Beast of Burden

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Chart positions
Explanation of the data
Singles
The Rolling Stones
  US 8th 09.09.1978 (13 weeks)
Bette Midler
  DE 15th 04/09/1984 (13 weeks)
  US 71 02/11/1984 (6 weeks)

Beast of Burden (fig. Packhorse ) is a 1978 Rolling Stones song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards . It appeared on the album Some Girls .

history

The composition and the first written version of the song came from Keith Richards. In the liner notes of the 1993 compilation Jump Back: The Best of The Rolling Stones , Richards wrote:

“['Beast of Burden'] was another one where Mick [Jagger] just filled in the verses. With the Stones, you take a long song, play it and see if there are any takers. Sometimes they ignore it, sometimes they grab it and record it. After all the faster numbers of Some Girls, everybody settled down and enjoyed the slow one. "

“'Beast of Burden' was another song for which Jagger only contributed the verses. We Stones take a long song, play it and see if anyone cares. Sometimes that's not the case, sometimes someone likes it and the recording follows. After all the fast tracks on Some Girls , everyone was in a quieter mood and had fun with this slower number. "

- Keith Richards

Jagger said of the text:

“Lyrically, this wasn't particularly heartfelt in a personal way. It's a soul begging song, an attitude song. It was one of those where you get one melodic lick, break it down and work it up; there are two parts here which are basically the same. "

“In terms of the text, I did not emulate it very deeply. It's a kind of soul begging song, a song about a basic attitude . It was one of those pieces where you have a lick , break that down and expand; there are two parts that are relatively the same. "

- Mick Jagger

The song can be seen as allegorical . Richards said in 2003:

“When I returned to the fold after closing down the laboratory [referring to his drug problems throughout the 1970s], I came back into the studio with Mick… to say, 'Thanks, man, for shouldering the burden' - that's why I wrote Beast of Burden for him, I realize in retrospect. "

“When I returned to the family's lap after the lab closed [a reference to Richards 'drug problems during the 1970s], I walked into the studio with Mick Jagger to say,' Thank you man for bearing the burden '- that's why I wrote Beast of Burden for him, I'll realize that afterwards. "

- Keith Richards

The recordings took place in October 1977. Although the text was already written, Jagger improvised a few more lines in conjunction with the quiet guitar run by Richards and Ronnie Wood . Both were lead guitarists and rhythm guitarists .

The release was on September 9, 1978. Beast of Burden came in the list of the 500 best songs of all time compiled by the music magazine Rolling Stone at number 435 and was heard in the film Christine . The music styles are blues rock and soul .

Cover version by Bette Midler

In 1984 Bette Midler covered the song on her album No Frills . Chuck Plotkin, Brock Walsh and Danny Goldberg were responsible for the production. Compared to the original, the song is in the genres of blues rock and new wave . Several lines of text have been changed, for example "Pretty, pretty, girls" became "my little sister is a pretty, pretty girl". In the video clip, Mick Jagger has a guest appearance as Bette Midler's non-singing dance partner.

Different cover version

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Chart sources: Rolling Stones Bette Midler
  2. ↑ Beast of Burden on Allmusic.com