Gimme Shelter

"Gimme Shelter" is a song by the rock and roll 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. They first played "Gimme Shelter" live in 1969 at Pop Go the Sixties. The song is often used in popular culture for movies and television especially if related to the '60s or the Vietnam War.

Inspiration and recording

Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Gimme Shelter" was created from the combined efforts of the singer and the guitarist. Richards had been working on the song's signature opening in London while Jagger was working on the film Performance. The song is a churning mid-tempo rocker and begins with a rhythm guitar intro by Richards, followed by Jagger's 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. 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 itself, he concluded, "That's a kind of end-of-the-world song, really. It's apocalypse; the whole record's like that."^[1]

The lyrics of the song speak 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

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

A higher-pitched second vocal track is 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.^[2]

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 "Yeah!" in response to Clayton's emotional delivery. Merry Clayton's name was misspelled on the original release, appearing as 'Mary'.

The song was recorded in London at Olympic Studios in February and March 1969; Clayton's contribution 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. An unreleased version features only Richards providing vocals.^[3]

Release

Although popular, "Gimme Shelter" was never released as a single. It quickly became a staple of their live show, first featuring throughout their 1969 American Tour. It 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.

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

Cover versions

"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 debut album Self Portrait, performed with George Clinton's Parliament, in 1969 (reissued on The Invictus Sessions in 2002)
• Original backing singer Merry Clayton recorded her own version in 1970, and it hit the Billboard Hot 100.
• Grand Funk Railroad on the album Survival in 1971; a #61 U.S. hit as a single
• Josefus for their album Dead Man.^[4]
• 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 Goo Goo Dolls on their 1989 album Jed
• The Inspiral Carpets in 1990
• John Mellencamp covered the song during his 2001 Cuttin' Heads tour.
• Meat Loaf covered the song during live shows in the 1980s with 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 featured in Cream Of The Crap Vol. 1, 2002
• Ashley Cleveland on her album You Are There, 1998
• Rio Reiser, German singer, sometimes performed the song on stage; a recording was released only posthumously on the album Am Piano 2, 1999
• Rock band The Accident Experiment on the maxi-single "Mind Death Machine"
• Legião Urbana, on their album Música P/ Acampamentos
• Turbonegro's cover was an unreleased song that ended up on there 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.
• Ann Wilson of Heart on her first solo album Hope and Glory
• Streetlab, techno remix, released 30 January 2007
• Patti Smith released the song as a single from her April 2007 cover album Twelve.^[5]
• 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 Black Eyed Peas members Fergie, singing Merry Clayton's vocal part, and will.i.am, playing piano and synthesizer.

"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)

Other appearances in popular culture

• "Gimme Shelter" is playable in the video game Rock Band.
• A portion of the song appeared in The Simpsons episode "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays".
• The song has become a signature theme in Martin Scorsese's gangster films, including Goodfellas, Casino, and The Departed.
• It is used as the entrance song for former Pride FC & UFC heavyweight champion Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
• In Layer Cake, it appears when Sienna Miller is stripping in Daniel Craig's hotel room.
• "Gimme Shelter" plays in the promo for When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions on the Discovery Channel.
• An episode of That 70's Show was named after the song.
• An instrumental cover version of the song appeared in the trailer for the 2006 film, Children of Men.
• The song was also played in the Entourage episode "The Abyss".
• Andrew Garcia performed the song on the Top 12 week of the ninth season of the popular U.S. TV series American Idol.
• The beginning of the song was used in the 1987 film Adventures in Babysitting.
• A portion of the song appears in the 1969 episode of RTÉ's Reeling in the Years.

Notes

External links

• Complete Official Lyrics

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The Rolling Stones singles discography Decca/London singles 1963: "Come On" / "I Want to Be Loved" · "I Wanna Be Your Man" / "Stoned" 1964: "Not Fade Away" / "Little by Little" (UK) · "Not Fade Away" / "I Wanna Be Your Man" (US) · "It's All Over Now" / "Good Times, Bad Times" · "Tell Me" / "I Just Want to Make Love to You" · "Time Is on My Side" / "Congratulations" · "Little Red Rooster" / "Off the Hook" · "Heart of Stone" / "What a Shame" 1965: "What a Shame" / "Heart of Stone" · "The Last Time" / "Play with Fire" · "Play with Fire" / "The Last Time" · "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" / "The Under-Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" (US) · "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" / "The Spider and the Fly" (UK) · "Get Off of My Cloud" / "I'm Free" (US) · "Get Off of My Cloud" / "The Singer Not the Song" (UK) · "As Tears Go By" / "Gotta Get Away" 1966: "19th Nervous Breakdown" / "As Tears Go By" (UK) · "19th Nervous Breakdown" / "Sad Day" (US) · "Paint It, Black" / "Stupid Girl" (US) · "Paint It, Black" / "Long Long While" (UK) · "Mother's Little Helper" / "Lady Jane" · "Lady Jane" / "Mother's Little Helper" · "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?" / "Who's Driving Your Plane" 1967: "Let's Spend the Night Together" / "Ruby Tuesday" · "Ruby Tuesday" / "Let's Spend the Night Together" · "We Love You" / "Dandelion" · "Dandelion" / "We Love You" · "In Another Land" / "The Lantern" · "She's a Rainbow" / "2000 Light Years from Home" 1968: "Jumpin' Jack Flash" / "Child of the Moon" · "Street Fighting Man" / "No Expectations" · 1969: "Honky Tonk Women" / "You Can't Always Get What You Want" Rolling Stones/Atlantic singles 1971: "Brown Sugar" / "Bitch" / "Let It Rock" (live) (UK) · "Brown Sugar" / "Bitch" (US) · "Wild Horses" / "Sway" · "Street Fighting Man" / "Surprise, Surprise" 1972: "Tumbling Dice" / "Sweet Black Angel" · "Happy" / "All Down the Line" 1973: "You Can't Always Get What You Want" / "Sad Day" · "Angie" / "Silver Train" · "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" / "Dancing with Mr. D" 1974: "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" / "Through the Lonely Nights" · "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" / "Dance Little Sister" 1975: "I Don't Know Why" / "Try a Little Harder" · "Out of Time" / "Jiving Sister Fanny" 1976: "Fool to Cry" / "Crazy Mama" · "Hot Stuff" / "Fool to Cry" Rolling Stones/Virgin singles 1978: "Miss You" / "Far Away Eyes" · "Beast of Burden" / "When the Whip Comes Down" · "Respectable" / "When the Whip Comes Down" · "Shattered" / "Everything Is Turning to Gold" 1980: "Emotional Rescue" / "Down in the Hole" · "She's So Cold" / "Send It to Me" 1981: "If I Was a Dancer (Dance Pt. 2)" / "If I Was a Dancer (Dance Pt. 2)" · "Start Me Up" / "No Use In Crying" · "Waiting on a Friend" / "Little T&A" · "Little T&A" / "Waiting on a Friend" 1982: "Hang Fire" / "Neighbours" · "Going to a Go-Go" (live) / "Beast of Burden" (live) · "Time Is on My Side" (live) / "Twenty Flight Rock" (live) 1983: "Undercover of the Night" / "All the Way Down" 1984: "She Was Hot" / "Think I'm Going Mad" · "Think I'm Going Mad" / "She Was Hot" · "Too Tough" / "Miss You" · "Brown Sugar" / "Bitch" · "Too Much Blood" / "Too Much Blood" 1986: "Harlem Shuffle" / "Had It With You" · "Winning Ugly" / "Winning Ugly" · "One Hit (To the Body)" / "Fight" 1989: "Mixed Emotions" / "Fancy Man Blues" · "Sad Sad Sad" / "Sad Sad Sad" · "Rock and a Hard Place" / "Cook Cook Blues" 1990: "Almost Hear You Sigh" / "Break the Spell" (US) · "Almost Hear You Sigh" / "Wish I'd Never Met You" (UK) · "Paint It, Black" / "Long Long While" · "Terrifying" / "Wish I'd Never Met You" 1991: "Highwire" / "2000 Light Years from Home" (live) · "Ruby Tuesday" (live) / "Play with Fire" (live) · "Sex Drive" / "Sex Drive" Virgin singles 1994: "Love Is Strong" / "The Storm" · "Love Is Strong" / "So Young" · "You Got Me Rocking" / "Jump On Top of Me" · "Out of Tears" / "I'm Gonna Drive" / "So Young" · "Out of Tears" / "I'm Gonna Drive" / "Sparks Will Fly" 1995: "Sparks Will Fly" / "Sparks Will Fly" · "I Go Wild" / (remixes) · "Like a Rolling Stone" (live) / "Black Limousine" / "All Down the Line" 1996: "Wild Horses" (live) / "Live with Me" (live) / "Tumbling Dice" (live) 1997: "Anybody Seen My Baby?" / (remixes) · "Flip the Switch" / "Flip the Switch" 1998: "Saint of Me" / "Gimme Shelter" / "Anyway You Look At It" · "Out of Control" / (remixes) · "Gimme Shelter" (live) / "Gimme Shelter" (live) 2002: "Don't Stop" / "Miss You" (remix) 2003: "Sympathy for the Devil" (remix) / (remixes) 2005: "Streets of Love" / "Rough Justice" · "Oh No, Not You Again" / "Oh No, Not You Again" · "Rain Fall Down" / (remixes) 2006: "Biggest Mistake" / "Dance Pt. 1" (live) / "Before They Make Me Run" 2007: "Paint It, Black" 2008: "Gimme Shelter" · "Sympathy for the Devil" · "She's a Rainbow" 2009: "Wild Horses" 2010: "Plundered My Soul" / "All Down the Line" Book:The Rolling Stones · Category:The Rolling Stones · Portal:The Rolling Stones  · WikiProject:The Rolling Stones