The Singer Not the Song (song)
| "The Singer Not the Song" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 UK B-side label | ||||
| Single by the Rolling Stones | ||||
| A-side | "Get Off of My Cloud" | |||
| Released | 22 October 1965 | |||
| Recorded | September 1965 | |||
| Studio | RCA (Hollywood) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:22 | |||
| Label | Decca | |||
| Songwriter | Jagger–Richards | |||
| Producer | Andrew Loog Oldham | |||
| The Rolling Stones singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"The Singer Not the Song" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was first released in the UK on 22 October 1965 as the B-side to their single "Get Off of My Cloud", while in the US it appeared the following month on the American-only album December's Children (And Everybody's). It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and features a poppier, melodic sound in comparison to the blues and R&B styles most associated with the band.
Overview
[edit]According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon, "The Singer Not the Song" was recorded on either 5 or 6 September 1965, at RCA Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles.[1] The recording features Brian Jones on a Rickenbacker 12-string guitar and Richards on either an additional Harmony 12-string or a six-string acoustic, while Jagger's vocals are double-tracked throughout.[1]
Richie Unterberger of AllMusic notes the track as an example of the band straying from their early blues and R&B roots, calling it a "tuneful, poppy, [and] romantic" song exhibiting similarities to both the "Merseybeat-like" compositions Jagger and Richards typically offered to other artists and their later, "more mature" tracks such as "Lady Jane" (1966) and "Ruby Tuesday" (1967).[2] David Marchese of Vulture similarly categorizes the song as "gentle folk-rock".[3] Margotin and Guesdon opine that the track contains "significant borrowings" from the Beatles' "Not a Second Time" (1963).[1] Steve Appleford considers its title to be a "bold statement" which rings true as "the sixties began an era where a single performance of a song, specifically one captured on record, was viewed as THE definitive interpretation."[4] Many writers[2][5][1] have noted the presence of out-of-tune guitars and vocals throughout the performance.
Reception and legacy
[edit]"The Singer Not the Song" has received mixed reviews from biographers and critics. A contemporary review in Record Mirror praised it for its "quieter tone and lots of charm".[6] Unterberger reviewed the track positively, calling it a "fairly attractive British Invasion-like pop tune" with "hints of tenderness and vulnerability" in the lyrics and vocal performance.[2] Marchese ranked it as the band's 156th-best song, acknowledging criticisms of the track for being "overly sappy" but personally finding it "sweet in a naïve beginner way".[3] Conversely, Margotin and Guesdon feel it "falls flat" due to its "poor recording" and being "frightfully out of tune".[1] Appleford also laments the out-of-tune recording, deeming the track unsuccessful despite Jagger's "slightly diverting vocal melody".[4] Writer Alan Clayson disparaged it as a "twee jingle-jangle that should have been foisted on the type of also-ran acts who'd been interested in 'You Must Be the One', 'Shang-A-Doo-Lang', 'Will You Be My Lover Tonight' and other examples of Mick and Keith's early struggles as composers."[7]
Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham has praised "The Singer Not the Song", including it alongside "She Smiled Sweetly" (1967) and "Blue Turns to Grey" (1965) in a group of Rolling Stones songs he had been "completely enamoured with".[8] The song has since been included on the compilation albums No Stone Unturned (1973),[9] Singles Collection: The London Years (1989),[10] and Singles 1965–1967 (2004).[11] It has been covered by acts including Alex Chilton[2] and Patti Palladin.[1]
Personnel
[edit]Adapted from Margotin and Guesdon:[1]
- Musicians
- Mick Jagger – vocals
- Keith Richards – guitar, backing vocals
- Brian Jones – 12-string electric guitar
- Bill Wyman – bass
- Charlie Watts – drums
- Technical
- Andrew Loog Oldham – production
- Dave Hassinger – sound engineer
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2016). The Rolling Stones: All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. p. 126-127. ISBN 978-0-316-31774-0.
- 1 2 3 4 Unterberger, Richard. "The Singer Not the Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- 1 2 Marchese, David (5 May 2017). "The Complete Works: Ranking All 374 Rolling Stones Songs". Vulture. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- 1 2 Appleford, Steve (1997). The Rolling Stones, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: The Story Behind Every Song. Seven Oaks Publishing. p. 242. ISBN 1-86200-020-4.
- ↑ Fanelli, Damian (14 August 2019). "You're out! 6 songs with out-of-tune guitar or bass parts". Guitar World. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- ↑ "Rolling Stones: Get Off of My Cloud; The Singer Not the Song" (PDF). Record Mirror. No. 241. 21 October 1965. p. 10. Retrieved 13 August 2026 – via worldradiohistory.com.
- ↑ Clayson, Alan (2006). The Rolling Stones Complete Discography. Universe Publishing. p. 290. ISBN 0-7893-1499-1.
- ↑ Benitez-Eves, Tina (12 August 2025). "2 "Obscure" Rolling Stones Deep Cuts Covered by Lindsey Buckingham (2006-2011)". American Songwriter. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
- ↑ Thompson, Dave. "No Stone Unturned Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Singles Collection: The London Years Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Singles 1965–1967 Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
