Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Ride On, Baby
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

RCA Studios, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, US, December 3 - 8, 1965

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar, autoharp, backing vocals
Charlie Watts - drums, percussion
Bill Wyman - bass
Brian Jones - koto, marimbas
Jack Nitzsche - piano, harpsichord

A smile on your face, but not in your eyes
You're looking through me, you don't feel it inside

Get out and ride on, baby, ride on, baby, ride on, baby, ride on, baby
I could pick your face out in an FBI file
You may look pretty but I can't say the same for your mind

You walk up to me and try and look shy
The red round your eyes says that you ain't a child

Get out and ride on, baby, ride on, baby, ride on, baby, ride on, baby
Well, I've seen your face in a trashy magazine
You know where you're going but I don't like the places you've been

Get out and ride on, baby, ride on, baby, ride on, baby, ride on, baby
I can pick your face out from the front or behind
You may look pretty but I can't say the same for your mind

Laugh it a bit, give it a try
If I'm not impressed, you can still cry

Get out and ride on, baby, ride on, baby, ride on, baby, ride on, baby
By the time your thirty, gonna look sixty-five
You won't look pretty and your friends will have kissed you goodbye

Ride on, baby, ride on, baby, ride on, baby, ride on, baby, ride on, baby…

Produced by Andrew Loog Oldham

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “Flowers” LP
(London PS 509) US, June 1967



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-12-30 10:20 by René.

Very nice track, imo. Always a good listen

I recall reading somewhere Keith saying he played the autoharp on this. Adds a nice zing to the track anyway.

Love this song and the recording. It should have been on Aftermath, but maybe one marimba song too many?

timeisonourside.com says:

"Koto (Japanese string instrument) or harp: Brian Jones"

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DandelionPowderman
timeisonourside.com says:

"Koto (Japanese string instrument) or harp: Brian Jones"

Different, short part which if I remember rightly is quite subtle and not all that clear in the mix.

The autoharp is obvious, erm, obviously.

Nice song, but too lightweight to be on (the UK) Aftermath.

Mathijs

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Mathijs
Nice song, but too lightweight to be on (the UK) Aftermath.

Mathijs

It's way better than What To Do!

I'd say that this is THE great 'unknown' Stones song from the 60s. It's relatively obscure and outside of the really big fans hardly anyone knows it. It doesn't get much airplay - if at all - which is really surprising for such a compelling song.

The lyrics are vintage Stones sneer - up there with (I Can't Get No)Satisfaction, 19th Nervous Breakdown and Get Off Of My Cloud.

Can't believe this was never covered by the New York Dolls or Johnny Thunders as it has such a trademark 'fu ck you' sentiment. And of course it's another one of those wonderful Stones baroque'n'roll tunes that we discussed on this site about a month ago.

An ordinary pop song except for the lovely exotic sounds that Brian adds.

Drew

The reason why I bought FLOWERS album at the time - about 16 years after its release.

A nice little pop song from the flowering Jagger/Richard song pen that sounded like being without any boundaries in those AFTERMATH days. A bit muddy production compared to crystal clear AFTERMATH (they altogether did some odd choices in that section in FLOWERS; also the other already in UK released AFTERMATH/BETWEEN THE BUTTONS tracks, such as more bass-heavy "Mother's Little Helper", sounded a bit odd there. But then again, "Sittin' On A Fence" sounds clearer in FLOWERS than it did in UK THROUGH THE PAST DARKLY. But this observation comes from vinyl days; I don't know how the CD era FLOWERS sounds like.).

Of those AFTERMATH 'left-overs' I can never understand why "Sittin' On A Fence" couldn't made the album (it is one of my favourites of the era), but it is more easier to get that with "Ride On Baby". There is nothing particular striking about it, but I can't say it is any inch lesser than such (weaker) AFTERMATH cuts as "What To Do" or "Think". I guess it was just an issue of picking suitable songs fit the whole. But it wouldn't have made the album better or worse.

The song itself has never left me any bigger impression, and it is one of those songs from those times I realize now listening the least, so I guess this is all what I am able to say of it. Jagger would get back to 'FBI-theme' more convincingly later...

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-12-23 13:16 by Doxa.

An awesome pop tune.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2013-12-23 13:20 by MingSubu.

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His Majesty

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Mathijs
Nice song, but too lightweight to be on (the UK) Aftermath.

Mathijs

It's way better than What To Do!

I like What To Do (and Think). Take It Or Leave It is a bit over the top, though

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His Majesty

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Mathijs
Nice song, but too lightweight to be on (the UK) Aftermath.

Mathijs

It's way better than What To Do!

I can't understand what people have against this track. It's a great little singalong country ditty.

Great song, can't remember which compilation I bought back then but I bought it especially for this song ....

__________________________

Ride On Baby and Sittin' On A Fence were two songs the Stones gave
away to Immediate artists without releasing them themselves (until
much later). Ride On Baby was first released by Chris Farlowe,
produced by Mick Jagger. It was the follow-up to the no. 1 single
Out Of Time, but was not a big hit. It is a personal favourite of
mine. Great song! Should have been a hit.

A Classic Stones-track! 5/5....


Mick Keith Brian Charlie Bill

2 1 2 0

Doxa,That's also my reason why I bought "Flowers" summer 1969, and it turned out to the day Brian died. So many feelings and memories to that song and album.

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DandelionPowderman

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His Majesty

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Mathijs
Nice song, but too lightweight to be on (the UK) Aftermath.

Mathijs

It's way better than What To Do!

I like What To Do (and Think). Take It Or Leave It is a bit over the top, though

I love What To Do, and it fits the mood of the other tracks. A song about being bored -only the Stones could do that in 1966. Ride On Baby is upbeat and happy, just not fitting the angery mood of Aftermath.

And I think 'Think' is one of the strongest cust on Aftermath. I don't understand why anyone would want to replace it with someting else.

But, I wouldn't mind replacing the long 'Going Home' with a shorter version and Sitting on a Fence, or taking off Going Home completeley and replace it with Sitting OAF and Ride on Baby.

Mathijs

Love this song since a long time and The Stones at its best!

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Mathijs

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DandelionPowderman

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His Majesty

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Mathijs
Nice song, but too lightweight to be on (the UK) Aftermath.

Mathijs

It's way better than What To Do!

I like What To Do (and Think). Take It Or Leave It is a bit over the top, though

I love What To Do, and it fits the mood of the other tracks. A song about being bored -only the Stones could do that in 1966. Ride On Baby is upbeat and happy, just not fitting the angery mood of Aftermath.

Mathijs

Me too. I didn't hear it in the States until the early 70s release of More Hot Rocks. I couldn't find out what era it was from. Great feel to it and good lyrics.

Like many others, I purchased Flowers solely for Ride On, Baby and the other tracks that were, at the time, unavailable elsewhere. The subsequent availability of the U.K. Between The Buttons has made the LP a little redundant, perhaps. That, plus iTunes. Anyway; yeah, Ride, On Baby is a terrific little track. It sounds a little muddy on the 80's Abcko Flowers, though.

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Silver Dagger

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His Majesty

It's way better than What To Do!

I can't understand what people have against this track. It's a great little singalong country ditty.

Better suited as a b side rather than an album closer.

The three last tracks on Flowers are one say-hallelujah time after another
This one is really appealing musically and has some great great nasty-spitting lyrics too
"If I'm not impressed, you can still cry" - I love the Rolling Stones

The red round your eyes says that you aint a child...........Great lost song. I love this song a lot. Its always in my favorites and I too bought Flowers just for this tune!

Love it! Their pop period was full of riches. Even the minor songs were gems.