"It profits me but little that a vigilant authority always protects the tranquillity of my pleasures and constantly averts all dangers from my path, without my care or concern, if this same authority is the absolute master of my liberty and my life."

--Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

I Can't Get No... Sat-is-fac-tion

On June 12, 1965, the Rolling Stones released the hit that made them worldwide stars, "I Can't Get No Satisfaction."   In his autobiography, Keith Richards claims he wrote the song in his sleep.   The distinctive guitar sound came from a Gibson fuzzbox, which Richards says he used simply to create a demo that they would later substitute a horn section for.   That never happened, the record was released, and the rest is history.

Wherever it came from, this is arguably the greatest opening guitar hook to a rock song ever:




Here are the Stones playing "Satisfaction" on the Ed Sullivan show... they look a bit bemused.


No comments:

Post a Comment