Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Can’t You Hear Me Knocking
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Unit, Stargroves, Newbury, Berkshire, UK,
March 1970 and Olympic Sound Studios, London, UK, April - May 1970

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar, backing vocals
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Mick Taylor - electric guitar, backing vocals
Bobby Keys - saxophone
Billy Preston - organ
Rocky Dijon - congas
Jimmy Miller - percussion

Yeah, you got satin shoes
Yeah, you got plastic boots
Y'all got cocaine eyes
Yeah, you got speed freak jive now

Can't you hear me knockin' on your window
Can't you hear me knockin' on your door
Can't you hear me knockin' down the dirty street, yeah

Help me baby, I ain't no stranger
Help me baby, I ain't no stranger
Help me baby, I ain't no stranger

Can't you hear me knockin', are you safe asleep
Can't you hear me knockin', yeah, down the gas light street now
Can't you hear me knockin', yeah, throw me down the keys, alright now

Hear me ringing big bells toll
Hear me singing soft and low
I've been begging on my knees
I've been kickin', help me please
Hear me prowlin’, I'm gonna take you down
Hear me growlin', yeah, I've got flatted feet now, now, now
Hear me howlin', yeah, all, I'm all around your street now
Hear me knockin', yeah, I'm all, all around your town

Produced by Jimmy Miller

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Sticky Fingers” LP
(Rolling Stones Records COC 59100) UK, April 23, 1971



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-11-25 15:07 by René.

Taylor does backup vocals as well.

Mathijs

A masterpiece.,,

OK, thanks Mathijs

René

I consider it the best Rolling Stones song.

one of the grooviest tracks. although there are really great moments in it, i still dont like the instrumental part that much. interesting that they never released it without that part...woul have been a major hit probably!

INCREDIBLE! Yes, a masterpiece, and epic, and just thrilling. I never get tired of it and can listen to it over and over again.
Firstly, it starts with some of Keith's most vicious opening riffs. Then he slides back to that jazzy rhythm, just getting such a great groove going with Mick Taylor's guitar. Great weaving going on between them. Mick is just shredding the decadent vocals, a thrilling portrait of groupies, and high society star whores. Starfvckers. Then there is the great percussion and drumming. So jazzy yet hard hitting rock. Then it morphs into an incredible jam session. Everyone at the top of their game. A sublime masterpiece and one of my all time favorite stones' track that epitomizes everything I love about them.

My absolute favorite

-TomR

I doubt that the take on the released version happened in quite the manner they say it did. The instrumental part is far too organised and concise to be a ''oh, should we keep going?'' on the spot 1st take jam. I bet they had a few go's at it hence the apparent structure etc.

I wouldn't be that surprised to learn that the instrumental part is actually edited on to the end of the song. Kinda like they chose the best take of the song part, then an edit of the best slightly structured jam and joined em together.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-03-30 16:50 by His Majesty.

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His Majesty
I doubt that the take on the released version happened in quite the manner they say it did. The instrumental part is far too organised and concise to be a ''oh, should we keep going?'' on the spot jam.

I wouldn't be that surprised to learn that the instrumental part is actually edited on to the end of the song. Kinda like they chose the best take of the song part, then an edit of the best slightly structured jam and joined em together.

yeah, thats what i also think. absolutely impossible that its just a jam they kept...

Or, they may simply have edited the jam.


Still, it's a god damn masterpiece of rock music!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-03-30 16:53 by His Majesty.

yes it is! fantastic! but still i's love to hear a "non-jam" version.

Even Simon would like it!

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guitarbastard
yes it is! fantastic! but still i's love to hear a "non-jam" version.

Easily done, just fade out the song during the repeated chorus's before the jam kicks in.

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His Majesty

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guitarbastard
yes it is! fantastic! but still i's love to hear a "non-jam" version.

Easily done, just fade out the song during the repeated chorus's before the jam kicks in.

yeah of course! ;-) but i thought of a rearanged version with a real ending (not fade out)

why santana never sued, i'll never understand...

I've always thought it was "plastic boots" and "flatted feet"... sort of a "Monkey Man" style of lyric. I don't see how any of the lyrics are necessarily about groupies or "high society."

there's a good live version of Keith playing with MT on this song, with the fine MT band

I don't know the details of this but I have it, from a friend

anyone know when, where, this was recorded? Keith plays a nice little bit, after a crazy funky bass solo...

thanks for any information, background, etc

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duke richardson
there's a good live version of Keith playing with MT on this song, with the fine MT band

Lone Star Cafe in NYC in the late 80's - the soundboard for this show circulates....it's not a very good or interesting performance and the singer MT had in the band at the time absolutely destroys the song....

its maybe interesting that Keith attempted a solo on it.

must have been fun for those at that show, in such a small place...


thanks T&A

Dooes anyone else remember a Keith interview where he said the song was just supposed to fade out after the "jazz" break but it was going so well they just kept the tape running? Or do you think that might be another Keith "tale"??
Also I wonder how this song wouldve done as a single with part 1(r n r part)on the A side and part 2 (jazz) on B side ala' Ray Charles Atlantic style?

I wonder where you can find 1970 rehearsal studios of
Can't You Hear Me Knocking
Sway
Moonlight Mile

They surely rehearsed a lot for those songs -

Curiously, you find a lot of material/ or histoiry on songs like Star Me Up (three years or so to come to light) but nothing for those

Is there any information on The Ultimate Guide by Felix Aeppli?

magnifico!


IORR............but I like it!

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T&A
why santana never sued, i'll never understand...

If Santana was able to sue successfully for that then Chuck Berry
would be able to become a billionaire.

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Glass Slide

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T&A
why santana never sued, i'll never understand...

If Santana was able to sue successfully for that then Chuck Berry
would be able to become a billionaire.

i know - and i really don't see what carlos has against chuck....

Good one Tod!
I have never heard Carlos play anything that resembles that
opening riff--one of Keith's very best.

I do agree that this is way way up there in the "Off the charts" great
Stones songs--close to a perfect track, imo, its got everything.

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Glass Slide
Good one Tod!
I have never heard Carlos play anything that resembles that
opening riff--one of Keith's very best.

true that....but, i'll betcha dimes to doughnuts that the average, garden-variety rock fan would guess the second part of the track is santana, not the stones. this would have to be a blindfold test, of course....maybe even a gag, with hands tied behind the back.

Great song off a great album!

Great Great Song off my fav album!!! MEZ

Regarding the Santana discussion. I think it's the guitar sound that's similar. It's obvious that a lot of people were liestening to what Santana was doing at the time as they listened to Hendrix before, as they listened ... as they still listen to what Keith does...
It's a bit like the Look What The Cat Dragged In plus INXS guitar (sound) discussion.
Regarding rhythm and pattern (is that the right word for the notes chosen?) we should consult some skilled guitarist on the board (Mathijs?! - btw, we should open up a who's-playing-which-instrument-to-which-degree-thread).