March 1, 2024 —– Chart #235
Hello Music Friends,
Hey folks, welcome to another edition of Chart of the Week. Okay music lovers, we are going back to the late sixties and a legend in rock and roll. “Let’s Spend the Night Together” is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and originally released by the Rolling Stones as a double A-sided single together with “Ruby Tuesday” in January 1967. It also appears as the opening track on the American version of their album Between the Buttons. The song has been covered by various artists, including David Bowie in 1973.
The song was recorded in August 1966 at the RCA Records studio in Hollywood, California, where the group recorded most of their 1965–1966 hits. Recording engineer Glyn Johns recounts that while mixing “Let’s Spend the Night Together”, Oldham was trying to get a certain sound by clicking his fingers. Two policemen showed up, stating that the front door was open and that they were checking to see if everything was all right. At first, Oldham asked them to hold his earphones while he snapped his fingers but then Johns said they needed a more wooden sound. The policemen suggested their truncheons and Oldham took the truncheons into the studio to record the claves-like sound that can be heard during the quiet break at one minute 40 seconds into the song.
The song features piano by Rolling Stones contributor Jack Nitzsche, organ by Brian Jones, drums by Charlie Watts, piano, electric guitar and bass by Richards, lead vocals by Jagger and backing vocals from both Jagger and Richards. Usual bassist Bill Wyman does not appear on the recording.
On their The Ed Sullivan Show appearance of 15 January 1967, the band was initially refused permission to perform the number. Sullivan himself even told Jagger, “Either the song goes or you go”. A compromise was reached to substitute the words “let’s spend some time together” in place of “let’s spend the night together”; Jagger agreed to change the lyrics but ostentatiously rolled his eyes at the TV camera while singing them, as did bassist Bill Wyman and pianist Brian Jones. As a result of this incident, Sullivan announced that the Rolling Stones would be banned from performing on his show again. However, the Stones did appear on the show again and performed three songs on November 23, 1969.
In April 2006, for their first-ever performance in China, authorities prohibited the group from performing the song due to its “suggestive lyrics”.
Live in 2006: https://youtu.be/9YADLsz367Q?si=YKLcaz3RJr-NB0Mj
This song is pure rock and roll. I’ll bet moms and dads around the world were rolling their eyes when they heard their teenagers listening to this in 1967! Turn up the volume and enjoy rockin’ out to this one.
Stan Bradshaw