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

Infobox Single
Name = It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)


Artist = The Rolling Stones
from Album = It's Only Rock 'n Roll
Released = 1974
Format = 7"
Recorded = 1974
Genre = Rock
Length = 5 min 07 s
Label = Rolling Stones/Virgin
Writer = Jagger/Richards
Producer = The Glimmer Twins
Chart position =

• 10 (UK)
• 16 (USA)
  Reviews =
  Last single = "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)"
  (1973)
  This single = "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)"
  (1974)
  Next single = "Ain't Too Proud to Beg"
  (1974)Extra album cover
  Upper caption = Alternative covers
  Background = khaki
  
  
  Lower caption = French 7-inch single cover

  "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" is the lead single from English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones' 1974 album "It's Only Rock 'n Roll".

  Inspiration and recording

  Recorded in late 1973 and completed in the spring of 1974,cite web |last =Zentgraf |first=Nico |title=The Complete Works of the Rolling Stones 1962-2008 |url=http://www.nzentgraf.de/books/tcw/works1.htm|accessdate=2008-02-19 | ] "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.cite book |last=Jagger |first=Mick |coauthors=Richards, Keith; Watts, Charlie; Wood, Ronnie |title= According to the Rolling Stones |publisher= Chronicle Books |date=2003 |id=ISBN 0-8118-4060-3 |pages=pg. 162-164] The song was originally recorded one night in a studio at Wood's house, "The Wick" in Richmond, London. [cite web | author=| title= "The Stones London"|publisher=Community Walk |language=English | url=http://www.communitywalk.com/location_info/85987/644523/the_wick_richmond| date=2007 | accessdate=2007-05-06] 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 ""; "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."

  Release and aftermath

  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".cite web |last=Zentgraf |first=Nico |title=The Complete Works of the Rolling Stones 1962-2008 |url=http://www.nzentgraf.de/books/tcw/works1.htm|accessdate=2008-02-19 | ]

  "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" was promoted by a memorable music video directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, 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.

  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 number 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.

  Covers

  The song was covered by hard rock band Twisted Sister.

  Weird Al also did a polka cover of the song as the first and longest of his "Hot Rocks Polka", which consists entirely of The Stone's songs. It was used in the soundtrack for his movie UHF.

  1999 charity single

  In December 1999, a charity cover version with participation of many artists was released to raise money for Children's Promise. The single was released only in the U.K., New Zealand, and Australia. It reached #19 in the United Kingdom singles charts.

  Notes

  External links

  * [http://www.rollingstones.com/discog/index.php?v=so&a=1&id=175 Complete Official Lyrics]