Till the Next Goodbye
Encyclopedia
"Till the Next Goodbye" is a song by rock-and-roll band the Rolling Stones, featured on its 1974 album It's Only Rock 'n' Roll.
Credited to Mick Jagger
and Keith Richards
, and uncredited to Mick Taylor
, recording on "Till the Next Goodbye" began at Munich
's Musicland Studios
in November 1973. The song is a traditional ballad
from the Stones' middle period, with slight country music influences. It opens with an acoustic guitar
performance which leads into Jagger's performance. The lyrics deal with the "illicit meetings between two lovers";
The song's chorus is notable as the title is elongated into the phrase "Till the next time we say goodbye."
In his review of the song, Bill Janovitz
says, "In the mid-'70s, a 42nd Street
movie theater would have been a place of questionable repute and not a very romantic rendezvous. The lyric is unexpectedly complex; the point of view, Jagger as narrator, speaks to the mistress apologetically and with a guilty conscience... In one line on the bridge, Jagger manages to convey empathy, culpability, and frustration: 'I can't go on like this/Can you? Can you?' On paper it seems clear, the narrator is asking out of the relationship (paraphrasing): "I can't do this, can you?" But the way Jagger sings it, it sounds like he's asking, "You can't do this anymore, can you?" He's conveying a different meaning altogether, almost as if he is playing both parts in one line."
Recording continued at Jagger's home in Newbury
with the use of the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
and finished at Island Recording Studios in London
. Jagger, Richards and Mick Taylor
each perform acoustic guitar for the piece. Taylor also contributes electric slide guitar
to the recording. Nicky Hopkins
performs the song's piano. Bill Wyman
performs bass while Charlie Watts
performs drums.
An overlooked song from the Stones canon of work, "Till the Next Goodbye" has never been performed live by the Stones and is not included on any compilation albums.
Credited to 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...
, and uncredited to Mick Taylor
Mick Taylor
Michael Kevin "Mick" Taylor is an English musician, best known as a former member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and The Rolling Stones...
, recording on "Till the Next Goodbye" began at Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
's Musicland Studios
Musicland Studios
Musicland Studios was a recording studio located in Munich, Germany. It was established by Italian record producer, songwriter and performer Giorgio Moroder in the late 1960s...
in November 1973. The song is a traditional ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
from the Stones' middle period, with slight country music influences. It opens with an acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An 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...
performance which leads into Jagger's performance. The lyrics deal with the "illicit meetings between two lovers";
The song's chorus is notable as the title is elongated into the phrase "Till the next time we say goodbye."
In his review of the song, Bill Janovitz
Bill Janovitz
Bill Janovitz is best known as the singer and guitarist of the alternative rock band Buffalo Tom.-History:After enrolling at the University of Massachusetts, Janovitz formed Buffalo Tom with fellow students Chris Colbourn and Tom Maginnis. A friendship with J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr...
says, "In the mid-'70s, a 42nd Street
42nd Street (Manhattan)
42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway at Times Square. It is also the name of the region of the theater district near that intersection...
movie theater would have been a place of questionable repute and not a very romantic rendezvous. The lyric is unexpectedly complex; the point of view, Jagger as narrator, speaks to the mistress apologetically and with a guilty conscience... In one line on the bridge, Jagger manages to convey empathy, culpability, and frustration: 'I can't go on like this/Can you? Can you?' On paper it seems clear, the narrator is asking out of the relationship (paraphrasing): "I can't do this, can you?" But the way Jagger sings it, it sounds like he's asking, "You can't do this anymore, can you?" He's conveying a different meaning altogether, almost as if he is playing both parts in one line."
Recording continued at Jagger's home in Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
with the use of the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
Rolling Stones Mobile Studio
The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio is a mobile recording studio owned by the musical group the Rolling Stones. Numerous bands and artists have recorded music using it, including Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Lou Reed, Bob Marley, Horslips, Fleetwood Mac, Bad Company, Status Quo, Iron Maiden, Mola Mola...
and finished at Island Recording Studios in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Jagger, Richards and Mick Taylor
Mick Taylor
Michael Kevin "Mick" Taylor is an English musician, best known as a former member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers and The Rolling Stones...
each perform acoustic guitar for the piece. Taylor also contributes electric slide guitar
Slide guitar
Slide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
to the recording. Nicky Hopkins
Nicky Hopkins
Nicholas Christian "Nicky" Hopkins was an English pianist and organist.He recorded and performed on noted British and American popular music recordings of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s as a session musician....
performs the song's piano. 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...
performs bass while 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:...
performs drums.
An overlooked song from the Stones canon of work, "Till the Next Goodbye" has never been performed live by the Stones and is not included on any compilation albums.