Honky Tonk Women

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"Honky Tonk Women"

Single by The Rolling Stones
from the album Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)
B-side(s)	”You Can't Always Get What You Want”
Released	July 4, (UK), July 5, 1969 (U.S.)
Format	vinyl record
Recorded	Olympic Studios, London, May-June, 1969
Genre	Rock
Length	3min 2s
Label	London Records
Producer(s)	Jimmy Miller
Chart positions
#1 (four weeks) (US) #1 (five weeks) (UK)
The Rolling Stones singles chronology
Street Fighting Man (1968)	Honky Tonk Women (1969)	Brown Sugar (1971)

"Honky Tonk Women" was a 1969 hit song by the Rolling Stones. Released as a single on July 4, 1969 in the United Kingdom, and the next day in the United States, it topped the charts in both nations. "You Can't Always Get What You Want" was the single's B-side.

Two versions of the song were recorded by the band: the familiar hit which appeared on the 45 and their collection of late 1960s singles, Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2); and a honky-tonk version entitled "Country Honk" with slightly different lyrics which appeared on Let It Bleed.

The single was released in England on the day after founding member Brian Jones' funeral. Popular legend has that it Jones had written the riff shortly before he was fired from the band but this is not true. The song was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards while on vacation in Brazil in late December 1968/early January 1969. Inspired by Brazilian gauchos/cowboys bringing cattle back to the ranch where Jagger and Richards were staying the song was originally conceived as an acoustic country song. Thematically, a "honky tonk woman" refers to a dancing girl in a western bar who may work as a prostitute; the setting for the Blues narrative version is Memphis while Country Honk sets the first verse in Jackson. Recorded in London in early February 1969 without Jones present, the band initially recorded the 'Country Honk'. New band member Mick Taylor was responsible for transforming the song into the familiar electric, riff-based hit single 'Honky Tonk Women' some time in the spring of 1969.

Richards claimed he took the opening riff from Ry Cooder, who taught Richards how to play in the "open-G" guitar tuning that he used on that song and many other Stones songs. Cooder has accused the Stones of "ripping him off," and to date refuses to speak in specifics about his sessions with the Stones. Stones pianist Ian Stewart also disliked the song: "It's bloody ten times Keith you hear."

The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks from August 23, 1969. It was preceded by "In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" by Zager and Evans and followed by "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies.

Rolling Stone ranked it #116 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

[edit] Country Honk

Gram Parsons claimed to have been responsible for the Country Honk arrangement although this claim is disputed by Jagger and Richards. According to Byron Berline (who memorably played fiddle on the track) Parsons was certainly responsible for him being hired to play on the recording. Berline had previously recorded with Parson's band The Flying Burrito Brothers among many others.

The track was recorded at Elektra Studios on La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, with producer Glyn Johns suggesting that Berline actually record his part on the sidewalk outside the studio to add ambience to the track. The car horn also resulted from the sidewalk recording. Actress Nanette Newman performs backing vocals on this version.

Preceded by "In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" by Zager and Evans	Billboard Hot 100 number one single August 23, 1969	Succeeded by "Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies
Preceded by "Something in the Air" by Thunderclap Newman	UK number one single July 23, 1969	Succeeded by "In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" by Zager and Evans