Paint It, Black
Encyclopedia
"Paint It, Black" is a song released by The Rolling Stones
on 13 May 1966 as the first single from their fourth album Aftermath. It was originally titled "Paint It Black" without a comma. Keith Richards
has stated that the comma was added by the record label, Decca
.
The song was written by Mick Jagger
and Keith Richards
. Brian Jones
contributed to the song's signature riff. Bill Wyman
claims in his books that the song was a collective effort of the group, a 'Nanker-Phelge'
one, but mistakenly credited to Jagger/Richards
at the end.
The single reached number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom charts in 1966. In 2004 it was ranked number 174 on Rolling Stone
magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In the US and UK, it was the first number one single to feature a sitar
on the recording.
accompanied the organ by playing a vaguely Middle Eastern
drum part; Watts' drum pattern became the basis for the final song. Brian Jones
contributed the song's signature sitar riff
(having taught himself to play after a visit with George Harrison
), and Jagger contributed to the lyrics, seemingly about a man mourning his dead girlfriend. More literally, it is about using the visual trick of painting everything black in the mind's eye. Both electric and acoustic guitars and the background vocals are provided by Richards. The piano is played by Jack Nitzsche
.
The bass was also overdubbed
by Bill Wyman
playing on the bass pedals
of a Hammond B3 organ.
. The original album version of Eric Burdon & War had a length of 13:41.
Eric Burdon & The Animals performed it at the Monterey Pop Festival
in 1967. This version was cut and included in the motion picture of the festival
. They performed it also on the BBC
.
Eric Burdon performed it also on his "Hippiefest" tour in 2008.
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 13 May 1966 as the first single from their fourth album Aftermath. It was originally titled "Paint It Black" without a comma. 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...
has stated that the comma was added by the record label, Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
.
The song was written by Mick Jagger
Mick 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....
and 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...
. Brian Jones
Brian Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
contributed to the song's signature riff. 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...
claims in his books that the song was a collective effort of the group, a 'Nanker-Phelge'
Nanker Phelge
Nanker Phelge was a collective pseudonym used between 1963 and 1965 for several Rolling Stones group compositions. Stones bassist Bill Wyman explained the origins of the name in his 2002 book, Rolling with the Stones:...
one, but mistakenly credited to Jagger/Richards
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....
at the end.
The single reached number one in both the United States and the United Kingdom charts in 1966. In 2004 it was ranked number 174 on 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's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. In the US and UK, it was the first number one single to feature a sitar
Sitar
The 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages...
on the recording.
History and composition
The song began with Wyman playing organ at a recording session, in parody of the group's former co-manager Eric Easton, who had been an organist. Charlie WattsCharlie 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:...
accompanied the organ by playing a vaguely Middle Eastern
Middle Eastern music
The music of Western Asia and North Africa spans across a vast region, from Morocco to Afghanistan, and its influences can be felt even further afield. Middle Eastern music influenced the music of India, as well as Central Asia, Spain, Southern Italy, the Caucasus and the Balkans, as in chalga...
drum part; Watts' drum pattern became the basis for the final song. Brian Jones
Brian Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
contributed the song's signature sitar riff
RIFF
The Resource Interchange File Format is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data....
(having taught himself to play after a visit with George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
), and Jagger contributed to the lyrics, seemingly about a man mourning his dead girlfriend. More literally, it is about using the visual trick of painting everything black in the mind's eye. Both electric and acoustic guitars and the background vocals are provided by Richards. The piano is played by Jack Nitzsche
Jack Nitzsche
Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche was an arranger, producer, songwriter, and film score composer. He first came to prominence in the late 1950s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spector, and went on to work with the Rolling Stones, Neil Young and others...
.
The bass was also overdubbed
Overdubbing
Overdubbing is a technique used by recording studios to add a supplementary recorded sound to a previously recorded performance....
by 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...
playing on the bass pedals
Bass pedals
Bass pedals are an electronic musical instrument with foot-operated pedal keyboard with a range of one or more octaves. The earliest bass pedals from the 1970s consisted of a pedalboard and analog synthesizer tone generation circuitry packaged together as a unit...
of a Hammond B3 organ.
Chart performance
| Chart (1966) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... Chart |
1 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
1 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 2 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| US 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... |
1 |
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
1 |
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 vocals - Brian JonesBrian JonesLewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
– sitarSitarThe 'Tablaman' is a plucked stringed instrument predominantly used in Hindustani classical music, where it has been ubiquitous since the Middle Ages... - 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...
– electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, backing vocals - 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 pedalsBass pedalsBass pedals are an electronic musical instrument with foot-operated pedal keyboard with a range of one or more octaves. The earliest bass pedals from the 1970s consisted of a pedalboard and analog synthesizer tone generation circuitry packaged together as a unit...
, organ - 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 .... - Jack NitzscheJack NitzscheBernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche was an arranger, producer, songwriter, and film score composer. He first came to prominence in the late 1950s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spector, and went on to work with the Rolling Stones, Neil Young and others...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
Eric Burdon & War version
Before Eric Burdon & War's 1970 version reached the charts in Netherlands, Eric Burdon & The Animals covered it in 1967 for their debut album, Winds of ChangeWinds of Change (Eric Burdon & The Animals album)
Winds of Change is an album released in 1967 by Eric Burdon & The Animals.The original band, The Animals, broke up in 1966 and this band was entirely new except for lead singer Eric Burdon and drummer Barry Jenkins, who joined the original lineup when John Steel left in February 1966...
. The original album version of Eric Burdon & War had a length of 13:41.
Eric Burdon & The Animals performed it at the Monterey Pop Festival
Monterey Pop Festival
The Monterey International Pop Music Festival was a three-day concert event held June 16 to June 18, 1967 at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, California...
in 1967. This version was cut and included in the motion picture of the festival
Monterey Pop
Monterey Pop is a 1968 concert film by D. A. Pennebaker that documents the Monterey Pop Festival of 1967. Among Pennebaker's several camera operators were fellow documentarians Richard Leacock and Albert Maysles...
. They performed it also on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
Eric Burdon performed it also on his "Hippiefest" tour in 2008.
Chart performance
| Chart (1971) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
31 |
Cover versions
- The Los Angeles-based rock band, The StandellsThe StandellsThe Standells are a garage rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in the 1960s, who have been referred to as the "Godfathers of Punk Rock", and are best known for their 1966 hit "Dirty Water," now the anthem of several Boston sports teams.-The 1960s:...
covered Paint it Black on their Billboard Top 100 album Dirty WaterDirty Water"Dirty Water" is a song first recorded by the California rock and roll band The Standells in 1966 and composed by their producer, Ed Cobb. It is considered a classic of garage rock.-Description:...
, released in 1966. This version replaces the line "With flowers and my love for never to come back" with another "I see a red door and I want it painted black". - Deep PurpleDeep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
used the song as an instrumental introduction to Ian PaiceIan PaiceIan Anderson Paice is an English musician, best known as the drummer of the English rock band Deep Purple. As of Jon Lord's departure in 2002, he is the only founding member of the band who never stopped performing with the group, and the only member to appear on every album the band has...
's drum solo during their In Rock World TourIn Rock World TourThe In Rock World Tour was a successful worldwide concert tour by British hard rock group Deep Purple. The tour began in July 1970, after the release of their album In Rock, and lasted 15 months, until September 1971...
1970 - The band WASPWAsPWAsP is a PC program for predicting wind climates, wind resources, and power productions from wind turbines and wind farms. The predictions are based on wind data measured at stations in the same region. The program includes a complex terrain flow model, a roughness change model, and a model for...
released their cover on the reissue of their debut album. - The FeeliesThe FeeliesThe Feelies are a rock band from Haledon, New Jersey. They formed in 1976 and disbanded in 1992 having released four albums. The band reunited in 2008 and most recently released an album in 2011....
released a version on their 1980 Crazy RhythmsCrazy RhythmsCrazy Rhythms is the Feelies' first album. It was released in April 1980 on Stiff Records.The album is known for its dry, clean "upfront" guitar sound and also its long interstitial passages of drones and improvised percussion...
album . - The Mo-dettesThe Mo-dettesThe Mo-dettes were an all-female punk band, formed in 1979 by Kate Korris, an original member of The Slits and brief member of The Raincoats, and Jane Crockford, former member of The Bank of Dresden.-Biography:...
released a version on the DeramDeram RecordsDeram Records was a subsidiary record label established in 1966 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom. At this time U.K. Decca was a completely different company than the Decca label in the United States, which was then owned by MCA Inc. Deram recordings were also distributed in the U.S. through...
label in 1980 which reached number 42 in the UK singles chartUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. - The melodic death metalMelodic death metalMelodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
band The Black Dahlia Murder on their EP A Cold-Blooded EpitaphA Cold-Blooded EpitaphA Cold-Blooded Epitaph is the first EP by The Black Dahlia Murder released in May 2002 on Lovelost Records, it is released as an MCD."The Blackest Incarnation" and "Closed Casket Requiem" were to be later released on their following, full-length album, Unhallowed.The EP features the cover of "Paint...
. - The musician Glenn TiptonGlenn TiptonGlenn Tipton is one of the Grammy Award-winning guitarists for the heavy metal band Judas Priest...
played this song on his album Baptizm of FireBaptizm Of FireBaptizm of Fire is a solo album by Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton in 1997. It was recorded and mixed at Devonshire and Ocean Studios, U.S.A. and Monnow Valley, Battery, Olympic and The Gazebo Studio, U.K...
. - The metalcoreMetalcoreMetalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
band The Agony SceneThe Agony SceneThe Agony Scene was a metalcore/deathcore band from Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. On October 8, 2008, frontman Mike Williams confirmed that the band had broken up in the spring of that year...
on their self-titledThe Agony Scene (album)The Agony Scene is the debut self-titled album released by the metalcore band The Agony Scene.-Track listing:# "We Bury Our Dead At Dawn" – 3:06# "Habeas Corpus" – 3:23# "Judas" – 4:08# "The Lines Of Suicide" – 3:12...
album. - Punk band the Avengers released a cover of the song in 1983 first as the a-side of a single, then on their self-titled albumAvengers (album)Avengers is a compilation album by the American punk group Avengers. It was released on vinyl in 1983 by CD Presents. It is the closest thing to a studio album the band has, although it was compiled by drummer Danny Furious from various recordings the band did in their three years of existence.The...
. - U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
released a cover of the song as a B-Side to the 1992 single "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild HorsesWho's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses"Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" is the fifth track on U2's 1991 album, Achtung Baby. It was released as the album's fifth and final single in 1992.-Writing and recording:...
". - Bahamian musician ExumaExuma (musician)Macfarlane Gregory Anthony Mackey, who recorded as Exuma was a Bahamian musician, known for his almost unclassifiable music; a strong mixture of carnival, junkanoo, calypso and ballad. In his early days in New York's Greenwich Village, Tony McKay performed in small clubs and bars...
covered the song on his 1973 album Life - Czech singer Karel GottKarel GottKarel Gott is a Czech Schlager singer, and an amateur painter. He is considered as the most successful male singer in former Czechoslovakia and currently in the Czech Republic; he has being voted the Most Favorite Male Singer in the annual national pool Český slavík in total thirty-six times...
released an German version of the song in 1969 titled "Rot und schwarz" (Red and black) - The band The Unseen covered this song on their album State of DiscontentState of DiscontentState of Discontent is the fifth official and first album on Hellcat Records by the punk group The Unseen. It was released on May 9, 2005 internationally and a day later in the United States. It was produced by Brett Gurewitz of Bad Religion fame and Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys...
. - The groove metalGroove metalGroove metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It was often used to describe Pantera and Exhorder.- Characteristics and origins :Pantera's Cowboys from Hell album from 1990 was described as "groundbreaking" and "blueprint-defining" for the groove metal genre...
band Grip Inc.Grip Inc.Grip Inc. is a groove metal band and a side project of drummer Dave Lombardo. The band was formed in 1993, and they are currently signed to SPV Records...
on their album Incorporated. - The avant garde band The ResidentsThe ResidentsThe Residents is an American art collective best known for avant-garde music and multimedia works. The first official release under the name of The Residents was in 1972, and the group has since released over sixty albums, numerous music videos and short films, three CD-ROM projects and ten DVDs....
, released a cover of the song for their 2000 album Dot.Com. - Singer and Songwriter Vanessa CarltonVanessa CarltonVanessa Lee Carlton is an American singer-songwriter and musician. Upon completion of her education at the School of American Ballet, Carlton chose to pursue singing instead, performing in New York bars and clubs while attending university. Three months after recording a demo with producer Peter...
, released a cover of the song on her 2002 debut album Be Not NobodyBe Not NobodyBe Not Nobody is the debut album by American singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton, released in 2002 on A&M Records."A Thousand Miles" was the first single from the album. It reached the top five on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, number one in Australia and the top ten in the United Kingdom...
. - Sister SinSister SinSister Sin is a female-fronted "old-school metal" band from Gothenburg, Sweden.- History :Formed in 2002 and releasing various recordings via smaller indie labels they came out with their first non-indie debut via Victory Records in October 2008. Switchblade Serenades reached number 107 on Top...
released a cover on their first album Dance of the WickedDance of the Wicked (Sister Sin album)-References:*...
. - Rock band DeadsyDeadsyDeadsy is an American synth rock band from California. The band is known for its visual iconography and signature characteristics assigned to each band member. Each musician is identified by a specific color, stage name, and graphic tied into the band's theatrical nature. The band has released...
released a cover on their 2006 album Phantasmagore. - VersaEmergeVersaEmergeVersaEmerge is an American rock band consisting of Sierra Kusterbeck and Blake Harnage, originating from Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA, currently signed to the label Fueled by Ramen. They have three EPs - Cities Built on Sand, Perceptions, and the self-titled release. Their debut album, Fixed at...
released a cover on the compilation album Punk Goes Classic RockPunk Goes Classic RockPunk Goes Classic Rock is the ninth album in the Punk Goes... series, released by Fearless Records. It was released on April 27, 2010. This also features Your Love by The Outfield for the second time to be covered. And also has a Bonus Sampler CD with it...
. - Band of SusansBand of SusansBand of Susans was a noise rock band formed in New York City in 1986. It originally consisted of Robert Poss , Susan Stenger , Ron Spitzer , with Susan Lyall , Susan Tallman , and Alva Rogers . However, the band would undergo several permutations over the years, usually involving guitarists...
released a cover on their 1992 Now EP. - Siobhan MagnusSiobhan MagnusSiobhan Evelyn Magnus is an American singer-songwriter from Barnstable, Massachusetts who was the sixth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
sang the song on American IdolAmerican Idol (season 9)The ninth season of American Idol premiered on January 12, 2010 and concluded on May 26, 2010 on Fox. Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Kara DioGuardi all returned as judges, and Ellen DeGeneres permanently replaced Paula Abdul as the fourth judge. Idol Gives Back also returned for the season and was...
during the Rolling Stones theme week as well as on the live national tourAmerican Idols LIVE! Tour 2010The American Idols LIVE! Tour 2010 was a summer concert tour in the United States and Canada that featured the Top 10 contestants of the ninth season of American Idol. The 44 date tour started in Auburn Hills, Michigan, on July 1, and ended in Indianapolis, Indiana, on August 31.The tour was...
. - Punk band Last Laugh released a cover version on their album No Regrets.
- Canadian punk rock band GobGob (band)Gob is a Canadian punk band from Langley, British Columbia formed in 1993, The Band consists of Tom Thacker, Theo Goutzinakis, Gabe Mantle and Steven Fairweather. Gob's most successful album is World According to Gob and their most successful song to date is I Hear You Calling...
, released a cover of the song on their 1998 album How Far Shallow Takes You. - The Reggae rock band The Dirty HeadsThe Dirty HeadsThe Dirty Heads are a Reggae rock band from Southern California with a melodic style that includes hip hop and punk genres. Their debut album, Any Port in a Storm, was released on September 23, 2008, by Executive Music Group .-History:...
released a cover of the song on their web site - Canadian rock band, RushRush (band)Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, played an InstrumentalInstrumentalAn instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
cover version during the Molson Canadian Rocks for TorontoMolson Canadian Rocks for TorontoMolson 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...
in 2003. Highlights of this benefit concert, including this cover, were later released by the Rolling Stones on the documentary, Toronto Rocks, in 2004. - Ali CampbellAli CampbellAli Campbell, , is a British singer, solo artist and songwriter and was the lead singer and founding member of UB40. As part of UB40, Campbell sold over 70 million records world wide and toured the globe for 30 years. In 2008 Campbell left UB40 and embarked on a successful solo career.-Personal...
covered the song on his 2010 album Great British Songs. - British goth rockers Inkubus SukkubusInkubus SukkubusInkubus Sukkubus are a British goth and pagan band formed in 1989 by Candia Ridley, Tony McKormack, and Adam Henderson.-History:Inkubus Sukkubus are a British goth and pagan band who have been releasing albums and touring since their formation as Incubus Succubus in 1989.-Incubus Succubus:Before...
included the song on their 1997 album Vampyre EroticaVampyre EroticaVampyre Erotica is the fifth album by British Goth rockers Inkubus Sukkubus, their fourth full-length studio album. It contains 12 original songs and a cover of "Paint It Black" by The Rolling Stones....
. - Canadian metal band AnvilAnvil (band)Anvil is a Canadian heavy metal band comprising Steve "Lips" Kudlow , Robb Reiner , and Glenn Five...
have covered this song in their 1st album, Hard 'N' HeavyHard 'N' HeavyHard 'n' Heavy is the first studio album by Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. It was originally released independently under the band name "Lips".- Track listing :-Personnel:*Lips - Vocals & Guitar*Robb Reiner - Drums*Ian Dickson - Bass...
. - Anti-Nowhere LeagueAnti-Nowhere LeagueAnti-Nowhere League is an English punk band, formed in 1980 by lead singer Animal , guitarist Magoo , Tony "Bones" Shaw on drums and Chris "Baggy" Elvy on bass.-Early days:...
play this song in concerts. - American deathrock group AstrovampsAstrovampsAstrovamps were an American deathrock group. It was formed in the early 1990s by Daniel Ian andEyajo Joseph.-History:Astrovamps released their first two records on cassette from 1991–1993, "Savage Garden" and "Blood And Flowers." In 1992,...
included a cover of the song off of the album Amerikan Gothick. - Industrial metal band MinistryMinistry (band)Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
released a cover of the song on their 2010 compilation album,Every Day Is Halloween: The AnthologyEvery Day is Halloween: The AnthologyEvery Day Is Halloween: The Anthology is a compilation/remix album by Ministry, released on October 5, 2010. It features songs originally recorded by AC/DC, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and Amy Winehouse. It was also released under the names Every Day Is Halloween: Greatest Tricks and Undercover...
. - Indie bubblegum girl band Supercute!Supercute!SUPERCUTE! is an American indie pop band from Brooklyn, New York composed of members Rachel Trachtenburg, Julia Cumming, Olivia Ferrer and Delilah Brierley . The band has toured twice with English singer-songwriter Kate Nash in 2010, released a self-titled EP and two non-album songs...
covered the song and filmed a music video for it in 2011. - MardukMarduk (band)Marduk is a black metal band from Norrköping, Sweden. The band formed in 1990 and released their first record in 1991. Their name is derived from the Babylonian god Marduk, patron deity of Babylon.-Musical style:...
, Iron MaidenIron MaidenIron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, HelloweenHelloweenHelloween is a German power metal band founded in the mid 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool. The band was a pioneering force in the European Power Metal movement and their second and third studio albums, Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt...
, and U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
have all also covered the song. - The Tea PartyThe Tea PartyThe Tea Party is a Canadian rock band with blues, progressive rock, Indian and Middle Eastern influences, dubbed "Moroccan roll" by the media. Active throughout the 1990s up until 2005 when the band broke up, The Tea Party released eight albums on EMI Music Canada, selling 1.6 million records...
released a cover in 2007 - Ottmar Liebert recorded an instrumental flamenco version in 2001
- The band Firewater, covered the song in their cover-compilation album. 'Songs We Should Have Written' (2004). The version on the album contains sitar and other ethnic instruments.
- Flamin' Groovies covered this song on their 1978 album "Flamin' Groovies Now"
- SerbianSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
singer Dragan Kojić KebaDragan Kojic KebaDragan Kojić is a Serbian folk-singer of Roma ethnicity. He released his first album in 1976 and has since then released many more albums...
covered this song on his 1994 album Sve ću tuge poneti sa sobom.
Other appearances
- It appeared in the closing credits for the movie Full Metal JacketFull Metal JacketFull Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is an adaptation of the 1979 novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford and stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard and Adam Baldwin. The film follows a platoon of U.S...
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- It also appeared in the closing credits for the movie The Devil's AdvocateThe Devil's Advocate (film)The Devil's Advocate is a 1997 American horror film directed by Taylor Hackford starring Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino and Charlize Theron, and based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman....
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- A truncated version was used as the theme song to the CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
series Tour of DutyTour of Duty (TV series)Tour of Duty is an American drama television series on CBS. It ran for three seasons from September 1987 to April 1990 as 58 one–hour episodes. The show was created by Steve Duncan and L. Travis Clark, and produced by Zev Braun....
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- It is featured in the videogame Guitar Hero III: Legends of RockGuitar Hero III: Legends of RockGuitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall...
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- This is the theme song for the videogame Twisted Metal: BlackTwisted Metal: BlackTwisted Metal: Black is a vehicle combat video game developed by Incognito Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the fifth installment to the Twisted Metal series and was released June 18, 2001...
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- The song was sampled in mashup artist Girl TalkGirl Talk (musician)Gregg Michael Gillis , better known by his stage name Girl Talk, is an American musician specializing in mashups and digital sampling. Gillis has released five LPs on the record label Illegal Art and EPs on 333 and 12 Apostles....
's album All Day.
- During the 2011 Season, Cincinnati Reds first basemen Joey VottoJoey VottoJoseph Daniel "Joey" Votto, is a Canadian Major League Baseball first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He is the 2010 NL MVP, the recipient of the National League Hank Aaron Award for 2010, and won the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's athlete of the year in 2010.-Early life:Votto was born on...
used this as his at bat song.