Their Satanic Majesties Request
Their Satanic Majesties Request | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 8 December 1967 | |||
Recorded | 9 February – 23 October 1967 | |||
Studio | Olympic, London | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 44:06 | |||
Label |
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Producer | The Rolling Stones | |||
The Rolling Stones UK chronology | ||||
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The Rolling Stones US chronology | ||||
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Singles from Their Satanic Majesties Request | ||||
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Their Satanic Majesties Request is a studio album by English rock band
The band experimented with a
Satanic Majesties initially received mixed reactions from critics and members of the group itself.[6] The album was criticised as being derivative of the contemporaneous work of the Beatles, particularly their June 1967 release Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, with the similarities extending to the LP's cover.[7][8][9] In subsequent decades, however, it has gradually risen in critical reputation. Following the album's release, the Rolling Stones abandoned their psychedelic style for a stripped-down return to their roots in blues music.
Recording
Recording of Their Satanic Majesties Request began just after the release of Between the Buttons on 20 January 1967. Because of court appearances[6] and jail terms, the entire band was seldom present in the studio at one time, making recording of the album lengthy and disjointed. Band members frequently arrived with guests in tow, further interfering with productivity. One of the more level-headed members of the band during this time, Bill Wyman, wary of psychedelic drugs, wrote the song "In Another Land" to parody the Stones' current goings-on.[5] In his 2002 book Rolling with the Stones, Wyman describes the situations in the studio:
Every day at the studio it was a lottery as to who would turn up and what – if any – positive contribution they would make when they did. Keith would arrive with anywhere up to ten people, Brian with another half-a-dozen and it was the same for Mick. They were assorted girlfriends and friends. I hated it! Then again, so did Andrew (Oldham) and just gave up on it. There were times when I wish I could have done, too.[10]
The Stones experimented with many new instruments and sound effects during the sessions, including
In another interview, Jagger stated:
It's really like sort of got-together chaos. Because we all panicked a little, even as soon as a month before the release date that we had planned, we really hadn't got anything put together. We had all these great things that we'd done, but we couldn't possibly put it out as an album. And so we just got them together, and did a little bit of editing here and there.[12]
Some of the album's songs were recorded under various working titles, some appearing radically different from the final titles. These working titles include: "Acid in the Grass" ("In Another Land"), "I Want People to Know" ("2000 Man"), "Flowers in Your Bonnet" ("She's a Rainbow"), "Fly My Kite" ("The Lantern"), "Toffee Apple" ("2000 Light Years from Home"), and "Surprise Me" ("On with the Show").
Title and packaging
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2021) |
The working title of the album was Cosmic Christmas, or The Rolling Stones' Cosmic Christmas –[13] in the hidden coda titled "Cosmic Christmas" (following "Sing This All Together (See What Happens)"), a slowed-down version of the tune "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is played on Mellotron. The album was released in South Africa and the Philippines as The Stones Are Rolling because of the word "Satanic" in the title.[14]
One proposed cover, a photograph of Jagger naked on a
The original cover design called for the lenticular image to take up the entire front cover,[18] but finding this to be prohibitively expensive it was decided to reduce the size of the photo and surround it with the blue-and-white graphic design.
The entire cover design is elaborate, with a dense photo collage filling most of the inside cover (along with a maze) designed by Michael Cooper, and a painting by Tony Meeuwissen on the back cover depicting the
It was the first of four Stones albums to feature a novelty cover; the others were the zipper on
At some point around 1997, rumors were first heard that the album existed as a promo version, including a silk padding.[19] A pink padded version was presented by photo accompanied by a letter from the Decca Copyright Department,[19] but it was shown that the letter does not match the album it was intended to authenticate making it almost entirely certain that this was a forgery.[20]
Release and reception
Released in December 1967, Their Satanic Majesties Request reached No. 3 in the UK and No. 2 in the US (easily going gold), but its commercial performance declined rapidly. It was soon viewed as a pretentious, poorly conceived attempt to outdo the Beatles and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (released in May 1967), often explained by drug trials and excesses in contemporary musical fashion, although John Lennon and Paul McCartney did provide backing vocals (uncredited) on "We Love You" (recorded during the Satanic Majesties Request sessions, but released as a single a few months before the album).[21] The Wyman-composed "In Another Land" was released as a single, with the artist credit listed as Bill Wyman, rather than the Rolling Stones (the B-Side, "The Lantern", was credited to the Rolling Stones).[22]
The production, in particular, came in for harsh criticism from
Legacy and reappraisal
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Louder | [30] |
NME | 8/10[31] |
Pitchfork | 7.8/10[32] |
Record Collector | [33] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [34] |
The Village Voice | B+[35] |
Keith Richards himself has been critical of the album in later years. While he likes some of the songs ("2000 Light Years from Home", "Citadel", and "She's a Rainbow"), he stated, "the album was a load of crap."[36] Mick Jagger disavowed the album in 1995, saying: "it's not very good. It had interesting things on it, but I don't think any of the songs are very good. There's two good songs on it. The rest of them are nonsense."[37] There are only two songs from the album which the Stones performed live, "2000 Light Years from Home" (1989–90 world tour, 2013 Glastonbury Festival), and "She's a Rainbow" (1997–98 Bridges to Babylon Tour and occasionally on concert tours in the late 2010s.)[38]
Satanic Majesties has been reassessed positively by critics. In a retrospective 1977 review,
Without a doubt, no Rolling Stones album – and, indeed, very few rock albums from any era – split critical opinion as much as the Rolling Stones' psychedelic outing. Many dismiss the record as sub-Sgt. Pepper posturing; others confess, if only in private, to a fascination with the album's inventive arrangements, which incorporated some African rhythms, Mellotrons, and full orchestration. What's clear is that never before or after did the Stones take so many chances in the studio…In 1968, the Stones would go back to the basics, and never wander down these paths again, making this all the more of a fascinating anomaly in the group's discography.[26]
In August 2002, Their Satanic Majesties Request was reissued in a new remastered
Track listing
All tracks are written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, except "In Another Land" by Bill Wyman
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Sing This All Together" | 3:46 |
2. | "Citadel" | 2:50 |
3. | "In Another Land" | 3:15 |
4. | "2000 Man" | 3:07 |
5. | "Sing This All Together (See What Happens)" (hidden track "Cosmic Christmas" starts at 7:54) | 8:33 |
Total length: | 21:31 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
6. | "She's a Rainbow" | 4:35 |
7. | "The Lantern" | 4:24 |
8. | "Gomper" | 5:08 |
9. | "2000 Light Years from Home" | 4:45 |
10. | "On with the Show" | 3:40 |
Total length: | 22:32 |
Personnel
Source:[13]
The Rolling Stones
- Mick Jagger – lead vocals (all but 3), backing vocals (1, 3, 6), percussion (8), maracas (2, 9, 10), tambourine (6)
- Keith Richards – electric guitar (all but 3), backing vocals (1, 3, 7–9), acoustic guitar (3, 4, 6, 7), bass guitar (1, 2, 9, 10)
- backing vocals (1); harp(10)
- )
- Charlie Watts – drums (all but 8), tabla (8)
Additional personnel
- Nicky Hopkins – piano (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10), organ (4), harpsichord (3, 6)
- John Paul Jones – string arrangement (6)
- Ronnie Lane and Steve Marriott – backing vocals (3)
- Eddie Kramer – claves (9)
- Others, including Marianne Faithfull – probable backing vocals (1)
Charts
Chart (1968) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[44] | 1 |
Finland ( The Official Finnish Charts)[45]
|
7 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[46] | 4 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[47] | 99 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[48] | 2 |
UK Albums (OCC)[49] | 3 |
US Billboard 200[50] | 2 |
Chart (2017) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[51] | 137 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[52] | 189 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[53] | 84 |
Chart (2018) | Peak position |
---|---|
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[54] | 46 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[55] release of 2006 |
Silver | 60,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[56] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Notes
- reel-to-reel releases.[16]
References
- ^ Popkin, Helen A.S. (17 August 2005). "The Stones may be old, but they can still rock". Today. Archived from the original on 6 March 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
- Guardian News and Media Limited. Archivedfrom the original on 10 January 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
- ^ "Chicago Tribune". Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2016.
- ISBN 9780812693683. Archivedfrom the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ ISBN 0-634-05548-8.
- ^ a b Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 46: Sergeant Pepper at the Summit – The very best of a very good year (part 2, segment 5)" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries. via the Digital Library of the University of North Texas. Retrieved 2012-08-23.
- ^ Landau, Jon. "Their Satanic Majesty's Request [1968 Review]". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ duBrowa, Corey (29 December 2008). "SOUND CHECK: BEATLES VS. STONES". Magnetmagazine.com. Magnet Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ "The Beatles Photos Hidden on the Rolling Stones "Their Satanic Majesties Request" Album Cover". Feel Numb. Archived from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
- ^ Taylor, Tom (11 August 2021). "The Rolling Stones album that Keith Richards hates". Far Out.
- ISBN 0-8118-4060-3.
- KRLA. Archivedfrom the original on 10 July 2017. Retrieved 23 August 2012.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-316-31773-3. Archivedfrom the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 24 July 2017.
- ^ "The Stones are Rolling". Eil.com. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 16 November 2007.
- ^ "Jagger 'Fed-Up', Producing Own Album". Rolling Stone. Vol. 1, no. 3. 14 December 1967. p. 18.
- ^ London Records, catalogue no. NPS-2.
- ^ "The Cover Uncovered: The story behind The Rolling Stones album 'Their Satanic Majesties Request' - Far Out Magazine". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ^ Sandbrook, Dominic (4 June 2006). "The very image of the sixties". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Stonesondecca.com". Archived from the original on 20 July 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- ^ "Kvart-bolge.com". Archived from the original on 17 October 2017. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
- Ultimate Classic Rock. Archivedfrom the original on 3 April 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
- ^ In Another Land single cover
- ^ Landau, Jon (10 February 1968). "New LP Put Stones' Status in Jeopardy". Rolling Stone. No. 5.
- ^ Corliss, Richard (28 April 1968). "The Stones: Heady Promises". The New York Times. New York, NY. pp. D29.
- ISBN 1-85984-376-X.
- ^ AllMusic. Retrieved 19 November 2007.
- ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8. Archivedfrom the original on 4 May 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ Browne, David (20 September 2002). "Satisfaction?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 28 November 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
- ISBN 978-1841956152.
- Louder. Archivedfrom the original on 5 March 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
- ^ "The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request CD Album". Muze. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- ^ a b "Their Satanic Majesties Request review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- ^ "Their Satanic Majesties Request: 50th Anniversary Edition". Vantage London, Great West Road, Brentford: Diamond Publishing Ltd. Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
- ^ "Album Guide: The Rolling Stones". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (20 December 1976). "Christgau's Consumer Guide to 1967". The Village Voice. New York. p. 70. Archived from the original on 22 February 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
- ISBN 0-7119-3634-X.
- ^ Wenner, Jann S. (14 December 1995). "Mick Jagger Remembers". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 3 April 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
- ^ Sexton, Paul (3 August 2019). "Rolling Stones Revive 'She's A Rainbow' As 'No Filter' Tour Hits New Jersey". uDiscover Music. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
- ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r540362
- ^ Walsh, Christopher (24 August 2002). "Super audio CDs: The Rolling Stones Remastered". Billboard. p. 27.
- ^ "Rolling Stones Announce 50th-Anniversary 'Their Satanic Majesties Request' Box Set". uDiscoverMusic. 31 July 2017. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ "RECORD STORE DAY 2018 > The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request". Record Store Day. Archived from the original on 3 May 2018. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ Babiuk & Prevost 2013, p. 267.
- ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
- GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "The Rolling Stones | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "The Rolling Stones Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ "British album certifications – Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
- ^ "American album certifications – The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesty's Request". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 18 October 2019.
Sources
- ISBN 978-1-61713-092-2.
Further reading
- Brian Jones & Mick Jagger interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
External links
- Their Satanic Majesties Request at Discogs (list of releases)