Gimme Shelter, My Favorite Rolling Stones Song

By ej hughes on

Gimme Shelter from 1969's "Let it Bleed" is my favorite Rolling Stones song. The story behind it is interesting too. Apparently, Keith Richards was staying at someone's apartment in London and there was a big rain storm. He looked out the window and saw all the people scrambling for cover to get out of the rain. His then girlfriend Anita Pallenberg (who was Brian Jones' girlfriend a year ealier) was doing a movie with Mick Jagger called "Performance." Keith was a bit insecure about the sex scenes Mick and Anita were doing in the movie. In fact, Mick and Anita did sleep together during this time. Anyway, the scene of the people running out of the rain and thoughts of Jagger and Anita together sparked the beginnning of the song for Richards. "Oh the storm is threatening, my very life today. If I don't get some shelter, ya I'm gonna fade away." There are two distinct parts of the song that blow me away. The first part is the opening guitar. It's haunting with Richard's use of tremolo effect on his fender twin (tweed) amp. It's killer. At the time the song was written, May 1969, the whole hippie movement was coming to an end. The song's lyrics expand out from the rain storm to a more global meaning which reflects the times.  War, rape, and murder. 

The second part of the song that blows me away is Merry Clayton's vocals. A veteren vocalist who had worked with many famous people, she was called and asked to come and sing on the song just before midnight by the Stones producer, Jack Nitzsche. Apparently, the singer the band had been practicing with couldn't make the session due to illness. As fate would have it Nitzsche thought of calling Merry Clayton. Merry was very pregnant at the time. Merry wasn't really up for the session so her husband grabbed the phone telling Nitzsche that it was late and she was pregnant. He eventually got turned around by Nitzsche and in turn Merry's husband actually convinced her to go down to do the session. Merry showed up at the studio in silk pajamas, a mink coat, and a chanel scarf. Merry did say in an interview that when she recorded what we hear on the record that she was gonna "blow them out of the room." I'd say so Merry! I have never heard a vocal in rock and roll sung so intensely. Listen when Merry sings "Rape, Murder" for the third time (I think) when her voice cracks. Right then you can hear Mick in the booth yelling "Yeeaah" because it's so f'n great. Sadly though, after the session Merry Clayton had a miscarriage.  What a tragedy. She couldn't listen to the song for about 17 years after that. Who could blame her. She says she is at peace with it now though. 

Knowing the back story has changed how I experience the song. How could it not. This is my favorite Stones song. Genius really. I get chills when I hear it. You know what I mean. One of those. Check it out on Spotify: Gimme Shelter 

As usual I will comment on the album art. It's crazy. A layer cake with candy and figurines of the Stones on top, a tire, a pizza, a clock face and a film canister over a record player. Cool idea but makes no sense at all. Love it though.

Album Art by Robert Brownjohn, 1969. Cake by Delia Smith




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