Monday, November 21, 2011

Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?

After yet another lengthy North American tour (June 24 - July 29, 1966), the Rolling Stones once again entered RCA Studios, Hollywood, in order to record material for upcoming single and album releases. During the sessions (August 3-11) the band taped some twenty new songs, which were to be completed at Olympic Sound Studios, London, during November and December. The times they were 'a-changing', but things at RCA still were familiar, with Dave Hassinger engineering and Jack Nitzsche helping out on piano, organ and harpsichord.

But the industrious sessions at RCA (and Chess), when the main concern was to bag as many songs as possible, were left behind for good when the Stones took the early versions of the recorded songs back to Britain. The next studio album, "Between The Buttons", was built up over several weeks in party-like conditions, with many pals - Robert Fraser, Anita Pallenberg and Marianne Faithfull, Tony Sanchez, Michael Cooper, Gered Mankowitz, Jimi Hendrix, Tara Browne, and Nicky Hopkins showing up.

In between sessions at RCA Studios (August) and Olympic Sound Studios (November-December) the Stones finished recording of their next single, "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?" at IBC Studios, London, with the help of engineer Glyn Johns. It was described by Mick Jagger as the ultimate 'freak-out'. The recording featured guitar feedback at the beginning and end, and also brass which generates the song's attack. Bill Wyman's bass line and a raving piano by Ian Stewart glide the song as it dips and climbs around Mick Jagger's surging vocals.


Adapted from the following sources:
Martin Elliott, The Rolling Stones. Complete Recording Sessions 1962-2002, Cherry Red Books, 2002.
James Hector, The Complete Guide To The Music Of The Rolling Stones, Omnibus Press, 1995.

2 comments:

  1. August 3-11, 1966: RCA Studios, Los Angeles, USA.
    The Rolling Stones: Yesterday's Papers (early version) (Jagger-Richards) (2:06)
    The Rolling Stones: Connection (Jagger-Richards) (2:07)
    The Rolling Stones: All Sold Out (Jagger-Richards) (2:15)
    The Rolling Stones: Who's Driving Your Plane? (Jagger-Richards) (3:12)
    The Rolling Stones: Complicated (Jagger-Richards) (3:11)
    The Rolling Stones: Let's Spend The Night Together (Jagger-Richards) (3:40)

    660803A 3rd - 11th August: Los Angeles, RCA Studios, Hollywood. Producer: Andrew Oldham. Sound engineer: Dave Hassinger. Incl.
    - Yesterday's Papers (Jagger-Richards) - early version
    - Connection (Jagger-Richards)
    - All Sold Out (Jagger-Richards) - Bill Wyman on organ
    - Who's Driving Your Plane? (Jagger-Richards)
    - Complicated (Jagger-Richards) - Brian Jones on organ
    - Let's Spend The Night Together (Jagger-Richards) - Brian Jones on organ
    - Panama Powder Room/Godzi/Something BB/Ya Bask Blues (Jagger-Richards) - unverified instrumental takes.

    Line-up: Mick Jagger (voc, perc)/Keith Richards (gtr, bass, bvoc)/Brian Jones (gtr, harm, recorder, perc)/Ian Stewart (p, org)/Bill Wyman (bass)/Charlie Watts (dr). Additional musician: Jack Nitzsche (p, org, harpsichord).

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  2. August 31-September 2, 1966: IBC Studios, London, England.
    The Rolling Stones: Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow? (alternate version) (Jagger-Richards) (2:29)
    The Rolling Stones: If You Let Me (Jagger-Richards) (3:18)
    The Rolling Stones: Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow? (Jagger-Richards) (2:37)
    Mick Jagger: "Have You Seen Your Mother?"
    Have You Seen Your Mother? was like the ultimate freakout. We came to a full stop after that. I just couldn't make it with that anymore, what more could we say? We couldn't possibly have kept it up like that. You just drain out totally. Because it's just the end of a certain period and we just had to stop.

    660831A 31st August - 2nd September: London, IBC Studios. Producer: Andrew Oldham. Sound engineer: Glyn Johns. Arranger: Mike Leander. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Mike Leander work on song arrangements (horns and strings) and more. Incl.
    - Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow? (Jagger-Richards) - version with alternate vocals
    - If You Let Me (Jagger-Richards) - Brian Jones on dulcimer
    - Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow? (Jagger-Richards) - trumpets arranged by Jack Nitzsche
    - It’s Been Quiet Here At Home (Jagger-Richards) - unverified. Note: These songs were already begun in August at RCA Studios. The sessions were mainly done for overdubs, vocal recordings, arranging and mixing. Line-up: Mick Jagger (voc, perc)/Keith Richards (gtr, p, bvoc)/Brian Jones (gtr, harm, perc)/Ian Stewart (p, org)/Bill Wyman (bass)/Charlie Watts (dr). Additional musicians: Jack Nitzsche (p, org, perc), The Mike Leander Orchestra.

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