Gimme Shelter

The Rolling Stones

Score: 147
/
Played: 1621

Album:

Let It Bleed

Released: 20 Jul 2008

Wiki:

“Gimme Shelter” is the opening track of the Rolling Stones’s 1969 album Let It Bleed (where it was actually spelled “Gimmie Shelter”, but the more accurate spelling was adopted afterwards). It paints a bleak world view inspired by the Vietnam war, as put by Mick Jagger........Well, it’s a very rough, very violent era. The Vietnam War. Violence on the screens, pillage and burning. And Vietnam was not war as we knew it in the conventional sense. The thing about Vietnam was that it wasn’t like World War II, and it wasn’t like Korea, and it wasn’t like the Gulf War. It was a real nasty war, and people didn’t like it. People objected, and people didn’t want to fight it…” As for the song itself, he concluded, “That’s a kind of end-of-the-world song, really. It’s apocalypse; the whole record’s like that.” However, the song’s inspiration was not Vietnam or social unrest, but Keith Richards seeing people scurrying for shelter from a sudden London rainstorm. “I had been sitting by the window of my friend Robert Fraser’s apartment on Mount Street in London with an acoustic guitar when suddenly the sky went completely black and an incredible monsoon came down. It was just people running about looking for shelter — that was the germ of the idea. We went further into it until it became, you know, rape and murder are ‘just a shot away’.” The female vocals were sung by session singer Merry Clayton. Jagger explained in the 2003 book According To… The Rolling Stones: The use of the female voice was producer Jimmy Miller’s idea. It would be one of those moments along the lines of ‘I hear a girl on this track – get one on the phone.’ Clayton, pregnant at the time, reportedly suffered a miscarriage soon after the session. On the 1969, 1972 and 1975 U.S. tours as a straight ahead hard rock song without female accompaniment, it didn’t return to the setlist until 1989 when Clayton’s vocal turn usually went to Lisa Fischer. The 50th anniversary tour had some special appearances by Lady Gaga (New Jersey), Florence Welch (London) and Mary J. Blige (also London ). Grace Potter also had the honors in 2015. U.S. President Barack Obama told Rolling Stone in an interview while campaigning for his first term that the Stones were one his musical heroes (along with Stevie Wonder) and “Gimme Shelter” was his favourite Stones song. Gimme Shelter* is also the title to the Maysles brothers' 1970 documentary film of the Stones' 1969 U.S. tour climaxing with the infamous Altamont concert near San Francisco. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Gimme Shelter" was created from the combined efforts of both the singer and the guitarist. Richards had been working on the song's signature opening in London while Jagger was working on the film Performance. The song takes the form of a churning mid-tempo rocker. It begins with a rhythm guitar intro by Richards, followed by Jagger's lead vocal. On the recording of the album, Jagger said in a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone, "Well, it's a very rough, very violent era. The Vietnam War. Violence on the screens, pillage and burning. And Vietnam was not war as we knew it in the conventional sense..." On the song itself, he concluded, "That's a kind of end-of-the-world song, really. It's apocalypse; the whole record's like that." The lyrics of the song speak of seeking shelter from a coming storm, painting a picture of devastation and social apocalypse while also talking of the power of love: “ Oh, a storm is threat'ning, My very life today; If I don't get some shelter, Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away ” “ War, children, it's just a shot away, It's just a shot away; War, children, it's just a shot away, It's just a shot away" The track was used to great effect in the Martin Scorses 1995 classic, 'Casino' adding period atmosphere as only great music can.

Lyrics:

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The Rolling Stones Lyrics Gimme Shelter [Intro: Merry Clayton] Oooooh Oooooh Oooooh [Verse 1: Mick Jagger] Ooh, a storm is threat'ning My very life today If I don't get some shelter Ooh yeah, I'm gonna fade away [Chorus: Mick Jagger and Merry Clayton] War, children It's just a shot away, it's just a shot away War, children It's just a shot away, it's just a shot away [Verse 2: Mick Jagger and Merry Clayton] Ooh, see the fire is sweeping Our very street today Burns like a red coal carpet Mad bull lost your way [Chorus: Mick Jagger and Merry Clayton] War, children, yeah It's just a shot away, it's just a shot away War, children,yeah It's just a shot away, it's just a shot away [Guitar Solo] 2:03 - 2:43 Hey, hey [Bridge: Merry Clayton] Rape, murder It's just a shot away, it's just a shot away Rape, murder, yeah It's just a shot away, it's just a shot away Rape, murder (Woo!) It's just a shot away, it's just a shot away Yeah [Verse 3: Mick Jagger and Merry Clayton] Mmm, the floods is threat'ning My very life today Gimme, gimme shelter Or I'm going to fade away [Chorus - Variation: Mick Jagger and Merry Clayton] War, children It's just a shot away, it's just a shot away It's just a shot away, it's just a shot away It's just a shot away [Outro: Mick Jagger and Merry Clayton] I tell you love, sister It's just a kiss away, it's just a kiss away It's just a kiss away, it's just a kiss away It's just a kiss away, (kiss away kiss away) [Guitar Solo] Produced By Jimmy Miller Written By Mick Jagger & Keith Richards Recorded At Olympic Studios, Elektra Sound Recorders, Hollywood, CA & Sunset Sound Backing Vocals Keith Richards, Mick Jagger & Merry Clayton Vocals Merry Clayton & Mick Jagger Labels ABKCO Music & Decca Records Engineer Glyn Johns Guitar Keith Richards Harmonica Mick Jagger Percussion Jimmy Miller Piano Nicky Hopkins Drums Charlie Watts Bass Bill Wyman Recorded At Olympic Sound Studios, London, UK (February - March 1969); Sunset Sound and Elektra Studios, Los Angeles, CA (October - November 1969) Release Date December 5, 1969

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