrabass. It's the proper way of calling it, and not a double bass. I've had an orchestra background for 7 years now, so go away.
