Gimme Shelter

This article is about the song by The Rolling Stones. For other uses, see Gimme Shelter (disambiguation).

"Gimme Shelter"
Song by The Rolling Stones from the album Let It Bleed
Released	5 December 1969
Recorded	23 February and 2 November 1969
Genre	Rock
Length	4:37
Label	Decca Records/ABKCO
Writer	Jagger/Richards
Producer	Jimmy Miller
Let It Bleed track listing
9 tracks Side one "Gimme Shelter" "Love in Vain" "Country Honk" "Live with Me" "Let It Bleed" Side two "Midnight Rambler" "You Got the Silver" "Monkey Man" "You Can't Always Get What You Want"
Audio sample file info · help

"Gimme Shelter" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones. It first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1969 album Let It Bleed. Although the first word was spelled "Gimmie" on that album, subsequent recordings by the band and other musicians have made "Gimme" the customary spelling. The Rolling Stones first played the song live on a TV special, Pop Go The Sixties, on 31 December 1969. Greil Marcus, writing in Rolling Stone, once said of it, "The Stones have never done anything better."

Inspiration and recording

"Gimme Shelter" was written by the Rolling Stones' lead vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, the band's primary songwriting team. Richards began working at the song's signature opening riff in London during the period when Jagger was away acting in the film Performance. As released, the churning mid-tempo rocker begins with Richards performing a brooding instrumental guitar intro, soon joined by Jagger's wailing harmonica and subsequent lead vocal. On the recording of the album, Jagger said in a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone,

"Well, it's a very rough, very violent era," said Richards. Vietnam War. "Violence on the screens, pillage and burning. And Vietnam was not war as we knew it in the conventional sense..." As for the song itself, he concluded, "That's a kind of end-of-the-world song, really. It's apocalypse; the whole record's like that."

Similarly, on NPR in 2012:

"It was a very moody piece about the world closing in on you a bit ... When it was recorded, early '69 or something, it was a time of war and tension, so that's reflected in this tune. It's still wheeled out when big storms happen, as they did the other week [during Hurricane Sandy]. It's been used a lot to evoke natural disaster."

As the song builds past its first verse, a higher-pitched second vocal part enters, sung by guest vocalist Merry Clayton. Of her inclusion, Jagger said in the 2003 book According to the Rolling Stones: "The use of the female voice 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 the song'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 the song 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 song, 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", after which Jagger can be heard saying "Woo!" in response to Clayton's emotional delivery. She suffered a miscarriage upon returning home, attributed by some sources to the strain involved in reaching the highest notes. Merry Clayton's name was erroneously written on the original release, appearing as 'Mary'.

The song was first recorded in London at Olympic Studios in February and March 1969; the version with Clayton was recorded in Los Angeles at Sunset Sound & Elektra Studios in October and November of that same year. Nicky Hopkins played piano; the Rolling Stones' producer Jimmy Miller played percussion; Charlie Watts played drums; Bill Wyman played bass; Jagger played harmonica and sang backup vocals with Richards and Clayton. Guitarist Brian Jones was absent from these sessions, Richards being credited with both rhythm and lead guitars on the album sleeve. An unreleased version features only Richards providing vocals, while an extended remix version has also been created by British DJ Danny Howells using isolated tracks ripped from the Rock Band video game, it features the bass much more in the forefront of the mix and the original unfaded outro.

Release

"Gimme Shelter" was never released as a single. It quickly became a staple of their live show, first performed during their 1969 American Tour. It has since been included on many compilation releases, including Hot Rocks 1964–1971, Forty Licks and GRRR!, and concert versions appear on the Rolling Stones' albums No Security and Live Licks.

The song appears in the 2010 official DVD release of the 1972 Rolling Stones tour film, Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones. In their 2012 50th anniversary tour, the Rolling Stones sang this song with Mary J. Blige, Florence Welch and Lady Gaga.

Music video

Michel Gondry, an Academy Award-winning French filmmaker, directed a music video for the song, which was released in 1998. The video features the late Brad Renfro, who plays a young man escaping with his brother first from a dysfunctional home, and then from society as a whole.

Personnel

• Mick Jagger - vocals, harmonica
• Keith Richards - guitars, backing vocals
• Bill Wyman - bass
• Charlie Watts - drums
• Nicky Hopkins - piano
• Jimmy Miller - percussion
• Merry Clayton - vocals

Accolades

"Gimme Shelter" was placed at #38 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004. Pitchfork Media placed it at number 12 on its list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s".

Movies and TV

The 1970 documentary film Gimme Shelter, directed by Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin, chronicling the last weeks of the Stones' 1969 US tour and culminating in the disastrous Altamont Free Concert, took its name from the song. A live version of the song played over the credits.

The song was played in a commercial for the American Red Cross' "Play Your Part" public service advertising campaign in 1989. This particualr commercial featured popular music artists such as Carly Simon, Branford Marsalis, and Randy Travis providing service in an effort to attract more young people to serve.

Martin Scorsese has used the song as a signature theme in his crime films Goodfellas (1990), Casino (1995) and The Departed (2006), though not in his documentary Shine a Light (2008) about the Stones.

It was also used in the films Adventures in Babysitting (1987), Air America (1990), The Fan (1996) and Layer Cake (2004).

The song was used in a commercial for the game Call of Duty: Black Ops and during the end of the second season of Entourage.

The song was used on The Simpsons episode Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays, in a scene parodying Woodstock.

The song was used in the fifth episode in the second season of Showtime series Dexter.

The song was also used in a Heineken beer commercial featuring Brad Pitt in 2008.

The song is also used in the 2012 Robert Zemeckis film Flight as well as its trailer, and the ending of the 33rd Person of Interest episode titled "Shadow Box".

Gimme Some Damn Shelter is also the title of a 2012 drama film, starring Vanessa Hudgens.

The song was used in a February, 2013 episode of The Daily Show spoofing the Scorsese uses of the song in a news segment by Jason Jones "exposing" the underground maple syrup criminal organization in Quebec, Canada.

Cover versions

"Gimme Shelter"
Single by Grand Funk Railroad
from the album Survival
Released	1971
Recorded	1971
Genre	Hard rock, heavy metal
Length	6:29
Label	Capitol
Writer(s)	Jagger/Richards
Producer	Terry Knight
Grand Funk Railroad singles chronology
"Feelin' Alright" (1971) "Gimme Shelter" (1971) "People, Let's Stop the War" (1971)

"Gimme Shelter"
Single by Patti Smith
from the album Twelve
Released	2007
Format	Digital download
Recorded	2007
Genre	Rock
Length	4:32
Label	Columbia
Writer(s)	Jagger/Richards
Producer	Patti Smith
Patti Smith singles chronology
"Jubilee" (2004) "Gimme Shelter" (2007)

• Ruth Copeland on her first album Self Portrait, performed with George Clinton's Parliament, in 1969 (reissued on The Invictus Sessions in 2002)
• The original backing singer, Merry Clayton, recorded her own version in 1970 which entered the Billboard Hot 100.
• Grand Funk Railroad on the album Survival in 1971; a #61 U.S. hit as a single
• A cover version appeared in 1972 on the LP "Maxayn" by the group Maxayn, released on CD in 2012.
• Josefus for their album Dead Man.
• The Sisters of Mercy in 1983, on the B-side of their single "Temple of Love" (released on the album Some Girls Wander by Mistake in 1992).
• The Divine Horsemen, a Los Angeles post-punk band, included a note-perfect cover on their 1987 album Middle of the Night, with co-lead singer Julie Christensen doing a spooky take on Merry Clayton's wailing.
• The Inspiral Carpets in a John Peel Session in 1989.
• The Goo Goo Dolls on their 1989 album Jed
• Metric pay tribute to the song in their track "Gimme Sympathy" on their 2009 album Fantasies.
• John Mellencamp covered the song during his 2001 Cuttin' Heads tour.
• Meat Loaf covered the song during live shows in the 1980s with the vocalist Leslie Aday (aka 'Leslie Loaf') duetting Merry Clayton's parts opposite her husband
• Holy Soldier, a 1980s Christian metal band from Los Angeles, California, on the album Last Train in 1992
• Hawkwind, studio album It Is the Business of the Future to Be Dangerous, 1993
• Michael Hedges, album Strings on Steel, 1993
• Thunder on their album Their Finest Hour (And A Bit) released in October 1995
• The Hellacopters released a cover in 1997 on their 7" "Like No Other Man" released 1998, also included in Cream Of The Crap Vol. 1, 2002
• Ashley Cleveland on her album You Are There, 1998
• Rio Reiser, a German singer, sometimes performed the song on stage; a recording was released only posthumously on the album Am Piano 2, 1999
• Legião Urbana, on their album Música P/ Acampamentos
• Kathy Mattea covered the song on her 2005 album "Right Out of Nowhere."
• Turbonegro's cover was an unreleased song that ended up on their rarity collection Small Feces.
• The London Symphony Orchestra on the album Symphonic Music of The Rolling Stones. This version of the song is heard in the Children of Men (2006) trailer.
• Streetlab, techno remix, released 30 January 2007
• Patti Smith released the song as a single from her April 2007 covers album Twelve.
• Keith Urban and Alicia Keys at Live Earth at Giants Stadium on July 7, 2007
• Angélique Kidjo and Joss Stone covered the song for Kidjo's album Djin Djin and performed it live at the Live Earth concert in Jonnesburg, South Africa on July 7, 2007
• Stereophonics released a cover version as the B-side to "My Friends" in December 2007
• Sheryl Crow incorporated elements of "Gimme Shelter" into live performances of her song "Gasoline", which appeared in its original form on the album Detours.
• Paul Brady & The Forest Rangers covered the song for the final episode of season 2 of Sons of Anarchy. This version is available on the 5-song EP Sons of Anarchy: Shelter.
• U2 covered the song at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame benefit concert on October 30, 2009, with Mick Jagger sharing lead vocals with Bono and featuring The Black Eyed Peas members Fergie, singing Merry Clayton's vocal part, and will.i.am, playing piano and synthesizer.
• Zeds Dead released a Dubstep version on YouTube.
• Playing for Change made a music video rendition of "Gimme Shelter" which is dedicated to all the lost, homeless and forgotten people in this world.
• Puddle of Mudd covered the song on their 2011 cover album Re:(disc)overed.

"Putting Our House in Order" project

In 1993, a Food Records project collected various versions of the track by the following bands and collaborations, the proceeds of which went to the Shelter charity's "Putting Our House in Order" homeless initiative. The versions were issued across various formats, and had a live version of the song by The Rolling Stones as a common lead track to ensure chart eligibility.

"Gimme Shelter" (pop version - cassette single)

• Voice of the Beehive and Jimmy Somerville
• Heaven 17 and Hannah Jones

"Gimme Shelter" (alternative version - CD single)

• New Model Army and Tom Jones
• Cud and Sandie Shaw
• Kingmaker

"Gimme Shelter" (rock version - CD single)

• Thunder
• Little Angels
• Hawkwind and Samantha Fox

"Gimme Shelter" (dance version - 12" single)

• 808 State and Robert Owens
• Pop Will Eat Itself vs Gary Clail vs Ranking Roger vs The Mighty Diamonds vs The On U Sound System
• Blue Pearl (produced and mixed by Utah Saints)

External links

• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics