"Honky Tonk Women" is a song 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 ...

. It was released as a non-album single in July 1969 in the United Kingdom, and a week later in the United States (a country version called "Country Honk" was later included on the album ''

Let It Bleed ''Let It Bleed'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 28 November 1969 by London Records in the United States and on 5 December 1969 by Decca Records in the United Kingdom. Released during the ba ...

''). It topped the charts in both nations. The song was on ''Rolling Stone''s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list and was inducted into the

Grammy Hall of Fame The Grammy Hall of Fame is a hall of fame to honor musical recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of ...

Inspiration and recording

The song was 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 Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...

while on holiday in Brazil from late December 1968 to early January 1969, inspired by Brazilian "

caipira Caipiras ( in Caipira dialect) are the traditional population of the Brazilian state of São Paulo. Later, with the expansion of São Paulo's influence to other regions of the country, other states also had Caipiras in their localities, like Go ...

s" (inhabitants of rural, remote areas of parts of Brazil) at the ranch where Jagger and Richards were staying in

Matão Matão is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. As of 2020, the town had an estimated population of 83,626 and a population density of 146.3 persons per km2. The total area the city is . Matão sits at an elevation of . The municipal ...

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

. Two versions of the song were recorded by the band: the familiar hit which appeared on the 45 single and their collection of late 1960s singles, '' Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)'', and a honky-tonk version entitled "Country Honk" with slightly different lyrics, which appeared on ''

'' (1969). Thematically, a "honky tonk woman" refers to a dancing girl in a western bar; the setting for the narrative in the first verse of the rock-and-roll version is

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...

: "I met a gin soaked bar-room queen in Memphis", while "Country Honk" sets the first verse in

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city sits on the Pearl River (Mississippi–Louisiana), Pearl River and is locate ...

: "I'm sittin' in a bar, tipplin' a jar in Jackson". The band initially recorded the track called "Country Honk" in London in early March 1969.

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 ...

was present during these sessions and may have played on the first handful of takes and demos. It was his last recording session with the band. The song was transformed into the familiar electric, riff-based hit single "Honky Tonk Women" sometime in the spring of 1969, prior to

Mick Taylor Michael Kevin Taylor (born 17 January 1949) is an English guitarist, best known as a former member of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (1967–1969) and the Rolling Stones (1969–1974). As a member of the Stones, h ...

joining the group. In an interview in the magazine ''

Crawdaddy! ''Crawdaddy'' was an American rock music magazine launched in 1966. It was created by Paul Williams, a Swarthmore College student at the time, in response to the increasing sophistication and cultural influence of popular music. The magazine w ...

'', Richards credits Taylor for influencing the track: "... the song was originally written as a real

Hank Williams Hiram "Hank" Williams (September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. An early pioneer of country music, he is regarded as one of the most significant and influential musicians of the 20th century. W ...

Jimmie Rodgers James Charles Rodgers ( – ) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Country Music", he is best known for his di ...

/1930s country song. And it got turned around to this ''other'' thing by Mick Taylor, who got into a completely different feel, throwing it off the wall another way." However, in 1979 Taylor recalled it this way: "I definitely added something to Honky Tonk Women, but it was more or less complete by the time I arrived and did my overdubs." "Honky Tonk Women" is distinctive as it opens not with a guitar riff but with a beat played on a

cowbell A cowbell (or cow bell) is a bell (instrument), bell worn around the neck of free-roaming livestock so herders can keep track of an animal via the sound of the bell when the animal is grazing out of view in hilly landscapes or vast plains. ...

by producer

Jimmy Miller Jimmy Miller (March 23, 1942 – October 22, 1994) was an American record producer and musician. While he produced albums for dozens of different bands and artists, he is known primarily for his work with several key musical acts of the 1960s ...

. The concert rendition of "Honky Tonk Women" on '' Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!'' (1970) differs significantly from the studio hit, with a markedly dissimilar guitar introduction and the first appearance on vinyl of an entirely different second verse.

Release

The single was released in the UK the day after the death of founding member

, with "

You Can't Always Get What You Want "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1969 album '' Let It Bleed''. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by ''Rolling Sto ...

" as the single's

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph record, vinyl records and Compact cassette, cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a Single (music), single usually ...

. The picture sleeve was designed by

John Kosh John Kosh, known simply as Kosh, is an English art director, album cover designer, graphic artist, and documentary producer/director. He was born in London, England and rose to prominence in the mid-1960s while designing for the Royal Ballet a ...

and photographed by

Ethan Russell Ethan Allen Russell (born November 26, 1945, in Mount Kisco, New York) is an American photographer, author and video director, mostly of musicians. He is known as "the only rock photographer to have shot album covers for The Beatles, The Rolli ...

. In the UK, the song remained on the charts for seventeen weeks, peaking at number one for five weeks. It remains the band's last single to reach number one in their home country. The song also topped the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for four weeks from 23 August 1969. It was later released on the compilation album '' Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)'' in September. ''Billboard'' ranked it as the No. 4 song overall for 1969. At the time of its release, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' magazine hailed "Honky Tonk Women" as "likely the strongest three minutes of rock and roll yet released in 1969". ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' said it was "the Rolling Stones at their funky best." It was ranked number 116 on the list of ''Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in April 2010. The song was later put into the track listing for the video game ''

Band Hero ''Band Hero'' is a 2009 rhythm game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. It is the second Spin-off (media), spin-off of the ''Guitar Hero'' series, following ''DJ Hero'' (2009). The game was released on November 3, 2009, for the P ...

''. In 2014, the song was inducted into the

Releases on compilation albums and live recordings

The single version of "Honky Tonk Women" appears on the following Rolling Stones compilation albums: * '' Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)'' (1969) * ''

Gimme Shelter "Gimme Shelter" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Jagger–Richards, it is the opening track of the band's 1969 album '' Let It Bleed''. The song covers the brutal realities of war, including murder, rape and f ...

'' (1971) * ''

Hot Rocks 1964–1971 ''Hot Rocks 1964–1971'' is a compilation album by the Rolling Stones released by London Records in December 1971. It became the Rolling Stones' best-selling release of their career and an enduring and popular retrospective. The album includes ...

'' (1971) * '' Rolled Gold: The Very Best of the Rolling Stones'' (1975) * ''30 Greatest Hits'' (1977) * '' Solid Rock'' (1980) * '' Story of The Stones'' (1982) * '' Singles Collection: The London Years'' (1989) * ''

Forty Licks ''Forty Licks'' is a double compilation album by the Rolling Stones. A 40-year career-spanning retrospective, ''Forty Licks'' is notable for being the first retrospective to combine their formative Decca/London era of the 1960s, now licensed b ...

'' (2002) * ''

Singles 1968–1971 ''Singles 1968–1971'' is a box set compilation of singles by the Rolling Stones spanning the years 1968 to 1971. Released in 2005 by ABKCO Records, who license the Rolling Stones' 1963–1970 recorded works, ''Singles 1968–1971'' was t ...

'' (2005) * ''

GRRR! ''GRRR!'' is a greatest hits album by the Rolling Stones. Released on 12 November 2012, it commemorates the band's 50th anniversary. The album features two new songs titled " Doom and Gloom" and " One More Shot", which were recorded in August ...

'' (2012) * ''

The Rolling Stones in Mono ''The Rolling Stones in Mono'' is a box set by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released by ABKCO Records in September 2016. It contains most of the group's British and American studio albums and other recordings from the 1960s in mon ...

'' (2016) Concert versions of "Honky Tonk Women" are included on the albums '' Live'r Than You'll Ever Be'' (1969), '' 'Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!''' (recorded 1969, released 1970), ''

Love You Live ''Love You Live'' is a double live album by the Rolling Stones, released in 1977. It is drawn from Tour of the Americas shows in the US in the summer of 1975, Tour of Europe shows in 1976 and performances from the El Mocambo nightclub concer ...

'' (recorded 1976, released 1977), '' Live Licks'' (recorded 2003, released 2004), '' Brussels Affair (Live 1973) '' (recorded 1973, released 2011), '' Hampton Coliseum (Live 1981)'' (recorded 1981, released 2012), '' L.A. Friday (Live 1975)'' (recorded 1975, released 2012), ''

Live at the Tokyo Dome ''Live at the Tokyo Dome'' is a live album by the Rolling Stones, released in 2012. It was recorded at the Tokyo Dome in Japan in 1990. The album was released exclusively as a digital download through Google Music on 10 July 2012, and subseq ...

'' (recorded 1990, released 2012), ''

Live at Leeds ''Live at Leeds'' is the first live album by the English rock music, rock band the Who, recorded at the University of Leeds Refectory on 14 February 1970 and released on 11 May 1970, by Decca Records, Decca and MCA Records, MCA in the United St ...

'' (recorded 1982, released 2012), ''

Hyde Park Live ''Hyde Park Live'' is a live album by the Rolling Stones, released in 2013. It was recorded at Hyde Park, London on 6 and 13 July 2013 during the band's 50 and Counting Tour. The album was released exclusively as a digital download through ...

'' (2013), ''

Sticky Fingers ''Sticky Fingers'' is the ninth studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was released on 23 April 1971 on the Rolling Stones' new label, Rolling Stones Records. The Rolling Stones had been contracted by Decca Records an ...

'' (Deluxe and Super Deluxe editions) (recorded 1971, released 2015), '' Totally Stripped'' (recorded 1995, released 2016), and '' Havana Moon'' (2016). The song has appeared in numerous Stones concert films and boxed sets, including '' Stones in the Park'', '' Some Girls: Live in Texas '78'', ''

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 by the Rolling Stones as a double A-sided single together with " Ruby Tuesday" in January 1967. It also appears as the opening track ...

'', ''

Stones at the Max ''Rolling Stones: Live at the Max'', or simply ''Stones at the Max'', is a concert film by the Rolling Stones released in 1991. It was specially filmed in IMAX during the Urban Jungle Tour in Europe in 1990. It was the first concert movie shot ...

'', '' Voodoo Lounge Live'', '' Bridges to Babylon Tour '97–98'', ''

Four Flicks ''Four Flicks'' is a concert DVD collection by British rock band the Rolling Stones, filmed during the band's Licks World Tour in 2002–2003. The collection was released exclusively through Best Buy on 11 November 2003, which caused other reta ...

'', ''

The Biggest Bang ''The Biggest Bang'' is a four-disc concert DVD collection released by the Rolling Stones. The collection documents several shows from the band's 2005–2006 legs of their A Bigger Bang Tour. The DVD debuted at number one on ''Billboard''s mus ...

'', '' Sweet Summer Sun: Hyde Park Live'', and ''Havana Moon''. Some of the live versions include a Paris verse not included on the original single.

"Country Honk"

"Country Honk" is a country version of "Honky Tonk Women", recorded before it but released five months later on the album ''

'' (1969). As noted above, the country arrangement was the original concept of "Honky Tonk Women". Richards has maintained that "Country Honk" is how "Honky Tonk Women" was originally written. "Country Honk" was recorded at

Olympic Studios Olympic Studios was a British independent recording studio based on Church Road, Barnes, Church Road, Barnes, London, Barnes, London. It is best known for its recordings of many artists throughout the late 1960s to the first decade of the 21st ...

Byron Berline Byron Douglas Berline (July 6, 1944 – July 10, 2021) was an American fiddle player who played many American music styles, including old time, ragtime, bluegrass, Cajun, country, and rock. Life and career Berline was born in Caldwell, Kansas ...

played the fiddle on the track, and has said that

Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973), known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist. He recorded with the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and the Flying Bu ...

was responsible for him being chosen for the job (Berline had previously recorded with Parsons' band

the Flying Burrito Brothers The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1968, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, ''The Gilded Palace of Sin''. Although the group is known for its connection to band f ...

). Producer

Glyn Johns Glyn Thomas Johns (born 15 February 1942) is an English recording engineer and record producer. He has worked with many of the most famous rock recording acts from both the UK and abroad, such as the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Who, ...

suggested that Berline should record his part on the pavement outside the studio to add ambiance to the number.

Sam Cutler Sam Cutler (born Brendan Lawrence Lyons; 10 March 1943 – 11 July 2023) was an English tour manager for The Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, and other acts. Early life and career Cutler was born on 10 March 1943. He was an Honours Graduate in Co ...

, the Rolling Stones' tour manager, performed the car horn at the beginning of the track.Cutler, Sam. ''You Can't Always Get What You Want - My Life with the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead and Other Wonderful Reprobates''

Nanette Workman Nanette Joan Workman (born 20 November 1945, Brooklyn, New York, United States) is a singer-songwriter, actress and author, who has been based in Ormstown, Quebec, Canada, during much of her career. She holds dual citizenship of both the United ...

performs backing vocals on this version (although the album sleeve credits actress

Nanette Newman Nanette Newman (born 29 May 1934) is an English actress and author. She appeared in nine films directed by her husband Bryan Forbes, including ''Séance on a Wet Afternoon'' (1964), ''The Whisperers'' (1967), '' Deadfall'' (1968), ''The Stepfor ...

). Berline's fiddle and all vocals were recorded at Elektra. There is a

bootleg recording A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. Making and distributing such recordings is known as ''bootlegging''. Recordings may be copied and traded ...

in existence that contains neither the fiddle nor Mick Taylor's slide guitar.

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon, except where noted:

"Honky Tonk Women"

The Rolling Stones *

lead vocals, backing vocals *

backing vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar *

lead guitar (fills) *

Bill Wyman William George Wyman ( né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who was the bass guitarist with the rock band the Rolling Stones from 1962 to 1993. Wyman was part of the band's first stable lineup and performed on their first 19 ...

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 personnel *

Nicky Hopkins Nicholas Christian Hopkins (24 February 1944 – 6 September 1994) was an English pianist and organist. He performed on many popular and enduring British and American rock music recordings from the 1960s to the 1990s, including on songs recorde ...

piano *

Steve Gregory Stephen Gregory (born 1945) is an English jazz saxophonist and composer. He plays tenor, alto, soprano and baritone saxophone as well as the flute. Biography and career Gregory was born in London. At St. Paul's School, he learned guitar and ...

and Bud Beadle saxophones *

Johnny Almond Johnny Almond (20 July 1946 – 18 November 2009) was a British saxophonist, who is best known for his recordings with the Alan Price Set, Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall and Mark-Almond. Biography Johnny Almond was born in Enfield, Middlesex, En ...

saxophone arrangements *

Madeline Bell Madeline Bell (born July 23, 1942) is an American soul singer, who became famous as a performer in the UK during the 1960s and 1970s with pop group Blue Mink, having arrived from the United States in the gospel show '' Black Nativity'' in 1962 ...

backing vocals

"Country Honk"

The Rolling Stones *

vocals,

car horn A horn is a sound-making device installed on motor vehicles, trains, boats, and other types of vehicles. The sound it makes usually resembles a “honk” (older vehicles) or a “beep” (modern vehicles). The driver uses the horn to warn other ...

backing vocals, acoustic guitar *

steel Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon that demonstrates improved mechanical properties compared to the pure form of iron. Due to steel's high Young's modulus, elastic modulus, Yield (engineering), yield strength, Fracture, fracture strength a ...

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos that ...

drums Additional personnel *

fiddle A fiddle is a Bow (music), bowed String instrument, string musical instrument, most often a violin or a bass. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including European classical music, classical music. Althou ...

backing vocals

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * {{Authority control The Rolling Stones songs 1969 singles Decca Records singles London Records singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles UK singles chart number-one singles Number-one singles in Australia Number-one singles in New Zealand Number-one singles in Switzerland Irish Singles Chart number-one singles Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients Songs written by Jagger–Richards Song recordings produced by Jimmy Miller Ike & Tina Turner songs British hard rock songs The Pogues songs 1969 songs