Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

Regent Sound Studios, London, UK, February 24, 1964

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals
Keith Richards - acoustic guitar, harmony vocals, backing vocals
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Brian Jones - electric guitar, tambourine
Ian Stewart - piano

I want you back again, I want your love again
I know you find it hard to reason with me
But this time it's different, darling you'll see

You gotta tell me you're coming back to me, oh yeah
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me, oh
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me

You said we're through before, you walked out on me before
I tried to tell you, but you didn't want to know
This time you're different and determined to go

You gotta tell me you're coming back to me, oh yeah
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me, oh
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me, yeah
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me, oh yeah

You gotta tell me you're coming back to me, oh yeah
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me, oh yeah
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me, oh yeah
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me

I wait as the days go by, I long for the nights to go by
I hear the knock on my door that never comes
I hear the telephone that hasn't rung

You gotta tell me you're coming back to me, oh yeah
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me…

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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Tell Me (You’re Coming Back) (alternate take)
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

Regent Sound Studios, London, UK, February 24, 1964

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals
Keith Richards - acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Brian Jones - electric guitar, tambourine
Ian Stewart - piano

I want you back again, I need your love again
I know you find it hard to reason with me
This time you’re different, darling you'll see

You gotta tell me you're coming back to me
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me

You said we're through before, you walked out on me before
I tried to tell you, but you didn't want to know
This time you're different and determined to go

You gotta tell me you're coming back to me, oh come on
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me, oh come on
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me, oh come on
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me

I wait as the days go by, I long for the nights to go by
I hear the knock on my door that never comes
I hear the telephone that hasn't rung

You gotta tell me you're coming back to me
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me, oh come on
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me
You gotta tell me you're coming back to me…

Produced by Andrew Loog Oldham

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “The Rolling Stones” LP
(Decca LK 4605) UK, April 16, 1964 (first pressing only)

Favourite Mick Jagger's singing voice era!

A pretty good first attempt at writing a pop hit.

Tell Me has all the hallmarks of that dramatic American ballad pop style of the 61-63 era that was employed by Gene Pitney, Del Shannon, The Four Seasons and that was ultimately ended by the arrival of The Beatles and their fizzing, upbeat dance music.

The song is important because it gave Mick and Keith confidence that they could write a pop hit but I can see why they've never bothered to exhume it since then as it's dated. Could be a fun one to do if they ever introduced a Mick and Keith duet slot in the middle of the show.

Always loved it. Seemingly, they had serious plans to try it on the 1978 tour:

Not a bad way to start off one of the two most successful songwriting partnerships in history.

Drew

Maybe the first time Martin Scorses used a Stones song in one of his movies?
(Jumpin' Jack Flash is also used in Mean Streets, 1973).

[maybe I should warn that the clip below contains great music and nudity, so if you're
at work, it might not be suitable to watch it right now].





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

Brian Jones in this thing has only played on the tambourine.

Those wild wailing backing vocals are splendid!

Great song and great fun, especially at the end, when it almost seems they are taking the piss.

NOW we're talking Classical tracks! This is Stones most magical moments on the disc of all time. Everything is perfect from beginning to end. And then we talk about the long version.

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Come On
NOW we're talking Classical tracks! This is Stones most magical moments on the disc of all time. Everything is perfect from beginning to end. And then we talk about the long version.

You've waited a long time for this one, right?

It's confusing, though: You are named "Come On", you have a Taylor signature pic but everybody knows that you love Tell Me the most

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Come On
NOW we're talking Classical tracks! This is Stones most magical moments on the disc of all time. Everything is perfect from beginning to end. And then we talk about the long version.

I cannot in any way surpass that verdict. But "Tell Me" was probably the first Rolling Stones song that I started to love, I have loved "Tell Me" ever since, and "Tell Me" has always been among the five Stones songs that I regard highest. And that applies, also when other five best Rolling Stones songs may have changed to some degree. At the moment, I cannot nominate my five best Stones songs, apart from the fact that those would have to include "Tell Me".

(Besides, usually not being opposed to Stones songs being seen as pop songs, I have never considered "Tell Me" that much to be a pop song.)

Added: I forgot to agree to your evaluation: "Everything is perfect from beginning to end."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-04-20 17:02 by Witness.

Great song love it from the beginning as a youngster (13/14y old) especially the "Shadowies" solo, played it a lot and loud............

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drewmaster
Not a bad way to start off one of the two most successful songwriting partnerships in history.

Drew

That's either Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA or John Lennon and Paul McCartney of the Beatles


No kidding, it's a good pop song indeed.

I've always liked as a tune, also the sound of the overall recording. Typical early Stones lyrics. I can't say how original it is, but as one of the first songs they wrote could've done worse.

It's the strongest track imo on the first album.

I have always love it..."pop",but with style !...and this coda...!!

Sounds like the Stones trying to be the Beach Boys...or something. Before my time but I am curious what group or song they thought they were somewhat emulating with this one?

peace

Didn't I read somewhere that this was a demo/outtake (hence all that lovely mucking about on the background vocals and the general taking-the-piss feeling) - but they were short of a track for the album so in it went just as it was - thank goodness!

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Green Lady
Didn't I read somewhere that this was a demo/outtake (hence all that lovely mucking about on the background vocals and the general taking-the-piss feeling) - but they were short of a track for the album so in it went just as it was - thank goodness!

I may be wrong about what you refer to, Green Lady, but you are not thinking about the run through in the studio of "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" before the recording of that song? Where the actual version was released in UK and Europe on vol 2, but that taped run through by a mistake became the US version on I don't know which US album, without investigating.

Apart from that, there is another "Tell Me", which in fact is completely another song, by the way with one word more in the title, and which is a cover only.

(I must admit that I am rather surprised by the characterization "the general taking-the-piss feeling".)

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Naturalust
Sounds like the Stones trying to be the Beach Boys...or something. Before my time but I am curious what group or song they thought they were somewhat emulating with this one?

peace

I have only got two vinyl compilations with totally forty songs of the Beach Boys. I can't see any likeness with the Beach Boys on the basis of that. I don't find that they aspired to emulate any other group or song by "Tell Me". Why should they? For instance, their cover of "It's All Over Now" is rather different from the original.

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DandelionPowderman

Quote
Come On
NOW we're talking Classical tracks! This is Stones most magical moments on the disc of all time. Everything is perfect from beginning to end. And then we talk about the long version.

You've waited a long time for this one, right?

It's confusing, though: You are named "Come On", you have a Taylor signature pic but everybody knows that you love Tell Me the most

Have I told you about my great admiration for Bardot and Lennon?

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Witness

I cannot in any way surpass that verdict. But "Tell Me" was probably the first Rolling Stones song that I started to love, I have loved "Tell Me" ever since, and "Tell Me" has always been among the five Stones songs that I regard highest. And that applies, also when other five best Rolling Stones songs may have changed to some degree. At the moment, I cannot nominate my five best Stones songs, apart from the fact that those would have to include "Tell Me".

(Besides, usually not being opposed to Stones songs being seen as pop songs, I have never considered "Tell Me" that much to be a pop song.)

Just so! My experience is consistent with written.

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The 4.09 version is my fave and I swear someone yells out "Piss Off" at the 3.55 mark in that glorious fade...



ROCKMAN

On the long version is that Brian playing the lead break?

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From4tilLate
On the long version is that Brian playing the lead break?

Maybe...:

[www.iorr.org]

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Rockman
The 4.09 version is my fave and I swear someone yells out "Piss Off" at the 3.55 mark in that glorious fade...

I've managed to stretch it to 4:11 in a rare successful timekeeping...

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OUCH!!!!!!!! .... hope it didn't hurt ComeOn



ROCKMAN

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Rockman
OUCH!!!!!!!! .... hope it didn't hurt ComeOn

I wouldn't dare do it without a private masseuse present.

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....I'm sure she's very impressed ...



ROCKMAN

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DandelionPowderman
Always loved it. Seemingly, they had serious plans to try it on the 1978 tour

But Jagger's vocals on this rehearsal take are horrible, he's singing much too high. Had they rehearsed a version closer to the original vocals it could have been a highlight of the concerts with this modern instrumental arrangement which Shows the song's potential.