The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter

The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter was created from the combined efforts of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Kieth Richards had been working on The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter (the film) signature opening in London while Mick Jagger was working on the film performance.

Gimme Shelter, the song, takes the form of a churning mid-tempo rocker.  It begins with a rhythm guitar intro by Richards, followed by Jagger’s lead vocal. On the recording of the The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter album, Jagger said in a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone, “Well, it’s a very rough, very violent era.  The Vietnam War.  Violence on the screens, pillage and burning.  And Vietnam was not war as we knew it in the conventional sense…”   On the song The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter itself, he concluded, “That’s a kind of end-of-the-world song, really.  It’s apocalypse; the whole record’s like that.”

The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter speaks of seeking shelter from a coming storm, painting a picture of devastation and social apocalypse while also talking of the power of love: “Oh, a storm is threat’ning, My very life today; If I don’t get some shelter, Oh yeah, I’m gonna fade away” and “War, children, it’s just a shot away, It’s just a shot away… Love, sister, it’s just a kiss away, It’s just a kiss away.”

The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter has a much higher-pitched second vocal track sung by guest vocalist Merry Clayton.  Of her inclusion, Jagger said in the 2003 book “The use of the female voice on The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter was the producer’s idea.  It would be one of those moments along the lines of  ‘I hear a girl on this track – get one on the phone.’ ” Clayton gives her solo performance, and one of Gimme Shelter’s most famous pieces, after a solo performed by Richards, repeatedly singing “Rape, murder; It’s just a shot away, It’s just a shot away,” and finally screaming the final stanza.  She and Jagger finish Gimme Shelter with the line, “Love, sister, it’s just a kiss away.”  To date it remains one of the most prominent contributions to a Rolling Stones track by a female vocalist.

At about 2:59 into The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter, Clayton’s voice cracks twice from the strain of her powerful singing; once during the second refrain, on the word “shot” from the last line, and then again during the first line of the third and final refrain, on the word “murder.”  At 3:02, Jagger is heard in the background saying “woo!” in apparent approval of Clayton’s effort.  Merry Clayton’s name was misspelled on the original release of The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter, appearing as ‘Mary’.

The recording of The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter took place at London’s Olympic Studios in February and March 1969.  Clayton’s piece was recorded at Los Angeles’ Sunset Sound and Elektra Studios in October and November of that same year.  Nicky Hopkins performed pianos for Gimme Shelter while The Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller provided percussion.  Charlie Watts performed drums while Bill Wyman performed bass.  Jagger performed harmonica for the piece and sang backup vocals with Richards and Clayton.  Brian Jones was absent from these sessions.  An unreleased version of The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter features only Richards providing vocals.

Although popular, The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter was never released as a single.

Gimme Shelter quickly became a staple of The Rolling Stones live show, and was first featured throughout The Rolling Stones 1969 American Tour.  The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter has been included on many compilation releases, including both Hot Rocks 1964–1971 and Forty Licks, and concert versions appear on the Rolling Stones albums No Security and Live Licks.

The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter was placed #38 on the list of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004.