People Got to Be Free

Protest Songs/Message Music: Part 2

Today's first protest song comes from one of our favorite roots rock bands Creedence Clearwater Revival, known for their dedication to homegrown American music. Released in September 1969, CCR released "Fortunate Son," a double A-sided single with "Down on the Corner," and first reached #14 on the US chart the week before Billboard changed its methodology on double-sided hits. Eventually, this track and its reverse side combined peaked at #3 by the end of the year, and ["Fortunate Son"] has since been ranked #99 on Rolling Stones' list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time."  This roots/blues rock song was popular during the Vietnam War and is included in several Vietnam films and video games. Written and produced by lead singer John Fogerty, it is the perspective of a man who is being drafted who is not "fortunate" enough to be the son of a Senator or a millionaire. Featured on The Ed Sullivan Show, here's an excellent live performance that sounds just like the recording! 

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Before the dissolution of The Beatles, John Lennon and Yoko Ono formed a conceptual supergroup in 1969 called the Plastic Ono Band with various members including Eric Clapton (guitarist on the left in this clip), artist Klaus Voormann, future Yes drummer Alan White, and The Who's drummer Keith Moon, among others.Written by Lennon and recorded during his 'Bed-In' honeymoon, "Give Peace a Chance" was released in July of 1969 as his first solo single while still a member of The Beatles. Peaking at #2 in the UK and #14 in the US, this song quickly became the anthem of the anti-Vietnam War movement, and is one of Lennon's most famous songs to be included on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's list of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. Credited to the Plastic Ono Band (an identity to describe works by Lennon and Ono and anyone else who happened to be performing with them), here's a live performance in Toronto in '69, which supposedly gave Lennon the confidence to tell the other Beatles a few days later that he was leaving the band.

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Often referred to as the "British Bob Dylan," Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan covered this next protest song in the mid-60s. Originally written and recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie in 1964, "Universal Soldier" didn't gain much attention until the budding folk singer Donovan recorded his version and released it as a single in August of 1965, reaching #5 on the UK charts. Sainte-Marie said this folk song was about "individual responsibility for war and how the old feudal thinking kills us all." Since, this tune has been recorded by several other artists including The Highwaymen, Glen Campbell, Joan Baez, and Phil Ochs, as well as several foreign singers. Performing before a captive audience, here's Donovan's version of the consummate anti-war song.

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We'll conclude today's post with an upbeat one by American blue-eyed soul group The Rascals (initially know as The Young Rascals). Becoming a big hit in the turbulent summer of 1968, "People Got to Be Free" spent five weeks at #1 in the US, as well as reaching #14 on the Billboard Black Singles chart, and eventually sold 4 million copies. Written by group members Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, this horn-punctuated plea for tolerance and freedom struck a particular chord in the wake of the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr and Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. After the release of this song, The Rascals refused to tour on segregated bills, and if an African American act was not included at their concerts, the group would cancel several shows in protest. With Cavaliere on lead vocals and rock organ, here's another dynamic live performance by The Rascals in 1969.

England Swings

Once again, blog posting has come to a halt as my free evenings have been spent tuned into the Olympics on TV! The amazing athleticism aside, I've really enjoyed seeing footage from around London and I'm reminded what a fun and beautiful city it is. I had the privilege of visiting London four summers ago and I still can't wait to go back someday. 
During the 1960s, "Swinging London" was a catch-all term that applied to the fashion and cultural scene that flourished in this city, and of course music of the "British Invasion" (from America's perspective) was well underway.
Anyway, I thought I'd do a quick post with songs about London, as these tunes have been playing through my head as I've watchd the Olympics (if you were hoping this post was going to be all about the British Invasion, you'll just have to check out those previous posts here).

The song that presents the most stereotypical picture of England at this time was "England Swings (Like a Pendulum Do)" by American country singer Roger Miller. Written by Miller and released as a single in 1965, this catchy, little ditty reached #3 on the country chart, #8 on the US pop chart,  and #13 in the UK.  If you're interested in seeing this song get a go-go booted makeover, there's a funny version by Patty Duke here. Anyway, looks like I'll be hearing "Bobbies, two by two" in my head the next time I watch the Olympics. Sorry, no live performance footage of this song.

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Released in late 1965, this next song comes from Donovan's second album, Fairytale, where he developed his British folk sound. His "Sunny Goodge Street" foreshadows the jazzy feel and descriptions of life in urban London, which Donovan would explore further in the following years.
And what do ya know, Goodge Street is an actual location in Central London around the corner from the British Museum, as pictured in this tube station signage. So here's some nice live footage with that soothing voice of the Scottish singer-songwriter doing what he does best.

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 This next "London" tune is classic one that you rarely hear on the oldies radio stations these days (maybe only on Sirius XM). From Los Angeles, The Rose Garden was an American folk rock musical group that formed in 1967. Although very short-lived, they did enjoy one hit single with "Next Plane to London," which reached #17 on the US Billboard chart at the end of '67. Complete with pleasant lead vocals by Diana DeRose, here's another wonderful tune from this bygone era of Sunshine Pop! 

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And of course, it's kind of silly to have a post with songs about London and not include London's anthem. We all know I love "Waterloo Sunset" by The Kinks so much that it was already featured it in it's own post last summer (if you missed it, check out the details here). And since it's that good, I'll post it again here. This time, I'll use a video that includes photos of those lovely sites around this marvelous city. From the 1967 album Something Else by The Kinks (one of my favorites in my record collection), here's that good ol' "Waterloo Sunset."

Groovin'

Flower Power: Part 7 (Final)
One of the ultimate Flower Power songs would be The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love," but since that love anthem was already featured here, we'll take a look at another Beatles' song, a classic of psychedelia. Written mainly by John Lennon (credited to Lennon/McCartney), "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" comes from biggest-selling album of the 1960s, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. After its release at the beginning of the Summer of Love in June 1967, the BBC banned this song suspecting its title was referencing drugs (LSD), however, Lennon always denied that claim. Lennon's son, Julian, had inspired the song with a drawing of his school-friend Lucy, floating "in the sky with diamonds." The lyrics are a surreal and lavish daydream, accompanied by a complicated arrangement featuring a tamboura (stringed instrument) played by George Harrison, and a counter melody on organ by McCartney. In 1974, Elton John released a cover version of this tune (discreetly featuring John Lennon on backup vocals and guitar), and it is the only Beatles cover song to reach #1 on the Billboard chart. From The Beatles' 1968 animated feature film Yellow Submarine, here's "Lucy in the Sky with Diamond."

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Next up, this light-hearted, groovy tune comes from the classic American folk duo, Simon & Garfunkel. About the Queensboro Bridge in New York City, "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)" comes from their third album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme released in October 1966, which reached #4 on the album charts and is considered on of the greatest albums of all time (I even recently purchased it at a used record store!). Written by Paul Simon and featuring musicians from the Dave Brubeck Quartet, the message of this folk rock song is delivered right in the first verse of the song: "Slow down, you move too fast." A popular cover version was recorded by Harpers Bizarre the following year, making it into sunshine pop arrangement. From the Smothers Bros. Comedy Hour, here's Simon & Garfunkel, with a little "accompaniment" by Tommy and Dick Smothers.

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Known for venturing into a wide variety of musical genres, Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan was one of the first British pop musicians to adopt a flower power image. Influenced by US West Coast bands (like Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead), he recorded one of the first examples of psychedelia at Abbey Road Studios in January of 1966. Released later that summer in the U.S., "Sunshine Superman" was a psychedelic folk song that reached #1 on the US Billboard charts (#2 in the UK), selling over 800,000 copies in just the first six weeks, eventually earning a gold disc. Written for his future wife, Donovan's lyrics mention two DC Comics superheroes, Green Lantern in addition to Superman. The eclectic arrangement was quite innovative with the prominent use of the harpsichord and sitar, combined with a funky, conga-like back-beat. Described as " the quintessential bright summer sing along," here's a Donovan classic.

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And for our final band of Flower Power Month, it's American blue-eyed soul group from New Jersey, The Young Rascals. These guys found themselves with one of their biggest hits at the beginning of the Summer of Love when "Groovin'" spend four weeks at #1 on the charts in May of '67, earning a certified gold record by June. Written by group members Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati with lead vocals by Cavaliere, this classic tune is a slow, relaxed groove and has become one of the group's signature songs. Based on Cavaliere's newfound interest in Afro-Cuban music, the instrumentation features a conga, harmonica, and a Cuban-style bass line. Resulting in a different sound from The Rascals' white-soul origins, the head of their record label originally did not the song released, however, the song (and the group) proved to have crossover appeal when "Groovin'" hit #3 on the Billboard Black Songs chart. Considered one of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll (by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), it is also a recipient of a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. Great tune, but to be honest, as a kid, I always misheard the line, "life would be ecstasy, you and me endlessly" as "you and me and Lesley!" (wait, who the heck is Lesley?).

 

If you enjoyed Flower Power Week, be sure to revisit some past posts featuring other Flower Power-type songs such as The Turtles' "Happy Together", The Mamas & The Papas' "California Dreamin'" and The Byrds' "Turn! Turn! Turn!" both featured here, and Procol Harum' "A Whiter Shade of Pale".

Folk For A Day

After mentioning folk singer Joan Baez in the recent Patriotic post, I realized I should devote a day to some of the other folk folks of the 1960s. This post is definitely on the mellow side but folk music was very significant to this decade as a social, cultural, and political force.

American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan was first introduced during Folk Rock Week at The '60s Beat, when he "went electric" and influenced the sound of the '60s, even impacting the music of The Beatles. With a recording career spanning fifty years, he has explored various genres including folk, blues, country, gospel, rock 'n roll, rockabilly, even English, Scottish, and Irish folk music. Before he became known for his political, social, philosophical, and literary influence, Dylan's humble beginnings were that of a young (Jewish) folk musician from Minnesota, initially inspired by the songs of Woody Guthrie and Hank Williams, and the performance style of Buddy Holly. Released in August 1963, "Blowin' In The Wind" was described as a protest song, although it raises several questions about peace, war, and freedom, and since has been ranked #15 of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. With a voice sometimes as surprising as his lyrics, Dylan would go on to become one of the most influential figures (musically and culturally) of the 20th century. Here's a great quality, live performance in 1963.

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Interestingly, Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind" was covered by another folk group and released just three weeks before his, however, this version became an international hit (listen here). The American folk-singing trio, Peter, Paul & Mary, were one of the biggest musical acts of the 1960s. After auditioning for manager Albert Grossman in 1961, Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers were chosen from the New York folk scene, becoming a successful and beloved group that helped revive folk music in America (which had been forced underground by McCarthyism in the late '50s). As folk music goes hand-in-hand with promoting peace, they performed "The Hammer Song" at the 1963 March on Washington, best remembered for Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. As "Blowin' In The Wind" was one of their biggest hits, they sang other Dylan songs like "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," which aided in the popularity of his second album. I'm sure you were expecting to hear one of their biggest hits, but I really love the group's rendition of this folk beauty. Initially released by the trio in 1963, here's a live performance of "Don't Think Twice" in Sydney while on their Australian tour in the late '60s.

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Described as one of the most important female recording artists of the rock era, Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell was known for her distinctive voice and unique guitar style, as well as complex piano arrangements further into her career. First achieving fame as a songwriter in New York, then as singer with her debut album in 1968, she finally settled in Southern California (introduced to the L.A. music scene by David Crosby of The Byrds) and played a significant part in the development of rock folk. Her success really took off in the early 1970s, beginning with a Grammy Award win for Best Folk Performance for her album Clouds in March 1970, the first of many wins over the years. The following month, Mitchell's next album featured the folk rock tune "Big Yellow Taxi," a big hit in her native Canada that has since been voted #9 on CBC's list of the 50 essential Canadian tracks. Known for its environmental concern, this song is one of the most identifiable of Mitchell's music.

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One of Joni Mitchell's most famous songs was made famous by fellow folk musician Judy Collins. An American singer and songwriter, Collins was inspired by the folk music revival in the early 1960s and began her career in the Greenwich Village folk music scene in New York City as well. She is known for recording a wide variety of other genres including folk, show tunes, pop, rock 'n' roll, and standards, as well as for her social activism (like most folk singers of the time). After signing with a record label in 1961 at the age of 22, Collins has continued a steady career of recording and performing, still touring today. Written by Joni Mitchell, Collins released "Both Sides Now" in 1968, which reached #8 on the Billboard charts and won her a Grammy Award for Best Folk Performance of that year. It has since become her signature song and is ranked among those 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. I was unable to find a live performance of this song from the '60s, so here's Judy Collins performing this beauty with the Boston Pops in 1976.

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And we'll conclude with good 'ol Donovan, one of the leading British recording artists of his day who produced a series of hit singles and albums between 1965 and 1970. The Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist is remembered for having developed a distinctive style, mixing folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic, and world music together. Since we've explored some of those "evolved sounds of Donovan" in past posts, we'll go back to his roots with his early folk sound, a time when he was even referred to as the "British Bob Dylan." Released in 1965, "Catch the Wind" was his first single, reaching #4 on the UK charts and #23 in the US. The single version featured Donovan's voice with an echo and strings, while the song was re-recorded for his first album without the vocal echo and string section. Here's a live performance of classic Donovan on the American TV show Shindig!.

I'm Into Something Good

British Invasion: Part 4
Continuing with this theme for another fun week, a group that was extremely successful during the British Invasion was Herman's Hermits, a beat band from Manchester. Forming in 1963 and fronted by the 15-year old lead singer Peter Noone ("Herman") who was already an experienced actor in a British soap opera, the group actually rivaled The Beatles on the charts and was the top-selling act of 1965. With their clean-cut, non-threatening image, the band had a string of hits including "I'm into Something Good," which reached the #1 position on the UK charts in September 1964. Written by the Gerry Goffin and Carole King (Brill Building songwriters), this song was arranged by Hermit's guitarist Derek Leckenby and was their debut single. Considering that Peter Noone had a certain similarity to a certain US president (JFK), Herman's Hermits aimed several of their songs for the US fan base that never saw release in the UK. What a fun bunch of lads!

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From North London, another beat group that formed in 1963 was The Honeycombs. Unlike any group we're seen so far, this band actually had a female drummer, Honey Lantree, and the group's name was actually a pun on her name and her job as a hairdresser's assistant. The Honeycombs are best known for their debut single, "Have I the Right?," released in June 1964, which went on to sell two million copies worldwide and became their biggest hit. Known for its prominent drum beat, the sound was enhanced by the band's members stomping their feet on wooden chairs in the studio. Although the group was considered a one-hit wonder in the US, with Dennis D'Ell's strong lead vocal and Honey on drums, they remain a distinguished group from the Invasion.

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Also forming in 1963, The Fortunes were an English harmony beat group from Birmingham, who hit their big break in 1965 with a succession of hits that continued into the 1970'. In the summer of '65, the group received international acclaim after their fifth single release with "You've Got Your Troubles," breaking into the Top-1o charts in both the UK and US. Later in the '60s, The Fortunes were also the voices for Coca-Cola advertisements, including a version of the classic "Things Go Better With Coke" and the new "It's the Real Thing" slogan in 1969. This live performance comes from the NME Poll Winners Concert (NME being New Musical Express, a popular music magazine in Britain), which was an awards event that featured artists voted most popular. Lead singer and bassist Rod Allen definitely has a great quality to his voice, though his look is not at all what I pictured (sorry about the poor sound on the video).

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We'll conclude today with Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan, a "regular" around here at The 60's Beat. Coming out of the British folk scene, Donovan came to fame in early 1965 after a series of live performances on the pop TV show Ready Steady Go! in the UK, and with record producer Mickie Most (who also produced Herman's Hermits and The Animals), Donovan had several hit albums and singles throughout the rest of the 60's. Released in October of 1966, "Mellow Yellow" reached #2 on the US charts, selling over a million copies, and has since become his signature song. Although this song is sometimes mistaken for a Beatles song, Donovan was in fact friends with The Beatles (he even taught John Lennon and Paul McCartney his finger-picking guitar style) and Paul was actually one of the "partiers" heard in the recording. Despite the untrue rumor that this song was about smoking dried banana peels, it remains a classic example of 1960's fun.

For What It's Worth

Folk Rock Week: Part 2
Deeper into the roots and legacy of folk rock, the amount of subgenres that have formed out of the initial genre of the 1960's is impressive. Some of these subgenres include Celtic rock, electric folk, folk metal, folk punk, Medieval folk rock, psychedelic folk, Indie folk, and so on. Realizing that going into any further detail about these could take all day, I'm just going to jump back into the classic folk rock of the 1960's.

Released as a single in January 1967, "For What It's Worth" is a great folk rock song by the American group Buffalo Springfield, and is another classic tune listed in Rolling Stones' 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Although the band only lasted for about two years, Buffalo Springfield was the springboard for the future careers of its members, Neil Young and Stephen Stills (both in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young), and Richie Furay and Jim Messina (in Poco). During the turbulent times of the Vietnam War, this song quickly became known as a protest-song, however, its writer, Stephen Stills, wrote it as a reaction to the riots of the young club-goers on Hollywood's Sunset Strip at that time (the same inspiration for The Monkees' "Daily Nightly"), e.i. "Stop, children, what's that sound?" As introduced by Peter Tork (Stills' roommate!), this is Buffalo Springfield's live performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in May 1967. EDITED 1/23/12: Rats, this video has been removed from YouTube, yet again! Here's a different performance from the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1967:


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Known as the "quintessential folk rock release," the American folk duo, Simon and Garfunkel, was propelled into 1960's popularity with "The Sound of Silence" from September 1965. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel were close childhood friends from Queens, New York, and first found their success as a singing duo in the Greenwich Village folk music scene (along with musicians Stephen Stills and Peter Tork). Written by Paul Simon in the aftermath of President Kennedy's assassination, it was originally recorded in 1964 with just the acoustic guitar and the haunting vocal harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel, but it wasn't until months later, after hearing the release of Bob Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone," an electric rock band was overdubbed to create the song's new folk rock sound. Also included in that list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, here's another wonderful live performance "The Sound of Silence" from that same Monterey Pop Festival in 1967.

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Next up is yet another group that has their founding roots in New York's Greenwich Village folk music scene as well before moving to L.A. (definitely the place to be for the folkies in the 1960's!). Written by John and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas, their 1967 autobiographical, folk rock hit, "Creeque Alley," describes the story of how the group formed. The song's lyrics directly mentions several musicians who were at the music scene with them, including the group's own Cass Elliot and lead singer Denny Doherty (formerly of The Mugwumps), plus John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky (of The Lovin' Spoonful), Jim McGuinn (of The Byrds), and Barry McGuire (known for the song "Eve of Destruction"). Now hearing this song with these musicians' names in mind will make a lot more sense! Although the group had generally "left the folk music behind" by the mid-60's, this is a fun homage to the roots of the beloved vocal group.

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In the late 1960's, Scottish folk singer-songwriter Donovan (Leitch) was influential in the development of Celtic rock, one of those subgenres of folk rock that combines traditional Celtic instruments, as well as traditional vocal styles, in a rock band setting. In about 1968, the initially folk rock Donovan stripped his sound back from his pop and psychedelic explorations, dubbing this new sound Celtic rock. Based on a poem by author Lewis Caroll (Alice in Wonderland), "Jabberwocky" comes from his children's album HMS Donovan, and it is a wonderful, haunting gem from this genre.



Alright, so I've branched out a bit with a subgenre of folk rock, but more classic folk rock tunes are already queued up for the next post!

The Not-So-Usual Suspects

Psychedelic Week: Part 2
As you may have noticed, psychedelic music mainly emerged from the folk-rock and blues-rock bands of the 60's, which bridged the transition to eventual genres like progressive rock, glam rock, hard rock, and influenced sub-genres like heavy metal. However, psychedelic rock also had an impact on mainstream pop and rock, leading to groups who you wouldn't expect to produce some psychedelic sounds as well.

A group influential in developing the music style of psychedelic rock was the American rock band, The Byrds, with their March 1966 single, "Eight Miles High." From Los Angeles, the group initially founded the genre of folk rock by combining the influence of the British Invasion bands with contemporary and traditional folk music. Later into the 1960's, The Byrds became significant in other genres such as raga rock (East Indian influence) and country rock, in addition to psychedelic, making them one of the most influential bands of the 1960's.

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As a kid, a psychedelic pop song I loved listening to on my parents' record player was, "Crimson and Clover," by American rock 'n' roll group, Tommy James and the Shondells. Wanting to change the direction of the group's sound, singer-songwriter/guitarist Tommy James and drummer Peter Lucia Jr. wrote this single and released it in November of '68. The song uses a cool tremolo effect on the guitar that vibrates in time with the song's rhythm, and at the end of the song, they use the same vibrating effect on Tommy's vocal part, "crimson and clover, over and over..." This performance comes from the Ed Sullivan Show in January 1969, one week before the single reached #1 on the charts. By the way, does anyone else find Tommy a little creepy in this performance?


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Initially a folk-rock musician, Scottish singer-songwriter, Donovan, was also influenced by the sounds of U.S. West Coast bands (like Jefferson Airplane), which led him to develop a unique style that combined folk, pop, jazz, psychedelia, and world music. After Donovan's first psychedelic record, Sunshine Superman, became an American chart breakthrough in 1966, Donovan released the psychedelic/folk/acid rock song, "Hurdy Gurdy Man," in May of '68. He wanted to reach a wider audience in the U.S. where hard-rock artists (like Jimi Hendrix) were becoming quite popular, and as hoped, it became one of Donovan's biggest hits. On many of Donovan's recordings, he used session guitarist, Jimmy Page (later, of Led Zeppelin), though it's uncertain which guitarist is on this recording. Using a similar tremolo effect on the vocal part like "Crimson and Clover," "Hurdy Gurdy Man" is a harder rock sound than Donovan's previous music, using a variety of distorted guitars.

-------------------------------------------------------As you will eventually come to find out, I have a soft spot for the American band, The Monkees. Originally created for a zany TV show in 1966 and only allowed to sing on their first two albums, The Monkees fought "the system" and earned the right to write, record, produce, and play their own music. Singer-songwriter Michael Nesmith wrote a poem (full of psychedelic imagery) about the riots in '67 on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, and then set it to music as "Daily Nightly." This song features a Moog synthesizer and comes from The Monkees' fourth album, which was one of the first rock/pop albums to pioneer the use of this new synthesizer. Also one of the first to own this instrument, singer/drummer Micky Dolenz actually had no idea how to play the synthesizer, however, he makes wonderfully creative use of its psychedelic sound in this song, as heard in this video from their (normally in color) TV show. The first time my husband heard this song, he asked if it was Jefferson Airplane. Apparently, Grace Slick and Micky Dolenz have a similar quality to their voices (see last post with the video of "White Rabbit").
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Typically a folk rock/sunshine pop band, the American vocal group, The Mamas and The Papas, also ventured into psychedelic territory in the late 60's. Released in May 1968, the group became more experimental with their album The Papas and the Mamas, especially with the Jimi Hendrix-like guitar sound in "Gemini Childe," as well as the more down-beat, darker sound in the song "Mansions" (posted below). Still with their signature sound of four-part vocal harmonies arranged by the band's songwriter, John Phillips, the group recorded "Mansion" in the home of John and his wife, Michelle (also a founding member of the group). Until today, I actually had never heard this haunting song before; I know, what kind of Mamas and Papas fan am I?

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And now to finally end this post, it's The Rolling Stones performing, "Paint It, Black" on the Ed Sullivan. Another written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and released in May 1966, this psychedelic/raga rock song was a new direction for the normally rock 'n' roll/bluesy rock group. Also on the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, it was the first #1 single to feature a sitar, which was played by the multi-instrumentalist of the group, Brian Jones. Influenced by the use of the sitar in The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood," Brian taught himself to play the Eastern instrument after a visit with the sitar-playing Beatle, George Harrison. Definitely a favorite Stones song of mine.