THE ROLLING STONES - HONKY TONK WOMEN

HONKY TONK WOMEN

THE ROLLING STONES

SONGWRITERS: KEITH RICHARDS & MICK JAGGER

COUNTRY: U. K.

ALBUM: GET YER YA-YA’S OUT! THE ROLLING STONES IN CONCERT

LABEL: DECCA RECORDS

GENRE: ROCK

YEAR: 1970

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. The first stable line-up consisted of bandleader Brian Jones (guitar, harmonica, keyboards), Mick Jagger (lead vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, vocals), Bill Wyman (bass guitar), Charlie Watts (drums), and Ian Stewart (piano), the latter of whom was removed from the official line-up in 1963, but continued to work with the band as a contracted musician until his death in 1985. The band's primary songwriters, the partnership of Jagger and Richards, assumed leadership after Andrew Loog Oldham became the group's manager. Jones left the band less than a month before his death in 1969, having already been replaced by Mick Taylor, who in turn left in 1974 and was replaced in 1975 by Ronnie Wood, who has since remained. Since Wyman's departure in 1993, Darryl Jones has served as bassist. The Stones have not had an official keyboardist since Stewart's departure in 1963, but have employed several musicians in that role, including Jack Nitzsche (1965–71), Nicky Hopkins (1967–82), Billy Preston (1971–81), Ian McLagan (1978–81), and Chuck Leavell (1982–present).

The Rolling Stones were at the forefront of the British Invasion of bands that became popular in the United States in 1964, and were identified with the youthful and rebellious counterculture of the 1960s. Rooted in blues and early rock and roll, the band started out playing covers, but found more success with their own material; songs such as "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and "Paint It Black" became international hits, and Aftermath (1966) – their first entirely original album – has been considered the most important of the band's formative records. After a short period of experimentation with psychedelic rock in the mid-1960s, the Stones returned to their 'bluesy' roots with Beggars Banquet (1968), Let It Bleed (1969), Sticky Fingers (1971) and Exile on Main St. (1972). It was during this period they were first introduced on stage as 'The Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World'.

The Rolling Stones continued to release commercially successful albums through the 1970s and early 1980s, including Some Girls (1978) and Tattoo You (1981), the two best-sellers in their discography. During the 1980s, infighting curtailed their output; as a result, they only released two more under-performing albums, and did not tour for the rest of the decade. Their fortunes changed at the end of the decade, when they released Steel Wheels (1989), promoted by a large stadium and arena tour, the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour. Since the 1990s, new material has been less frequent. Despite this, The Rolling Stones continue to be a huge attraction on the live circuit. By 2007, the band had four of the top five highest-grossing concert tours of all time: Voodoo Lounge Tour (1994–95), Bridges to Babylon Tour (1997–98), Licks Tour (2002–03) and A Bigger Bang (2005–07). Musicologist Robert Palmer attributes the endurance of The Rolling Stones to their being 'rooted in traditional verities, in rhythm-and-blues and soul music', while 'more ephemeral pop fashions have come and gone'.

The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. Rolling Stone magazine ranked them fourth on their list of the '100 Greatest Artists of All Time', list and their estimated record sales is 240 million. They have released 30 studio albums, 23 live albums and numerous compilations. Let It Bleed (1969) marked the first of five consecutive Nº.1 studio and live albums in the UK. Sticky Fingers (1971) was the first of eight consecutive Nº. 1 studio albums in the US. Their latest album, Blue & Lonesome (2016), became their twelfth UK number-one album. In 2008, the Stones were listed 10th on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Artists chart, and in 2019 Billboard magazine ranked them second in their list of the "Greatest Artists of All Time". In 2012, the band celebrated their 50th anniversary. The group continues to sell out venues, with their recente No Filter Tour running for two years and concluding in August 2019.

'Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!': The Rolling Stones in Concert is the second live album by the Rolling Stones, released on 4 September 1970 on Decca Records in the UK and on London Records in the US. It was recorded in New York City, New York and Baltimore, Maryland in November 1969, just before the release of Let It Bleed. It is the first live album to reach number 1 in the UK. It was reported to have been issued in response to the well known bootleg Live'r Than You'll Ever Be.

I met a gin soaked bar-room queen in Memphis

She tried to take me upstairs for a ride

She had to heave me right across her shoulder

'Cos I just can't seem to drink you off my mind

It's the honky, tonky woman

Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues

I laid a divorcee in New York City

I had to put up some kind for a fight

The lady then she covered me with roses

She blew my nose and then she blew my mind

It's the honky tonk, tonky woman

Gimme, gimme, gimme the honky tonk blues.