Drummer reacts to "Brown Sugar" by The Rolling Stones

[@genegarrett3372]

with lyrics evoking racial exploitation, sexual depravity, and heroin use, today's radio would have probably banned it when it first came out, but now it's classic rock that gives it a sort of gravitas.

[@rickeylucero3955]

I heard it yesterday on the radio at the beach.

[@LoveBandit1000]

"Gold-Coast slave ship bound for cotton fields"....this song is just genius right from the start!!

[@davegaskell7680]

Top Of The Pops was a long-running music show in the UK. In 1971, bands had to mime to a backing track but in many cases the singing was recorded live. The clip you played was footage from their Top Of The Pop appearance cut to the single version of the song but the actual Top Of The Pops appearance is also available on KZbin with Jagger's live vocals which are excellent. It's got the title "The Rolling Stones - Brown Sugar (Top of the Pops 1971)" and is 4:06 long. Well worth watching to hear his live vocal.

[@scottyhotty1003]

Mick Jagger wrote the lyric. According to Bill Wyman, it was partially inspired by a black backup singer named Claudia Lennear, who was one of Ike Turner's Ikettes. She and Jagger met when The Stones toured with Turner in 1969. David Bowie also wrote his Aladdin Sane track "Lady Grinning Soul" about Lennear. American-born singer Marsha Hunt is also sometimes cited as the inspiration for the song. She and Jagger met when she was a member of the cast in the London production of the musical Hair, and their relationship, a closely guarded secret until 1972, resulted in a daughter named Karis.

[@dougj7295]

Haha. They all wrote about - Claudia was quite a singer & quite a beauty. She was one of Leon Russels "shelter people" as backup singer, also sang with Delany & Bonnie and Mad Dogs & Englishmen with Leon and Joe Cocker (where you see her and Rita Coolidge sharing the mike) and backup singer at Harrison's Bangladesh concert - to name a few.

[@nancy9891]

It’s hard to believe it’s 53 years ago! Another great song 🎵!

[@samlewis7878]

This stuff brings back so many great, great memories. Listening to the Stones. Dylan, Hendrix day after day month after month. Man we was high and rolling nice.

[@glawnow1959]

I've seen 80,000 people sing along with Mick on this song. "I say yeah yeah yeah WOOOOOO!" Good times.

[@anthonyblakely399]

Watching Mick & The Rolling Stones do this in concert is just gets to me!!!! I Love them!!!! I love Mick....one of the Best Front men in music History!!! Just soooo animated and soooo Classic!!! Nothing like it!!! Great reactions!

[@arizrich]

Peak Stones!

[@ddthor]

I loved the Mick Taylor years.

[@glenndespres5317]

Another high school Friday night party song for sure!

[@buttereggmanandtheketones4868]

2000 Light Years From Home

[@scottyhotty1003]

According to the book Up And Down With The Rolling Stones by Tony Sanchez, all the slavery and whipping is a double meaning for the perils of being "mastered" by Brown Heroin, or "Brown Sugar." The drug cooks brown in a spoon. >

[@jimholt1888]

Mr. Brownstone

[@scottyhotty1003]

@@ceeceerider I always thought it was code for the big H

[@hopeklemann1]

🌸 mick,mick,mick.... he is one of a kind, baby

[@keeponrollin7922]

Only mick could pull that wardrobe off,but yea backing track here with live vocals

[@freda1182]

Used to turn it up and dance to that in my room over and over in high school. It's still fire! Didn't always know what he was saying, but I didn't care.

[@UFOS4]

Can’t remember when I didn’t love the Stones. Stones forever❤

[@simonround2439]

Top of the Pops was an absolutely huge show in the UK back in the day. The format was simple - 7 or 8 songs that were riding high in the charts that week. It's hard to think of a big act that didn't appear at some point. Songs were rarely sung live - they were usually miming along to the studio track. No-one cared, it was about seeing your heroes on TV.

[@scottyhotty1003]

YOU ROCK!!!😎💯🎶🔥💪❤️

[@L33Reacts]

@@scottyhotty1003 no that’s you bro thank you for all these great tracks ☝️

[@MattJaissleFilms]

Only the Rolling Stones could've gotten away with this song. 😂

[@mjp3186]

Nice watching your reactions. I saw Keith on television saying that Brown Sugar was Mick's. This song got me into the Stones. I never heard a guitarsound like this. Great song. Today I like less popular songs from the Stones, also from the nineties and even their latest album. 😊

[@Linda-y9h]

Yeah, yeah, yeah wooooooo!!! Audience participation was big on that part. Yup, another legend I was able to see live. ❤😂

[@nikosalmpanis-ty3jt]

I love the Rolling Stones🤘

[@genegarrett3372]

The first Stones record I ever bought was the single Honkey Tonk Women. Mt mother hated it, but she wouldn't say anything.

[@andrewcole3736]

That’s not Bobby Keys on sax. Bobby is a white Texan.

[@allanbluzdude]

It is Bobby Keys on Sax, but it’s not him in the lip sync video

[@submandave1125]

The dude off the side of the stage was just someone TOTP brought on to pretend to play the sax solo. For ll I know, he could have been a stagehand.

[@corawheeler9355]

Good one ... Love the Stones

[@neiloliver4745]

Check out the live version from the "Brussels Affair" bootleg, it's absolute peak Rolling Stones, with Mick Taylor and Keith Richards on fire.

[@genegarrett3372]

Charley had a lot in common with Ringo: never flashy but perfect timing

[@KennyRansom-l5k]

When you mentioned how Charlie , as always , is killing it on drums , that's why Keith would often "park" himself onstage in front of Charlie's kit . The 2 truly locked in together so well . 🙂

[@gidion4004]

🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@hoppers13]

Ry Cooder (immortal Demi-god) gave Keith the riff. In my many decades as a session and side-man I’ve played this thousands of times; you’d be amazed at how many bands use this in sound checks.

[@JohnLedger-g4i]

RIP a Charlie Watts . Always understated but holding it down as always.

[@craigreid7178]

If I had a dollar for every time I covered that song in one of my bands I would have retired years ago. So fun to play!

[@Coquinagirl]

My mother never bought us Rolling Stones albums. So we weren’t fans. I love some of their music, now, and Mick’s charisma. This is fun. Jagger strutting around in a pink suit! Thank you, Lee and Scott!

[@HareDeLune]

'Phi Krappa Zappa' Ha-ha-ha! I remember that poster! 😆

[@wanderer0617]

Gotta watch Gimme Shelter, Monkey Man, Miss You with Lisa Fischer. She was their backup singer, from 1989-2015. They had great chemistry. I saw her perform, Bobby Keys, too, with the Stones a few times. Unforgettable ❤

[@rghilino6734]

My fave by the Stones and the first song that I nailed the sax solo on.

[@billbitterman9487]

Search out Stones live performances from Paris 1995. Those are great performances and worth the view.

[@JohnLedger-g4i]

Bobby Keys has probably appeared on so many of the tracks you play. A prolific and sought after brass musician

[@coinneachmaclellan3121]

Saw the Stones in '72 and Jagger was slapping a big leather belt on the stage as he crept around during "Midnight Rambler" and Wyman took a playful kick at him as Jagger went past...they opened the show with "Brown Sugar" by the way...

[@wanderer0617]

The Stones decided during their No Filter tour, to not perform this song live anymore. It was fun the years that they did, but I understand. Yeah, yeah, yeah woo!

[@laurencaulton103]

I've been listening to the Stones since about 1963. Continental Drift? "Brown Sugar" is their hottest intro IMO. Those opening chords, man. It's my #1.

[@L33Reacts]

@@laurencaulton103 it’s a song by them we did. It’s from an album in the late 80s I think. But that was 9 months ago I could be remembering it wrong lol

[@L33Reacts]

@@laurencaulton103 definitely was a good one. I still like some of the other ones we’ve done more but it’s still the stones so it’s great anyway 😊

[@910salmar]

Bro, u gotta see Stones “ It’s only rock n roll video n u gotta do. Some Oasis!! Live forever!!!

[@latheofheaven1017]

I'm so old, I remember this when it was broadcast on Top of the Pops. I'd never seen the Rolling Stones and was pretty nonplussed by Jagger's prancing and gurning. He just seemed like a twat to me. But the song! Wow. A revolution to my 11 year-old ears!

[@davescurry69]

Lee, there's a great live clip of them doing this from there 1972 concert film, Ladies And Gentlemen, The Rolling Stones. They used to open their sets with "Brown Sugar" in 1972 and '73.

[@kowindsurf1590]

the stones - paint it black and jumpin' jack flash

[@colleentrygg7376]

They did this song for years as an encore got the entire stadium rocking but sadly retired it from their concerts a few years ago. The lyrics have received a lot of blow back in recent years due to the reference to slavery… a lot of people including some other KZbin reviewers found it offensive not understanding they were making a statement as so many of their lyrics do.

[@dekk640]

One my favourite Stones songs, I had the pleasure of seeing them in Hyde Park. I also queued for hours at the Roundhouse only to be kicked out by a group of Hells Angels who stole our places. At seventeen I was just a bit intimidated and walked away tail between my legs, great song though Mick Taylor really kicked ass.

[@marymargaretmoore9034]

Not Bobby Keys on sax in this one.

[@joannparker1977]

Not that it really matters, Bobby Keys is from my hometown of Fort Worth, TX

[@gabrieleweber428]

Hi best reactioneer. I’m still waiting for before they make me run from the album some girls. Think you will like it! ✌️🇩🇪

[@barryderby]

Great song, but Top of the Pops was always mimed. If you want the ultimate Stones song, try Wild Horses! Absolutely stunning slow and emotional number written by Keith.

[@pushpak]

Song about Marsha Hunt. One of Mick's girlfriends and father of one of his children.

[@J0hnGalt73]

I've spent a lifetime believing I was a Stones fan. Turns out I'm a much bigger Mick Taylor fan. I feel that was the best incarnation of the band.

[@dalemcmillan7231]

Live footage but it's the album track playing. They always lip synced on TV programs. Sticky Fingers is my favorite Rolling Stones album. Loved 60s and early 70s Rolling Stones ❤

[@jimholt1888]

If you know, you know.

[@crakowski]

Try "Sister Morphine" - evil

[@Moz1011]

Marianne Faithfulls version is amazing. Heartbreaking.

[@ls1959]

This is more of a music video of its day. For a great live version, check out 1972 Ladies and Gentlemen version. In decades of hindsight the lyrics to this song are about as politically incorrect as they get. At the time the Stones were pushing the envelope in every direction. The riff and music to this song are as good as they get. Wish they had thought more about those lyrics. They don't even play this song live anymore because of them.

[@mikemike1425]

Sway next plz

[@alanjollimore4035]

Do yourself a jaw drop.....read the lyrics.

[@scotttrainer9704]

This is actually an anti racism song.

[@mickell241]

the stones won't play brown sugar in concert anymore, people complained it was racist

[@pelaronson4086]

..is this about our brown sugar? :)

[@alphajava761]

This is the studio recording.

[@gillwaugh7212]

It is. A shame, as the real soundtrack is just an amazing performance and I love Mick’s “Aw, blimey!” At the end 😂

[@snatchhog]

Disappointingly "unlive" 😁😅

[@mana3735]

Young girl...they call them the diamond dawgz! Bowie was a "magpie" ".

[@jimmeltonbradley1497]

The Stones at their best. Jagger's "dancing" is, however, pretty questionable. Har har!

[@nancy9891]

Reminds me of Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger”. Adam Levine did Mick justice!

[@julianbarber4708]

The trouble is, Lee, that the saxophonist in the vid, was black, and Bobby Keys was not! I'm guessing that Bobby was on the record, but was unavailable for this video, so they substituted this unknown guy.

[@timbriere2325]

This is the studio version with a good lip synch.

[@JamesCole-ep4df]

Bobby he’s played sax on the original recording that’s not him in the video

[@88pjtink]

How can it be that someone who drums has not checked out "Rainy Days and Mondays" (live), or the "Karen Carpenter drum solo" videos? Wow. Criminal.

[@L33Reacts]

I’ve done Karen carpenter solos. They are in the drumonday playlist

[@88pjtink]

Okay, you did do the solo video a month ago. Sorry. Please check out her effortless, excellent drumming (whilst singing like an angel) on "Rainy Days and Mondays".

[@88pjtink]

@@L33Reacts And I appreciate that. I am of the mind that people who do reactions are very guy-centric. I bitch about it all the time. But I really like your channel.

[@davewhitehead5116]

I believe the Stones have pulled this song from their concert song list. Ugh.

[@ChuckDrennen]

One of the few Rolling Stones songs that I like. they were never as good as the Beatles. They were part of the British invasion that followed the Beatles.

[@jimmcdonald4087]

Bobby Keys is playing the sax, but he's not the sax player shown on this TV appearance. Keith is also singing but doesn't even bother pretending to sing in the video.

[@pierretoureille7359]

Can't listen to this anymore, no more than I can listen to Stray Cat Blues

[@j.8804]

amazing how many times I listened to this without digging into the lyrics, pretty horrifying - and just read the lyrics to Stray Cat Blues - WOW!

[@pierretoureille7359]

@@j.8804 And on the live version on Get Your Ya Yas there a change in the lyrics that makes it even worse than the studio version.

[@GGLee315]

99.999% sure that was the studio version lip-synched.

[@cheripetty1805]

Not Live. Lip synced for T.V..

[@msisles6278]

This is the album vocal. The video does have a live vocal version played to a backing track

[@JackSchitte]

I was never a huge Stones fan . I was more into Beatles until this album came out with The best line-up the rolling stones ever put together. I think this record was their Hotel California. I lost interest and switched to Steely Dan.

[@dougoneill7266]

The lads chose to stop playing this song.

[@davidburton9136]

Bobby Keys played that solo, but the sax player shown here is not Bobby. It's a shame they couldn't have used him for this program...this song wouldn't have been the same without Bobby's playing.

[@alvillanueva2525]

That's not Bobby Keys in the video.

[@terenzo50]

They were synching to the record. That wasn't live.

[@klausheckendorf649]

Charlie´s lazy, slow-paced drums with the boom-boom-tom-tom is half of the song. The other one´s Keith´s heavy guitar riff. Ehh - third half is Mick´s vocals and the sax. This song was my absolute favorite back in the day.

[@bobschenkel7921]

Pretty obviously a lip-synch performance, but that was SOP back in the day, especially on the TV shows of the time. The subject matter of the song made it a good candidate for this treatment.

[@davidwolf4677]

Where’s Bobby Keys?

[@gs8191]

That wasn't Bobby Keys. Bobby was white.

[@mikeross14]

Lee it's not all technical! Sometimes it's the meaning of the words also! I thought nothing about it when it came out ,but now it would be banned for sure!

[@michaelmisanthrope]

Not Bobby Keyes on sax.

[@damonhines8187]

Bobby Keys on the track, not in this clip, which is obviously lip-synched to the studio cut.

[@scgreek1114]

Really not a fan of this recent trend of superimposing live concert videos over studio recordings. The original studio versions were intended to be listened to, not watched.

[@Gort-Marvin0Martian]

That's not Bobby Keys in this live performance. Bobby Keys was white! Not sure who this is. They had different players for live performances. Great reaction tho. As we say in Texas; y'all be safe.

[@lucasnavajas4166]

The lyrics either went way over your head or you didn’t want to get into it

[@L33Reacts]

What do you think?

[@lucasnavajas4166]

@@L33Reacts I think people make way too much fuss about the lyrics cause it’s not a racist song, and Mick married a black woman!! I like it cause it’s a good song and it looks like you did too

[@Eugene-u8f]

That's not Bobby Keys on sax. On the record yes, the video no.

[@midnightrambler7716]

This is the studio recorded version. Nothing is live on here except Jagger’s vocals. Even Charlie Watts’ drum heads are covered in cardboard. But correct that is definitely not Bobby Keys playing the sax as depicted in this video. He’s was a white guy from Texas who shared the same birthdate as Keith Richards. December 18, 1943. Edit: having watched this all the way through, it’s all the studio version, even Jagger’s vocals. The original Top of the Pops version of this had the studio backing track with Jagger’s live vocals “get down on your knees, brown sugar” etc. I guess that was too much for people nowadays, so they’ve gone to the full studio track on here now.

[@maine420grow]

I'm guessing you weren't following along with lyrics because right out the gate the lyrics are pretty messed up.

[@L33Reacts]

I did. I just didn’t think it was appropriate to bring up and not necessarily crucial to the discussion of the song. It’s obviously very bad lyrics lol

[@maine420grow]

@L33Reacts every time I hear this song I cringe. Musically is a good song. But I've seen a lot of people react to it and call it a banger. I'm guessing without understanding the words.

[@jsmilers]

Absurdly poor live version. Nice choice.

[@rickeylucero3955]

Another horrible lip sync vid.

[@haeuptlingaberja4927]

Kay, dude. I get the whole generational/KZbin patreon request thing...but who doesn't know this fookin' song?! I mean, seriously. We're not talking Gentle Giant, Horslips, Atomic Rooster, Captain Beyond obscure here...And why haven't you covered any of those brilliant bands, dude? Is it all down to what those who stuff bills into your racy outfits demand? If so, I get it I have every respect and sympathy for sex workers. But c'mon, man. How many Hawkwind and Gong songs have you reacted to? Stanley Clarke? Jean Luc Ponty?

[@L33Reacts]

😂😂😂 I’ve done all of those bands and artists. They are all great. But, I think you are taking this a little too seriously man. It’s not that deep. I just play music and give you my thoughts. If you want to see more of those bands then you should join the Patreon. Then it’ll happen! Instead of just complaining like a toddler and making me waste my time replying to this bad faith comment. Nut up or shut up 🤫

[@L33Reacts]

I don’t even time to keep up with the requests I have. I’ve done at least a video for every band you listed, even more then that for ponty and Clarke. Hawkwind, I’ve done multiple as well. You just haven’t been following the channel for long and that’s ok. It’s kinda like seasons, things change every month and different songs are done. I don’t know what you want from me I can’t do EVERY song ever made EVERY day. You would complain then, too. Your lucky I’m bored and have time to explain this to you or your complaining would have been answered by someone who isn’t as nice as I am probably lmao

[@latheofheaven1017]

Man, you need to calm down before you give yourself a heart attack. And perhaps watch some of the videos Lee has reacted to by (at least some of) the bands you mentioned.

[@haeuptlingaberja4927]

@@latheofheaven1017 Thanks, mate. I dearly hope you've read the book by Ursula K Leguin that your handle seems to come from. And, sure, I am, in fact, an old hippie stroking out at the madness this brave new world consists of, but these existential crises have nothing to do with what some youngin cares to post on his U-Tube channel. Namaste, even. It just seems a shame that dude spends so much time covering popular stuff, which has never been where the good sht burns brightest.

[@haeuptlingaberja4927]

@@L33Reacts Gotcha, buddy. No harm meant. Can you give me a link to the Horslips and Captain Beyond songs you've covered?

[@JamesCole-ep4df]

Bobby he’s played sax on the original recording that’s not him in the video