Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Mercy Mercy
(Don Convay / Ronnie Miller)

Chess Studios, Chicago, Illinois, US, May 10, 1965

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

Have mercy, have mercy, baby
Have mercy, have mercy on me
Well, I went to see the gypsy
To have my fortune read
She said: Man, your baby gonna leave you
Her bags are packed up under the bed, that's right

Have mercy, have mercy, baby
Have mercy, have mercy on me
But if you leave me, baby
Girl, if you put me down
I'm gonna make it to the nearest river, child
And jump overboard and drown, that’s right

Have mercy, have mercy, baby
Have mercy, have mercy on me
I said: Hey hey, baby, hey hey, now
What you trying to do
Hey hey, baby, hey hey, now
Please don't say we're through, yeah, yeah, yeah

Have mercy, have mercy, baby
Have mercy, have mercy on me
But if you stay, baby
I tell you what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna work two jobs, seven days a week
And bring my money home to you, that’s right

Have mercy, please, have mercy, baby
Have mercy, have mercy on me, yeah
Have mercy, have mercy, baby
Have mercy, have mercy on me

Produced by Andrew Loog Oldham

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Out Of Our Heads” LP
(London PS 429) US, July 30, 1965

I have always loved the out of our heads UK version...she said yeah, that's how strong my love is, hitch hike, MERCY MERCY............... next time they reached this sweetness was in goats head soup.........love it

Always loved this one

The first track on my very first LP record .... I'm just raising my glass ...


2 1 2 0

This track and the ones around on the UK Out Of Our Heads album - Hitch Hike and That's How Strong My Love Is - always put me in such a good move and groove.In fact make that the whole album.

But on this track the Stones really stamp their credentials as probably the best white group playing authentic sounding r'n'b. The Beatles, The Yardbirds, The Animals, The Pretty Things...none of them come near to the Stones when they played r'n'b and this is one of the best examples. Damn, they even sound like they come straight outta 'Chicagee'!

The 'hey hey babe please don't say we're through' falsetto even gives The Supremes and The Marvelettes a run for their money.

And ain't that undulating guitar figure which drives the beat amazing. I'd like to think it's Brian.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2012-12-03 11:58 by Silver Dagger.

A well-executed cover, but something of a letdown after their earlier brilliance.

Drew

It's from that brief phase where the Stones decided to cover the soul hits of the day.

The first RS's albums were brilliant focused on blues and R&R standards, this soul aproach was also brilliant and very important on which future RS's music developed until now

After that, Jagger became one of the best ever balladists

Nice but not very special to me compare to the rest of the album...great intro though

The original version





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BBC session........





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Hyde Park................





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Rolling Stones - Mercy Mercy - Melbourne - Feb 24, 1966





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The Stones Mercy Mercy original recording sounds like a tidal wave of heavyness to me, at certain moments the way the guitars are churning. Brings back good memories too. Stones kicked ass on this one.

ROCKMAN

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Rockman

Rockers, where the hell do you get these amazing rock'n'roll nuggets from. God bless you. You are IORR's chief rock'n'roll historian.

Brian Jones plays the signature guitar runs through the song, Keith plays the rhythm parts. Which expalins why it doesn't really sound right at Hyde Park.

Quote taken from that wonderful and informative website "earlyhendrix":

"There has been discussion for years about whether Hendrix plays on the track "Mercy, Mercy" or not.
Jimi himself told in at least one interview that he did a recording session with Steve Cropper, and showed him how he played "Mercy, Mercy".
This has been confirmed by Steve Cropper. George Clemons and Don Covay himself have also stated that Hendrix played guitar on several Covay tracks.

Jon Tiven who has produced Covay also says that Hendrix played for Covay....."

To my ears, that cool opening line guitar riff on the original, sounds like Jimi.....fluid, inventive, perfectly timed.
It's interesting to note that "Mercy, Mercy" was one of but a handful of covers that Jimi performed on his first tour in France in the fall off 1966, and even into his early 1967 UK club performances.

Jimi Hendrix played the guitar on Don Covay's original. Here's Jimi doing the song on
his own.





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

One of my favorite Rolling Stones covers.Brian Jones guitar guides through the song. I absolutely love this one

Mercy Mercy Great Cover
She Said Yeah-Great Guitar opener and more nice covers and RS songs as well
Out Of Our Heads is in my vinyl collection for a long time

i think i always liked it because of Mick's strong vocals on the verses ... but the music is pretty great too!

alternate version

To me one of their finest covers. Exceptionally strong vocals from Mick

I love it !!!

One of my favourite Stones songs ever..yeah, I know it's a cover..I love the orginal too.

One of my all time favorites, one of the best tracks during the Chess recordings and on the British Out of Our Heads. Love the melody, the guitar handling and the characteristic Chess sound. I know two versions by the Stones (the second is the unreleased outtake above), both are great.

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grant
Brian Jones plays the signature guitar runs through the song, Keith plays the rhythm parts. Which expalins why it doesn't really sound right at Hyde Park.

No, I don't think so. The licks sound like classic Keith to me.

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DandelionPowderman

Quote
grant
Brian Jones plays the signature guitar runs through the song, Keith plays the rhythm parts. Which expalins why it doesn't really sound right at Hyde Park.

No, I don't think so. The licks sound like classic Keith to me.

Brian plays the licks see 1:17






Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2012-12-06 16:06 by Christian.

Hi folks,

it is interesting that keith plays the end of this song in hyde park the same way as the alternate version, not like the known studio version