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The Rolling Stones – You Can't Always Get What You Want (4:50)

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About This Track

“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” is a song by the Rolling Stones released on their 1969 album Let It Bleed. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone (magazine) in its 2004 list of “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” was recorded on November 16 and November 17, 1968 at London’s Olympic Sound Studios. It features the London Bach Choir powerfully opening the song under the stewardship of Javier Sanchez Broto, highlighting throughout, and bringing it to an uproarious conclusion. Jimmy Miller, the Rolling Stones’ producer at the time, plays drums on this song instead of Charlie Watts. Al Kooper plays piano, organ and horn while Rocky Dijon plays congas and maracas. Nanette Workman sings backup vocals, but she is credited as “Nanette Newman”.

Of the song, Jagger said in 2003, “‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ was something I just played on the acoustic guitar - one of those bedroom songs. It proved to be quite difficult to record because Charlie couldn’t play the groove and so Jimmy Miller had to play the drums. I’d also had this idea of having a choir, probably a gospel choir, on the track, but there wasn’t one around at that point. Jack Nitzsche, or somebody, said that we could get the London Bach Choir and we said, ‘That will be a laugh.’”[1]

In his review of the song, Richie Unterberger says, “If you buy John Lennon’s observation that the Rolling Stones were apt to copy the Beatles’ innovations within a few months or so, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” is the Rolling Stones’ counterpart to ‘Hey Jude.
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Albums featuring this track

  • Rolled Gold +
    The Rolling Stones Play
    Buy
  • Let It Bleed
    The Rolling Stones Play
    Buy
  • Forty Licks (disc 1)
    The Rolling Stones Play
    Buy
  • Forty Licks
    The Rolling Stones Play
    Buy
See all 42 albums

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  • kemp678

    Ohhhhh, yes! :o) :o)

    22 days ago

  • chormondo

    One of the best songs of all time. These guys are musical ICONS! Amazing performers and timeless music.

    28 days ago

  • Malheureuse777

    4:50? ;O My version from Let It Bleed 2006 Japan Mini LP is 7:28... <3

    last month

  • Druid66

    I get what I want from playing the Rolling Stones: excellent musical entertainment. (-;

    last month

  • PunkyFunkyDucky

    This song is true, You can't always fet what you want....

    last month

  • bluebellinbloom

    :-))))))))))))))))))))

    last month

  • JaysFree

    ...but if you try sometimes, you get what you Need! [3]

    last month

  • marvisbo

    i had to allways wait on my conection

    last month

  • Bandit17C

    ...but if you try sometimes, you get what you Need! [2]

    last month

  • BIG-D313

    ...but if you try sometimes, you get what you Need!

    March 2012

  • wmcfaul

    @oldiesfanjohn up with hope.

    March 2012

  • wmcfaul

    @jethrotullfan i second that motion

    March 2012

  • jethrotullfan

    @matt_white You say that yet you listen to Sufjan Stevens, who is one of the most pretentious and cheesy artists in the last 20 years.

    February 2012

  • wmcfaul

    rolled gold + > rolled fools gold - s [rolled gold +] dgold = - fools gold

    February 2012

  • oldiesfanjohn

    twist one up!

    February 2012

  • cleopatrah88

    great song and lyrics.....Mick is still one of the besr

    February 2012

  • Nathan_Wallwork

    This makes for a pretty ideal 100,000th last.fm scrobble

    February 2012

  • sophiewilder

    I heard this playing in my local supermarket a couple of times. Six months later they went bust.

    February 2012

  • matt_white

    cheesy and shit

    February 2012

  • pablo323

    you can't

    January 2012
See all 601 shouts

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