Jagger–Richards
Songwriting partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
Larry Rogers · via Wikipedia: Jagger–Richards · CC BY-SA 2.0
Jagger–Richards (written as Jagger–Richard between 1963 and 1978) refers to the creative partnership of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, both born in 1943 and founding members of the Rolling Stones. This duo ranks among the most commercially and critically successful songwriting teams ever. Beyond composing, they have also produced or co-produced many Rolling Stones albums under the alias the Glimmer Twins.
Their first attempts at writing together are remembered differently by each. Both credit their manager, Andrew Loog Oldham, for pushing them to create original material after the band had relied on covers. Oldham felt there were too few obscure, high-quality songs left to cover. Richards recalls Oldham locking him and Jagger in a kitchen overnight with instructions not to leave without a song. They emerged with "As Tears Go By," which Richards notes was uncharacteristic of the Stones' usual sound but became a hit for Marianne Faithfull. Jagger, however, disputes the literal lock-in, saying Oldham’s suggestion was more mental than physical, and that one of their first efforts was "It Should Be You" for George Bean.
John Lennon believed he and Paul McCartney inspired Jagger and Richards to write. In 1963, Lennon and McCartney gave the Stones "I Wanna Be Your Man." Lennon later described how he and McCartney finished the song in front of Jagger and Richards, who were impressed by the speed and ease of the process. The first Jagger–Richards original to appear as a Rolling Stones A-side was "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)" from their debut album, released as a US single where it reached number 24. "Good Times, Bad Times" had earlier been a B-side. The first UK single with a Jagger–Richards A-side was "The Last Time" (February 1965), which hit number one in the UK and number nine in the US.
Though most songs are credited jointly, some were written solely by Jagger (e.g., "Sympathy for the Devil," "Brown Sugar") or solely by Richards (e.g., "Happy," "Ruby Tuesday," "Little T&A"). This mirrors the Lennon–McCartney practice of shared credits even for individual efforts. Jagger told Rolling Stone in 1995 that he believes it all balances out in the end. On June 26, 2013, the duo signed a publishing deal with BMG.
Very few others share co-credits with Jagger and Richards.
- Born
- Both born 1943
- Field
- Songwriting, music production
- Nationality
- English
- Known for
- Songwriting partnership for the Rolling Stones; production as the Glimmer Twins
Lore & Background
Jagger and Richards have different recollections about their first songwriting endeavours but both credit manager Andrew Loog Oldham as the catalyst for their collaboration. Richards agreed that Oldham pressed the pair to write songs after the duo had first emphasized other people's material; Oldham noted that there weren't that many obscure great songs out there for the band to cover. Richards recalled that Oldham locked them in a kitchen for a night and said, 'Don't come out without a song,' resulting in 'As Tears Go By'. Jagger remembered it differently, stating that Oldham may have said something about locking them in a room but did not literally do so, and that one of the first songs was 'It Should Be You' for George Bean.
According to John Lennon, he and Paul McCartney might have been instrumental in inspiring Jagger and Richards to start writing their own material. In 1963 Lennon and McCartney gave the Stones one of their compositions, 'I Wanna Be Your Man.' Lennon recalled that they finished the song in front of Jagger and Richards, which inspired them to write. The first original Jagger/Richards song to be released as the A-side of a Rolling Stones single was 'Tell Me (You're Coming Back)' from their debut album. The band's first UK single featuring an A-side Jagger/Richards original was 'The Last Time', released in February 1965, which went to number one in the UK and number nine in the US.
Although most Jagger/Richards compositions have been collaborations, some credited songs have been solo efforts from either Jagger (e.g., 'Sympathy for the Devil', 'Brown Sugar') or Richards (e.g., 'Happy', 'Ruby Tuesday', 'Little T&A'). Mick Jagger stated in a 1995 interview, 'I think in the end it all balances out.' On 26 June 2013, the duo signed a publishing agreement with BMG.
Reader's Guide
The partnership of Jagger and Richards has been described by Rolling Stone as the sixth greatest songwriter of all time. Rolling Stone considers the duo to have 'defined a rock song's essential components...and established a blueprint for future rockers to follow.' Their collaboration, comparable to Lennon–McCartney, produced numerous hits for the Rolling Stones and other artists. They also produced Rolling Stones albums under the pseudonym the Glimmer Twins, starting with It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (1974) and continuing through Still Life (1982), after which they shared production credit with other producers. Their legacy includes a vast catalog of songs and a lasting influence on rock music.
Did You Know?
- Jagger–Richards was spelled Jagger–Richard from 1963 to 1978.
- They adopted the nickname 'The Glimmer Twins' after a vacation cruise to Brazil in December 1968 – January 1969.
- The first original Jagger/Richards song released as an A-side Rolling Stones single was 'Tell Me (You're Coming Back)'.
- They signed a publishing agreement with BMG on 26 June 2013.
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