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"Beast of Burden" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, featured on their 1978 album Some Girls. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song No. 435 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".
"Beast of Burden" | ||||
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![]() Cover of the 1978 US single | ||||
Single by the Rolling Stones | ||||
from the album Some Girls | ||||
B-side | "When the Whip Comes Down" | |||
Released | 28 August 1978 | (US)|||
Recorded |
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Genre | ||||
Length |
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Label | Rolling Stones | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jagger–Richards | |||
Producer(s) | The Glimmer Twins | |||
The Rolling Stones singles chronology | ||||
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Some Girls track listing | ||||
10 tracks
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Background
editA "beast of burden" is an animal, usually domesticated, that labours for the benefit of man, such as an ox or horse. The music and some lyrics were primarily written by Keith Richards. In the liner notes to the 1993 compilation disc Jump Back, Richards said "Beast of Burden" "was another one where Mick (Jagger) just filled in the verses. With the Stones, you take a long song, play it and see if there are any takers. Sometimes, they ignore it; sometimes, they grab it and record it. After all the faster numbers of Some Girls, everybody settled down and enjoyed the slow one."
In those same notes, Jagger says, "Lyrically, this wasn't particularly heartfelt in a personal way. It's a soul-begging song, an attitude song. It was one of those where you get one melodic lick, break it down and work it up; there are two parts here which are basically the same." The song can be seen as allegorical, with Richards saying in 2003, "When I returned to the fold after closing down the laboratory [referring to his drug problems throughout the 1970s], I came back into the studio with Mick ... to say, 'Thanks, man, for shouldering the burden' - that's why I wrote 'Beast of Burden' for him, I realise in retrospect."
"Beast of Burden" was recorded between October and December 1977. Although some of the original lyrics were written before the Stones entered the studio, a lot of the verses were improvised by Jagger during the sessions to match the smooth guitar riffs created by Richards and Ronnie Wood. Characteristically, Richards and Wood trade off rolling, fluid licks. Neither of them is playing lead or rhythm guitar exclusively, as they both complement each other by alternating between high and low harmony lines. By then, they had made a habit of slipping in and out of playing lead and rhythm, resulting in a cohesive sound greater than the sum of its parts. The song is another Some Girls song that features each band member playing his respective instrument without any outside performers; both Richards and Wood play acoustic and electric guitars, with Wood performing the solo.[2] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Michael Gallucci said of Charlie Watts' drumming that "he locks into a groove immediately after the great opening guitar riff, giving the mid-tempo song a worthy backbeat to carry it through to the end," also saying that it is a "typically subtle, but absolutely brilliant, performance."[4]
Personnel
edit- Mick Jagger – lead and backing vocals
- Keith Richards – electric guitar, backing vocals
- Ronnie Wood – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
- Bill Wyman – bass guitar
- Charlie Watts – drums
Release and aftermath
editThe song was released as the second single off the album. Billboard praised its "seductive lyrics" and "catchy r&b flavor."[5] Cash Box said it is "a slow but perky ballad" with "tasty guitar licks."[6] Record World said it "should be equally endearing to both their new and old audiences" as "Miss You."[7]
It charted at No. 8 in the US. A live version was recorded during their 1981 American Tour and was released as a B-side to "Going to a Go-Go", as well as being reissued on Rarities 1971-2003 in 2005. Another live version was recorded during their 2002-2003 Licks Tour, which was released on Live Licks. The single edit of "Beast of Burden" was included on the compilation albums Sucking in the Seventies, Rewind (1971–1984), Jump Back, Forty Licks and GRRR! A 5:20 version of the song with extra lyrics circulates among collectors.[8] It was taken from the eight-track mix of Some Girls, which features significant differences from all other versions of the album. The song was featured in the 1983 film Christine.
Charts
editChart (1978) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 8 |
US Cash Box | 7 |
Certifications
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA)[9] | 3× Platinum | 210,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[10] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Bette Midler version
edit"Beast of Burden" | ||||
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Single by Bette Midler | ||||
from the album No Frills | ||||
B-side | "Come Back, Jimmy Dean" | |||
Released | February 10, 1984 | |||
Recorded | 1983 | |||
Genre | Hard rock, new wave | |||
Length | 3:48 | |||
Label | Atlantic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jagger/Richards | |||
Producer(s) | Chuck Plotkin, Brock Walsh, Danny Goldberg | |||
Bette Midler singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Beast of Burden" on YouTube |
In 1984, the song was covered by Bette Midler. Her version, which reached No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100, modified several lines of lyric (for example, changing "Pretty, pretty, girls" to "my little sister is a pretty, pretty girl"). The track appeared on Midler's No Frills album.
Cash Box said that "Midler appropriately switches from sensitive to sassy vocal delivery" and that "the production is faithful to the original."[11]
A music video was created for this version of the song. It started with Bette Midler and Mick Jagger having a conversation in her dressing room before they both came out and performed the song together on stage. Towards the end of the song, someone throws a cream pie at Jagger, and Midler laughs until she is hit with a pie herself. The video concludes with a picture of them both covered in pie, which appears in a newspaper with the headline "Just desserts."
Track listing
edit7" Single
- Beast of Burden 3:48
- Come Back, Jimmy Dean 3:51
Charts
editWeekly charts
editChart (1984) | Peak position |
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Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] | 12 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] | 15 |
Germany (Official German Charts)[14] | 15 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] | 10 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] | 11 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] | 4 |
Norway (VG-lista)[18] | 2 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[19] | 2 |
US Billboard Hot 100[20] | 71 |
Year-end charts
editChart (1984) | Position |
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Australia (Kent Music Report)[21] | 64 |
Notes
edit- ^ Mulholland, Garry (1 November 2006). "1978". Fear of Music: The 261 Greatest Albums Since Punk and Disco. Orion Publishing Group. pp. 41–42. ISBN 0752868314.
- ^ a b Janovitz, Bill. "Beast Of Burden - The Rolling Stones | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
- ^ "Top 100 Rolling Stones Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
- ^ Gallucci, Michael (24 August 2021). "Top 10 Charlie Watts Rolling Stones Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 9 September 1978. p. 66. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 9 September 1978. p. 20. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 9 September 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
- ^ "The Rolling Stones-Beast of Burden". YouTube. 17 March 2009. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "British single certifications – Rolling Stones – Beast of Burden". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ "Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 4 February 1984. p. 17. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 200. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Bette Midler – Beast of Burden" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "Bette Midler – Beast of Burden" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 14, 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "Bette Midler – Beast of Burden" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "Bette Midler – Beast of Burden". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "Bette Midler – Beast of Burden". VG-lista. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ "Bette Midler – Beast of Burden". Singles Top 100. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 571.
- ^ "Kent Music Report No 548 – 31 December 1984 > National Top 100 Singles for 1984". Kent Music Report. Retrieved 12 January 2022 – via Imgur.com.