Paint It, Black
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| “Paint It, Black” | |||||
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| Single by The Rolling Stones from the album Aftermath |
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| B-side | "Stupid Girl" (US) "Long Long While" (UK) |
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| Released | 13 May 1966 (US) 7 May 1966 (UK) |
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| Format | 7" | ||||
| Recorded | 6 - 9 March 1966 | ||||
| Genre | Rock, psychedelic rock, Raga Rock | ||||
| Length | 3:45 (mono mix) 3:22 (stereo mix) |
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| Label | Decca (UK) ABKCO (US) |
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| Writer(s) | Jagger/Richards | ||||
| Producer | Andrew Loog Oldham | ||||
| The Rolling Stones singles chronology | |||||
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| UK single cover | |||||
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| Music sample | |||||
"Paint It, Black" is a song recorded by The Rolling Stones in 1966. It reached number one in both the U.S. and the UK charts in 1966. It was released as a single and included on the U.S. version of the album Aftermath. In 2004 it was ranked #174 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
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[edit] History and composition
The song was credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards although all of the bandmembers contributed substantially to it, especially Bill Wyman, and leader/founder Brian Jones.[citation needed]
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 acoustic guitar, and Jagger contributed the lyrics, seemingly about a man mourning his dead girlfriend. The lead electric guitar 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.
Richards has stated in an interview that the song was not intended to have a comma in its title, and that this was added by the record label.[1]
[edit] References in popular culture
In recent years, the song has become associated with the Vietnam War due to its use in the ending credits of Full Metal Jacket and the opening credits of Tour of Duty. It was also used in 2004 in an episode-ending montage in the NBC television show American Dreams, when a major character went missing in Vietnam. Its other film appearances include For Love of the Game and 1997's The Devil's Advocate, which included a cover version in French by Marie Laforêt, in addition to the original version played during the closing credits. The pilot of Nip/Tuck TV show also uses the Rolling Stones' version of the song. The song, as covered by Gob, was also featured in the film Stir of Echoes. The Gob cover also plays over the end credits of the 2004 mini-series of Salem's Lot. A French version of the song, recorded by Marie Douceur, appears in the 2006 film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, and an alternative version appears on commercials for The Sopranos on A&E.
"Paint It, Black" was also used in four video game titles. Conflict: Vietnam used the song during the opening sequence, while Twisted Metal: Black used the beginning of the song in the opening screen, then the whole song again in its end credits, and inserted into level music throughout moments of gameplay. A version of the karaoke game SingStar also features "Paint It, Black". The song is also featured in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock as a playable track, with an extended ending to avoid fading out like the original did (the game makes use of the master track). However, it is unable to be played in Co-op mode, as the bass and guitar tracks could not be separated (this can be heard in single-player mode also; when one makes a mistake, both the guitar and bass cut out). It is also heard playing on some static radios in the Eve of Destruction total conversion for Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield 2.
Isaac Brock's indie side project Ugly Casanova has referenced the song in "Barnacles".
American Idol Top 6 covered a short version of this for the Ford music video.
At 0:48 in the song "At This Hour" on the Spin Doctors' "Turn It Upside Down" album, they sing "You see a red door and you want to paint it black", a reference to this song.
The 1972 song "Thirteen" on the Big Star album #1 Record contains the lyric "Tell him what we said 'bout 'Paint It, Black'".
Prior to being banned from The Howard Stern Show, Crazy Cabbie was often introduced to his own theme song, a variation of "Paint It, Black", although with lyrics mocking Cabbie.
The song is featured in the Swedish movie Joa, degen and Daver.
In the Stephen King series The Dark Tower, "Paint It, Black" is heard by several characters as they pass the same music shop in New York at different time periods.
In Good Charlotte's song "All Black", from their fourth album Good Morning Revival, the line "...like the Rolling Stones wanna paint it black" references the song.
In the Dresden Dolls' song, "Jeep", Amanda sings "I see a red jeep and I want to paint it black" in reference to the "Paint It, Black" line "I see a red door and I want to paint it black".
The Second Chapter in Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume III: Century is set in 1966 and titled "Paint it Black".
The song "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance makes reference to the "Paint It, Black" in the line "... so paint it black and take it back..."
Janet Fitch's 2006 novel "Paint It Black" is named after the song also the quote before the first chapter is the first four lines of the Rolling Stones song.[2]
The music website Last.FM has two skins, Simply Red and Paint It Black.
[edit] Cover versions
“Paint It, Black” has also been covered by many different bands and music artists, including:
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| Preceded by "When a Man Loves a Woman" by Percy Sledge |
Billboard Hot 100 number one single June 11, 1966 (2 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Paperback Writer" by The Beatles |
| Preceded by "Pretty Flamingo" by Manfred Mann |
UK number one single 26 May 1966 (1 week) |
Succeeded by "Strangers in the Night" by Frank Sinatra |
