God everything about this song is so perfect...Keith’s guitar lick, Mick’s haunting wailing harmonica, Merry Clayton’s howling “Rape! Murder!” so passionately her voice cracks (and you can hear Mick react “whoa!” to it), the apocalyptic lyrics. Rock has never come closer to perfection in a single song.
@@PeaceandQuiet12345 LOL there’s no Mick Taylor in this song at all, Brian Jones hadn’t even been fired yet. Keef is playing all the guitar parts himself.
and Mick's perfect inflections for that song. It's the two voices together and the way they both move that make the vocals hit you so hard along with its message.
Not only are you correct but the point needs to be made that in concert with this song, without Merry Clayton, the guitar work is still superior but the song itself is less iconic. Her gospel background, with proper breathing, is required to deliver one of the most chilling vocals of all time. Bless Merry Clayton.
They actually dragged her out of bed to have her sing this and after her voice cracks if you listen closely you can hear mick react to it in the recording
I love how half the people are just commenting to talk about Merry Clayton’s supersonic vocal performance, which is arguably one of the great moments in the history of rock ‘n’ roll.
Merry Clayton's voice breaks 3 times in that bridge sequence. 3! The emotion, the power, the effect... amazing! Her voice has always been and will always be what I talk about, where this song is concerned. To hear it and not be moved by it, I pity whoever that may be.
Keith Richard’s guitar intro is haunting, and sets up the whole vibe. And Merry Clayton was so incredible on this song. Her vocal performance is simply stunning. If you listen to her refrain after the solo section, on the third “rape, murder”, on the word “murder”, you can hear her voice break in an exquisitely painful and gorgeous way... and in the background, you can hear Mick Jagger shout “Woo!” in affirmation that he loved it. Gimme Shelter is one of my favorite Stones tracks... it may even be THE favorite.
Great comment about her third "rape/murder" and Jagger going "woo". I totally missed this over all the times I've heard this song and can clearly hear it now. For me it takes this song to an entirely different level than it already was. THANK YOU!
I thought that it was Mavis Staples who sang Rape Murder it's just a shot away. She was home when the studio rang can you come in and sing a few lines.. Her hair in curlers. Video Mavis... And 5 steps from stardom? About backing vocals
It's hard not to tear up hearing this song. You'd think that by 2022 we'd have learned a thing or two. Sadly this song is just as relevant today as it was in '69. Gimme Shelter, Fortunate Son and Brothers in Arms are the most powerful anti-war songs in my opinion.
I'd like to add War Pigs, Hand of Doom, Disposable Heros, Blackened, Holy Wars and a slew of others. So many poignant songs about the horrors of war and sadly it seems not many listened.
Mary Freaking Clayton performed backing vocals on this. She was called in the middle of the night to go to the studio with curlers in her hair, heavily pregnant and the following morning it was complete.
Merry's voice gives me goosebumps everytime I listen to it, and to hear Mick give his"woop", that's what a musician wants at least once in their career, that is pure emotion coming from her gut, and she got the admiration from the entire band and engineers I could only imagine how that one night's session felt behind the boards (being an audio engineer for 40 years)
Merry Clayton's vocals are LIT. That girl sang like she had an audience with the Good Lord. One of if not thee greatest backing vocals of all time. Blessed that this is recorded for all to hear. Jesus saves.
Little known fact: this song was recorded in ONE TAKE! Hence why Merry’s voice cracks at the end and you can hear Mick’s encouragement after. No autotune. No retakes and cross edits. Just pure musical talent!
She was far along in pregnancy too. When Merry’s voice cracks, she loses her child. She sang her literal heart out. They “imply” it in so many words in “20feet From Stardom”
It’s hard to imagine Merry Clayton was eight months pregnant when she recorded this at Chess Records. She was called down after midnight and sang this in her robe and curlers. She was so reluctant about singing the words rape and murder while carrying a child, Mick really had to encourage her. So when she hit that note she blew him away. That’s how incredible she is!
Of the amazing aspects of this song, Mick's vocal are easily 4 or fifth in importance. Clearly this song belongs to Merry Clayton, but listen to the base line and percussion. Staggering.
I love the reaction you can hear (probably from Jagger) the quick "waouh" telling maybe she was not suppose to sing like that and surprise Jagger, but it was so great that they keep it for the record
there is a hint of chaos in her voice, desperation that matches the lyric. Probably unintended but she struggled being pregnant and the impromptu lateness of the hour. She probably was in a good deal of physical pain and it certainly comes out in her voice...
You’re so right about the old school lyrics being so poignant & so relatable to today’s world. Unbelievable these songs were written & performed 40-50 years ago😲
That beautiful voice. This sister was heavily pregnant when she recorded her vocals for this iconic piece. She miscarried soon after. This song is heavy in so many ways, but the back story carries tons of emotional weight. Gets me in my root every time.
I'm not sure about the miscarriage part. I heard her give an interview on NPR about 2-3 years ago with Scott Simon on "Weekend Update" She spoke about being 9 months pregnant during this recording but never mentioned losing the child.
My dad was a crew chief on a medivac Huey in Vietnam .. he never talked about the war when he got home but he loved those videos about his chopper and this song on RU-vid .. RIP old man.. we miss you ..you are young but somehow you are so humble and respectful with this song .. Thank you
Best opening guitar licks in the history of rock and roll are the 1st 20 seconds of "Can't You Hear Me Knocking". That and the 1st 15 seconds of "Loosing You" by Rod Stewart with Faces.
Of course the best part of this recording was Merry Clayton background vocals. One hell of a gospel singer. Thank you for that editorial on todays music.
same here.. was born in 71' . heard this song a million times.. never understood a single lyric.. haha.. and they are brutal.. fucking brutal.. and hopeful.
It's a cool thing that there is lyrical exposure. It captures the essence of the turbulent times. The lyrics were always there for the finding. Sheet music, album covers😊
Arrived in Vung Tau and a tall skinny Black Guy was playing Paint It Black LOUD !! on the wharf I thought what the hell Have I got myself into Haha Still I came back safe,
When Paint It Black came out (1966), my mother seemed to really like it. I asked her about it and she said, "When you've lost someone, you know what it feels like."
I didn't know it was,"war, children it's just a shot away". I thought it was, "oooh, children it's just a shout away". Cool Bens that I've been educated by Jamels music reactions
I am a girl who's teen and young adult Years were spent in the 60"s and 70's. I have said this to you before that i feel that time was the best years for music. There was an explosion of so many genres coming at you from everywhere. And that was the COOLEST ERA in music. I so enjoy just watching you as you are listening to the best of the best in White Pop culture. I watch the young kids today and I realize they don't have a clue what they are missing. I am so glad that you are on your journey in finding this music, sharing it, and loving it. Welcome to the music i have been rocking out to all my life. Thank you for bringing such joy and expression for the music of my time. Peace out.
Just a classic Rock n Roll song, possibly the best ever done. Mary Clayton gives the performance of a life time. Jagger said in an interview that he had goose bumps the whole time she was singing her parts. Clayton and Jagger dragging the best from each other, Richards haunting guitar work, Watts & Wyman laying down their usual great percussion and bass work and the over looked piano playing of Nicky Hopkins make this one of the classics.
Dude...I'm almost 63 and this song has been a part of my life since I was a kid. Then and now, I don't always pay full attention to the lyrics. Thank you for doing this song with lyrics in the video...I have to admit I was not fully aware of the lyrics. Awesome...thank you!!
They were in the middle of a war killing the poorer Americans who had no choice to go or not go. This wasn't a "voluntary" army fighting in Vietnam. This was an army of your number comes up, you have to go unless you can afford college. It was a different time. The music stayed ahead of the curve.
They called the female singer at 3:00Am in the morning to do this song. She was a backup singer from a fairly well-known group. Her agreement to come down to the studio & do the song was probably the most significant thing she ever did to help her own career. Can you imagine what was going through her mind when she received that call?
Putting Merry Clayton on this song was one of the best moves the Stones ever made -just incredible power and soul cutting through -Stones were very influenced by the early blues and black soul artists ...as were many British group ...this tune hits it out of the park.
Perhaps one of my most favorite Stones songs. I was perhaps 14 years old when that came out, and Veitnam was still going. Yeah it was a powerful song then, and now.
Jamal, love your reviews. You nailed it with this finish - Hip Hop has amazing songs, but the art of the message has become very rare. Then again, you're picking one of the greatest rock and roll songs of all time to compare.
I hear that. I graduated in 1966 and was going to join before I got drafted but was saved by a football scholarship. My friends that went were never the same after that.
Her voice cracks in the solo she does with a high pitch. They kept Mick Jaggers reaction to it in the studio release. Listen closely dudes and dudettes.
Mick Jagger wasn't in the studio when the vocals were done. She was called by the producers from her sofa to come do those lines and she left.... Took less than an hour.
Years ago, I watched a Vietnam documentary, and this song was played over soldiers in the field. Now that was powerful. I cannot listen to this song, without those images anymore.
This is my all-time favorite Rolling Stones song. I loved watching you hearing it for the first time, and absolutely love your message at the end. 👍🏻 #OneLove
This song is awsome and Merry Clayton's vocals are quite simply awesome and they make this track the best track of one of the best rock bands of all time IMHO
I grew up on rap and hip hop too, bro. I don't know WHAT I'm hearing when I pull up next to some cars nowadays. It's good seeing you experience classic rock the same way I did once I arrived at it too. My time was from 20 years old. Expanding my musical appreciation was a tremendous benefit to the overall enrichment of my life.
Please watch “20 feet from stardom” on Netflix. Merry Clayton is the background singer on this and SO MANY MORE. It’s about background singers and you’d be amazed at all their talents!!!
This song is an awesome tribute to Merry Clayton and her voice I mean God her voice gives me chills every time I hear this song. Her passion just blows me away.Thanks Jamal for reacting to this great song and for helping great music stay alive.
the female singer was called upon in the middle of the night to do this session she was heavily pregnant. you can listen to her track on youtube it is chilling. merry clayton.
One of my all-time favourite song intros and my favourite Stones' song by a country mile. Merry Clayton's vocal gives me chills every time - raw, visceral, primal. Gets right under the skin.
Jamel, a big part of the passion and turmoil, was the ongoing war in Nam. EVERY week the TV N ews would roll the names of all the hundred or more young men killed in battle, Imagine how it felt to watch hundreds of names of guys just like us that were killed in their youth slowly scrolling upward on your screen..every week over and over for yea rafter year. Each young man responded in different ways to the draft that saw you as a mere pawn in the chess game of war. Behind the music of this era was an overall sense of rebellion against the war, and more. 'Gimmie Shelter' fit into the times perfectly. I'm speaking from experience....
Robert Accomero, I hope that you have achieved peace within you for the horrors that you experienced during that time. I will never forget being at my next door neighbor's home when the taxi driver arrived with the telegram that their son had been killed in Vietnam. No one from the military came to tell the family My neighbor's son was a helicopter pilot that took his buddy's mission as he had already done his for the day. A sniper shot him through his neck. That telegram is what made the Vietnam War real for me. This song haunting notes tells the story of our world at the time. Robert, thank you for your service.
Every year I'd watch that fucking draft lottery, in dread anticipation of turning 18. I lucked out that war ended the year before that happened. Peace to all the GIs.
The rock music of the sixties was the glue that kept us together amid the assassinations, civil rights, and the war in Vietnam. The music was the sound of a new generation that wanted to change the world. Unfortunately, the message of love, peace, and happiness was lost through the ravages of time. What a pity. Love your reaction to the videos of my time. There is so much music to enjoy. Keep up the good work.
