Has anyone on here read an interview with a member of the Stones where they said the title 'Let It Bleed' was influenced by? I am trying to get to the bottom of some of these rumors about how the Stones were always taking ideas from the Beatles and the song title 'Let It Bleed' being one of them. I have heard the following stories:


1) The term 'let it bleed' is a reference to drugs, and that it where the title came from.

2) The title 'Let It Bleed' was influenced by the lyrics written for the song even though there is no line 'let it bleed' in the song. Just like there is no line in the song "Sympathy For The Devil" where he actually says that line either.

3) I know it's been long debated that the Stones took the title from the Beatles 'Let It Be' to no verification whatsoever. However, when the Beatles were recording their album in early 1969, the title they originally wanted to use was 'Get Back', and that's what was written in some of the music papers at the time. I don't think the name 'Let It Be' was generally known until the album came out in the spring of 1970, and by that time the Stones already released 'Let It Bleed' months earlier. It is also not the common way to write songs, although it has happened on occasion but normally songs are not written around a title. To my understanding you take the title from the lyrics you wrote. I know Keith Richards did an interview in 'Rolling Stone' magazine in the early 1970's and he was asked about copying the Beatles 'Let It Be' in which he denied it but then said it could have been an influence because there was talk of the Beatles making a new album and filming it at the time. However, like I wrote above, when the Beatles were recording their album the title 'Get Back' was known at the time. I've debated with a few Beatles fans who claim "well the Stones used to show up at Beatles recording sessions and that is probably where they heard it. Makes sense to me". No it doesn't. You can't assume that Mick Jagger was at the recording session when the Beatles recorded the song 'Let It Be' and that's where he took it from. There is no way of proving that. Then why not assume it happened the other way around, that since the Beatles and Stones were friends that John Lennon was hanging out at Mick Jagger's house in late 1968 and Mick played him on acoustic guitar the song 'Let It Bleed' and that's where John Lennon got the idea from. Please, I'm looking for verification and not theories.


Can anyone elaborate on any quotes by the Stones where they talk about this?



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2019-01-30 23:46 by stones1969.

The album cover has nothing to do with the actual title, it has to do with it's original title, AUTOMATIC CHANGER.

The song was recorded in the spring of 1969. In June, Mick said "Keith and I have written some 24 songs recently... (A)ll of (the next) album contains stuff we can play on stage."

They had 2 big recording sessions for the new album, the first one from early February through the end of March, the second from mid-April through early July.

The quote of Mick's is reasonably correct, since it seems they did 25 originals at that time from what I've counted, which may be wrong, of course.

Keith's approach was a bit neutral but given their status as friends with the Beatles he seemed a tad bit conveniently uppity about it. "(It didn't have) a thing (to do with the Beatles' Let It Be). Just a coincidence because you're working along the same lines at the same time at the same age as a lot of other cats. All trying to do the same thing basically, turn themselves and other people on. Let It Bleed was just one line in that song Mick wrote. It became the title... we just kicked a line out... We dug that song so... maybe there was some influence because Let It Be had been kicked around for years for their movie, for that album. Let it be something. Let it out. Let it loose."

The title, if you look at the lyrics and how "bleed" was used, it makes sense:

we can bleed on
you can bleed on me
why don't you bleed on me all over?

[timeisonourside.com]

Thanks. That's more of a logical explanation than I normally get.

Thank you Gas Light Street.

On a personal note, I regret looking up Let It Bleed as a drug ref./ first I heard that right now, google, blanch, escape.
It’s only rock n roll.
(And I never thought they took it from Beatles Let It Be)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-01-31 02:39 by 35love.

Ah ha maybe it’s a play on Let It Be
Opposite
Let It Bleed
(Do your own imagination comparison)

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35love
Ah ha maybe it’s a play on Let It Be
Opposite
Let It Bleed
(Do your own imagination comparison)

Sorry I don't get it.

Anyone heard the story that Mick did the vocal on the track Let it Bleed right after the call came into the studio informing them that Brian died?

I always assumed the Stones titled the album Let it Bleed as as sort of a goof on the Beatles Let it Be.
Just as they used Satanic Majesties after Sgt. Peppers (and the obvious similar album cover).

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

I always thought somone 'cracked' that "joke" in the studio relating
to the 'bleed' that describes the ambient 'other' instruments
that may 'bleed' into the microphone for another track, or let's
say "Instrument."
If we hear a little of the guitar faintly on the lead vocal mike, for example.
Recording musicians deal with 'bleed' quite a bit; it's not really that arcane.
I always imagined, (might have heard from a fan or journalist too!)....
....that ol' Keith might have cracked that to an engineer, in cavalier
Keithfucious type perspective.

Original title for album was Automatic Changer …..



ROCKMAN

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Rockman
Original title for album was Automatic Changer …..

I read that. I'm referring to where they got the title of the song/album 'Let It Bleed' from.

I'm referring to where they got the title of the song/album 'Let It Bleed' from.


Most likely from the lyrics of the actual song … Let It Bleed



ROCKMAN

ROCKMAN

ROCKMAN

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Rockman

Thank you. I guess I have never put thought before into what exactly the term ‘let it bleed’ is conveying.
But your clip here makes me think
Let all the pain out.
Love the tune, and album, but of course.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2019-01-31 07:05 by 35love.

The song, Let it Be was recorded in January, 1969, Let it Bleed was recorded a couple of months later. Glynn Johns was the engineer on both. I’m sure the Stones were aware of the Beatles tune and it’s quite possible that the Let it Bleed title is an intentional jab. Of course, no one has ever admitted this, but it just seems unlikely to me that this is mere coincidence.

video: [youtu.be]

This is 1968 so who knows.

I read somewhere when I was young probably a joke that Let It Bleed came from Keith's playing all the guitar parts due to Brian's absence and his fingers bleed.

Quote
stones1969

Quote
35love
Ah ha maybe it’s a play on Let It Be
Opposite
Let It Bleed
(Do your own imagination comparison)

Sorry I don't get it.

‘Let It Be’ let it go, accept, peace la la la la la la
‘Let It Bleed’ (the drug reference term) is the opposite
jamming a needle in a pumped vein to draw blood (ghastly) and then slam cooked pure illegal narcotics into your body to vastly alter yourself is not... letting ‘it’ be.
;-).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-02-01 04:22 by 35love.

Quote
Ross
The song, Let it Be was recorded in January, 1969, Let it Bleed was recorded a couple of months later. Glynn Johns was the engineer on both. I’m sure the Stones were aware of the Beatles tune and it’s quite possible that the Let it Bleed title is an intentional jab. Of course, no one has ever admitted this, but it just seems unlikely to me that this is mere coincidence.

Yes, I agree.

The Stones and Beatles were friends (and practically in cahoots with each other), so don't think it was an "intentional jab", but more of a spoof on Let it Be.
And for all we know, Lennon might have even given Mick the idea for the lyric and/or title..."Here Mick, take Paul's song and screw around with it".

_____________________________________________________________
Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Eh, let it be, let it bleed, whatever.

Personally the term has always blended in the song fittingly,
and as for the title not matching the cake,
never gave it a 2nd thought.

‘Let It Bleed’ was in a song vote (not selected) previous ‘No Filter’
hope it turns up again! I know Toronto Girl was hoping for it, too.
Killer song

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exilestones

*you chime in w/ the coolest art and pics- thanks :-)

ROCKMAN

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Hairball
I always assumed the Stones titled the album Let it Bleed as as sort of a goof on the Beatles Let it Be.
Just as they used Satanic Majesties after Sgt. Peppers (and the obvious similar album cover).

^ This.

On a similar note, my son had a "Let It Bleed" groom's cake at his recent wedding.

"No Anchovies, Please"

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35love
...
‘Let It Bleed’ was in a song vote (not selected) previous ‘No Filter’
hope it turns up again! I know Toronto Girl was hoping for it, too.
Killer song

Indeed 35, good memory! They played it for me in Vancouver in ‘06 but have kept me waiting ever since. Fingers crossed...someday.

So is it for some that there is a song title similar to the Beatles song or is it the album title?