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

Drew

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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

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MisterO
How could I not comment on the song this portion of the forum is named after....

I think "Tell Me" is a unique song. It has a dated 50's sound quality, I always wondered if it was written when one of them were in their mid teens.

One other thing that also interested me was that this was the first Jagger/Richard song one there first album, yet they say on their 25 x 5 video that the first song they wrote was "The Last Time".

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Palace Revolution 2000
IMO there is no doubt that it is Keith on both guitars.
The electric guitar has the great clean trebly sound when he is playing the arpeggios in the chorus; picking on the upper strings. Then for the second verse he lays out. For novice 20 year songwriters this is a superb example of dynamics: that he stops and waits to come back in.
What is my point though is that in the same take he also will chug along on the lower strings. And when he does that he gets an almost distorted sound. In that odd fade out you can hear it best, when the guitar almost sounds like 'Satisfaction'.
I wonder if this was on an old Vox amp. Nowadays people would probably do all that in different takes, using different f/x boxes. It is impressive to me that he was able to get a chorus-ed sound in upper register, and an thin distorted sound in lower all in one take.

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Deltics

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MisterO
How could I not comment on the song this portion of the forum is named after....

I think "Tell Me" is a unique song. It has a dated 50's sound quality, I always wondered if it was written when one of them were in their mid teens.

One other thing that also interested me was that this was the first Jagger/Richard song one there first album, yet they say on their 25 x 5 video that the first song they wrote was "The Last Time".

Keith says "We won't be ashamed to give this to the rest of the Stones and say let's try this as a single".
They'd already recorded a few Jagger, Richard songs before then but only as album tracks or 'b' sides.
In "The Rolling Stones Story", originally broadcast on BBC radio in 1973, Mick says the first song they wrote was "It Should Be You" which was recorded by George Bean as the 'b' side of "Will You Be My Lover Tonight" also a Jagger, Richard song.
[www.45cat.com]

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Doxa
To me "Tell Me" is one of those cases of 'The Singer Not The Song' - and this time referring to the whole performance of the band. As song it is a little poppish piece could have written by anybody (like with dull "I Wanna Be Your Man"), but it is the bloody sound - the color of the voices, the instruments, the controlled sloppiness and chaos, etc - which makes it unique. And funny thing that it sounds not intentional but just how those guys just happen to naturally sound like. That rawness, wildness, even hidden arrogance and threat. It simply stands out from anyone (at least at the time) playing harmless 'pop'. Mick's distinguished voice alone is an anomaly to the nature of the song - charming and tender but still leaving that cold, aggressive impression. Reminds me of Iggy Pop saying that Jagger opened the room for all different kind of 'not nice' way of singing people didn't have heard before. Lou Reed picked up that very first word and sound of "I" into his masterful "Heroin". And add there Keith's wild harmonies - the blueprint for the glorious Glimmer Twins 'harmony' sound is already laid there.

As an analogy, "Tell Me" is like Andrew Loog Oldham trying to put them on similar suits, comb their hair, and act like a 'normal pop band', and the boys do their best, but still managing to cause rage and fear...

I can easily understand why the kids at the time, like our Witness here, were hooked by this song; it tells much more than it formally says.

- Doxa

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His Majesty

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Palace Revolution 2000
IMO there is no doubt that it is Keith on both guitars.
The electric guitar has the great clean trebly sound when he is playing the arpeggios in the chorus; picking on the upper strings. Then for the second verse he lays out. For novice 20 year songwriters this is a superb example of dynamics: that he stops and waits to come back in.
What is my point though is that in the same take he also will chug along on the lower strings. And when he does that he gets an almost distorted sound. In that odd fade out you can hear it best, when the guitar almost sounds like 'Satisfaction'.
I wonder if this was on an old Vox amp. Nowadays people would probably do all that in different takes, using different f/x boxes. It is impressive to me that he was able to get a chorus-ed sound in upper register, and an thin distorted sound in lower all in one take.

Brian sends his thanks and forgives you for your mistake.

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Palace Revolution 2000
Man, I really just like listening to them.

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His Majesty

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Palace Revolution 2000
IMO there is no doubt that it is Keith on both guitars.
The electric guitar has the great clean trebly sound when he is playing the arpeggios in the chorus; picking on the upper strings. Then for the second verse he lays out. For novice 20 year songwriters this is a superb example of dynamics: that he stops and waits to come back in.
What is my point though is that in the same take he also will chug along on the lower strings. And when he does that he gets an almost distorted sound. In that odd fade out you can hear it best, when the guitar almost sounds like 'Satisfaction'.
I wonder if this was on an old Vox amp. Nowadays people would probably do all that in different takes, using different f/x boxes. It is impressive to me that he was able to get a chorus-ed sound in upper register, and an thin distorted sound in lower all in one take.

I doubt that it's Keith on both guitars. In those early days they didn't do overdubs. They went to the studio and played together as a band. It's hadrly done today any longer, with few exceptions (Voodoo Lounge partly).

By the way: "Tell Me" is a nice ballad. Wouldn't overrate it and definitely never compare to the great songs Mick'N'Keith wrote later on ...