I don't own a single Stones album. I know, sacrilege, right? Chalk it up to personal taste. They do have certain songs that I like, and today's feature is one.
"Paint it Black" was released in 1966 off their Aftermath album, and it went all the way to #1 both here and in the UK. The original intent was for this song to be slower and more soulful. During a studio session, organist Bill Wyman started experimenting with the tempo. He was joined by Charlie Watts on percussion, and the resulting creation was what was finally used.
Controversy did follow the launch of the single. It was released as "Paint It, Black". Were the Stones making a racial statement? Were they issuing a command to legions of secret followers? Gotta love the '60's. Keith Richards cleared the air stating that Decca, the record label, erroneously added the comma.
This is one of those songs with an unmistakable riff. That instrument you hear just above the din of guitars is a sitar. Richards said, "To get the right sound on 'Paint It Black' we found the sitar fitted perfectly. We tried a guitar but you can't bend it enough." Music critic, Richie Unterberger, declared that this, "qualifies as perhaps the most effective use of the Indian instrument in a rock song."
"Paint It Black" continues to be one of the band's signature songs and fan favorites, and it's still introducing new people to the Stones. One blog commenter stated, "First heard this song on Guitar Hero a few years ago but since then I've bought almost all their albums up to date and I still continue to listen to this song today. It's just awesome!"
*sigh*
Apart from the commentary that your first real introduction to the Stones was through a gaming console, I guess whatever works...
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