"Midnight Rambler" is a song by 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 ...

, released on their 1969 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 ...

''. The song is a loose biography of Albert DeSalvo, who confessed to being the Boston Strangler.

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 ...

has called the number "a blues opera" and the quintessential Jagger-Richards song, stating in the 2012 documentary '' Crossfire Hurricane'' that "nobody else could have written that song."

Composition and recordings

On the composing of the song,

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 ...

said in a 1995 interview with ''

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 ...

'', When asked about the song in a 1971 interview with ''Rolling Stone'', Richards said: The song's lyrics include the verse: The studio version of the track (which runs 6:53) was recorded during the spring of 1969 at London's

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

and Trident Studios. Jagger performs vocals and harmonica, while Richards plays all guitars using standard tuning for the main guitars and open E tuning for the slide.

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 ...

plays bass and

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, while multi-instrumentalist

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 ...

is credited with playing the

conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest ...

s. The song bears similarity to "The Boudoir Stomp" and "Edward's Thrump Up", recorded in April 1969 by the band minus Keith Richards and Brian Jones, featuring

Ry Cooder Ryland Peter Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is a multi-instrumentalist but is best known for his slide guitar work, his interest in traditional music, and h ...

on guitar and

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 ...

on piano. The sessions were released on the 1972 LP '' Jamming With Edward''. Jones' congas are audible during the middle part of the track, playing on the downbeats and following the guitar responding to the lead vocals. It starts at around the 4:30 mark. The Rolling Stones debuted "Midnight Rambler" on stage on 5 July 1969 and performed it regularly in concert through 1976; performances frequently included Jagger crawling around and lashing the stage with his belt. One notable 1969 performance (running just over nine minutes) was captured for the 1970 album '' Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!'' and was re-released on the 1971 compilation album '' Hot Rocks 1964-1971''. This rendition features

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 ...

on lead guitar, in addition to Jagger, Richards, Wyman and Watts. The bootleg '' Live'r Than You'll Ever Be'' includes a performance in Oakland, California, in November 1969. Versions from 1975 following the departure of Taylor from the band feature

Ronnie Wood Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as a member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, and a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group. Wood began his career in 1964, playing lead guitar with several Brit ...

instead of Taylor. Some of the 1975 versions are the longest live renditions ever, clocking in at almost 15 minutes. "Midnight Rambler" returned to the Rolling Stones' repertoire in 1989 and has remained a powerful concert favourite ever since. The January 2003 rendition featured in the Stones' concert collection '' Four Flicks'' runs about twelve minutes, while a briefer July 1995 performance appears on '' Totally Stripped'' (2016). The Stones with special guest former band member Mick Taylor played the song at all the concerts of the 50 & Counting... tour, including 12-minute versions of "Midnight Rambler" during their 25 November 2012 concert at London's O2 Arena,You Tube
“''Rolling Stones featuring Mick Taylor – Midnight Rambler (2012 London O2 Arena) MULTICAM''". 2012 (accessed 28 November 2012). at the 2013 Glastonbury Festival, and during their July 2013 Hyde Park concerts, as seen in '' Sweet Summer Sun: Hyde Park Live''.

Personnel

vocals, harmonica *

electric and slide guitar *

congas *

bass *

drums

Notes

{{authority control Songs about criminals Songs about Boston Songs based on American history Cultural depictions of Albert DeSalvo The Rolling Stones songs 1969 songs Songs written by Jagger–Richards Song recordings produced by Jimmy Miller Murder ballads