Deconstructing Gimme Shelter︱Isolated Tracks (The Rolling Stones)

[@alexandrabee]

Sorry if some tracks fade out and some do not, they end rather abruptly so I tried masking it with the fadeout. Not doing it again in the future ✌ 0:00 - Percussion: drums, güiro, maracas 4:20 - Bass 8:36 - Rhythm guitar 13:09 - Lead guitar, harmonica, and piano 17:34 - Vocals

[@jimgartshore4238]

Great bass lines

[@68Bards]

Thanks Alexandra - massively appreciated ❤️

[@josephscott1085]

This was very interesting. In my opinion the greatest rock 'n roll song ever. If I had not known what song it was I still would not have known after the drum and bass tracks. But just a few chords of Keith's rhythm guitar and unmistakable. So many Stones songs (Satisfaction, Jumping Jack Flash, Street Fighting Man, Brown Sugar, . . . ) were like that. Keith built the frame for everything else to be hung off of.

[@mohamedehab2203]

Thank you deeply, Alexandra.

[@jbelafonte]

Love the posts. Could you do Queen?

[@jonjividen7588]

Frightening, menacing, thrilling perfection. I was 21 when this song came out. At 71 yrs. young, it still makes the hairs on my neck stand up when I hear it. Timeless piece of music.

[@edwardwhitford8213]

Because of her exertions doing the backup vocal, she has a miscarriage soon after.

[@murfbass]

I was 1 yr old when it came out but I have the exact same reaction every single time I hear it too.

[@andrewbrennan7291]

I was 17. December 1969. What a time to be alive!

[@jessejordache1869]

Born way way after the fact, but same. The backing vocals in the intro fill me with awe that they thought of that.

[@LinnVaveon]

💥 Well said, jonjividen. Well said ~

[@jeffwessman]

The bass part is a master class in keeping the groove while avoiding repetition..

[@pilippepine3299]

Played by Keith the bass on this song..

[@gpc31]

@@pilippepine3299 I think Wyman played the bass in Gimme Shelter. Richards played bass on many other cuts, like Sympathy for the Devil, JJF, etc.

[@andymcleod6802]

Yeah, I dug it too. Kinda like Janet Weiss on drums marking the time but not repeating.

[@margaretgriggs3164]

Want to hear my girl

[@pledgestone]

Wyman is one of the least appreciated, most under rated bassists ever.

[@thomasclendening2664]

Best part is hearing Mick shout "whew!" when Merry's voice is cracking. She really had him goin. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

[@williamdejeffrio9701]

it always seemed to me that Merry was momentarily distracted by Mick going "WOOOO!" after her voiced cracked on that high note as she paused a microsecond afterward as if listening

[@phillipph9882]

she slows her metre [in surprise? she was 20, had no-one done that in the booth on those Presley & Charles tracks?] and that's the moment that proves it most likely the lead vocals were recorded together in LA, not Merry overdubbing with a Jagger vcl done in the spring on an otherwise complete take.

[@marty6779]

This convinced me that Gimme Shelter is their master piece. The sound, the details, and the best vocal performances... (also all my respect to Merry Clayton. As a musician and in general)

[@NolalanD]

Yes it has every element that makes the Stones great done to perfection and too think it only took Keef to nail this one.

[@josi4251]

I couldn't agree more!

[@stanislouse4168]

@@NolalanD yep,heard it live in the garden NYC 1969. unreal with M Taylor

[@jamesm.3967]

Pretty much.

[@dennissmith1116]

Mary

[@6412mars]

The best female backup and lead vocals in the history of Rock music.. hands down!

[@marcparrott2403]

Agreed,! While Clare Torry on The Great Gig on the Sky is a close runner up for me, nothing quite compares to Ms. Clayton's off-the-hinges fury on this record. Never ceases to amaze.

[@jugheadsrule]

As good as she is, I have to go with Lisa Fischer and Vika Bull as the greatest female Rock vocalists.

[@GOGOLH]

Jagger and Merry Clayton's vocals - wow! One of the greatest tracks, period.

[@stonesinmyblood27]

Bill Wyman is truly amazing and beautiful to hear. Incredible ♥️

[@richardclark.]

i play many instruments and have listened to the stones for all of my 58 years. bills parts never cease to surprise. they were never the same live after his departure. way less groove and swing. soft pocket. darryl still hasnt figured out how to play in a band with keef?

[@markusaurelius777]

@@richardclark. Isn't this Keef on bass? Or is it another track where Keef is on bass?

[@aussie870]

@@markusaurelius777 Keith was on bass for a fair few tracks, but his most well known track on which he did a whole lot of parts but including bass, was Sympathy for the Devil

[@jonathannauck7453]

Merry Clayton, at 2AM, pregnant, with her hair in curlers managed to blow the walls off that studio. Gives me chills...

[@bryanm5233]

While this is a great song, Merry’s vocals took this song to a a different level. Her voice is spectacular.

[@pmsphoto]

Her own version is truly breathtaking !

[@keith7913]

When her voice cracks, the outburst goes from fear to terror.

[@ronsolinski9961]

If you listen really carefully, you can hear someone in the studio gasp, when she hit that high note.

[@keith7913]

@@ronsolinski9961 thanks. Hadn't noticed that.

[@Rockpig1969]

Nobody is doing anything too fancy, they're all just bringing a small piece of themselves to the track and the result is shear beauty and power. That's why the Stones will always be the best.

[@JacquieCDV]

The way her voice cracks as she goes along sends chills up my spine. Some background vocals are so worth listening to on their own later.

[@bobbiethomas5137]

That crack is one of the most sexy and powerful moments in the song.

[@digger815]

Absolutely gorgeous

[@wilsonquick23]

All performances are great...but Keith is the true star in this. Amazing guitar work...

[@alexbowman7582]

Merry Clayton’s singing whilst not ad lib was unrehearsed and spontaneous. I don’t think it would have been so incredible if it wasn’t done the way it was. A late night call she turned up in pyjamas.

[@Kylefassbinderful]

She was also pregnant at the time.

[@amherst88]

@@Kylefassbinderful and lost the baby (supposedly as a result of the exertion of pulling the off-octave run)

[@mauriciogutierrez9340]

@@amherst88 nope, you cant lost a baby for singing

[@jimcyr9602]

Love isolated tracks! I never even noticed the piano in this song before. And hearing Merry Clayton isolated is, dare I say, a religious experience!

[@michaelsuder486]

How could you not hear it?

[@kevinbarrett9615]

Amazing performances , I fell sorry for today’s generation who probably won’t be able to truly appreciate the level of talent required to make this kind of music. We were so privileged to live through the greatest era of classic rock.

[@docsmellyfella]

Amazing how tight Charlie is on the drums. Nothing fancy but tempo is perfect throughout. Stones had the tightest rhythm section around back in the day. Everything else was built around that.

[@NolalanD]

I always though it was Jimmy Miller.

[@amherst88]

He makes the drums speak like no one else . . .

[@Lu-em5wx]

Ringo was always tighter

[@joedecker3900]

@@Lu-em5wxBoth equally the same

[@chipsterb4946]

I’ve always maintained that a great rhythm section is a prerequisite for a great band. Might be drums, might be bass, might be rhythm guitar but you gotta have it. The Beatles, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, the Who, AC/DC, Santana… try naming one great band with a mediocre drummer.

[@joelopez9779]

The first time I heard the rolling stones on the am radio,, was 1965 at midnight on a Saturday night!!! And till this day I still love there music!!!!!!

[@colinmcom14]

What song was it?

[@bebebrez-kal9136]

Summer of 65 reminds of bring at the NY World's Fair in Queens and SATISFACTION was out then!🙂

[@kalebunderwood8345]

I cried a littlel when Merry started singing with Mick.

[@danieldillon6436]

Even listening to each of the parts played separately, this song is still a haunting, timeless masterpiece. We are so lucky, those of us who were alive when this music came out. The music then was really special.

[@marccardiff]

This is so cool. I never clocked Merry's voice starting to break on "shot" and "rape" before the famous crack on "murder." Also the additional "woo"s from Mick--you can faintly hear one on the final cut after the aforementioned "murder" but it's amazing to hear others--it really takes you inside the studio during the creation on an iconic work of art.

[@TomKirkman1]

Certainly among the greatest, if not the greatest, R&R song ever recorded. Amazing how so many parts come together into a single unit.

[@phillipph9882]

and on a simple, descending verse with its one bar ascent back to the tonic [G if Keith's playing 5-string gutars here]. the rawest of delta blues progressions, only a lyrical distinction btwn verse and chorus, no bridges/middle 8 concessions to pop, it tiptoes in and dnetonates and storms away and every goddam time you hear it you're transformed

[@andymcquade]

I didn't think it possible I could love this song more than I already did. Wrong! Thank you for this upload.

[@vinceschauf9437]

The piano comes out very well on this.

[@phillipph9882]

it has spent its fair share of time at #1 of the top 2 million records of all time

[@dennymcfastlane8530]

A basic 3 chord song transformed into a timeless Masterpiece, accomplished by mere musical geniuses. Thanks for the Track breakdowns!

[@warborn_inc.]

This is their high water mark...absolutely briliant. What more can I say about Ms. Claytons vocals that hasnt already been said. You cannot replicate that kind of spontaneous magic. I've heard this song hundreds of times for over 45 years and that point where her voice cracks still cuts striaght to the bone

[@AlexandrePasch]

The drums are so funky, what a feel! Nice track! Thanks

[@Kylefassbinderful]

That bass line gets me more than the haunting vocals of Clayton.

[@joedecker3900]

It’s about the drums

[@fuchsiaswing8545]

People spend way too much time talking about Clayton’s vocals.

[@rozzgrey801]

The vocal at 19:33! Wow!

[@VMBFV]

I don't remember the name of the singer (you can Google it), but she was pregnant and unfortunately suffered a miscarriage at that night, after the session. It's believed that she might have exerted herself during the recording (her vocals were so powerful, even Jagger reacts midsong).

[@julianM1717]

19:53......best

[@TheBlackbelair]

@@VMBFV Yeah, you can hear a couple of Whoos!

[@ivanbroussdelattre2543]

@@VMBFV MARY CLAYTON

[@keith7913]

When her voice cracks, the outburst goes from fear to terror.

[@sledzeppelin]

17:34 - That is truly one of the most haunting, amazing things I've ever heard.

[@chrisb1953]

A rare photo of the talented and tragic Nicky Hopkins. An underappreciated keyboardist who shows his chops more on tracks such as "Shes A Rainbow" and "Sympathy For The Devil".

[@JohnJames-kw5de]

Absolutely. Loved reading the biography about Nicky. Highly recommended

[@Mykey404]

Did Nicky Hopkins play the opening piano on Monkey Man? I love that bit.

[@dontbakdown6015]

Charlie Watts the absolute master of less is always more when laying down a drum track to perhaps one of the greatest of all Stones songs ever.🥁

[@jansimmelman267]

Thank you for giving me 4 minutes of Charlie's drumming.I can practice my guitar playing during the pandemic in Sweden!

[@tonymartin7849]

Nice! Never ever would have thought of that! Sneaky Swedes

[@jorgekr100]

The song, the master piece that ends the 60's and leads the way to the 70's.

[@kj7974]

Charlie laid down the groove. Bill drove the tune. Keith interwove two guitar parts with subtlety and voodoo. Mick lays down one of the great and dark vocal tracks of all time. And Merrie Clayton just blows the roof off of the studio. One of the great rock songs ever.

[@jeffsmith2022]

Merry...

[@IlkoBirov]

Oooooh, the drums and percussion are so amazingly groovy! RIP Charlie Watts

[@CooperDrums]

I know right! I love that guiro.

[@MegaSickcat]

Merry Clayton's voice is outstanding!!! She made this song that much better....

[@michaelbull7332]

The high water mark of rock and roll music .

[@peterjameson2100]

The high water mark of an era that was the high water mark of eras

[@jimmybuckets5863]

It’s so surreal when you hear these great, iconic rock n roll songs broken down and you find little…mistakes, dare I call them? Or in the end, maybe there are no mistakes

[@CooperDrums]

I love that. Those imperfections give the song character and soul!

[@phillipph9882]

nah- that out of tune guitar is an out of tune guitar. one-take Dylan shoulda got that message on some of those Hwy 61 tracks

[@RogerPeet]

I've read that critics have called this song the greatest Rolling Stones song, of all time and more. I agree. These isolated tracks are perfect.

[@marlonennes1206]

the production quality of this video is good in general! thanks

[@mv11000]

My God, Merry Clayton, you are a living legend

[@mackmaloney3776]

Thanks, Alexandra for posting this. People might forget that beyond the fame & fortune & tales of debauchery & living the epitome of the rock star lifestyle, the Stones were also fantastic musicians.

[@bkbk9825]

Mary Clayton's vocals are so bad ass. That vocal break is exquisite in this piece.

[@joebersik9846]

what a stunning performance by Merry Clayton!!!

[@tylereckler6232]

You are an absolute saint for posting this. Truly a person of god

[@LazerBrendan]

bass track is rippin'!

[@jeffmckibben2000]

Excellent Bills Bass awesome 👏

[@melody01238]

Freakibg goosebumps still after all these years!

[@joeblaumer2085]

I’ve been a Stones fan for 50 years. This deconstruction is GREAT! It’s only rock-n-roll, but I love it!

[@i.q.bladejob4139]

A lot of engineers today marvel at the sounds that were captured in the 60's & 70's forgetting that most bands, Stones included, played the rhythm track live and together. The microphone bleed present here in the individual tracks shows how when mixed the track has all of this audio "glue" to work with. I know for songwriters/musicians who are performing every part alone can't get that exact feel but you can approximate it. When recording the guitar parts, turn on the drum mics and allow that "bleed" track to be used at mixdown. We have DAW's with countless tracks. Use that real estate to get funky.

[@David50s]

There have been many great duets but I believe Mick Jagger with Merry Clayton is the greatest duet ever.

[@VMBFV]

Holy Bill! John Entwistle and Paul McCartney would gladly subscribe this bass line.

[@steveh156]

Greatest rock n roll song ever recorded

[@charlieperkins138]

Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman are the greatest rhythm section in the history of rock and roll music, PERIOD.

[@anthonypuccetti8779]

No, there is no one greatest. Keith Moon, John Entwhistle, John Bonham, John Paul Jones were as great.

[@esquilaxjohnson]

Jimmy miller keith and nicky hopkins are the living breathing heartbeat bill and charlie are along for the ride

[@SecondActswithMarco]

Wow. Nice work. My ear can never separate the bass. Can now.

[@bakainblack]

I love the way Merry Clayton's voice get cracked. Seems Mick's the same. To me, Sia seems to be another example of the singer who's blessed with this kind of excellent skill.

[@coled2048]

I made this connection when I heard LSD (with Sia), Thunderclouds, a year ago. Good catch amigo! It adds a measure of passion in my opinion.

[@marksimpson2321]

Clayton is obviously a brilliant skills but I'm not sure if it is a skill to get your voice cracking!

[@StratsRUs]

The Lisa Fischer live version from Stripped is beautiful too.

[@Tim.Pierce]

@@marksimpson2321 singing several takes will do that.. she probably overdubbed over the rough parts later..

[@0w3n27]

Thank you so much! I’ve always wanted to know how to play Keith’s lead guitar part on this track, I always felt that the tabs didn’t do it any justice and were slightly inaccurate, I tried to listen to the lead guitar as closely as I could on the original recording but some parts were nearly impossible to make out due to overdubbing. But with this video I was able to learn the entire lead guitar section in just under a couple hours, you did a fantastic job isolating the tracks you can clearly hear every single note being played, thank you!

[@jeffjohnson5450]

Can set a watch perfectly to this drum track.

[@itza7141]

Without a doubt a work of art! One of the best songs by The Rolling Stones, each part on its own is great, I love Charlie's drums that accompanies great, Bill's bass that is amazing, Keith's guitar is the intro that makes you fall in love with "Gimme Shelter", And nothing to say about the voices of Mick and Merry Claynton, Especially the voice that makes your skin crawl by Merry

[@thepilgrimplays]

Apart from the obvious chills by Merry Clayton's vocals, geez I'm obsessed with that drum track: such groove and feel with such simple elements... That stronger kick drum on the upbeats on the 1 and 3. And that kick drum hammering in eights under the drum fills. Charlie was the man.

[@danieldillon6436]

Yes, most drummers over play like crazy, but Charlie and Ringo never over played.

[@richardclark.]

@@danieldillon6436 charlie is so under-rated. i have been playing many instruments for almost half a century. as my journey progressed and i leaned what playing is about, charlie slowly gained as much respect from me as keef.

[@slapdog1833]

This has became my favorite song of all time. An easy song to play but hard to time everyone to sound right.Also it’s in open E.

[@clayrowden3916]

Yo! AB, thanks for ur channel. What a great piece you did here. The Stones are my all time favorite. What a great Rock and Roll Band, basic, real, rather raw and unrefined, but fantastic. They are all together a wonderful phenomena. No one member or musician is greater than the sum of which constitutes the Songs. I would love to have been a fly on the wall during their recording sessions. RIP Mr. Watts, Mr. Jones, Mr. Stewart. Long live the Stones Music. Thanks again AB and keep em coming

[@joelopez9779]

Right now I need to roll a tight one!!! And listen more stones!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!!

[@spensert4933]

So love the tom Tom's and loose swinging Charlie.

[@yappy-daze9]

My fav songs 1.gimme shelter 2.brown sugar 3.let it bleed 4junping jack flash. ALL THESE YRS LATER AND WE STILL LOVE THEM THE ALBUMS . THANKYOU FOR POSTING

[@KeefRiffshard]

Love how everyone in the comments are talking about their favorite isolated tracks

[@dmacbain8326]

strange how this song is so broken and erratic when broken down but fits and is layered when put all together. such an unusual song

[@tomshappyland2741]

Alexandra, I ❤ your deconstructions. Can we please have some more from the Stones?

[@track1219]

I love to hear the individual tracks!

[@ronsolinski9961]

I recall him saying, in an interview, that this song began as ballad-like, and that he came up with the quicker punchy bass that characterizes it today.

[@NowAndZen1734]

I've got to be honest from the jump. I'm not a Stones fan. I know Mick and Keith but as far as all the band shit, I'm ignorant to it. MERRY CLAYTON THO!! Woke this Queen up, said, 'hey, we need a back-up vocalist.' Pregnant Mommy, with her hair all up in bedtime curlers says 'yep, I'm yo girl.' Proceeds to freakin' kill it! Mick knew it immediately, listen to him respond to that voice crack heard round the world...can't put THAT much passion into a song and NOT have a masterpiece. Again, not a Stones fan but definitely a music fan, and I gotta say, Merry Clayton is what MAKES THIS SONG A HIT! Losing your child to create an immortal tune. Can't fathom those feels. Thank you for posting this! ♥

[@mjj3132]

Charlie Watts was the Odin of rock drumming. I mean, damn.

[@sebastagliabue5977]

The bass!!!

[@lu77xiaojun37]

Keef's masterpiece. No Brian what's his name, no Mick Taylor, no Ronnie. Just Keef writing the song with a broken heart while staying in a friend's apartment after Mick ran of with his girl. What are there, like 3 different guitar's playing? Each one a result of Keef goin back and overdubbing. It's almost comical listening to Mick Jagger try and say the song is about the turbulent times with the Vietnam War and all. Thats a bunch of crap. It was a rainy day, Keef was alone with a broken heart. Gimme Shelter.

[@ronsolinski9961]

I wonder if it’s just me, but I hear remnants of Beethoven’s style (?) in this song, with an overlay of Chuck Berry. The more I listen to Chuck Berry the more I get how much Keith loved and was influenced by his work. Like a classical piece this song starts out with a eerie sort of feel and builds and builds into intensity until it explodes. Now, I wouldn’t have thought this at the time I first heard it, but I was listening to an interview with Keith and he was talking about his interest in classical music.

[@ursulaplatt5000]

It does have that structure, baroque. Look to Brian Jones, not Richards.

[@uberbeast113]

While some may deride your comment as "fanciful", I, having played music vibration since our universe began (a VERY long time) must share this cosmic wisdom with you, as you sir, appear to be a receptive soul with need for only a little guidance, because you, like a few old souls around here, are on the point of making your great inner breakthrough into realisation of the harmonious connection in all things. For it was the Archangel Macca who chose to live among mortals, with his three brothers John, George and Ringo, descended to Earth from the divine realm of Pepperland on the seventh level of the Beatleverse...who did speak in interview in 1964, and he seth : "Yeh y'know cos we think that uhh..pop music is the classical music of today an' if Beethoven was alive today he'd be playing our kind of music y'know so...yeh..I dunno..." What I say unto you, o Ron, I say that if Keith Richards were influenced by Beethoven, it was probably on a more unconscious level than a deliberate attempt to bring that energy in. All creative imagination, all inspiration and ideas, they are all floating in the ether. And so, when I read all these youtube comments by wannabe music authorities proclaiming things like "This music is the BEST. "Better than", "bestest", "Charlie was "better" than Ringo", "Beatles were better than Stones"..but..."this is the best example of rock music ever - it's better than anything else - it gets 9.5 out of 10." ..I know..like you Know...that ALL MUSIC COMES FROM THE SAME WELLSPRING OF DIVINE INSPIRATION, PASSION AND JOY. We know that as it manifests into music vibration to be received by ears and hearts, it merely takes on different forms. It expresses itself in the most creatively varied ways imaginable. But the underlying intensity, and deeper still - the infinite Void that lives in the silence between the notes - is something so meaningful it doth truly and properly buggar the intellect, the intellectual mind that seeks affirmation and a sense of self importance, through statements like "I know what music is, I'm into good music, and these musicians are the best, and this song is two gold stars better than Twist And Shout." Here's the big reveal: these critcs, these "music experts" have never properly experienced what music really is. They are running around like headless chickens handing out marks out of ten for this song and...pointlessly...comparing it to that song. The wise individual realises that one day the most awesome rock song might be the 1972 live in Germany "Highway Star" by Deep Purple. The next day, you may fall hopelessly in love with The Who..."Won't Get Fooled Again". The day after that it'll dawn on you that A Hard Day's Night is just about the freshest and most invigorating thing you've ever heard, but then an hour later you'll wonder why, after hearing Ticket To Ride for the thousandth time since you were fourteen, you never felt its utterly compelling yearning quality, the existential pain of Lennon's lyrics and immense clanging heavy chiming of its multilayered electric guitars, hanging timelessly into Eternity on the longest A major guitar chord in rock history. It seems to go on forever, and the sudden shift to Bm offers no respite at all to the epic sadness in this music, and the move to E major feels so FINAL, you know there's going to be zero happy ending in this song. Well, I'll be toodling along now. It's been intense and emotional. I'm going to relax with a nice cup of tea and a slice of Genoa cake. Live long and prosper and don't ever stop being curious and open minded Blessings from Pepperland of Beatleverse somewhere in the UK.

[@markusaurelius777]

Bigtime Chuck Berry in Keefs lead playing.

[@seanrc8642]

This song has haunted me for decades. The Stones’ masterpiece. The greatest song I’ve ever heard. Terrifying and beautiful at the same time.

[@curtisrodriguez938]

Don't apologize for anything. This was an amazing video for an amazing song. I love the isolation tracks. It gives me a whole new appreciation for what they created.

[@allenf.5907]

One of the more haunting pieces of music to ever hear LIVE. But the nuts and bolts of it are all HERE ^^^

[@thebookofeli849]

I love the harmonica it's so great and I didn't even know it was a harmonica for the longest time

[@ClassicTVMan1981X]

It wasn't a typical flashy solo, just a minimalist type, two-note solo.

[@jorgemor388]

Gimme Shelter masterpiece Europe 1973 Mick Taylor guitar in superb

[@mauriziomerlo4141]

The guitars are all Keith

[@greatwhite3676]

@@mauriziomerlo4141 not live like he said

[@chipsterb4946]

@@greatwhite3676it would be difficult, even for Keith, to play all of the guitar parts live…

[@greatwhite3676]

@@chipsterb4946 duh. Thanks smart guy

[@davegaskell7680]

I love the recordings from around this time.....when errors and mistakes weren't corrected out. Bill's little error at 5:45 minutes into this video is a good example.

[@joeherbert7555]

Yeah, there's definitely quite a few 'errors' that would be ironed out and fixed in post production nowadays. Bill starts out kind of off kilter for the first quarter, then seems to get into the tune as he goes along and by the end, he's really grooving. Keith's leads, as they are isolated here, demonstrate that he was never the greatest lead guitarist, but came up with lots of fantastic hooks and melodies. To the trained ear, (and of course with the miracle of isolated tracks on YT) he could be quite sloppy and hits some definite clunkers here. Charlie's drumming is flawless, as far as I can tell, as is Mick's perfectly executed albeit simple harmonica part. Clayton's vocals are the perfect accompaniment to Mick's vocals, as evidenced by his 'whew!' towards the end of her middle part. But I'll tell you, these stories about her having a miscarriage due to the session just keep getting wilder and crazier. Some people blame Mick for 'dragging her out of bed' to do the late night session, as if he was the one to make the phone call. Others say the strain of her vocals caused her to lose her child. Good lord are you serious? Someone even claims she fell down the stairs at the studio and that caused it! I don't think it was the Stones who 'forced her' to head to that studio, so much as her old man who saw it as a chance to make some money for a short session. By her own admission, she went stomping out the door all pissed off, but it seems like in the end, it was certainly worth it.

[@aloisioferreira3629]

Just came across this true treasure and i am speechless. Thanks Alexandra for showing me something i already knew: Gimme Shelter is the most remarkable rock n roll song in rock n roll history. In one single word: epic!

[@spiratustreviso9885]

Incredible! Thank you for posting this amazing deconstruction of this epic Stones tune.

[@tmx63]

That punch @ 9:25 drives me nuts. Always has.

[@lgbtrain1]

Bill Wyman...superb

[@thebookofeli849]

I come back to this video often. I remember the first time I heard this song. I never heard anything as great and raunchy. All my favorite songs were quieter tunes. The harmonies in this song are great

[@stevehalverson790]

My teenage self always thought Mick Taylor added a lot to the Stones on this song. It was until decades later I learned it was all Keith on guitar.

[@clfetter]

Somente o Keith ta bom O Taylor para completar ao vivo.

[@micheld5767]

une chanson emblématique des Stones année 60, les meilleures...............

[@1gumbygoalie]

19:52 there it is - one of the most iconic moments in music history

[@kf9346]

This is amazing. Love that it builds up to the vocals tracks as the finale. Merry Clayton & Jagger... a combo for the ages!

[@peterjameson2100]

I love that big low piano chord during Keith's guitar intro... So dramatic and perfect

[@gabyvansant4533]

Very well done! I appresiate the song even more!

[@demonrouge3338]

Keith said you can hear it on the original take on the very last note the neck fell off of his guitar.

[@ziggy9497]

You can hear Mick Jagger in the background blown away when Mary Clayton is singing and hits a harmonic pitch

[@kingdicelille]

That final "murder" by Merry Clayton. Wow. Somebody in the studio (Mick?) actually goes "woo" out of admiration just after.

[@JO-vd6rq]

Wonderful video! Thanks for sharing.

[@bcandyman15]

the best 21mins of my life....

[@carloseugeniocarlos4287]

Charlie Watts ,the master of Drums. Awesome as usual.

[@brucegibbins3792]

Gimme Shelter came booming out of some day in 1969 and changed lives forever. That's hyperbole but I surely do hope that the power and emotion of Gimme Shelter, heard for the first time on 60s style steam radio was as unbelievable as the moon landing and the assassination of JFK. At that time, The Rolling Stones had been a top selling band for around six or seven years and their unique style and sound had captured our teenage selves without any promises ever made of ever releasing us from the music spells they cast. It was a grand time to be young although we had no understanding of that being true. Yet, what we did have were breaking dawns and not being alone, of 1930s American cars that acted as transportation and a place to keep company with a current girlfriend and a car radio that played top 100 tunes. Our music our way made better when music cassettes came along with the player that set the music free to enjoy. I don't know for sure and perhaps the times were far more complexing than I remember them to be, we had the opportunities to explore our slice of the pie and act like youngsters should and before real commitments and responsibilities consumed us and then suddenly it was all gone.

[@ScottEgan69]

Merry Clayton is amazing.

[@Junglejim3]

Yeah Rock n Roll STONES will Never go Away