December 12, 2025 —– Chart #328
Hello Music Friends,
Hey folks, welcome to another edition of Chart of the Week. Some songs punch their way out of the speakers like they’ve been waiting their whole lives for you to hit “play.” It’s All Over Now is one of those — early Stones, scrappy Stones, back-alley British R&B Stones — the version of the band that sounded hungry enough to eat a microphone and ask for seconds.
This wasn’t the elegant, stadium-filling Stones of later years. This was the “Mick still had a student ID, Keith’s amp smelled like cigarettes and wet wool, and the whole band traveled in a van held together with optimism and spare fuses” era. The glorious beginning.
And It’s All Over Now became the first No. 1 hit of their career.
The Backstory
The song wasn’t written by the Stones. It was written by Bobby Womack and his sister-in-law Shirley Womack, and first recorded by The Valentinos — Bobby’s family group — earlier in 1964.
But here’s the twist:
When the Stones were touring the U.S. that summer, DJ Murray the K played them The Valentinos’ version. Keith Richards later said it hit them like lightning.
They cut it within days at Chess Records in Chicago — holy ground for blues players — in the very same rooms where Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf had been rewriting American music.
According to Bobby Womack, he originally didn’t want them to record it, telling his manager, “I don’t want those long-haired guys messing up my song.”
Two weeks later, he heard the royalties and changed his mind forever.
The Recording
This was classic young-Stones energy: fast, raw, slightly chaotic, and perfect.
Players on the session included:
- Keith Richards – guitar (that crisp riff that snaps like a rubber band)
- Brian Jones – rhythm guitar
- Bill Wyman – bass
- Charlie Watts – drums (tasteful as always)
- Ian Stewart – piano (the 6th Stone, the adult in the room)
- Mick Jagger – vocals, equal parts swagger and irritation
It was recorded at Chess Studios, which explains the bluesy edge — the walls themselves probably hummed at night.
Chart Performance
- First Stones single to hit #1 in the UK
- Top 40 hit in several European countries
- Helped launch the band from “interesting British R&B act” to “these guys might actually take over the world”
This is the record that told everybody:
Oh. They’re not playing around.
Fun Facts
- Bobby Womack said he bought his first house with the royalties from the Stones’ cover. Hard to stay mad after that.
- The Stones were so thrilled with the Chess session that they played around the building like kids on Christmas. At one point, Muddy Waters helped them move their equipment — because Muddy was Muddy, and legends don’t act like legends.
- Keith Richards said the riff came from trying to mimic the American soul guitar sound they adored. He succeeded.
- This was one of Brian Jones’s peak rhythm-guitar performances — locked in, sharp, uncomplicated. Before things got… you know… Brian Jones-y.
What’s It About?
It’s a breakup song with an attitude problem.
She did him wrong. He’s had enough. He’s telling everybody. And he’s telling them loudly.
It’s basically the 1964 version of changing your Facebook status to “single” and hoping your ex sees it.
Playing the Song
This one is a blast for guitar players — straightforward chords, that signature opening lick, and enough groove to attract dancers who weren’t planning to dance.
Keith’s rhythm work was always deceptively simple:
Just loose enough to feel human, just tight enough to keep the train moving.
Play it on a Telecaster and you’ll feel like 1964 Keith in a heartbeat. Play it on a Strat, like you often do, and it’ll still snarl beautifully.
Why It Lasts
Because it’s pure, honest rock & roll — no frills, no overdubs, no pretense.
It’s the sound of a young band discovering exactly what they’re capable of.
“It’s All Over Now” was a breakup song…
but it was also the beginning of something massive.
And for the Stones, it was the first sign of a career that, ironically, would never be “all over now.”
Keep Rockin’,
Stan Bradshaw