Ruby Tuesday (song)
Encyclopedia
"Ruby Tuesday" is a song recorded by The Rolling Stones
in 1966, released in January 1967. The song, coupled with "Let's Spend the Night Together
", was a number-one hit in the United States and reached number three in the United Kingdom.
played recorder
and piano, and the double bass
was played jointly by bassist Bill Wyman
(pressing the strings against the fingerboard) and Keith Richards
(bowing the strings).
According to Keith Richards in a 1971 Rolling Stone
interview, he wrote the song in a Los Angeles hotel room in early 1966 about a groupie
he knew; he has also stated that it was about Linda Keith, his girlfriend in the mid-1960s. The song's lyrics concern an apparently free-spirited woman, with Jagger singing, "Who could hang a name on you?/When you change with every new day/Still I'm gonna miss you."
"That's a wonderful song," Mick Jagger
told Jann Wenner
in 1995. "It's just a nice melody, really. And a lovely lyric. Neither of which I wrote, but I always enjoy singing it." Bill Wyman
states in Rolling with the Stones that the song was completely written by Keith Richards. However, Marianne Faithfull
recalls it differently; according to her, Brian Jones
presented an early version of this melody to the rest of the Rolling Stones. According to Victor Bockris
, Richards came up with the basic track and the words and finished the song with Jones in the studio.
According to Keith Richards autobiography, Life
, the song was written about his then girlfriend Linda Keith. Linda had taken up with Jimi Hendrix
, and had got involved with drugs. She left Keith, and he tried to get her back. He eventually went to her parents and told them she was going down a dark path. Linda's father went to New York to collect her, and by order of court she was grounded. Richards reports that Keith regarded this as a betrayal, and they did not speak again for many years. According to Richards's autobiography, Keith survived, brought up a family, and now lives in New Orleans.
Rolling Stone
magazine ranked the song #303 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song title was the source of the restaurant chain of the same name
.
This was released on two consecutively released US albums: Between the Buttons
and Flowers. A concert rendition of the song from the Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour
was released on the band's 1991 concert album
Flashpoint
. All post-2002 ABKCO reissues of the studio version of "Ruby Tuesday" on CD are missing a vocal overdub in the chorus except for 2007's Rolled Gold +
.
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
in 1966, released in January 1967. The song, coupled with "Let's Spend the Night Together
Let's Spend the Night Together
"Let's Spend the Night Together" is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and originally released as a single by The Rolling Stones in 1967...
", was a number-one hit in the United States and reached number three in the United Kingdom.
Music and inspiration
Multi-instrumentalist Brian JonesBrian Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
played recorder
Recorder
The recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
and piano, and the double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
was played jointly by bassist Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
(pressing the strings against the fingerboard) and Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
(bowing the strings).
According to Keith Richards in a 1971 Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
interview, he wrote the song in a Los Angeles hotel room in early 1966 about a groupie
Groupie
A groupie is a person who seeks emotional and sexual intimacy with a musician or other celebrity. "Groupie" is derived from group in reference to a musical group, but the word is also used in a more general sense, especially in casual conversation....
he knew; he has also stated that it was about Linda Keith, his girlfriend in the mid-1960s. The song's lyrics concern an apparently free-spirited woman, with Jagger singing, "Who could hang a name on you?/When you change with every new day/Still I'm gonna miss you."
"That's a wonderful song," Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
told Jann Wenner
Jann Wenner
Jann Simon Wenner is the co-founder and publisher of the music and politics biweekly Rolling Stone, as well as the owner of Men's Journal and Us Weekly magazines.-Childhood:...
in 1995. "It's just a nice melody, really. And a lovely lyric. Neither of which I wrote, but I always enjoy singing it." Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
states in Rolling with the Stones that the song was completely written by Keith Richards. However, Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
recalls it differently; according to her, Brian Jones
Brian Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
presented an early version of this melody to the rest of the Rolling Stones. According to Victor Bockris
Victor Bockris
Victor Bockris is an English-born, U.S.-based author, primarily of biographies of artists, writers, and musicians.He has written about Lou Reed , Andy Warhol, Keith Richards, William S. Burroughs, Terry Southern, Blondie, Patti Smith, and Muhammad Ali...
, Richards came up with the basic track and the words and finished the song with Jones in the studio.
According to Keith Richards autobiography, Life
Life (book)
Life is a memoir by The Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, written with the assistance of journalist James Fox. Published in October 2010, in hardback, audio and e-book formats, the book chronicles Richards' love of music, charting influences from his mother and maternal grandfather, through...
, the song was written about his then girlfriend Linda Keith. Linda had taken up with Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, and had got involved with drugs. She left Keith, and he tried to get her back. He eventually went to her parents and told them she was going down a dark path. Linda's father went to New York to collect her, and by order of court she was grounded. Richards reports that Keith regarded this as a betrayal, and they did not speak again for many years. According to Richards's autobiography, Keith survived, brought up a family, and now lives in New Orleans.
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine ranked the song #303 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song title was the source of the restaurant chain of the same name
Ruby Tuesday (restaurant)
Ruby Tuesday is an American casual dining restaurant chain named after the Rolling Stones' song of the same name.- History :The first restaurant was founded in 1972 by five University of Tennessee students, and is now headquartered in Maryville, Tennessee. The first location was adjacent to UT's...
.
This was released on two consecutively released US albums: Between the Buttons
Between the Buttons
- American release:In the US, the album was released by London Records on February 11, 1967 . "Let's Spend the Night Together" and "Ruby Tuesday" were slotted onto the album while "Back Street Girl" and "Please Go Home" were removed ...
and Flowers. A concert rendition of the song from the Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour
Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour
The Rolling Stones' Steel Wheels Tour was a concert tour which was launched in North America in August 1989 to promote the band's album Steel Wheels; it continued to Japan in February 1990, with ten shows at the Tokyo Dome. The European leg of the tour, which featured a different stage and logo,...
was released on the band's 1991 concert album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
Flashpoint
Flashpoint (album)
Flashpoint is a live album by British rock band The Rolling Stones. It was released in 1991, having been recorded throughout 1989 and 1990 on the mammoth Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour...
. All post-2002 ABKCO reissues of the studio version of "Ruby Tuesday" on CD are missing a vocal overdub in the chorus except for 2007's Rolled Gold +
Rolled Gold: The Very Best of the Rolling Stones
Rolled Gold: The Very Best of the Rolling Stones is a compilation album by The Rolling Stones released without the band's authorisation by its former label Decca Records in 1975...
.
Notable cover versions
- Rotary ConnectionRotary ConnectionRotary Connection was an American psychedelic soul band, formed in Chicago in 1966. The highly experimental band was the idea of Marshall Chess, son of Chess Records founder Leonard Chess. Marshall was the director behind a start-up label, Cadet Concept Records, and wanted to focus on music outside...
's rendition, with Minnie RipertonMinnie RipertonMinnie Julia Riperton was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You". She was married to songwriter and music producer Richard Rudolph from 1972 until her death in the summer of 1979. They had two children - music engineer Marc Rudolph and actress/comedienne Maya...
on vocals, appeared on their eponymous 1967 debut albumRotary Connection (album)Rotary Connection is the eponymous debut album by the American psychedelic soul music group of the same name. The album includes several cover songs by The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, The Lovin' Spoonful, and Sam & Dave.-Track listing:...
. - Melanie SafkaMelanie SafkaMelanie Anne Safka-Schekeryk is an American singer-songwriter. Known professionally as simply Melanie, she is best known for her hits "Brand New Key", "Ruby Tuesday" and "Lay Down ".-Early career:...
covered the song on her 1970 album Candles in the RainCandles In The RainCandles in the Rain is singer Melanie's third album, released in 1970. The album produced Melanie's first Top Ten single in North America, "Lay Down ", which was inspired by the crowd's reaction to her performance at Woodstock...
; her version was a UK Top Ten hit that year. She recorded a second cover version on her 1978 album Ballroom StreetsBallroom StreetsBallroom Streets is a 1978 double album released by Melanie. The album is essentially a live album but recorded in the studio with a small audience. It mixed new recordings of old songs with some new songs. When first issued on CD in 1989, it did not contain "Holding Out", "Any Guy", "Groundhog...
. - NazarethNazareth (band)Nazareth is a Scottish hard rock band, founded in 1968, that had several hits in the UK in the early 1970s, and established an international audience with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog. Perhaps their best-known hit single was a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts", in 1975...
included a cover of the song on their 1984 album The CatchThe Catch (album)The Catch was a 1984 album by the Scottish hard rock band Nazareth.-Track listing:- 30th anniversary bonus tracks:-Band members:* Pete Agnew - bass guitar, guitar* Manny Charlton - guitar* Dan McCafferty - vocals* Darrell Sweet - drums...
. - "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
covered this and 11 other Rolling Stones songs in his polka medley, "The Hot Rocks Polka". - Julian LennonJulian LennonJohn Charles Julian Lennon is an English musician, songwriter, actor, and photographer. He is the son of John Lennon and Lennon's first wife, Cynthia Powell. Beatles manager Brian Epstein was his godfather. He has a younger half-brother, Sean Lennon. Lennon was named after his paternal...
's rendering of the song was featured on the 1989 compilation entitled Music from the Award Winning Show: The Wonder Years, a soundtrack for The Wonder YearsThe Wonder YearsThe Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. It ran for six seasons on ABC from 1988 through 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988 after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII....
TV series. - Rod StewartRod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
recorded a cover of the song, which was later included on his 1993 compilation album Lead VocalistLead Vocalist (album)Lead Vocalist is a compilation album released by Rod Stewart on February 22, 1993 . It was released by Warner Bros. Records in the UK and Germany , but was never released in the US...
. - A snippet of the song is often sung by BonoBonoPaul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
along with "Sympathy for the DevilSympathy for the Devil"Sympathy for the Devil" is a song by The Rolling Stones which first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1968 album Beggars Banquet. It was written by Mick Jagger credited to Jagger/Richards...
" during performances of "BadBad (U2 song)"Bad" is a song by rock band U2 and the seventh track from their 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire. A song about heroin addiction, it is considered a fan favourite, and is one of U2's most frequently performed songs in concert....
" at U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
concerts. An example of this is in the U2 documentary/concert footage film Rattle and HumRattle and HumRattle and Hum is the sixth studio album by rock band U2 and companion rockumentary directed by Phil Joanou, both released in 1988. The film and the album feature live recordings, covers, and new songs...
from 1988. - The CorrsThe CorrsThe Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim .The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the...
performed the song with Ronnie Wood on their 2002 VH1 Live in DublinVH1 Presents: The Corrs, Live in DublinVH1 Presents: The Corrs, Live In Dublin is an album which is a live performance performed by the Irish celtic folk-rock band, The Corrs in Dublin, Ireland who are accompanied by the Irish Film Orchestra. The Corrs have performed previous released songs with a slight remix into it...
album and also included it on their 2006 greatest hits album Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs CollectionDreams: The Ultimate Corrs CollectionDreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection is a compilation album by Irish band The Corrs, released on 20 November 2006.-Track listing:#"Goodbye" – 3:45...
. - Franco BattiatoFranco BattiatoFrancesco Battiato is an Italian singer-songwriter, composer, filmmaker and, under the pseudonym Süphan Barzani, also a painter. Battiato's songs contain esoteric, philosophical and religious themes...
's cover of "Ruby Tuesday", originally released on Fleurs, is prominently featured in the 2006 film Children of MenChildren of MenChildren of Men is a 2006 science fiction film loosely adapted from P. D. James's 1992 novel The Children of Men, directed by Alfonso Cuarón. In 2027, two decades of human infertility have left society on the brink of collapse. Illegal immigrants seek sanctuary in England, where the last...
. - Katey SagalKatey SagalCatherine Louise "Katey" Sagal is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She first achieved widespread fame as Peggy Bundy on the long-running Fox comedy series Married.....
, who portrays Gemma Teller MorrowGemma Teller MorrowGemma Teller Morrow is a fictional character on the FX television series Sons of Anarchy, played by Katey Sagal. Gemma is the wife of Clay Morrow, widow of John Teller, and mother of Jax Teller...
on the FX drama Sons of AnarchySons of AnarchySons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
, recorded a cover of the song for the show's second EP, Shelter. - Lacey BrownLacey BrownLacey Elizabeth Brown is an American singer-songwriter and artist from Amarillo, Texas, who was the twelfth place finalist on the ninth season of American Idol...
covered the song during the ninth season of American IdolAmerican IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
during the The Rolling StonesThe Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
theme week. Although her performance was praised, she was eliminated on the week's results show. Her full-length recording of the song was available for purchase as "Ruby Tuesday (American Idol Studio Version) - Single" on the iTunes Store during the season's run. - Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine make significant reference to the song in their 1991 single "After The WatershedAfter the Watershed (Early Learning the Hard Way)"After the Watershed" is a single by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, released in 1991, and was not featured on any original album by the band, only on compilations later on. Legal complications arose following the release of the song, as The Rolling Stones took a dim view of the use of the...
". - Marianne Faithful on the 1994 album Symphonic Music of The Rolling Stones by the London Symphony OrchestraLondon Symphony OrchestraThe London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
. - The Gayeblades covered the song on a split 7" for Norton Records Rolling Stones series.
- Crosby Stills & Nash performed a cover of "Ruby Tuesday" on 31 August 2010, during their performance at the Bethel Woods Center for the ArtsBethel Woods Center for the ArtsThe Bethel Woods Center for the Arts is a not-for-profit performing arts center and museum located at the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival in Bethel, New York which took place on a parcel of the original Max Yasgur's Dairy Farm....
(The original Woodstock site in Sullivan County, New York). - GotthardGotthard (band)Gotthard is a Swiss hard rock/heavy metal band founded in Lugano by Steve Lee and Leo Leoni. Their last eleven albums have all reached number 1 in the Swiss album charts, making them one of the most successful Swiss acts ever....
made a cover of this song for their 2002 album One Life One SoulOne Life One SoulOne Life One Soul, additionally subtitled Best Of Ballads, is the first compilation album released by the hard rock band Gotthard. As the title indicates, the album consists only of ballads from Gotthard's studio albums from the albums Gotthard to Homerun, along with new songs and covers.-Track...
. - Sylvie VartanSylvie VartanSylvie Vartan is a French singer. She was one of the first rock girls in France. Vartan was the most productive and active of the yé-yé style artists, considered as the toughest-sounding of those. Her performance often featured elaborate show-dance choreography. She made many appearances on French...
sings "Ruby Tuesday" on her 2007 album Nouvelle Vague. - Scorpions covered song on their 2011 album ComeblackComeblackComeblack is the nineteenth studio album by German heavy metal band Scorpions.The album is composed half of their own classics' re-recorded versions and half cover versions of 60s' and early 70s' popular rock songs. It was announced on 3 October 2011, with a planned release date of 4 November...
.