Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Little By Little
(Nanker Phelge / Phil Spector)

Regent Sound Studios, London, UK, February 4, 1964

Mick Jagger - vocals, harmonica
Keith Richards - electric guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Brian Jones - electric guitar
Ian Stewart - piano
Gene Pitney - piano
Phil Spector - maracas

I tried to trail you last night, baby, trail you in my car
But I was afraid of what I was lookin' for
And little by little I'm losin' my love for you
Yeah, little by little I've found out you was untrue

Alright Keith, come on now

My turn

Well, I try to grab a bus, I feel I’m gonna hitch a ride
Things ain't been the same since my mother died
Yeah, little by little I'm losin' my love for you
Yeah, little by little I've found out you was untrue

Let’s get out of here now, come on

Produced by Andrew Loog Oldham

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Not fade Away / Little By Little” 7” single
(Decca F 11845) UK, February 21, 1964

One of the first songs they wrote. Fabulous little record. You can hear the pure joy of being in a recording studio and laying down their groove. The 'alright Keith, come on now' shout is priceless.

What is Spectors part in this song? Real nice harp in this one...must be Brian...

2 1 2 0

Great bass from Wyman

One of my favorites from the early years. The sound of Keith' guitar is really mean.
I can't recall any other songs from 1964 or before that have a guitar sound like this.






Just as long as the guitar plays, let it steal your heart away

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Come On
What is Spectors part in this song? Real nice harp in this one...must be Brian...

Mick plays the harmonica on this.

Brian was busy playing guitar with Keith.

Another priceless gem from their first album, and a brilliant showcase of their raw talent, both as songwriters and musicians. This one positively leaps out of the stereo; as Silver Dagger wrote, you can hear the joy they are having! A portent of all the greatness that was to come.

Drew

Great track!

Cut on the same day as "Andrew's Blues."

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marcovandereijk
One of my favorites from the early years. The sound of Keith' guitar is really mean.
I can't recall any other songs from 1964 or before that have a guitar sound like this.

YouTube says this is 'Live on the Joe Loss Pop Show'. I've never heard this one. They sound great and really live, unlike some of the BBC stuff. Does anyone know if there's more 'Joe Loss' stuff? (I'm assuming Joe Loss is a UK personality). And don't the harmonica sound crappy on this one? Brian was too busy with Keith laying down the big rhythm chunks. But does that mean Mick was also the harp on the studio version? They did do overdubs on the first album didn't they?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-07-02 20:32 by 24FPS.

One of my favorites from the early albums!

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Come On
What is Spectors part in this song? Real nice harp in this one...must be Brian...

Definitely Mick on the harp. You can hear him shout "My turn" after Richards' solo....

One of the few songs my wife loves from the Stones..Great track...

Do you know, it was ages before I realised that this was actually a Stones original and not one of their brilliant covers - it's just that good, and sounds that authentic.

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Green Lady
Do you know, it was ages before I realised that this was actually a Stones original and not one of their brilliant covers - it's just that good, and sounds that authentic.

Yes!!

I wonder how much input Phil Spector had, and whether it was mostly into the production or the actual songwwriting.

Drew

A great track. But it's a note for note rip off of Shame Shame Shame.

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Blueranger
A great track. But it's a note for note rip off of Shame Shame Shame.

Yep, they "borrowed" liberally from that one.





Drew

Gene Pitney talks about the session:
[soundcloud.com]


"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"

Okay, I finally figured out who Joe Loss was, and that he had a BBC show. But, his BBC output sounds better than most of the others for the Stones. Being an American, I had never heard of Joe Loss, with no idea he was a big deal in the U.K. It's just another reminder of how big the Stones were in Britain and Europe before they ever broke through in America in '65 with Satisfaction.

It's like when I watched the Beatles Anthology and finally understood that there was Beatlemania in 1963 in Europe. Americans always think Beatlemania started February 9th, 1964. Is there an American equivalent? The Beach Boys were big here in '63, but I don't know when they broke through in the UK.

Well I don't think the Beatle mania started in 1963 at least not outside UK....it was 1964 in Europe

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NICOS
Well I don't think the Beatle mania started in 1963 at least not outside UK....it was 1964 in Europe

They were huge before they played in France in January 1964 etc though. The crazed demand was already there.

track listing for the Joe Loss show from the boot 'Beat Beat Beat At The Beeb'
it reads:

presumably from the Joe Loss show, April 10, 1964:

Hi-Heel Sneakers
LITTLE BY LITTLE
I just wanna make love to you
I'm moving on


Great tune IMO
alwys has been a personal fave!

Wonderful little gem. It is an album filler for sure sure but it just fits very well to the mood of the album. The players - especially singer - sound like some liquid substances has been used... Yeah, a rip off of "Shame SHame Shame" but that's the way to learn writing, right? Anyway, one of the first British original blues tunes (the first probably being another rip off "Stoned").

Anyway, listening how the guys interact and being so excited being in a real studio, well, that's the thing they rediscover in Nellcote... The natural feel they got in their first album is something I think they can't surpass until EXILE, when they have developed so much as musicians - fully graduated so to speak - as they can play anything with that inspired feel again. It is like losing the virginity - you don't do that too often in your life, and you can't fake the feeling... Once is a life time moments...

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-07-03 09:46 by Doxa.