The Rolling Stones 1st U.S. Hit Wasn’t a Single in the U.K.
TL;DR:
- Mick Jagger said one of The Rolling Stones’ songs was different from their other early material.
- He said the track “was a very pop song.”
- The tune was a career milestone for The Rolling Stones in the United States.
The Rolling Stones‘ songs tend to be rock or blues songs. Despite this, Mick Jagger said The Rolling Stones’ first top 40 hit in the United States was “a very pop song.” Notably, the tune wasn’t even a single in the United Kingdom.
Mick Jagger said he had a ‘very champagne feeling’ that went to his head after The Rolling Stones became famous
During a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone, Jagger was asked what it was like to become a star at a young age. “There we were in this club in Richmond, being written up in these rather nice terms,” he said.
“And then to go from the music-oriented press to national press and national television, and everyone seeing you in the world of two television channels, and then being recognized by everyone from builders and people working in shops and so on,” he added. “It goes to your head — very champagne feeling.”
Mick Jagger said 1 of The Rolling Stones’ songs came together in a ‘demo studio’ in London
The Rolling Stones’ first top 40 hit in the United States was “Tell Me (You’re Coming Back).” He was asked how it came together. “Keith was playing 12-string and singing harmonies into the same microphone as the 12-string,” he said. “We recorded it in this tiny studio in the West End of London called Regent Sound, which was a demo studio.
“I think the whole of that album was recorded in there,” he said. “But it’s very different from doing those R&B covers or Marvin Gaye covers and all that. There’s a definite feel about it. It’s a very pop song, as opposed to all the blues songs and the Motown covers, which everyone did at the time.” Notably, much of The Rolling Stones’ early output was covers.
The song appeared on different albums in the United States and the United Kingdom
“Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)” reached No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 10 weeks. The song appeared on the American version of the compilation album Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass). The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 99 weeks.
“Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)” was not a single in the United Kingdom. The song appeared on U.K. edition of the album The Rolling Stones. While the tune wasn’t a hit, The Official Charts Company says the album reached No. 1 in the U.K. for 12 weeks, meaning it stayed longer at the top of the U.K. chart than any of the group’s other albums. It spent a total of 51 weeks on the chart.
“Tell Me (You’re Coming Back)” wasn’t even a single in the U.K. but it was still an important stepping stone in The Rolling Stones’ career.
