Miss You
Encyclopedia
"Miss You" is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
. It was released as a single
by The Rolling Stones
on Rolling Stones Records
one month in advance of their album Some Girls
, and peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
. An extended version, called the "Special Disco Version," was released as the band's first dance remix on a 12-inch single
.
jamming with keyboardist Billy Preston
during rehearsals for the March 1977 El Mocambo
club gigs, recordings from which appeared on side three of Love You Live
. Keith Richards
is credited as co-writer as was the case for all Rolling Stones originals written by either partner or in tandem.
Jagger and Ronnie Wood insist that "Miss You" wasn't conceived as a disco
song, while Richards said, "...'Miss You' was a damn good disco record; it was calculated to be one." In any case, what was going on in discotheques did make it to the recording. Charlie Watts
said, "A lot of those songs like 'Miss You' on 'Some Girls'... were heavily influenced by going to the discos. You can hear it in a lot of those four-to-the-floor and the Philadelphia-style drumming." For the bass part, Bill Wyman
started from Preston's bass guitar on the song demo.http://www.timeisonourside.com/SOMiss.html Chris Kimsey
, who engineered the recording of the song, said Wyman went "...to quite a few clubs before he got that bass line sorted out.", which Kimsey said "made that song." Jagger sang a good part of the chorus using falsetto
"ooh"s often in unison with harmonica, guitar and electric piano.
Unlike most of Some Girls, "Miss You" features several studio musicians. In addition to Sugar Blue
, who according to Wood was found while busking
on the streets of Paris, Ian McLagan
played understated Wurlitzer electric piano
, and Mel Collins
provides the saxophone
solo for the instrumental break.
The 12" version of the song runs over eight minutes, and features additional instrumentation and solos, particularly on guitar. It was remixed by Bob Clearmountain
, then an upcoming mixer and engineer. This song, the first edit the Stones did for a 12" single, also contains tape repeats and an additional set of lyrics in the second verse, after the line "Hey, let's go mess and fool around you know, like we used to." The extended version can be found in edited form on the album Rarities 1971-2003
.
," a tongue-in-cheek country and western tune sung by Jagger in a pronounced drawl.
A live recording was captured during the Rolling Stones' 1989-1990 Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour
and released on the 1991 live album Flashpoint
. Justin Timberlake
collaborated with the Stones for a live performance of "Miss You" at the Toronto Rocks festival
. Jagger inserted the chorus of Timberlake's hit "Cry Me a River" during the song's breakdown.
In 2010, Rolling Stone
magazine rated "Miss You" number 498 in its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
, which first aired on 16 September 1984. The song was used in the 1986 Sean Penn
crime drama, At Close Range
. It was remixed by west coast hip-hop producer Dr. Dre
for the soundtrack to Austin Powers in Goldmember
in 2002.
The song was featured in a viral video
skit known as "Jagg Off" where two men have to compete by doing "their best Jagger" as in imitating his on-stage dancing to the tune of this song.
Throughout the spring and summer of 2011, Grey Goose vodka aired a TV commercial titled "Reunion" which prominently features "Miss You."
Jagger/Richards
The songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, known as Jagger/Richards , is a musical collaboration whose output has produced the majority of the catalogue of The Rolling Stones....
. It was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
on Rolling Stones Records
Rolling Stones Records
Rolling Stones Records is the record label formed by The Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman in 1970, after their recording contract with Decca Records expired. They were first distributed in the United States by Atlantic Records subsidiary...
one month in advance of their album Some Girls
Some Girls
Some Girls is the 14th British and 16th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1978 on Rolling Stones Records, catalogue COC 39108...
, and peaked at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. An extended version, called the "Special Disco Version," was released as the band's first dance remix on a 12-inch single
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
.
Inspiration and recording
In actuality, "Miss You" was written by Mick JaggerMick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
jamming with keyboardist Billy Preston
Billy Preston
William Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
during rehearsals for the March 1977 El Mocambo
El Mocambo
The El Mocambo Tavern is a live music and entertainment venue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Located on Spadina Avenue, just south of College Street, the bar played an important role in the development of popular music in Toronto since the 19th century...
club gigs, recordings from which appeared on side three of Love You Live
Love You Live
Love You Live is a double live album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1977. It is drawn from Tour of the Americas shows in the US in the summer of 1975, Tour of Europe shows in 1976 and performances from the infamous El Mocambo nightclub concert venue in Toronto in 1977...
. Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
is credited as co-writer as was the case for all Rolling Stones originals written by either partner or in tandem.
Jagger and Ronnie Wood insist that "Miss You" wasn't conceived as a disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
song, while Richards said, "...'Miss You' was a damn good disco record; it was calculated to be one." In any case, what was going on in discotheques did make it to the recording. Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
said, "A lot of those songs like 'Miss You' on 'Some Girls'... were heavily influenced by going to the discos. You can hear it in a lot of those four-to-the-floor and the Philadelphia-style drumming." For the bass part, Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
started from Preston's bass guitar on the song demo.http://www.timeisonourside.com/SOMiss.html Chris Kimsey
Chris Kimsey
Christopher Kenneth Kimsey is a record producer, mixer and musician most famous for having co-produced The Rolling Stones' Undercover and Steel Wheels albums...
, who engineered the recording of the song, said Wyman went "...to quite a few clubs before he got that bass line sorted out.", which Kimsey said "made that song." Jagger sang a good part of the chorus using falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
"ooh"s often in unison with harmonica, guitar and electric piano.
Unlike most of Some Girls, "Miss You" features several studio musicians. In addition to Sugar Blue
Sugar Blue
Sugar Blue is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician, who plays the harmonica. He is probably best known for playing on The Rolling Stones' single, "Miss You"....
, who according to Wood was found while busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
on the streets of Paris, Ian McLagan
Ian McLagan
Ian McLagan is an English keyboard instrumentalist, best known as a member of the English rock bands Small Faces and Faces.-Small Faces and Faces:...
played understated Wurlitzer electric piano
Wurlitzer electric piano
Wurlitzer 200A|250px|thumbThe Wurlitzer electric piano was one of a series of electromechanical stringless pianos manufactured and marketed by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Corinth, Mississippi, U.S. and Tonawanda, New York...
, and Mel Collins
Mel Collins
Mel Collins is a British saxophonist and flautist and session musician.He has worked in a wide variety of contexts ranging from R&B and blues rock to jazz, but is perhaps known for his work in progressive rock, as with King Crimson, Camel and the Alan Parsons Project.-Career:Collins has worked...
provides the saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
solo for the instrumental break.
The 12" version of the song runs over eight minutes, and features additional instrumentation and solos, particularly on guitar. It was remixed by Bob Clearmountain
Bob Clearmountain
Bob Clearmountain is an award-winning American music engineer, mixer and producer. He has worked with many prominent names in music including Bruce Springsteen , The Rolling Stones , Bryan Adams , Robbie Williams Bob Clearmountain is an award-winning American music engineer, mixer and producer. He...
, then an upcoming mixer and engineer. This song, the first edit the Stones did for a 12" single, also contains tape repeats and an additional set of lyrics in the second verse, after the line "Hey, let's go mess and fool around you know, like we used to." The extended version can be found in edited form on the album Rarities 1971-2003
Rarities 1971-2003
Rarities 1971–2003 is a compilation album by The Rolling Stones that was released in 2005 worldwide by Virgin Records - as well as by the coffee-chain Starbucks in North America - and features a selection of rare and obscure material recorded between 1971 and 2003...
.
Personnel
- Mick JaggerMick JaggerSir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
– lead and backing vocals - Keith RichardsKeith RichardsKeith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, backing vocals - Ron WoodRon WoodRonald David "Ronnie" Wood is an English rock guitarist and bassist best known as a former member of The Jeff Beck Group, Faces, and current member of The Rolling Stones. He also plays lap and pedal steel guitar....
– guitar, backing vocals - Charlie WattsCharlie WattsCharles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Bill WymanBill WymanBill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Ian McLaganIan McLaganIan McLagan is an English keyboard instrumentalist, best known as a member of the English rock bands Small Faces and Faces.-Small Faces and Faces:...
– electric pianoElectric pianoAn electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented... - Mel CollinsMel CollinsMel Collins is a British saxophonist and flautist and session musician.He has worked in a wide variety of contexts ranging from R&B and blues rock to jazz, but is perhaps known for his work in progressive rock, as with King Crimson, Camel and the Alan Parsons Project.-Career:Collins has worked...
– saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... - Sugar BlueSugar BlueSugar Blue is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician, who plays the harmonica. He is probably best known for playing on The Rolling Stones' single, "Miss You"....
– harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
Release and legacy
"Miss You" became The Rolling Stones' eighth number 1 hit in the United States on its initial release in 1978. It also reached number 3 in the United Kingdom. The song was originally nearly nine minutes long, but was edited to nearly five minutes for the album version, and to three-and-a-half minutes for the radio single. In order to properly edit the radio single without audible bumps and glitches, a separate mix was constructed and then edited for continuity. The b-side of the single was another album track, "Far Away EyesFar Away Eyes
"Far Away Eyes" is the sixth track from rock and roll band The Rolling Stones's 1978 album Some Girls.Mick Jagger and Keith Richards collaborated extensively on writing the song, which was recorded in late 1977. A bootleg version with Richards singing exists. The Stones, longtime country music...
," a tongue-in-cheek country and western tune sung by Jagger in a pronounced drawl.
A live recording was captured during the Rolling Stones' 1989-1990 Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour
Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour
The Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels Tour was a concert tour which was launched in North America in August 1989 to promote the band's album Steel Wheels; it continued to Japan in February 1990, with ten shows at the Tokyo Dome. The European leg of the tour, which featured a different stage and logo,...
and released on the 1991 live album Flashpoint
Flashpoint (album)
Flashpoint is a live album by British rock band The Rolling Stones. It was released in 1991, having been recorded throughout 1989 and 1990 on the mammoth Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour...
. Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
collaborated with the Stones for a live performance of "Miss You" at the Toronto Rocks festival
Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto
Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto was a benefit rock concert that was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 30, 2003. It was also known as "Toronto Rocks", "Stars 4 SARS", "SARSStock", "SARSfest", "SARS-a-palooza", the "SARS concert", or, more descriptively, "The Rolling Stones SARS Benefit...
. Jagger inserted the chorus of Timberlake's hit "Cry Me a River" during the song's breakdown.
In 2010, Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine rated "Miss You" number 498 in its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Cover versions
- Sugar Blue re-recorded the song on his 1993-album Blue Blazes.
- Etta JamesEtta JamesEtta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
covered the song in her Matriarch of the Blues album in 2000. Her version is a slow blues in 6/8 time. In this version, the line mentioning "Puerto Rican girls" is gender-switched to "Puerto Rican dudes." - It was covered by neo-soul singer Musiq Soulchild for his 2003 album Soulstar. In this version, the reference to "Puerto Rican girls" is replaced with "pretty girls".
- "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
included this song in his Rolling Stones polka medley "The Hot Rocks Polka". - The Moviehouse Arcade released a cover of the song on the Poly Sci EP in 2004.
- It was covered in an instrumental jazz version by E Street BandE Street BandThe E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
member Danny FedericiDanny FedericiDaniel Paul "Danny" Federici was an American musician, best known as the longtime organ, glockenspiel, and accordion player for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.- Career :...
for his 2006 album Out of a Dream. It was released as the first and only single from the album. - Joseph Arthur covered the song during his performance at the San Diego House of Blues on 19 October 2006.
- American band The Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed PeasThe Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
made a cover of this song in Fashion Rocks 2008. - Japanese singer-songwriter UAUA (singer), simply known by the stage name UA , is a Japanese singer-songwriter. She debuted under Speedstar Records in 1995 with the single "Horizon".-Biography:...
collaborated with the band Little Creatures for her 2005 album Nephew and covered "Miss You" in a downbeat, experimental style. - The Dynamics, a British band, released a reggae version in 2008.
- Australian singer-songwriter Paul DempseyPaul DempseyPaul Dempsey is the lead singer, guitarist and principal songwriter of Australian rock group Something for Kate. Paul was a founding member of the band, and in August 2009 released his first solo album, Everything Is True whilst continuing his work with Something for Kate...
regularly covered the song on his 2010 Burning Leaves Australian Tour. - American band My Morning JacketMy Morning JacketMy Morning Jacket is an American rock band from Louisville, Kentucky.The band consists of Jim James , Tom 'Two-Tone Tommy' Blankenship , Patrick Hallahan , Carl Broemel , and Bo Koster .-History:My Morning Jacket was...
covered the song in October 2010 at a concert in New York City. - A-capella group Straight No Chaser covered the song initially for their "Songs Through The Decades" stint at Harrah's Casino and Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in summer 2010. The group continues to cover the song on their current tour.
- The ConcretesThe ConcretesThe Concretes are a popular Swedish indie pop band from Stockholm, currently composed of eight members.-History:The Concretes began with Victoria Bergsman, Maria Eriksson, and Lisa Milberg. Since their formation in 1995, they have gradually acquired new members, growing into an eight piece band...
made a slower, haunting cover of the song on the 2003 tribute album We Love You.
Appearances in popular culture
"Miss You" was used in the opening scene of the pilot episode of Miami ViceMiami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
, which first aired on 16 September 1984. The song was used in the 1986 Sean Penn
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn is an American actor, screenwriter and film director, also known for his political and social activism...
crime drama, At Close Range
At Close Range
At Close Range is a film based on the real life rural Pennsylvania crime family led by Bruce Johnston, Sr. which operated during the 1960s and 1970s. It was released on April 18, 1986, and stars Sean Penn, Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Mary Stuart Masterson, Millie Perkins, Candy Clark and...
. It was remixed by west coast hip-hop producer Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
for the soundtrack to Austin Powers in Goldmember
Austin Powers in Goldmember
Austin Powers in Goldmember is a 2002 American spy comedy film and the third installment of the Austin Powers series starring Mike Myers in the title role. The movie was directed by Jay Roach, and co-written by Mike Myers and Michael McCullers. Myers also plays the roles of Dr. Evil, Goldmember,...
in 2002.
The song was featured in a viral video
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
skit known as "Jagg Off" where two men have to compete by doing "their best Jagger" as in imitating his on-stage dancing to the tune of this song.
Throughout the spring and summer of 2011, Grey Goose vodka aired a TV commercial titled "Reunion" which prominently features "Miss You."