December's Children (And Everybody's) The Rolling Stones



Studio tracks recorded & mixed:

August 8, 1963: Decca Studios, London, England
November 14, 1963: De Lane Lea Studios, London, England
June 11, 1964: Chess Studios, Chicago, USA
July 7-10, 1965: RCA Studios, Los Angeles, USA
September 5-6, 1965: RCA Studios, Los Angeles, USA

Credits:

Producer: Andrew Oldham
Engineers: Dave Hassinger, Glyn Johns, Ron Malo
Released: November 1965
Original label: London Records (Polygram)

Contributing musicians:

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, Brian Jones, Ian Stewart, Jack Nitzsche, James W. Alexander, unspecified musicans (strings).

She Said Yeah
Talkin' 'Bout You
You Better Move On
Look What You've Done
The Singer Not the Song
Route (66) (live)
Get Off of My Cloud
I'm Free
As Tears Go By
Gotta Get Away
Blue Turns to Grey
I'm Moving On (live)


THE TITLE

«It was our manager (Andrew Oldham)'s idea of hip. Beat poetry».

- Mick Jagger, 1995


CREATION

«We are recording in the US solely because we believe we can produce our best work there and we want to give british fans the best. We can record right through from 6 o'clock at night to 6 o'clock in the morning over there without so much as a tea break, and the engineers are first class. We should be able to complete most of our recording while on tour in America and it will not be necessary to make tehese special trips often».

- Mick Jagger, September 1965


APPRECIATION

«We could have made a much better thing out of this album».

- Brian Jones, 1965-66


«December's Children isn't an album, it's just a collection of songs».

- Mick Jagger, 1968

What are your thoughts on this album?

The most extreme example of the American albums.
The bulk of the material was recorded during the sessions for the 'Get Off Of My Cloud' single.

Actually, it's only side 1 that lacks in consistency, as 'You Better Move On' and 'Look What You've Done' are outtakes. While the two live tracks are also out of place, they contain raw energy. The bulk of the material, recorded over 3 days, shows were they were at:

She Said 'Yeah'
Talkin' About You
Gotta Get Away
I'm Free
Get Off Of My Cloud
The Singer Not The Song
Blue Turns To Grey

All in all, nice material, but it shows that the pressure was on during this time. 'I'm Free' is so rushly recorded that even a error from Charlie isn't corrected and 'Blue Turns To Grey' was already an old song which they recorded for this album. 'The Singer Not The Song' also proves that there wasn't really any time to make 'deep' material: The guitar is horribly out of tune. 'Gotta Get Away' isn't really a developed song. It has nice potential, but sounds very sketchy. That leaves 'She Said Yeah', 'Get Off Of My Cloud' and 'Talkin' About You' as the 3 well-played tunes. 'Get Off Of My Cloud' is a classic and the 2 other songs are nice cover tunes.

All in all, the album is a nice little curio. The Stones made a great move with the next album and it shows. They took their time and created their first 'real' album with 'Aftermath'.

The early UK / US albums will always be 'collections of songs' and there isn't really any great masterplan behind them. They were created to make product for the youth culture. The Stones were a 'singles' band in the early days.

Those early 1963-1965 recordings, could serve well as being anthologized and put nicely into chronological order on a boxed set in the style of the early Elvis recordings. That way, one could really hear the development of the group.

Imagine a 1963-1965 boxed set of those recordings, like the Elvis 'The King Of Rock 'N' Roll' from the early nineties. It would smash every artist to pieces!
Well, we can dream, can't we?

Maybe some day it will eventually happen. Maybe, when the copyright expires, someone will take advance and really put those recordings together chronologically and release them. The recordings, and the The Stones, deserve it.

A strange beast. The live cuts make for a compilation kind of feel. Also the most cryptic album title in Stones history.

it's a mishmash. brian was right. mick, too.

It's not cohesive at all, I agree. Still, I like it somehow.

It's kinda weird for europeans revisiting songs from the first EP, the live EP, songs from OOOH, some B-sides and songs that wound up on other compilations on DC, but there is something about the album that I like. And I think the live cuts freshen up the listening experience.

But I agree with Mick, it's not an album



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-05-29 16:46 by DandelionPowderman.

OK, let's get this out...what does the title actually mean?

It's like most of their pre BB stuff..... A few great songs, and lots of filler!

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treaclefingers
OK, let's get this out...what does the title actually mean?

Ask Andrew (or the beat poets)...

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strat72
It's like most of their pre BB stuff..... A few great songs, and lots of filler!

Don't agree...this album's just a bit poorer from the song choice perspective. Both 1 and 2 and OOOH or the US versions 12x5 & NOW are better.

December's the weak one before they knock it out of the park with Aftermath.

i know the album lacks consistency, outtakes, live tunes, cover songs but as a collection it is a great album. it shows the early stones and the versatility they already had at such a young stage of the bands career.

she said yeah
the singer not the song
routte 66
get off my cloud
as tears go by
im moving on
im free
blue turns to grey
you better move on

all good stuff.

the singer not the song i only recently discovered on youtube and is awesome.

Just bought it last weekend at a NYC sidewalk sale.

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buttons67
i know the album lacks consistency, outtakes, live tunes, cover songs but as a collection it is a great album. it shows the early stones and the versatility they already had at such a young stage of the bands career.

she said yeah
the singer not the song
routte 66
get off my cloud
as tears go by
im moving on
im free
blue turns to grey
you better move on

all good stuff.

the singer not the song i only recently discovered on youtube and is awesome.

I do love about 1/2 the album.

My favorite pre-AfterMath Album!
I know it's pieced together, but I don't think anyone, besides the band, knew it was a collection of songs. It was just ANOTHER album! I've listened to this a 1,000 times!

"Well my heavy throbbers itchin' just to lay a solid rhythm down"

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DandelionPowderman

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treaclefingers
OK, let's get this out...what does the title actually mean?

Ask Andrew (or the beat poets)...

Look punk, don't even start these damned 'Album Talks' if all you're going to do is deflect questions!

It's my favorite Brian Jones 60s era album, and in my top 3 of all Stones albums.

The last of the first period albums. An almost perfect mixture of Blues and Berry Rock. Only As Tears Go By doesn't fit in. The first stain of the Pop era indicating the decline until the bottom line Their Satanic ...

Great album with a great cover photo.

I know that because its an American album no one treats it like a "real" release, but this is one of my personal favorite albums. Particularly that second side, which IMO is one of the greatest album sides of all time. Seriously there isn't a stinker in the bunch, and miraculously the songs just keep getting better and better as the side goes on. First side is great too, but that second side is such a great collection of early Stones songs. Pre-Let It Bleed mainstream rockers but post simply Chuck Berry blues covers. Can't praise this album enough.

A typical Creation for the US people...didn't bought it until on the CD-era...as a europan vinyl-buyer you had all on it on singles and EPs...

2 1 2 0

The beginning of my journey. Route 66 was the first Stones track I EVER heard (though not a live version). This, somehow, was my first Stones LP.

I remember unwrapping it to this day. I remember my long gone Dad saying "who's the blonde girl at the bottom?".

Never mind the inconsistency of the album - to me, it's the promise of what was to come.

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treaclefingers

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DandelionPowderman

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treaclefingers
OK, let's get this out...what does the title actually mean?

Ask Andrew (or the beat poets)...

Look punk, don't even start these damned 'Album Talks' if all you're going to do is deflect questions!

Ok you want an honest crack at it? I'd say it is a further attempt to paint the Stones in a dark light. More anti-Beatles propaganda with a hip spin. December being the month with the winter solstice and all. Dark and cold and all that.

One of my personal favorites, better than 'Out of our heads' album (more originals).

Though they are early Jagger-Richards songwriting efforrts, I really like 'Blue Turns To Grey' and 'The Singer Not The Song.' Fascinating to see them developing as songwriters, as they sound very similar.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-08-14 23:24 by nightskyman.

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Naturalust

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treaclefingers

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DandelionPowderman

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treaclefingers
OK, let's get this out...what does the title actually mean?

Ask Andrew (or the beat poets)...

Look punk, don't even start these damned 'Album Talks' if all you're going to do is deflect questions!

Ok you want an honest crack at it? I'd say it is a further attempt to paint the Stones in a dark light. More anti-Beatles propaganda with a hip spin. December being the month with the winter solstice and all. Dark and cold and all that.

I agree about the darkness but to me the key is the word "children"... This was a generational thing. The baby boomers rising up against their parents. That's what the 60s were first and foremost about. The title of this albums taps directly into that. Overtly saying "this is music for a new generation of young people"

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Turner68

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Naturalust

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treaclefingers

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DandelionPowderman

Quote
treaclefingers
OK, let's get this out...what does the title actually mean?

Ask Andrew (or the beat poets)...

Look punk, don't even start these damned 'Album Talks' if all you're going to do is deflect questions!

Ok you want an honest crack at it? I'd say it is a further attempt to paint the Stones in a dark light. More anti-Beatles propaganda with a hip spin. December being the month with the winter solstice and all. Dark and cold and all that.

I agree about the darkness but to me the key is the word "children"... This was a generational thing. The baby boomers rising up against their parents. That's what the 60s were first and foremost about. The title of this albums taps directly into that. Overtly saying "this is music for a new generation of young people"

Or putting our ideas together ""this is dark music for a new generation of young people" or perhaps "this is music for a new generation of dark minded young people".

I don't really know if rising up against your parents generation is a purely baby boomer phenomenon, seems to be a somewhat human theme. All I can speak for is myself and my kids which are both post baby boomer and I assure you the rebellion was strong in both cases.

It has 2 simplistic songs that I've always loved ...

You Better Move On
Gotta Get Away

I like the name and the cover, but think the tracks are better presented on the relevant UK releases.

December's Children (And Everybody's) - My rating: 4 out of 10

Led by the double shot of classics "Get Off Of My Cloud" and "As Tears Go By", it's another reshuffle of singles and b sides. Unfortunately, there are a significant number of songs here that I don't really dig and wouldn't want to hear again, so this one would be better suited by adding the highlights to a playlist instead of a straight-thru spin of the full album. That's just me, though. Your mileage may vary!

1. She Said Yeah - Wow, this was a first time listen for me! I absolutely loved hearing the abandon that almost sounds like sloppy garage rock, but the playing is a lot tighter than it initially seems. I can almost hear the seeds of the dirty Stones sound of the '70's coming through. The only thing wrong with this funky little rocker is that it's too short.

2. Talkin' 'Bout You - Hearing this for the first time. I enjoyed Mick's singing, but the song didn't impress me.

3. You Better Move On - Under The Boardwalk Part 2? I'm not at all interested in this track, and wouldn't miss it if I never heard it again. To me, this type of song just doesn't fit the Rolling Stones.

4. Look What You've Done - Sounds like forgettable, uninspired filler to me, interchangeable with any other blues shuffle, in my opinion.

5. The Singer Not the Song - Never liked this track, sorry. This is another one that just doesn't resonate with me. It's just not a very well-written song, in my humble opinion. It seems to go in awkward directions at almost every turn, and also sounds a bit out of key to my little ears.

6. Route 66 (live) - I suppose I have to admit that, while it's admittedly a classic rock and roll song, I just don't like "Route 66" all that much. While it's one of the songs whose feeling the band clearly sought to emulate in their own sound (and is therefore important in understanding the development of the early Rolling Stones), I personally never feel the need to listen to their version (or any version, really).

7. Get Off of My Cloud - A follow-up to "Satisfaction" but an excellent one that stands on its own. It's a Rolling Stones classic that would be welcome on any playlist of warhorses. Like "Satisfaction", it's easy to take this one for granted. It's a driving rocker with a lot of swing and performed with a lot of lively power.

8. I'm Free - Up to this point, the Stones mostly sounded retro or current to the times. "I'm Free" marks one of the first pop songs where they begin to sound ahead of their time. Really fresh and original music here, going beyond the blues and taking some chances that paid off well.

9. As Tears Go By - Another Stones classic, well deserved. Sophisticated songwriting on display right here. While "As Tears Go By" doesn't have the underlying menace of a song like "Play With Fire", it effectively demonstrates that the Rolling Stones have a lot of range by pulling off this delicate ballad. Credit to the production, as the strings bring a lot to the recording.

10. Gotta Get Away - I think there are better songs in the Stones songbook, but this one is still good and worthy of a playlist, even if it's not really in the top-tier for me.

11. Blue Turns To Grey - This might be a first time listen for me. If I've ever heard it before, it didn't appeal to me then. And it certainly doesn't appeal to me now. For me, this track is a lot like "The Singer Not the Song"; just not enjoyable for me on any level. Sometimes you take songwriting chances and get a result like "As Tears Go By", other times you get songs like "Blue Turns To Grey." Those are the breaks, I suppose.

12. I'm Moving On (live) - Nice slide guitar and a decently fun live performance that picks up at the end as Keith's voice finally comes to the forefront. Still, there is better Stones music out there.

Keepers: She Said Yeah, Get Off of My Cloud, I'm Free, As Tears Go By, Gotta Get Away

My favorite album of the 60s