The dark history of GIMME SHELTER [The Rolling Stones] - BLOW UP the SONG, Ep. 2

[@ibberman]

I am speechless. Growing up with this music and to hear it broken down to this degree is absolutely fantastic.

[@RobertCassard]

So glad the song blow ups are “striking a chord” with you…

[@mizzo9]

I’ll never listen to this song again without hearing her voice crack so perfectly! I just discovered this series and look forward to listening to them all.

[@RobertCassard]

So glad you found this and my channel, Mizzo!

[@scottstetzer]

Mary Claytons is tracks gave me chills. Phenomenal.

[@RobertCassard]

Me, too, Scott!! FYI, her first name is Merry, not Mary. I always find that a little ironic, because her performance sounds anything but merry! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment.

[@rabukan5842]

Hi Robert. Back in '69, Gimme Shelter was huge, at least in my school in NY. I bought the lp when I heard Gimme Shelter on the radio. They even came out with the movie in 1970, which is the film where a Hell's Angel stabbed a man to death. You are correct, there were a lot of feelings of Apocalypse in the air at that time because of the war, the assassinations, civil rights, etc. This is an excellent short analysis of the song, and I've never heard it broken down so well before. Thanks for this!

[@RobertCassard]

Glad you enjoyed this blow up, rabukan. I realize as I do these, that it's much more than nostalgia. The music and the historical/societal backdrop are interwoven. And these songs come from a time when music was a central rallying point for so many people. No internet, but deep connections through the musical vibrations!

[@lamarsidoner3250]

yep gimme shelter was great even in the bay area,,,i was 19 and i went to the Altamont Raceway free concer, we called gimme shelter it was pretty crazy and i was in that area when the angles jumped off stage and started swinging chains , my buddy got hit and we dragged him back from there,, they say about 150 thousand were there , i believe it,,,rock on

[@HL09128]

I'll take emotion and spontaneity ANY DAY over perfect precision. That's what I love about The Stones (and The Band and The Dead for that matter).

[@RobertCassard]

Amen, brother! On every level.

[@wiemiromarsoichdir5516]

Heard it as an 8 years old kid when it came out in 1969 and immediately felt the impending doom - now in 2023 being 62 I think the song is urging more than ever. A prophetic piece of work ... let's give each other shelter.

[@RobertCassard]

Prophetic indeed, and yes, we must give each other understanding and “a shelter” if we want to get beyond today’s many impasses.

[@richardcassard]

Thanks for all the historical context here. My appreciation of the Stones keeps growing as the years fly. New fans of Mary Clayton should watch the documentary 20 Feet From Stardom.

[@RobertCassard]

Yes! 20 Feet from Stardom has a great segment with Merry and Mick each listening to the master tracks. Mick’s smile says it all!

[@andrewbrennan7291]

Great breakdown/blow-up of this timeless classic. I was 17 in 1969 when this (on Let It Bleed album) was released. What a time to be a teenager!

[@RobertCassard]

Really glad you enjoyed this, Andrew. And yeah, you were in the thick of it!

[@johngrant765]

Same here. Listened over and over.

[@thomasrobbins4796]

You nailed it perfectly. I saw the stones in July 2024 in Santa Clara, and their fill in for Mary Clayton screamed her lungs out, and danced down the runway with Mick. Great performance. I had read years ago that Keith was sitting in his limo outside of the filming location of Performance when he wrote the basic song. Mick was poking Keith's significant other during the filming. And yet they are still together after all these years.

[@RobertCassard]

Proof that music can transcend all feuds and f@#$-ups! You might enjoy this video about Mick and Keith as songwriters: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHLNmnWEgNuira8

[@mariamason1919]

THANK YOU for giving Merry Clayton the credit she deserves. She has always been an incredible human being and gone through so many tragedies in her life. Through it all she stayed strong and never gave up. In my humble opinion this is MERRY CLAYTON'S song and yes...the female artist who paved the way for all who came after her.

[@RobertCassard]

You're welcome, Maria. Merry's part has always been the MAGIC of this track for me, too!

[@kipmarchetti6123]

Wow man ... as a 65 year old Stones fanatic ... you crushed it ... great job.

[@crisslastname9417]

I'll never hear this song the same way I use to again. Awesome!

[@RobertCassard]

Thanks, Criss. Glad it opened your ears!

[@waynedwyer6509]

The first time I really listened to Gimme Shelter was the "Playing for Change " version. I knew the song existed but not being a stones fan except for what I heard on the radio. This video has really opened my eyes to the scope of the effort and dedication that is given by the stones and their support. Mary's tragic outcome made me sad. Your series is brilliant, allowing us mere mortals to dive in and see what it takes to be successful. Thank You Robert

[@RobertCassard]

Thanks for the kudos, Wayne. Gimme Shelter has a heckuva backstory and really does demonstrate a level of sophistication the Stones are often denied by their critics. I also did a video about Jagger and Richards as a songwriting team that you might enjoy: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oHLNmnWEgNuira8si=ITIV52PN-HjDDJpA

[@waynedwyer6509]

@@RobertCassard Hi Robert, Yes I am going through your song writing series among many other of your videos. I like your take on how things work in music, I am merely a novice at this stuff but song writing is an interest I would like to eventually follow. People like yourself, Rhett Shull and Daniel Seriff are an invaluable resource to those who want to learn the music art and process. Thank you

[@RobertCassard]

@@waynedwyer6509 I'm flattered, Wayne. I love the work of Rhett Shull and Daniel Seriff, too. I think we're each trying to provide a similar kind of service and musical insights to musicians who want to evolve faster.

[@asueft]

Another fantastic video, your research makes me appreciate and understand their work so much more. Most history I learn about is depressing, this is fun. ☝️😎👍

[@RobertCassard]

“fun history” is my favorite compliment of the day! Thanks.

[@williardbillmore5713]

When did you ever hear a modern rock classic that featured a guitar amp tremolo to such a great effect? The way the tremolo bounces in and out of sync with his asymmetrical syncopated circular rhythms, puts you in the mood that something very special is about to happen...and then it does... Keith's amazing genius...Just another day at work for Mr Richards.

[@RobertCassard]

Thanks for pointing that out! I LOVE old analog tremolo for that exact reason. It’s never perfectly in sync so there are lots of happy accidents.

[@williardbillmore5713]

@@RobertCassard When Keith plays there are no accidents... Only genius at work.

[@RobertCassard]

@@williardbillmore5713 he might disagree, but I agree about his unique kind of genius

[@williardbillmore5713]

@@RobertCassard Keith tends to try to be humble when others recognise his unique and simultaneously broad talents... But true Stones fans understand that Keith is the key to all their success.

[@RobertCassard]

@@williardbillmore5713 unparalleled swagger. It oozes out of every guitar part. Never perfect - because perfect wouldn't be cool enough.

[@tifreire1]

I'm loving this series man, great stuff. I'll bet you can still smell that Vega when that riffin starts.

[@RobertCassard]

Yep…I smell the hot outside air coming through the floor vents! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment, tifeire!

[@piano40s]

I am 66 years old and listen to anything as long as I like it, Beethoven, sex pistols, Brass bands, anything as long as I think it's good, and for me like the man said those four albums that the Stones did are them at there best, and this song sticks out, I was just a little to young to be aware of them ( just missed the hippy thing and flower power) we as young teenagers were listening to the latest stuff at that time as all teenagers do which was T.Rex Slade, Black Sabbath, (the birth of heavy metal ) At the time a Mr Richard Branson had a second hand record store in Leeds selling old LPs cheap so I started buying some of the old stuff what no one wanted and looking back on the old stuff and I bought Let it Bleed one day WOW it changed my life I now own 14 guitars a piano two synthesizers three Bass Guitars ( can't play any of them very well) but enjoy messing with them, check out their early stuff when the world was a different place and what they were doing at that time was no no you cant do that, but they did>

[@RobertCassard]

A few years behind you, but many of the same experiences. Thanks for sharing yours!

[@johnfrewin7717]

What a treat - thank you , this track really underlines to me the importance of the performance, it’s so easy to get hung up on gear and techniques of recording, but the rough edges here to me are like a Van Gough painting, whereas most modern songs are more like a photograph .....can’t wait for the next one ( & I’m going to listen to this again with headphones)👍🇬🇧🎸

[@RobertCassard]

YES, John! So glad you enjoyed the blow up. Your VanGogh comparison is right on...and timely. My wife Bara and I just saw the Immersive VanGogh exhibit in San Francisco last night! Beautiful, a little disturbed, and rough around the edges. But magical!

[@DavidDotson-lo6rp]

Enjoyed the break down

[@RobertCassard]

Thanks for watching and saying hi, David! Here's a Blow Up the Song playlist: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHWwpZSffZuHiqs

[@achillestortoise]

Great presentation! 😃😎

[@RobertCassard]

Thank you @achillestortoise! 😃

[@georgescannelli3814]

Hi Robert- like you, I never heard Let it Bleed until years later. Did not realize how good it was until I finally heard it. Drilling down into the song is really interesting. Most everyone just hears the finished product. Or the “Whole” , made up of the sum of all parts. Its amazing based on all the work that goes in to the song, which is reflected on each track. What’s interesting, are all the facts you mention pertaining to the song. I,e, - the guitar that Keith used on the song. It’s really mind boggling regarding how many parts actually made up this song. Thanks for dissecting this. Personally, it gives me great ideas while working with my Tascam. Another great lesson. Thank you George

[@RobertCassard]

Thanks, George. So glad you enjoyed this and keep getting inspiration from these videos. That’s why I make ‘em!

[@bigtip8371]

Probably their best as a huge fan since '81

[@johngrant765]

Great video as was the one about Lennon’s guitar genius. So on Gimme Shelter how would you finally describe the key? It has a minor sound sort of but not really I guess. I be always been fascinated by it.

[@RobertCassard]

Thanks, John. Gimme Shelter is in C-Sharp Major. It's quite unique in that it's ALL major chords, but it sounds so dark and threatening. The chords go from C#, to B (the flatted VII chord) to A (the flatted VI chord), and back up. The flatted chords add a bluesy feel, still - all major chords. Another song that is surprisingly all major chords (except for the synth solo) is Won't Get Fooled Again by The Who: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2TVi6eYqrqLqJIsi=fJJOXE_hS03WNmEr

[@johngrant765]

@@RobertCassard Thank you

[@ThePrinceavalon]

Beautiful breakdown of the song! Love the background and how it bled into the song and made for the final piece. It truly does embody the apocalyptic feel! Really cool and interesting info! Thank you!

[@RobertCassard]

An apocalypse never sounded so good, right?! Thanks for watching.

[@GingerWaters]

My opinion about Stones was: “stupid guys making noise.” I saw them twice live, and hardly enjoyed the concerts, mostly looking stage structures and lighting. Somebody asked me after concert:”Did they play “Sympathy?” I answered: “I don’t know, is it name of the song?” I was after polished sound like: Pink Floyd, Queen, Metallica. Few months ago I watched Voodoo Lounge in Tokyo concert. And then I watched it again. And again. Now I’m watching their old concerts, and in the proces of listening through their entire output, I find out, that almost every band I’ve ever been fan of, has taken some audible inspiration from The Rolling Stones. Pink Floyd gave me inspiration to eat donuts and lay in the sofa. Once I watched 55 years old Mick running 10 miles per show, and Keith making almost full slips with guitar, I found inspiration to start working out.

[@RobertCassard]

Yes, Ginger. Funny how our relationship to certain music and musicians changes over time!

[@lademore]

And the band still performs them!!!

[@RobertCassard]

Pretty astounding almost 55 years later…

[@SargonofQueens]

Such a great analysis

[@RobertCassard]

Thanks so much for watching and leaving positive feedback. Please share the video with your fellow Stones lovers!

[@johnrice4048]

I Think the Riffs from Kieth make the song. Every time I hear these songs they just spark something that is individual to each person that takes then time to listen. Thank you for exposing the various parts of the song. I did not know the history of this song. The breakdown has given me another perspective and appreciation for an awesome tune.

[@RobertCassard]

Keith is never a "clean" player, but he's among the most inventive guitarists EVER. I appreciate him more and more every year, and this song? It was apocalyptic then, and just as powerful today. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment, John.

[@larsafrika]

Stunning analysis and explanation. Love you for this. Best, Lars, Denmark

[@RobertCassard]

Jeg er glad for, at du nød det. Tak fordi du sagde hej.

[@pgarcia1994]

Excellent job Robert; keep it up!!

[@RobertCassard]

Thanks a lot! Here's a playlist of all my song Blow-Ups so far: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHWwpZSffZuHiqs Have fun!

[@78encino]

This is great. How do you even get to obtain these masters?

[@RobertCassard]

Glad you're enjoying the blow ups, Dan. The masters aren't available publicly. They're usually shared on the down-low between producers and record industry people. I've been lucky enough to score a bunch over the years. Just wish I had more time to do blow-ups!

[@debbiemcnamara7059]

It is the best song by The Rolling Stones.

[@RobertCassard]

You and I agree on that, Debbie. There are a lot of Stones songs I love, but this one is the top of the mountain.

[@matcoffidis1135]

I thought she broke down crying, it just sounded like it. It fits the mood of the song so perfectly.

[@RobertCassard]

One of my favorite performances of all time!

[@TheAscunha]

The best rock music ever made.

[@RobertCassard]

Everything about it…incredible!

[@TheAscunha]

Hi, Robertt. The Rolling Stones don't make technically sophisticated music, but that's not important (It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll (but I Like It)). The groove, the beat, are unmistakable and inimitable, especially playing alive. Like that: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rourqKCwf8Zli68 (rock AND roll, as Keith Richards, an excellent rhythm guitarist, once said) Bob Dylan said about the band (yes, a band, not five musicians playing for themselves!): “The Rolling Stones are truly the greatest rock and roll band in the world and always will be,” Ans: “Everything that came after them, metal, rap, punk, new wave, pop-rock, you name it… you can trace it all back to the Rolling Stones. They were the first and the last and no one’s ever done it better.” faroutmagazine.co.uk/bob-dylan-favourite-rolling-stones-songs-2/ Thank you fot the good job! @@RobertCassard

[@brendonleary]

Brilliant work Robert. I was wondering if you could do a video for Dylan's 80th birthday next month.

[@RobertCassard]

Thanks, Brendon. That’s a cool idea! I’ve done quite a few videos about songwriting, and Dylan certainly deserves his own. Not sure if you’ve seen my Open E tuning video, but Bob figures prominently in it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4uVaH-ObNx1kMk

[@RobertCassard]

Hey Brendon…just wanted to make sure you saw that I took your suggestion. Thanks! kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGm0gIl8qLBnkM0

[@brendonleary]

@@RobertCassard Hi Robert. Thank you very much for thinking of me and letting me know. I just watched it and must say how wonderful a job you did.. I will be watching it quite a few times, I think. Thanks again.

[@RobertCassard]

@@brendonleary It was the right thing to do! Dylan's 80th was a milestone not to be forgotten...

[@RMcKnightMD]

Well done..

[@RobertCassard]

Glad you enjoyed it, RM!

[@axxellein]

TRES Cool/Heavy

[@RobertCassard]

Thanks for watching @axxellein!

[@muhammadburhan400]

The intro guitar always gives me chills and the vocals are haunting (in a good way) the stones were way too ahead of their time

[@RobertCassard]

I’m with you Muhammad. It all starts so quietly...but that guitar creates such excitement, too. You KNOW something big is coming.

[@a.j.6812]

How do you get the separate tracks for this, I have a similar studio setup, with studio one 5 pro and personas sphere? found this interesting, Thanks A.J.

[@RobertCassard]

Hi AJ - For many of the best-known artists, the separate tracks from the original master tapes are out there as bootlegs. They circulate among certain producers and musicians - usually shared only in an "I owe you" situation! LOL

[@imannonymous7707]

Great dissection of a jimmy miller mastepiece . And keith playing the relative minor in open E was a clever choice probably one of the earliest excursions of open tuning i can think of. There are others but. You got me , love the album, you done blew it upp 💣🗯

[@RobertCassard]

Glad you enjoyed this annonymous! I love the you give Jimmy Miller the credit for the masterpiece… he’s rarely mentioned but a huge factor in the Stones’ magic.

[@lamarsidoner3250]

wow,,,you got it down explaining these great bands,,, i was 19 when gimmie shelter came out , it was one of the favorites,,,let it bleed was great, i wore out that eight track,,,i also was out the altamont raceway free concert in 69,,,it was a experience for sure,,,mick made a big mistake hiring the hells angles,,,they were really A H in thoses days,,,anyway i enjoyed it too bad , it had some real problems,,,,rock on

[@RobertCassard]

Wow…must have been quite an experience to be there at Altamont. Did you realize any of the nightmare that had occurred or was that isolated to a small area?

[@davidwhite8220]

Some time back in the late 80s, I discovered that one of the rules for "meritorious melodies" is the same as the fundamental rule of real estate: "location, location, location". Having a melody that hits 4.5 and is continued into the first part of the next measure seems to be primally attractive. I call the phenomenon "off-beat/over-flow". The most attractive variant seems to be hitting 4.5 and 1.5. Some examples are "speaking words of WIS-DOM", "Come To-GE-THER". (I cannot find any pure examples, hitting only 4.5 and 1.5 without any preceding off-beats or landing on 2, from Harrison, other than the instrumentals in My Sweet Lord and, at the end, Back Off Boogaloo.) Hitting an intermediate 1 (for lyrical reasons) or a 2 rather than 1.5 does not seem to reduce the appeal very much. Overflowing the half-measure boundary (2.5 to 3.5) seems to have about half the appeal overflowing the whole-measure, as might be expected. But basing a whole melody on "off-beat/overflow" seems to produce songs that are good rather than great. I have never heard a song by Gerry Rafferty that did not have "off-beat/over-flow". But of course most of them are good rather than great. The same thing might be said about "I SHOULD Be So Lucky, LUCK-Y lucky lucky": catchy but hardly stunning. The most attractive technique seems to be what I call "interweaving": mixing in other techniques such as A) a "delayed" start, pointedly not hitting 1, B) the "internal" overflow already noted, and C) sometimes hitting 1. Going back to the real estate analogy, the best thing seems to be being "all over the map". With Gimme Shelter, the Rolling Stones produced a great example of "interweaving". It is worth noting that Tumbling Dice and Happy, by having more "off-beat/overflow" and less "interweaving" than Gimme Shelter, wind up good rather than great. "a STORM IS ..." 4.5 -1.5 "... THREAT'NIN" 2.5-3.5 "MY very LI-IFE TO-day" 2, 4.5-2 (The word "life", being a heavy syllable, requires two beats, so overall it's 4.5-1-1.5. (For the opposite side of the same coin, see All My Lovin', where "loving" would be too heavy for the metrical space.) "IF I don't GET some shelter" 2, 1, 2-5-3.5 "War" 2 "Children" 4.5-1.5 "IT'S just a shot away, IT'S just a shot away" 1.5, 1.5 Similar "tricks" (by classical standards) are used in the instrumental, and toward the end of the song there are some variations Overall, the Stones here use every trick in the book: starting on 1 (just to throw you off ...), starting on1.5, starting on 2, half-strength off-beat/over-flow, and (most prominently and attractively) full strength off-beat/overflow. The song shows five techniques (if we count starting on 1.5 and starting on 2 as not the same), all employed with "interweaving". It is a master class.

[@RobertCassard]

Thanks, David. This is a great insight, and I think in certain ways, as brilliant as the song itself! Thanks for watching and sharing your wisdom.

[@davidwhite8220]

I realize that I was unfair to I Should Be So Lucky: there is in fact some interweaving. In the first part of the verse, the phrases begin on either 1.5 or 1, while in the second half of the verse the phrases start with 2 or 1. So there is more artistry there than many would be happy to admit ...

[@RobertCassard]

@@davidwhite8220 Are we worried about offending Kylie? Or her songwriting/production trio Mike Stock, Matt Aitken and Pete Waterman? Their "artistry" has enriched their bank accounts at minimum.

[@davidwhite8220]

@@RobertCassard I see no reason to regard Minogue as a significant talent. And the guys are, in the grand scheme of things, 2nd-raters. They benefited from the "Children's Music" drift of the late 80s, as Classic "Rock" siphoned off listeners who rightly thought their chances of hearing a great song were better on oldy stations than on Top-40 stations. (The goofy looping on I Should Be So Lucky is enough to show who their target audience was. I always stop listening at that point.) But they had enough artistry that they, rather than plenty of others who would have been quite happy to beat them out, were the ones who won the war. Have you seen the "Hit Factory" documentary on SAW? (Evidently a bit where some Motown guy said they were "good writers" has been edited out.) Their production on You Spin Me Round was great. On the down side, as was pointed out at the time, they tended to use the same chord progressions. But in their "hate song" against Golden Oldies they pointedly left out the Beatles, who were among their heroes. They were also great lovers of Rodgers & Hammerstein, as is Tom Lehrer. I am reminded of Boy George who, rebelling against the un-musicality of the Punk movement, said that there used to be good music, like the Beatles and Rodgers & Hammerstein, and that he wanted to bring it back. (He played a significant role in that objective being achieved.) Certainly they did sell out to some extent by playing to the new market. But they were also talented enough to employ some of the "tricks" that I have noted, which was apparently more than the competition could manage. And I very much doubt that the competition was too moral to sell out ... If you listen to the first two rounds of I Should Be So Lucky, does it not get stuck in your head?

[@RobertCassard]

@@davidwhite8220 I avoid earworms that annoy me and DO get stuck in my head whenever possible. There are a fair number of Paul McCartney/Wings songs I quickly switch away from when they appear on my satellite radio. Let 'Em In , Silly Love Songs and With a Little Luck are 3 such tunes. If I hear more than a few lines, they're in my head all f@#kin' day!

[@mikeciresi3697]

If this is sloppy I will take sloppy any day! By the way what is the software that you use to do this? I want to do this with with my own CD because the studio lost my files! Thanks for posting this...

[@RobertCassard]

Thanks, Mike. In this case, had access to the original master tracks, so I didn't use any extraction software for this video. I loaded the original tracks into Logic Pro and that's what you're seeing on screen. I know there are some amazing separator/extractor apps out there but I have no experience with them. Please tell me if you find one you love. I have some old stereo masters that I'd love to separate as well.

[@mikeciresi3697]

Lucky you I'd have to say! How cool to have access to one of the greatest songs ever recorded. Yeah, I'll let you know if I find anything. I am using Studio One.@@RobertCassard

[@paulmanfrini8157]

Not to be missed. Thinking we should encourage amd little more guitar playing and singing by the host! Really great podcast, thoroughly enjoyed, felt constructed then deconstructed, then...loved the researched side notes too

[@RobertCassard]

Glad you got into it, Paul! I love going deep on recordings I admire. If you surf around my channel, you’ll find plenty of me playing and singing...watch out!

[@capt.sparrow34]

Such a dark song. The fact that she lost her baby later that night makes it darker.

[@RobertCassard]

So true, Captain Sparrow. Thanks for watching, and I hope you find other videos to enjoy on my channel.

[@markchacon7002]

Come on man ....let not forget ( Nicky 🎹🎹🎙️🎩📝🎹🎹🎹🇬🇧 Hopkins the Stones stated after ( Beggar Banquet ) that they are indebted to Nicky & Stu thing is the Stones always had the best musical people around them Fact...

[@RobertCassard]

Thanks for the comment and for watching, Mark. I talk about Nicky’s piano part at 10:04. I generally love his playing with the Stones, John Lennon and many others. But his part on Gimme Shelter was surprisingly “lite” and doesn’t match the intensity of the song…at least for me.

[@ScottHarrison-dz6tz]

So cool 😎 😍 daddy o

[@RobertCassard]

Thank you, Scott. Aren't those master tracks incredible?

[@kfm908]

Mick sounds better with a singing partner

[@RobertCassard]

LOL Kevin. And ANYONE sounds better singing with Merry Clayton!

[@kfm908]

@@RobertCassardYou are right. what power and control!