Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Heart Of Stone
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

RCA Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, November 2, 1964

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar, backing vocals
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Brian Jones - electric guitar
Jack Nitzsche - piano, tambourine

There’ve been so many girls that I've known
I've made so many cry and still I wonder why
Here comes the little girl, I see her walking down the street
She's all by herself, I try and knock her off her feet
But she'll never break, never break, never break, never break
This heart of stone, oh, no, no, this heart of stone

What's different about her, I don't really know
No matter how I try, I just can't make her cry

But she'll never break, never break, never break, never break
This heart of stone, oh, no, no, no, this heart of stone

Don't keep on looking that same old way
If you try acting sad, you'll only make me glad
Better listen little girl, you go on walking down the street
I ain't got no love, I ain't the kind to meet
'Cause you'll never break, never break, never break, never break
This heart of stone, oh no, no, you'll never break this heart of stone, darlin'
No, no, this heart of stone, you'll never break it, darlin'
You won't break this heart of stone, oh, no, no, no
You better go, you better go home
‘Cause you’ll, you’ll never break this heart of stone…

Produced by Andrew Loog Oldham

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Heart Of Stone / What A Shame” 7” single
(London 9725) US, December 19, 1964

Those cats could not only play the blues they copied from the masters, they could also
write some decent tunes themselves in those days.

I prefer the short and efficient version from the second album (the single) over the
longer Metamorphosis version that is rumoured to have Jimmy Page on it.

Great Great great song, loved it the the first time I heard it and it never get boring.
Always have the felling that there is a lot of Brain Jones influence in this tune.

Think the Stones should have played the song live as the cover below





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It's beautiful. Early Stones songs quite often combine an arrogance with an undertow of sadness but Heart of Stone makes the sadness explicit.

Keith produces one of his one of his best vocal performances at the end with the falling, wordless singing at the end.

Love it, but I also really enjoy the ALO version with Page's sloppy solo. In fact, i may prefer it... just!

Love this beautiful slab of soul. My god, listen to the version on Palais Royale, whew smoking later day stones that should put all nay sayers to shame. Wonderful song!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-12-06 14:39 by whitem8.

One of the true early classics.

my favorite stones tune and it seems to get talked about on here a lot. it sounds so good and bluesy the first time i heard t i thought it was a cover of an old blues tune

I like that it is in 6/8. In those days, their Soul period, they did many songs in that meter. "Heart of Stone" is cousin to "That's how strong my Love is", to "Cry To Me", "Ive Been loving you too long", "If you need me".

Great Great song. Must have been the second one I heard from Stones...Little Red Rooster was the first one...

2 1 2 0

+1 on the Toronto Palais Royale live version. It's killer!

great cut and some good comments here... this is one I've often had trouble picking the guitars out--does a guitar play those twangy licks, or the bass? As I recall, keith's solo is not the same guitar as plays the licks.

fun little ditty - a little sophomoric, but then they were sophomores then, i suppose



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-12-06 19:48 by StonesTod.

Of course I like the single version better but the "demo" version is still nice too with the steel guitar(kinda unusual at the time!) Also guess Keith really liked Page's solo as he re-created it note for note it seems on the single version!

A great original pop song. Keith's solo comes in an unexpected place and is very inventive. The 6/8 time gave it a different feel from most of the blues stuff they had been doing to that point. I agree that the single version is much better than the longer one released later.

I liked it a lot before i heard the version on Metamorphosis...Wow...That version blew me away.
The original is more bluesy while the one with Page playing it, has much more of a rock sound to it..

Quote
hot stuff
The original is more bluesy while the one with Page playing it, has much more of a rock sound to it..

Wasn't the version with Page recorded before the actual Stones take? I have read that Keith copied Page's solo.

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Palace Revolution 2000
In those days, their Soul period, they did many songs in that meter. "Heart of Stone" is cousin to "That's how strong my Love is", to "Cry To Me", "Ive Been loving you too long", "If you need me".

Very true. And that period is not really my cup of tea. So I'm going to have to say that, while this is a nice little soul song, it doesn't really excite me.

Drew



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-12-08 03:41 by drewmaster.

Quote
Big Al

Quote
hot stuff
The original is more bluesy while the one with Page playing it, has much more of a rock sound to it..

Wasn't the version with Page recorded before the actual Stones take? I have read that Keith copied Page's solo.

Yeah,Big Al thats correct. And Keith did copy Page's lead note for note.

Bill's bass had an electric rhythm sound to it. Kind of interesting, does anyone know anything about that sound?

TRUE, I was talking about the version that was 1st released as a single by the Stones and not the track that was recorded first!

Keith knows a good thing when he hears it..He never denied that he copied Pages guitar parts on the official release.

Again i really like the Metamorphis take of this song..The steel guitar solos and the choral singing give it a edge to the track that's
not on the released version in 1964.
I'm not really sure the fans in 1964 would have liked the Metamorphis version anyway...Not the tough Blues type song!

what i find interesting in this song is :

that unbelievable beginning riff with the g7 chord, that many find not an exciting chord
fantastic solo for the time
interesting lyrics
that slow beat ballad concept
I still have that 2 song single ("what a shame" on the back) from 1963 (?)

U.S. single:
London Records
Release date: December 19, 1964

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6853
what i find interesting in this song is :

that unbelievable beginning riff with the g7 chord, that many find not an exciting chord

agreed--G7 is one of the chords that beginners' guitar books always show you, but it never sounded cool until I realized it was the opening for this song (and I don't think I've found another use for it, at least in the standard voicing).

also agreed on the guitar solo--it's interesting that keith is able to play such a ripping solo, but not, apparently, to come up with it himself. Does this speak to a certain unfulfilled potential? I mean, I think he's often underrated as a fast guitar player, at least for this period, but it's normally only in the Chuck Berry style.

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scottkeef

Quote
Big Al

Quote
hot stuff
The original is more bluesy while the one with Page playing it, has much more of a rock sound to it..

Wasn't the version with Page recorded before the actual Stones take? I have read that Keith copied Page's solo.

Yeah,Big Al thats correct. And Keith did copy Page's lead note for note.

I wish people would stop saying that, when it's not true





[www.youtube.com]

well, six years after the fact I will gladly concede!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2016-09-09 19:47 by scottkeef.

Great early song. Very dark sounding and perfect. The guitar solo is great!

A great sounding record. Jagger's vocals and the guitar work take center stage here, making it one of the early fascinating Stones songs.

What was Brian's role in the recording of the song?

Love every available version …..