"19th Nervous Breakdown" is a song recorded by the English rock band

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

. Written by

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...

and Keith Richards, it was recorded in late 1965 and released as a single in February 1966. It reached number 2 on both the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and Britain's ''

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'' chart (subsequently the UK Singles Chart), while topping the charts compiled by ''

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'' and ''

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''.

Composition and recording

The song was written during the group's October–December 1965 tour of the United States and recorded at the conclusion of their fourth North American tour during the ''Aftermath'' album sessions, between 3 and 8 December 1965 at RCA Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. Jagger came up with the title first and then wrote the lyrics around it. The opening guitar figure is played by Keith Richards while in the verses

Brian Jones Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English musician and founder of the Rolling Stones. Initially a slide guitarist, he went on to sing backing vocals and played a wide variety of instruments on Rolling Stones r ...

plays a bass-note figure that derives from " Diddley Daddy" by

Bo Diddley Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist and singer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, including Buddy ...

, a major influence on the Rolling Stones' style. Here the riff is extended into a long blues chord progression behind lyrics similar to those of their previous UK single, " Get Off of My Cloud", and the verse alternates with a bridge theme. The track is also known for Bill Wyman's "dive-bombing"

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

line at the end. At almost four minutes' duration, it is long by the standards of the time. ''

'' described the single as a "pulsating, hard-driving fast-moving

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

y affair about a sensitive gal who lets her guy get him down." '' Record World'' called the lyrics "intriguing."

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon, except where noted: The Rolling Stones *

vocals * Keith Richards backing vocals, lead guitar, fuzz guitar *

rhythm guitar * Bill Wyman bass *

Charlie Watts Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who was the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021. Originally trained as a Graphic designer, graphic artist, Watts developed an interest i ...

drums Additional musician * Ian Stewart piano

Release

"19th Nervous Breakdown" was released as a single on 4 February 1966 in the UK and on 12 February 1966 in the US. Like many early Rolling Stones recordings, "19th Nervous Breakdown" has been officially released only in mono sound. A

stereo Stereophonic sound, commonly shortened to stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configurat ...

mix of the song has turned up in private and bootleg collections. An alternate version features a radically different vocal from Jagger, who alternates between mellow on the verses and rawer on the chorus. The Stones performed "19th Nervous Breakdown" live on ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the ''CB ...

'' on 11 September. "19th Nervous Breakdown" has further appeared on numerous Stones compilations, including '' Hot Rocks 1964–1971'' (1971), '' Singles Collection: The London Years'' (1989), '' Forty Licks'' (2002), and '' GRRR!'' (2012).

Commercial performance

In the UK, "19th Nervous Breakdown" reached number 2 on the ''

'' chart. The single topped the ''

'' Top 30 chart for three weeks in addition to the

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's '' Pick of the Pops'' charts. The single was the fifth best-selling single of 1966 in the UK, achieving greater full-year sales than both Nancy Sinatra's " These Boots Are Made for Walkin' and the Stones' own " Paint It Black". In the US, "19th Nervous Breakdown" peaked at number 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for three weeks, behind " The Ballad of the Green Berets" by SSgt Barry Sadler, and number 1 on the ''

'' Top 100.

Chart performance

References

Sources

* * {{authority control The Rolling Stones songs 1966 singles Decca Records singles London Records singles Cashbox number-one singles Number-one singles in Germany Songs written by Jagger–Richards Song recordings produced by Andrew Loog Oldham 1966 songs