Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
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Through The Lonely Nights
(Mick Jagger / Keith Richards)

Dynamic Sound Studios, Kingston, Jamaica, November 25 - 30 &
December 6 - 21, 1972 and Island Recording Studios, London, UK,
May 20 - 25, 1973

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals
Keith Richards - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, backing vocals
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Mick Taylor - electric guitar, backing vocals
Nicky Hopkins - piano

Through the lonely nights, I think of you
Through the lonely hours, I dream of you
I don't no why I do it, but I do, why do you take it, what's wrong with you

Through the lonely weekends, I'm far from you
Why you're coming on, like you're supposed to do, yes
Oh, but you know me so well and your time ain't so hard to sell

Every time I see ya, every time I see ya
Every time I see ya, every time I see you

In your cherry dresses and your shiny shoes
In a doorway on some neon avenue
Making the lonely pay for me, why don't we set each other free

When did I mislead ya, when did I misread ya
When did I mistreat ya, when did I deceive ya

Oh, I'm stuck out, want to cry, cry, cry
Sleep in the doorway, Lord, making a rendezvous
Lord, I'm stuck out baby, want to cry, cry, cry, cry, cry, cry, cry
Lord, babe, Lord

Produced by Jimmy Miller

First released on:
The Rolling Stones -
“It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll / Through The Lonely Nights” 7” single
(Rolling Stones Records RS 19114) UK, July 26, 1974

For a very long time this was the hardest to find Rolling Stones song, being only released as the B-side of the 'It's only rock'n'roll' single. Bein a fan of the GOATS HEAD SOUP album I looked out for about 25 years before I listened tzo it for the first time. It was only on the RARITIES album that the song became widely available.

It's certainly no classic song but it's a great ballad, and it would have fit perfectly on the GOATS HEAD SOUP album. It was of course never played live, although it would have been a gem in a club show. If they ever release a deluxe Version of the GHS album they have to include this song.

Great. Love it!

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saltoftheearth
For a very long time this was the hardest to find Rolling Stones song, being only released as the B-side of the 'It's only rock'n'roll' single. Bein a fan of the GOATS HEAD SOUP album I looked out for about 25 years before I listened tzo it for the first time. It was only on the RARITIES album that the song became widely available.

It's certainly no classic song but it's a great ballad, and it would have fit perfectly on the GOATS HEAD SOUP album. It was of course never played live, although it would have been a gem in a club show. If they ever release a deluxe Version of the GHS album they have to include this song.

No, it's a brilliant, classic song.

Lovely tune showing the rarer, softer side of the Stones.

A lot of fans believe that the song should have been on Goats' Head Soup but I can't really see what would have been left off instead. The album already had a high quota of slower, more reflective songs - Angie, Coming Down Again,Winter, Can You Hear The Music and a fifth would have made it the most laid back Stones album until then.

Fantastic, emotive Wah Wah guitar from, I presume, Keith.

A sublime, hidden gem. Loved this track from the first moment I discovered it and still find it ravishingly beautiful. Unfathomably sad, shimmering with profound sorrow and yearning, and yet so deeply cathartic, TTLN sends me to another planet each and every time I hear it. The melody itself, with those glorious Glimmer Twin harmonies, is utterly transcendent. The lyrics are sheer poetry, capturing heartache, loneliness, and despair with astonishing brilliance. And then there is Mick Taylor’s haunting guitar solo, which takes this track to a whole other level. Charlie and Nicky are the icing on the cake.

IMO, an infinitely more remarkable track than that to which it was the B-side.

Drew



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2015-07-03 02:38 by drewmaster.

Quite good track, would have been the better choice instead of Can You Hear the Music, that doesn't fit in between Winter and Starf u c k e r.

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saltoftheearth
For a very long time this was the hardest to find Rolling Stones song, being only released as the B-side of the 'It's only rock'n'roll' single...

I found it in a pretty unbelievable way. I read about it's existence in a RS book I had, around 1981. My friend and I became obsessed looking thru stock at several record stores, and also being rejected with a request to order (as it was already several years old). We inquired at a local Hess's department store -- not even sure if they exist anymore -- and unbelievably, the lady said they could order it. They had a small record section so we didn't even try this place until last. Anyway, we ordered 2. They called us about 2 weeks later, and we went and picked them up! Both of us still have our copies.

I loved it at the time, it was a great novelty, but I find I don't listen to it much anymore.

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RobertJohnson
Quite good track, would have been the better choice instead of Can You Hear the Music, that doesn't fit in between Winter and Starf u c k e r.

+1

A great song; Cant understand why this wasnt on GHS or IORR.

Great tune, one of my faves. Too bad it didn't make GHS.

Another fan of this track - I never heard it before Rarities (I also rate "Anyway you look at it" from that odd compilation too). I think the lyrics of this are amongst Mick's (?) most enigmatic. A lot more double edged that some find here but haunting.

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saltoftheearth

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RobertJohnson
Quite good track, would have been the better choice instead of Can You Hear the Music, that doesn't fit in between Winter and Starf u c k e r.

+1

-1

As touched in earlier threads:

To me the album GOATS HEAD SOUP falls somewhat apart with "Silver Train" and "Hide Your Love". Also to me, "Can You Hear the Music" contributes more to save the rest of the album than (surprising enough) even "Winter" does.

So while I do like "Through the Lonely Nights" very much, substitution of this song for "Can You Hear the Music" to me is not in any way a solution. Rather for one of two mentionned other songs. Whatever the order of songs then ought to be. Whatever other replacements must be.

A rendition of "Hide Your Love" in connection with the film of Hyde Park 2013 showed, I must admit, more than I earlier was aware of, that it is not because that song is weak, comparatively speaking, but to me anyway in the context of the album came out weakly.

Edit: Correction of language.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015-06-29 23:25 by Witness.

Murky, mysterious, and brilliant. Half country ballad, and half something completely different with wah-wah guitar and lovely harmonies. I used to spin the 45 B-side of IORR over and over, trying to get deeper into this track's mysteries.

silvertrain is a great song, the promotional video for it compliments the song superbly.

Great song. Love that middle part ('When did I mistreat ya..')

But what does, 'Making your lonely pay for me..' mean?
And 'While you're coming on, like your supposed to do..'

Was very happy to bump into a used copy of the IORR single around 1988 and first get to hear it! Then I got this boot with a picture of Mick next to the Seine river around 1987 probably and it was there too with Monkey Man.

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IORR Links : Essential Studio Outtakes CDs : Audio - History of Rarest Outtakes : Audio

I've been waiting for this track talk since I joined IORR. It's in my top 10 for sure. I love everything about this one. Nicky Hopkins' piano in the outro is beyond words.

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stupidguy2
Great song. Love that middle part ('When did I mistreat ya..')

But what does, 'Making your lonely pay for me..' mean?
And 'While you're coming on, like your supposed to do..'

I think that 'pay' in this context is like 'pay a visit'... and I guess she's alone... but I can't help you with the other one...

Having had It's Only Rock'N'Roll on REWIND, IORR and who knows what else, I bought the 45 of IORR just for this track.

Lovely track.

It is one of most Gram Parsons influenced songs IMO.
Just like Wild Horses, Torn & Frayed and Faraway Eyes.

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HearMeKnockin

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stupidguy2
Great song. Love that middle part ('When did I mistreat ya..')

But what does, 'Making your lonely pay for me..' mean?
And 'While you're coming on, like your supposed to do..'

I think that 'pay' in this context is like 'pay a visit'... and I guess she's alone... but I can't help you with the other one...

Thanks! Mick has a way with words, Half the time, I just try to read between the lines.

Gotta love any song that has sweet Keith, Mick and MT harmonies like this one. Although the electric guitar is interesting I can help think think a steel guitar and more acoustic approach would have made this a country classic up there with Dead Flowers, Sweet Virginia and Far Away Eyes.

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Naturalust
Gotta love any song that has sweet Keith, Mick and MT harmonies like this one. Although the electric guitar is interesting I can help think think a steel guitar and more acoustic approach would have made this a country classic up there with Dead Flowers, Sweet Virginia and Far Away Eyes.

I've thought that too, NL, but the version they did, with the GHS vibe, wah-wah, etc. is pretty damn cool.

Love it - It’s got that classic post Exile pre-Some Girls decadent 70s Stones sound. Taylor’s audacious solo literally steers the song around an almost impossibly tight bend, seemingly throwing Jagger from the song in the process, but then returning to him just in time for the deliciously languid ‘Every time I see ya’ sing-a-long.

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HearMeKnockin

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stupidguy2
Great song. Love that middle part ('When did I mistreat ya..')

But what does, 'Making your lonely pay for me..' mean?
And 'While you're coming on, like your supposed to do..'

I think that 'pay' in this context is like 'pay a visit'... and I guess she's alone... but I can't help you with the other one...

Pay a visit? That’s ridiculous. The protagonist is obviously her pimp.

One of my Top 10 Stones songs. Could have been a big hit.

Sweet ballad, once again that darn mix...

Jimmy Page is rumoured to play on this track - where did I read that ?

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johnnythunders
Jimmy Page is rumoured to play on this track - where did I read that ?

Never heard that before.

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DandelionPowderman

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johnnythunders
Jimmy Page is rumoured to play on this track - where did I read that ?

Never heard that before.

I'm sure it's Mick Taylor (it's got that typical vibrato on a note or two). It always reminded me of Robby Krieger's (The Doors) guitar sound though.