Another Chapter From My Unpublished Rolling Stones Book

Here in Fufkin Last October (click here to go to October piece) I featured a chapter from my unpublished Rolling Stones book, written for the most part in 1994. This book would have taken an album by album look at the band (through 1970's Get Yer Ya Yas Out), discussing each track separately and giving any and all information there was to give about it. Unable to raise publishers' interest, I simply stored the project on a floppy and filed it away for years.

Well, when I presented a chapter here concerning their first album, England's Newest Hitmakers - The Rolling Stones, I said that if I received positive feedback, I'd someday present another chapter. Well, I did indeed receive some warm comments, which I thank you all for...so, in keeping my promise, here is the intended chapter on the second American Rolling Stones album, 12X5, released on London Records in October 1964.

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The second American Rolling Stones album came five months after the first. Unlike England's Newest Hitmakers, 12X5 was not modeled after any one particular British album (although the album title was a consideration for the first English album.) Instead, 12X5 was an opportunity for American fans to collect a few tracks floating about in England but not yet issued here, including the entire contents of a recent UK EP, Five By Five. Like Capitol Records in America did with The Beatles, London Records, instead of issuing Stones' albums in the U.S. in identical form as released in England, assembled their own creations. In England, songs issued on singles and EPs were almost never stationed on regular albums. By the 1960s, EPs in America were almost nonexistent, and the label made sure to place the hit single onto the album, since it was the album's strongest selling point (we've already seen how London made room for "Not Fade Away" on the first album.)

So, with several stray single and EP tracks available and just waiting for a twelve-inch home, plus some new recordings made at Chicago's Chess Studios (including some that the American fans would get first hearing of), London had enough material to fill up a second album (though no American fan in 1964 could possibly have known the specific names of tracks his country had heretofore been deprived of, or which that America claimed first - they probably never even suspected the transcontinental butchering game. In the 1990s, with magazines specializing in record collecting, informing fans of any tracks only available in a certain country, and with record stores expanding their supply of imports to satisfy the more serious gotta-have-everything collectors, fans are well aware of any foreign releases that offer oddities. Back in 1964, the only way an American could have possibly known about, say, Five By Five without actually being in England and seeing it would have been if his European friend or relative happened to mention it in a letter).

12X5 contains all the tracks from Five By Five, three songs that English fans would later find on the second U.K. Stones album, The Rolling Stones No. 2," released in January of 1965, the two sides of the previous summer's hit forty-five of both countries, "It's All Over Now" and "Good Times Bad Times," and both sides of the current U.S. only "Time Is On My Side"/"Congratulations" single.

A great color photo, taken by David Bailey, occupies the entire front cover. This same photo, sand verbiage, graced the cover of the English The Rolling Stones No. 2. On the back of 12X5, there is another Bailey photo, a black and white head shot from a different session. Once again, Andrew Oldham wrote the sleeve notes, complimenting The Stones on musical growth and calling 12X5 the best album they have ever done - a rather strange claim for a band only two albums in. The group's name is spelled out in the same style of lettering as on their first American album.

Not long after the October 1964 release of 12X5, the album scored a Number Three position. At a time when rock and roll album sales were usually minor compared to the singles market, this was a fine showing indeed. The album actually charted higher than either of its two singles.

As a gimmick, London Records pressed up a few copies of 12X5 with blue vinyl. Only a small number are known to exist, making them true collectibles.

Side One:
"Around And Around" (Berry):

Arguably the best cover version The Stones put down to tape in their early days. The Stones give plenty of life to Chuck Berry's 1958 tale of the patrons of a packed dance hall who just could not stop moving to the music, not even when the police broke in and tried to control them.

The verses have the vocals and instruments taking turns. Mick sings each line accapella, with the music returning on the last word, dropping out before the first word of the next line. For the chorus, the music continues straight through, with a good deal more power than on the verses. Charlie's rocking swing drumming is commendable, and it keeps the song full of punch. Ian Stewart's jangling piano on top of the two guitars (Keith playing lead) gives the recording a bit more substance than some of the other early Stones recordings that sound a trifle empty. Bill plays thundering bass, although at one point it sounds as if he's playing in the wrong key.

This, like several songs on this album and albums to come, was recorded at Chess Studios in Chicago. Phil Spector arranged for the band to record in the musical shrine where some of their favorite blues and urban rock records from their teenage days were made. Mick, during his wonder years, frequently wrote to Chess to order albums by the label that no English record store stocked. At a time when most English teens hungry for American rock records had to be content with the limited selection released in their country or brought over by seamen, Mick, for the additional cost of overseas postage and several months waiting, had the ability to pick and choose exactly what he wanted. His album collection was one to envy. In fact, when Mick ran into his childhood buddy Keith Richards on a train one day, Keith, though delighted to see his friend for the first time in years, was even more fascinated by the obscure (at least to the English) Chuck Berry albums under Mick's arm.

Chuck Berry recorded at Chess regularly, as did Muddy Waters. As thrilled as the band was to record there, their excitement grew when the two legends stopped in on some of The Stones' sessions (Muddy Waters, according to Keith if not the others, taking time off from his current duties at Chess, painting the walls!).

In England, this appeared on the EP Five By Five.

"Confessin' The Blues" (Shann-Brown):

Another song originally recorded by Chuck Berry follows (though this one, unlike "Around And Around," was not written by Chuck). It is simply a strong, slow blues song in the key of G, with the trademark harmonica solo (this one most likely played by Mick). There are some moments of intense guitar strumming from Brian, including one brief passage where he shakes the guitar's toggle switch (pickup selector) wildly back and forth, years before Jimi Hendrix (This occurs at the end of the instrumental break, just before the return to the verses).

The band sounds confident on this song, but if there are any moments where they sound nervous, it might be because while they were recording this track, Mister Berry himself was watching the Chess proceedings.
This too came from Five By Five.

"Empty Heart" (Nanker Phelge):

This track sounds as if they decided on a whim to overdub some lyrics onto a previously recorded instrumental jam. The words sound like they were improvised while the tape rolled, with Keith and, to a lesser extent, Brian contributing some spontaneous backing, including some high pitched passages from Keith and some "yeah yeah yeah yeah" from Brian.

As for the musical backing, Brian starts things off on rhythm guitar with tremolo effect. He plays a strong four-chord riff which is repeated throughout the entire cut, with no deviation whatsoever. There is a high level of energy in the music, but the weak lyrics take a bit away from it. Nonetheless, many American garage bands of the 1960s tackled this one.
Again, this originated from *Five By Five* and from Chess.

"Time Is On My Side" (Norman Meade):

Irma Thomas had the original hit with this song which would become the most popular track from 12X5, and which eventually more people would associate with The Stones than Thomas. When Paul Revere And The Raiders covered this song on their 1965 album Here They Come, it wasn't the Irma Thomas record they did the shameless copy of.

"Time Is On My Side" begins with a quick organ intro played by Ian Stewart, which takes us into the musical reprimand to a girl who has left her man, but who will most likely come back again someday. Keith and Bill sing along with Mick on each title line as well as all the "You'll come running back to me" parts (That's Bill doing the falsetto part at the end of the song). Mick even does a spoken rap during the instrumental break (as Thomas did on her record).

The song is in the time signature of 6/8, which, as we'll see, would be a favorite for the group on the first few albums.

London released this song on a single in September 1964. It shot to Number Six, giving the group their first American Top Ten single.

One thing peculiar about Time Is On My Side is that there is some confusion as to who actually wrote it. The history behind it gets a bit complicated. The songwriting credit differs on the various singles, albums, reissues, etc., that include the song (that goes for The Stones as well as for Thomas). Sometimes the listing is "Norman Meade," suggesting that one man by the name of Norman Meade wrote the song all by himself. Other labels credit "Norman - Meade," as if it were written by two people, one with the last name of Norman, another with the family name of Meade. Substantiating the latter, some labels list "J. Norman - N. Meade."

Part of the truth is that songwriter/producer Jerry Ragovoy (perhaps best known for writing "Piece Of My Heart" and "Try," two Janis Joplin classics) is the real author or co-author. He claims he wrote the song all by himself and used the pseudonym "Norman Meade." Yet, one-time Coaster and solo singer Jimmy Norman claims he wrote the lyrics. Ragovoy denies this is true, yet Irma Thomas's single, the first issue of the song by anyone, is one that lists "J. Norman - N. Meade." I have chosen to simply use "Norman Meade" here and under the listings of the two albums to come that also include the song.
This is the first song on 12X5 not to come from Chess. This was recorded at Regent Sound Studios in London in May 1964. The Stones did recut the song at Chess Studios in November 1964, however, and used the newer recording on their second British album, "The Rolling Stones, No. 2" and it eventually turned up on the first American "greatest hits" compilation, Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass,) released in 1966, and on repressings of the American single. See Big Hits for info on the second version.

It's ironic that the version used on the American album was made in England, just as the version on the English album was made in America.

"Good Times, Bad Times" (Jagger-Richards):

Based on a twelve string acoustic guitar, "Good Times, Bad Times" is a slow bluesy number, though not in the standard blues progression. Keith plays the twelve string acoustic while Charlie thumps out a slow, unobtrusive beat on a kick drum, with Bill playing his bass which wound up very low in the mix. Brian plays harmonica, which brews in the distance through the verses, but rises to the fore for a full solo. Mick sings, reflecting on the times he's had with his now departed girl.

"Good Times, Bad Times" surfaced as the flip to the single issued a few months earlier. The A-side appears next to close the album side.

Some sources claim this song was cut at Chess in June 1964, while others cite it as a track from the May 1964 sessions at Regent Studios. Judging by the overall sound of it, comparing it to other songs from both sessions, "Good Times, Bad Times" most likely was cut at Regent. Its use of twelve string acoustic guitar gives it a similarity to "Congratulations," heard later on this album, which was definitely recorded at Regent Studios, and The Stones seemingly used only electric guitars at their first visit to Chess. Additionally, all Regent tracks have a slight tinny sound to them compared to Chicago sessions, and "Good Times, Bad Times" certainly does have that ambiance.

"It's All Over Now" (Womack-Womack):

An exciting, frenzied cover of a song originally recorded by The Valentinos, a group led by the song's author, Bobby Womack. The story goes that when The Stones were in New York in June 1964 on their first American trip, they met up with legendary disc jockey Murray The K, popular radio personality on the New York station WINS, then one of the city's top pop music stations (though now an all news station). The self-professed Fifth Beatle and Sixth Stone, whose program The Swingin' Soiree had Big Apple teens glued to their transistors every weeknight from 6:30 to 10, played the Valentinos' record for the band who had never heard it before and suggested The Stones give it a try. Obviously, the record clicked with The Stones, as they did exactly as Murray suggested and scored a modest Number Twenty-Six hit with it after releasing it on a single in July 1964. In England, the single did extremely well, even topping the Melody Maker magazine chart, therefore making it arguably their first Number One in their home country. New Musical Express didn't place it at the top, though, and it wasn't until the next single that that publication showed a Stones single as the topper. Regardless, Number One in Melody Maker was reason to be euphoric, even if Mick did express nonchalantness to the press at the time of the single's peak.

The song has Mick talking about all the wonderful things his woman used to do for him, until he gave her the boot because of her fooling around. Lyrically, it was a theme that fitted The Stones' image well (i.e. man is boss, and if she doesn't serve him, she's history).

Upon release, a few radio stations did some unnecessary censoring to the record, as many programming directors misinterpreted the line about "high class games" and thought Mick sang of "half-assed games."

Mick sings the verses solo, with Keith adding a higher harmony on the chorus, Brian also taking a part. Keith plays a fast, Chuck Berry-ish solo while Bill plays a variation of a walking bassline. The instrumental break plays in the blues progression, even though the main song is not. Careful listening suggests that the intro and outro originate from a different take as the body of the song. Notice how the guitars in the intro are swamped in reverb, but then, after Mick starts singing the reverb suddenly disappears. Also notice how it magically reappears at the end of the song. Tapes of live and television performances of "It's All Over Now" show that Mick often changed the line "She hurt my eyes open" to "She hurt my nose open," in keeping with The Valentinos' original recorded version.

Not too long after the song's success, The Kinks, another British band soon to make big waves, released their first album, The Kinks (retitled You Really Got Mefor American consumption, once the US label, Reprise, gave the English track lineup a trim - sound familiar?), which included among its contents an original composition by leader, lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ray Davies entitled "So Mystifying." A spin of "It's All Over Now" and "So Mystifying" back to back reveals more than a few similarities. Ray, in his many years of songwriting ahead, would eventually gain himself a bit of notoriety for borrowing tunes - and more than once did critics and fans detect lifts from The Stones. The most well known case occurred in 1979 when his "Catch Me Now I'm Falling" from the album Low Budget blatantly snatched the guitar riff from The Stones' 1968 smash, "Jumpin' Jack Flash."
Bobby Womack, who wrote "It's All Over Now" and sang lead on the original record of it, made a guest appearance on The Rolling Stones' album Voodoo Lounge, released on July 12, 1994. He contributes backing vocals on the song "Moon Is Up." He had also assisted on the band's 1986 release, Dirty Work. Though his exact role in that album is not explained, it is believed he recorded a few guide vocals during Mick's periodic absences during the sessions.

This comes from Chess Studios.

Side Two:
"2120 South Michigan Avenue" (Nanker Phelge):

The second Stones' totally instrumental track, and, as of 1995, the last (not including instances on twelve inch singles where the backing track was included with the vocals mixed out, as happened a few times in the 1980s). Like "Now I've Got A Witness" on the first album, this is primarily a jam track, based on only two chords. The first half showcases the organ, with the second letting the harmonica dominate. The running time is about average for tracks of the day, though what record buyers heard was only a snippet of the actual recording, which went on for several more minutes. A German album from about this time, Around And Around,has this song running almost an extra two minutes, allowing the listeners a chance to hear a second organ solo and a spot for some twangy lead from Keith. The band softens down a bit before the rhythm guitar immediately brings the volume back up. Mick throws a few shouts into the grooves.

(2005 note: This extended version has since been served for mass consumption on the 2003 CD reissue of 12X5.)

Like "Empty Heart," this song's simplicity made it a favorite of garage bands. Los Angeles combo The Leaves, best known for having the American hit single of the oft-covered "Hey Joe" in 1966, paid tribute to this song on their 1966 debut album with a rough jam of their own, entitled "Back On The Avenue," and ? And The Mysterians, scorers of the 1966 Number One smash "96 Tears," featured this song in their live shows.

This was recorded at Chess Studios. The Stones were so honored to be recording music in the legendary building they titled this song after the studio's street address. At one point, the group seriously considered releasing an entire album of Chess recordings, even going so far as working out a specific lineup. The engineer of the sessions was Ron Malo, who also engineered most of the original recordings of the songs The Stones were covering.

Another which came from the English*Five By Five extended play. The liner notes of the EP explained that this track was a special bonus from the group to the fans, giving them one more song than the usual four found on EPs.

"Under The Boardwalk" (Resnick-Young):

One of the more peculiar choices of songs for The Stones to cover. Still, the band does a reasonable job on The Drifters' classic about sun and fun. They bring it down to the key of E, a few notches lower from the original hit, cut in G. Charlie puts aside his wooden sticks for brush sticks, and Keith plays a solo on the twelve string acoustic guitar. Mick, Keith, and Brian all sing backing vocals on the chorus with reverb (Mick does the low voice, Keith the high).

A Regent recording.

"Congratulations" (Jagger-Richards):

London used this lighter moment as the flipside of "Time Is On My Side." The harmony of Mick and Keith on the chorus is rather pleasant to the ears, as is Mick's "La-la-la" verse.

A group called The West Five recorded this Jagger-Richards tune originally. It is conceivable that this recording was meant as a demo for them, and this was never intended to be released on a Stones record. Substantiating this theory is the fact that the song was never issued in England. The Stones cut this at Regent Studios.

The back cover of 12X5 misspelled the title as "Congradulations."

"Grown Up Wrong" (Jagger-Richards):

A rocker about a once decent girl who time made unpleasant. The lead guitar is heavy on the tremolo bar. The harmonica here is most likely played by Brian Jones. There are various bum notes and spots where the backing vocals and Mick's lead vocal are off with each other, but it brings us back into a rocking feel after the gentler two songs on the side that came right before it.

From Regent Studios.

"If You Need Me" (Bateman-Pickett):

This arrangement of a Wilson Pickett song sounds almost like a fusion of Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me" and Side One's "Time Is On My Side." Not only is it another in 6/8, like both of those songs, but the chords follow closely the pattern found on Cooke's smash, and Mick does another spoken rap during an instrumental break, a la "Time Is On My Side."

For the most part, this is a duet between Mick and Keith, though Mick does have the solo vocal at certain spots, such as the aforementioned rap.
This came from the Five By Five EP and from Chess Studios.

"Suzie Q" (Broadwater-Lewis-Hawkins):

The album closer, taped at Regent Studios, is another cover, this one first famous by Dale Hawkins in 1957. His version, released on Chess subsidiary Checker Records, is no longer the best known, though this is one of the rare instances where it was not The Stones who stole the song away forever. Most people regard Creedence Clearwater Revival's 1968 take as the definitive.

The Stones' version is a ramshackle performance with overdubbed handclaps (mixed a tad too far forward - note how the song fades out a little earlier than the claps). In a few spots, some members of the band seem to be a few beats off the others.

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