The Rolling Stones (album)

The Rolling Stones
Studio album by The Rolling Stones
Released	16 April 1964
Recorded	3 January – 25 February 1964 at Regent Studios, London
Genre	Rock and roll rhythm and blues
Length	33:24
Language	English
Label	Decca
Producer	Eric Easton, Andrew Loog Oldham
The Rolling Stones British chronology
The Rolling Stones (1964) The Rolling Stones No. 2 (1965)
Singles from The Rolling Stones
"Carol" Released: January 1964 "Tell Me" Released: 10 August 1964

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

The Rolling Stones is the debut album by The Rolling Stones, released by Decca Records in the UK on 16 April 1964. The American edition of the LP, with a slightly different track list, came out on London Records on 30 May 1964, subtitled England's Newest Hit Makers, which later became its official title.

The album is included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.^[2]

Recording and releases

Recorded at Regent Sound Studios in London over the course of five days in January and February 1964, The Rolling Stones was produced by then-managers Andrew Loog Oldham and Eric Easton. The album was originally released by Decca Records in the UK, while the US version appeared on the London Records label.

The majority of the tracks reflect the band's love for R&B. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (whose professional name until 1978 omitted the "s" in his surname) were fledgling songwriters during early 1964, contributing only one original composition to the album: "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)". Two songs are credited to "Nanker Phelge" – a pseudonym the band used for group compositions from 1963 to 1965. Phil Spector and Gene Pitney both contributed to the recording sessions, and are referred to as "Uncle Phil and Uncle Gene" in the subtitle of the Phelge instrumental "Now I've Got a Witness."

First pressings of the album, with matrix numbers ending in 1A, 2A, 1B, and 2B, have a 2:52 version of "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)", which was pressed from the wrong master tape. Subsequent pressings include the 4:06 version. Early labels and covers also have misprints with the fourth track on side 1 listed as "Mona", which was later changed to "I Need You Baby"", the subtitle of "Now I've Got a Witness" written "Like Uncle Gene and Uncle Phil", the word 'If' omitted from "You Can Make It If You Try", and 'Dozier' spelt 'Bozier'. "Route 66" is listed as "(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66" on some versions of the album, and some later versions of the album have "I Need You Baby" listed as "Mona (I Need You Baby)" and the subtitles of "Now I've Got a Witness" and "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)" removed entirely.

The album cover photo was taken by Nicholas Wright. The cover bears no title or identifying information other than the photo and the Decca logo – an "unheard of" design concept originated by manager Andrew Oldham.^[3][4]

Upon its release, The Rolling Stones became one of 1964's biggest sellers in the UK, staying at No. 1 for twelve weeks.

The original British version is out-of-print on CD. In November 2010, it was made available as part of a limited edition vinyl box set titled The Rolling Stones 1964–1969, and by itself digitally at the same time. The album was only released in mono in both the UK and US; no true stereo mix was ever made.

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Route 66"	Bobby Troup	2:20
2.	"I Just Want to Make Love to You"	Willie Dixon	2:17
3.	"Honest I Do"	Jimmy Reed	2:09
4.	"I Need You Baby"	Ellas McDaniel	3:33
5.	"Now I've Got a Witness (Like Uncle Phil and Uncle Gene)"	Nanker Phelge	2:29
6.	"Little by Little"	Nanker Phelge, Phil Spector	2:39

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"I'm a King Bee"	James Moore	2:35
8.	"Carol"	Chuck Berry	2:33
9.	"Tell Me (You're Coming Back)"	Mick Jagger, Keith Richards	4:05
10.	"Can I Get a Witness"	Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland	2:55
11.	"You Can Make It If You Try"	Ted Jarrett	2:01
12.	"Walking the Dog"	Rufus Thomas	3:10

American release

The Rolling Stones (England's Newest Hit Makers)
Studio album by The Rolling Stones
Released	30 May 1964
Recorded	3 January – 25 February 1964, Regent Studios, London
Genre	Rock and roll, rhythm and blues
Length	31:05
Language	English
Label	London
Producer	Eric Easton and Andrew Loog Oldham
The Rolling Stones American chronology
– The Rolling Stones (England's Newest Hit Makers) (1964) 12 X 5 (1964)
Singles from The Rolling Stones (England's Newest Hit Makers)
"Not Fade Away"/"I Wanna Be Your Man"" Released: 6 March 1964 "Tell Me/"I Just Want to Make Love to You"" Released: 13 June 1964

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

The American version of the album, originally subtitled but later officially called England's Newest Hit Makers, is the band's debut American album and was released by London Records on 30 May 1964, a month and a half after the British version.

The track "Not Fade Away" (the A-side of the band's third UK single) replaced "I Need You Baby",^[5] and the titles of the tracks "Now I've Got a Witness (Like Uncle Phil and Uncle Gene)" and "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)" were shortened to "Now I've Got a Witness" and "Tell Me" on most versions of the American release. Upon its release, The Rolling Stones reached No. 11 in the US, going gold in the process. To date, this is the Stones' only American studio album that failed to place in the top five on the Billboard album charts.^[6]

In August 2002, the album, by now officially called England's Newest Hit Makers, was reissued as a new remastered CD and SACD digipak by ABKCO.^[7]

Track listing

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Not Fade Away"	Buddy Holly, Norman Petty	1:48
2.	"Route 66"	Bobby Troup	2:20
3.	"I Just Want to Make Love to You"	Willie Dixon	2:17
4.	"Honest I Do"	Jimmy Reed	2:09
5.	"Now I've Got a Witness"	Nanker Phelge	2:29
6.	"Little by Little"	Nanker Phelge, Phil Spector	2:39

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"I'm a King Bee"	James Moore	2:35
8.	"Carol"	Chuck Berry	2:33
9.	"Tell Me"	Mick Jagger, Keith Richards	4:05
10.	"Can I Get a Witness"	Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland	2:55
11.	"You Can Make It If You Try"	Ted Jarrett	2:01
12.	"Walking the Dog"	Rufus Thomas	3:10

Personnel

The Rolling Stones

• Mick Jagger – lead and backing vocals, harmonica on "Little by Little" and "I'm a King Bee", percussion
• Keith Richards – guitar, backing vocals
• Brian Jones – guitar, harmonica, percussion, backing vocals, co-lead vocals on "Walking The Dog"
• Bill Wyman – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Charlie Watts – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Ian Stewart – organ, piano
• Gene Pitney – piano on "Little by Little"
• Phil Spector – maracas on "Little by Little"

Chart positions

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1964	UK Albums Chart[8]	1
1964	Billboard 200[9]	11
1964	French SNEP Albums Charts[10]	45
1965	Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart	1

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1964	"Not Fade Away"	UK Singles Chart[8]	3
1964	"Not Fade Away"	Billboard Hot 100[11]	48
1964	"Tell Me"	Billboard Hot 100[9]	24

Certifications

Country	Provider	Certification (sales thresholds)
United States	RIAA	Gold

References

1. Richie Unterberger (1964-05-30). "The Rolling Stones (England's Newest Hit Makers) - The Rolling Stones | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
2. ^ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (23 March 2010). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-2074-2.
3. Wyman, Bill (2002). Rolling With the Stones. DK Publishing. p. 111. ISBN 0-7894-9998-3.
4. Oldham, Andrew Loog (2000). Stoned. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 327. ISBN 0-312-27094-1.
5. McPherson, Ian. "The Rolling Stones' Complete Discography Part I: 1963–1965". Retrieved 25 February 2008.
6. "The Rolling Stones - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
7. Walsh, Christopher (24 August 2002). "Super audio CDs: The Rolling Stones Remastered". Billboard (Billboard). p. 27.
8. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 469. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
9. Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "The Rolling Stones | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
10. Tous les Albums classés par Artiste, Note : user must select The Rolling Stones in the list
11. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5298/charts-awards/billboard-singles