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It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)

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"It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" is the lead single from English rock band the Rolling Stones' 1974 album It's Only Rock 'n Roll. Writing is credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and the single reached the top ten in the UK charts and top 20 in the United States.

"It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)"
UK single cover
Single by the Rolling Stones
from the album It's Only Rock 'n Roll
B-side"Through the Lonely Nights"
Released26 July 1974 (1974-07-26)
Recorded1973–74
GenreHard rock
Length5:07
LabelRolling Stones
Songwriter(s)Jagger/Richards
Producer(s)The Glimmer Twins
The Rolling Stones singles chronology
"Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)"
(1973) 		"It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)"
(1974) 		"Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
(1974)

Inspiration and recording

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Recorded in late 1973 and completed in the spring of 1974,[1] "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" is credited to the Rolling Stones songwriting team Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, although future Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood collaborated with Jagger on it.[2] The song was originally recorded one night in a studio at Wood's house, "The Wick" in Richmond, London.[3] David Bowie was backing singer to Jagger's lead, and Willie Weeks played bass with Kenney Jones on drums. The song on the album is similar to that original recording, with the Stones keeping the original rhythm track.

The meaning of the lyrics was summed up by Jagger in the liner notes to the 1993 compilation Jump Back; "The idea of the song has to do with our public persona at the time. I was getting a bit tired of people having a go, all that, 'oh, it's not as good as their last one' business. The single sleeve had a picture of me with a pen digging into me as if it were a sword. It was a lighthearted, anti-journalistic sort of thing."

If I could stick my pen in my heart, And spill it all over the stage;
Would it satisfy ya, would it slide on by ya, Would you think the boy is strange? Ain't he strange?

If I could win ya, if I could sing ya, a love song so divine,
Would it be enough for your cheatin' heart, If I broke down and cried? If I cried?

I said I know it's only rock 'n roll but I like it

Jagger also has said that as soon as he wrote it, he knew it was going to be a single. He said it was his answer to everyone who took seriously what he or the band did.[4] According to Richards there was opposition to it being a single but they persisted, saying it had to be the next single. He said that to him "that song is a classic. The title alone is a classic and that's the whole thing about it."[4]

Reception

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Cash Box called it a "hard rocker with the traditional Stones power that displays a really great hook" with "driving instrumentation and Jagger's inimitable vocal style."[5] Record World called it "an r&r anthem of the most footstompin' fantastic proportions."[6] Reviewers of Billboard took this song as "a little put-on on the current glitter rock scene". They wrote: "Title repetition is instantly catching, and this may be the most powerful uptempo thing they’ve done since "Brown Sugar" some three years ago."[7]

Music video

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The song was promoted by a music video directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg,[1] showing the band dressed in sailor suits and playing in a tent which eventually fills with bubbles. This video was one of Mick Taylor's last appearances as a member of the band as he decided to leave in December 1974 (though he did not play on this song). Ronnie Wood, who does not appear in the video, played acoustic guitar on the recording, alongside Keith Richards on electric guitar.

The froth was detergent and, according to Richards, the idea for the sailor suits came about at the last minute because none of the members wanted to get their own wardrobe ruined. Jagger said the entire filming process was "most unpleasant" and was also extremely lengthy. The cameras and lights could not be inside the tent for fear of electrocution. Because of this risk, in order for the video to be filmed at all, the band had to be insured for quite a reasonable sum. Richards is quoted as saying: "Poor old Charlie [Watts] nearly drowned... because we forgot he was sitting down."[4]

Charts

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Chart (1974) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) 17
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 13
Germany (GfK)[9] 36
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 13
Norway (VG-lista)[12] 8
UK Singles (OCC)[13] 10
US Billboard Hot 100[14] 16

Release

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Released in July 1974, "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" reached number sixteen in the United States and number ten on the UK Singles Chart. The B-side was the ballad "Through the Lonely Nights", which was not featured on any album until the 2005 compilation Rarities 1971-2003.[1]

The Rolling Stones regularly perform the song in concert, although in a different key from the studio recording: on their concert albums Love You Live (1977) and Live Licks (2004), the song is in B, whereas the studio track is in E. According to Richards, the song was recorded in the wrong key, but they did not realise this until they played it live.

Cover versions and references

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The chorus was parodied as "it's only knock and knowall, but I like it" in "it.", the final song on Genesis' album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, released in late 1974.[17]

Artists for Children's Promise version

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"It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)"
 
Single by Artists for Children's Promise
Released9 December 1999
Recorded1999
GenreRock
Length5:03
LabelUniversal Music Group
Songwriter(s)Jagger/Richards
Producer(s)Arthur Baker

In 1999, a cover of "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" was record by the supergroup Artists for Children's Promise, featuring an international ensemble of artists. The single was released to raise money for Children's Promise. It was released on 9 December 1999 and peaked at number 19 in United Kingdom.

Artists for Children's Promise

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Charts

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Weekly chart performance for "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)"
Chart (1999) Peak
position
Italy (FIMI)[20] 19
Italy (Musica e Dischi)[21] 10
Netherlands (Dutch Tipparade 40)[22] 6
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[23] 55
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 92
United Kingdom (OCC)[25] 19

References

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  1. ^ a b c Zentgraf, Nico. "The Complete Works of the Rolling Stones 1962–2008". Retrieved 2008-02-19.
  2. ^ Jagger, Mick; Richards, Keith; Watts, Charlie; Wood, Ronnie (2003). According to the Rolling Stones. Chronicle Books. pp. 162–164. ISBN 0-8118-4060-3.
  3. ^ "The Stones London". Community Walk. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-05-06.
  4. ^ a b c Paytress, Mark (2005). The Rolling Stones – Off The Record. Omnibus Press. p. 239. ISBN 1-84449-641-4
  5. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. August 3, 1974. p. 16. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  6. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. August 3, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-15.
  7. ^ "Top Single Picks: The Rolling Stones — "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)"" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 86, no. 31. New York: Billboard Publications Inc. 3 August 1974. p. 54. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2022 – via World Radio History.
  8. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3848a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  9. ^ "The Rolling Stones – It's Only Rock 'N' Roll" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  10. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – The Rolling Stones". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  11. ^ "The Rolling Stones – It's Only Rock 'N' Roll" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  12. ^ "The Rolling Stones – It's Only Rock 'N' Roll". VG-lista. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  13. ^ "Rolling Stones: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  14. ^ "The Rolling Stones Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  15. ^ Nicholson, Jessica (October 28, 2022). "Eric Church, Brothers Osborne, Maren Morris & More Featured on the Rolling Stones Tribute Album, Stoned Cold Country". Billboard. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  16. ^ "The War & Treaty and Brothers Osborne Cover a Rolling Stones Classic at the CMA Awards". Rolling Stone. 10 November 2022.
  17. ^ Hegarty, Paul; Halliwell, Martin (2011). Beyond and Before: Progressive Rock since the 1960s. Continuum Books. p. 79. ISBN 9780826423320.
  18. ^ "Various Artists For Children's Promise - It's Only Rock 'N' Roll by KeithRichards.com - MP3 Downloads, Streaming Music, Lyrics". Keithrichards.com. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
  19. ^ Douglas McCall (12 November 2013). Monty Python: A Chronology, 1969-2012 (2nd ed.). p. 202. ISBN 9780786478118. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
  20. ^ "History" (in Italian). FIMI. Retrieved June 15, 2022. Set "Ricerca per" on "Titolo", then search "IT'S ONLY ROCK 'N' ROLL (BUT I LIKE IT)" and click "Classifiche".
  21. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved June 15, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Titolo" field, search "It's only rock 'n' roll".
  22. ^ "Various Artists For Children's Promise - It's Only Rock 'n' Roll" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  23. ^ "Various Artists For Children's Promise – It's Only Rock 'N' Roll" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  24. ^ "Various Artists For Children's Promise – It's Only Rock 'N' Roll". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  25. ^ "It's Only Rock 'N' Roll". Official Charts Company. 26 October 1996. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
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