Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Carol
(Chuck Berry)

Regent Sound Studios, London, UK, January 3, 1964

Mick Jagger - vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Brian Jones - electric guitar

Oh Carol
Don't let 'em steal your heart away
I'm gonna learn to dance if it takes me all night and day

Climb into my machine so we can groove on out
I know some swinging little joint where we can jump and shout
It’s not too far back on the highway not so long a ride
You park the car out in the open you can walk inside
A little cutie takes your hat and you can thank her ma'am
'Cause every time you make the scene you find the joint is jammed, yeah

Oh Carol
Don't let 'em steal your heart away
I'm gonna learn to dance if it takes me all night and day

Now, if you want to hear some music like the boys are playing
Hold tight, pat your foot, don't let it carry you away
Don't let the heat overcome you when they play so loud
Well, the music intrigue you when they get a crowd
Well, you can't dance, I know you would if you could
I got my eyes on you baby, cause you dance so good

Oh Carol
Don't let 'em steal your heart away
I'm gonna learn to dance if it takes me all night and day

Oh Carol
Don't let 'em steal your heart away
I gotta learn to dance if it takes me all night and day

Oh Carol, oh Carol

Produced by Andrew Loog Oldham

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “The Rolling Stones” LP
(Decca LK 4605) UK, April 16, 1964
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Carol (live)
(Chuck Berry)

Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US, November 28, 1969
(first show) and Olympic Sound Studios & Trident Studios, London, UK,
January - February 1970

Mick Jagger - vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Mick Taylor - electric guitar
Ian Stewart - piano

Oh Carol
Don't let 'em steal your heart away
Well, I'm gonna learn to dance if it takes me all night and day

Climb into my machine so we can groove on out
I know a swinging little joint where we can jump and shout
It takes you far back off the highway not so long a ride
You park your car out in the open, you can walk inside
A little cutie takes your hat and you can thank her ma'am
'Cause every time you make the scene you find the joint is jammed, yeah

Oh Carol
Don't let 'em steal your heart away
Well, I'm gonna learn to dance if it takes me all night and day, yeah

Yeah, if you want to hear some boogie like the boys'll play
Hol' tight, pat your foot, don' let it carry you 'way
Don't let the heat overcome you when they play so loud
Yeah, don't the music intrigue you when they get a crowd
Yeah, now you can't dance, I know you would if you could
I got my eyes on you sugar cause you dance so good

Oh Carol
Don't let 'em steal your heart away
Well, I'm gonna learn to dance if it takes me all night and day

Don't let her steal your heart away
Well, I gotta learn to dance if it takes me all night and day

Produced by The Rolling Stones & Glyn Johns

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out” LP
(Decca SKL 5065) UK, September 4, 1970



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

One of the very few Berry songs in which the Stones improve the original version imho. Little Queenie live in 1969 is another exception.

The Stones do Chuck Berry pretty well in general. Carol is great. My favorite is Around and Around I really think the Stones improved that one over the original.

One of my favourite moments in a rock movie ever!

Marco,

I'll second that!!!!! Awesome.

A burst of raw hard hitting rock from the British boys. American ala Britanica. So much sexual tension with Jagger moaning, with his wrist twisted in the air and the pouting lips... yeah, bust a button on my trousers indeed. Keith just is unrelenting with the vicious cutting shots of guitar. Whew, sweaty, humid and just too hot to handle. Best version ever on Ya Ya's!

The Stones improve EVERY Berry song!!IMO Except for "Come On" which is embarrassing!

I think the Ya Ya's live version is quite sluggish and sloppy.
Not too bad, but I'll take the Chuck original any day.

hard to top chuck at his own game; carol '69 version might do that, though. liked the slowed down pacing of both berry tunes on that tour....

They do Chuck's songs best live. The studio stuff is not very good and almost seems pointless actually. At least that early stuff.

I dont know-the studio "Down The Rd Apiece" and "You Cant Catch Me"(with a great guitar break that the original lacked) are pretty good. The 81 live "Down The Road" was a mess!

Im down with the Ya Ya's "Carol." One of their BEST covers ever!

"Take all the pain...It's yours anyway"

Ahhh....oops. Forgot about those other ones. Those are good.

Let it rock is my fav'.... 71 or 78...

everything on GYYYO is sacred

My favourite Carol version is San Diego 1969, Keith (I think) "swings" better than on Ya-Ya's.

My favorite Berry cover by Stones is the version of Oh Carol from Get Yer Yer Ya Yas Out. I've lsitened to it well over a hundred times and it kills me every listen. It's also a great clinic on how to alternate between rhythm and lead playing. Aspiring guitarists take note!

i think george thorogood once commented on keith's playing on carol from the ya-ya's album...maybe our resident clippings archivist could roust that one up for our viewing pleasure....i remember something about him saying keith never played the same riff the same way or something....

Quote
StonesTod
i think george thorogood once commented on keith's playing on carol from the ya-ya's album...maybe our resident clippings archivist could roust that one up for our viewing pleasure....i remember something about him saying keith never played the same riff the same way or something....

The boots from the '69 tour and forward certainly bare out George's observation. I really like a musician who doesn't try to play a song just as it was originally recorded and improvises and plays around with the song a bit. I think perhaps one of the best examples of this outside of jazz would be Bob Dylan, who practically rewrites his song's arrangements and melodies when playing them live.

Something I've noticed for a long time(and even on some boots) this song is listed
quite often as "Oh Carol" when its actual title is "Carol". "Oh Carol" was a song written (and performed?) by Neil Sedaka.

Quote
scottkeef
Something I've noticed for a long time(and even on some boots) this song is listed
quite often as "Oh Carol" when its actual title is "Carol". "Oh Carol" was a song written (and performed?) by Neil Sedaka.

You are correct sir! There should be no confusing Carol and Oh Carol even though I can't most people think of the Berry song rather than Sedaka one when either title is mentioned.

Some facts I found.........who was Carol?

[www.songfacts.com]

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I feel happy just thinking about this song!

how about that!

I prefer the originals to some of what the Stones did, like Bye Bye Johnny and Come On, but those two tracks from Ya-Ya's just can't be beaten!

I really dig the version on their first album ... it's got such energy and vitality. Back then, when the Stones did covers they usually took them to another level, thanks to their unbounded enthusiasm for the artists who inspired them. But later, when they began writing their own stuff, some of their covers began to become rote and unexciting. IMO.

Drew

Why do we always compare if the Stones do Berry better than Berry. The Stones play Chuck Berry better than anyone other than Berry. Berry's lyrics are also part of his legacy and he is an underated lyricist. Whichever you prefer they are both damn good!

Carol on Ya-Ya's is a little slower paced and that is what I like about it. I'll take Queenie over Carol.

Great Track. Precursor to Rocks Off.

2 1 2 0

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Hairball
I think the Ya Ya's live version is quite sluggish and sloppy.
Not too bad, but I'll take the Chuck original any day.

Sluggish and sloppy...It's songs and versions like this that made them the best R&R band in the world for some years. It to date is a showcase for any band how to make a simple R&R song groove and swing. Any other band playing this song always turns it into bloody Status Quo.

Mathijs

Quote
whitem8
A burst of raw hard hitting rock from the British boys. American ala Britanica. So much sexual tension with Jagger moaning, with his wrist twisted in the air and the pouting lips... yeah, bust a button on my trousers indeed. Keith just is unrelenting with the vicious cutting shots of guitar. Whew, sweaty, humid and just too hot to handle. Best version ever on Ya Ya's!

(Very) side note: this is Jimmy Page's favourite Rolling Stones song.