Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black

Sunday 31 July 2011

 

"Paint It, Black" is a song released by The Rolling Stones, on 13 May 1966 as the first single from their fourth album Aftermath. It was originally titled "Paint It Black" without a comma. Keith Richards has stated that the comma was added by the record label, Decca.

The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Brian Jones contributed to the song's signature riff. Bill Wyman claims in his books that the song was a collective effort of the group, a 'Nanker-Phelge' one, but mistakenly credited to Jagger/Richards at the end.

The single reached number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom charts in 1966. In 2004 it was ranked number 174 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In the US and UK, it was the first number one single to feature a sitar on the recording.

The song began with Wyman playing organ at a recording session, in parody of the group's former co-manager Eric Easton, who had been an organist. Charlie Watts accompanied the organ by playing a vaguely Middle Eastern drum part; Watts' drum pattern became the basis for the final song. Brian Jones contributed the song's signature sitar riff (having taught himself to play after a visit with George Harrison), and Jagger contributed to the lyrics, seemingly about a man mourning his dead girlfriend.

More literally, it is about using the visual trick of painting everything black in the mind's eye. Both electric and acoustic guitars and the background vocals are provided by Richards. The piano is played by Jack Nitzsche.

The bass was also overdubbed by Bill Wyman playing on the bass pedals of a Hammond B3 organ.