"Lady Jane"
Single by the Rolling Stones
from the album Aftermath
A-side
Released
  • 15 April 1966 (1966-04-15) (UK album)
  • July 1966 (US single)
RecordedMarch 1966
StudioRCA, Hollywood, California
Genre
Length3:06
Label
Songwriter(s)Jagger/Richards
Producer(s)Andrew Loog Oldham
The Rolling Stones US singles chronology
"Paint It Black"
(1966)		 "Mother's Little Helper" / "Lady Jane"
(1966)		 "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?"
(1966)
Aftermath track listing
14 tracks
Side one
  1. "Mother's Little Helper"
  2. "Stupid Girl"
  3. "Lady Jane"
  4. "Under My Thumb"
  5. "Doncha Bother Me"
  6. "Goin' Home"
Side two
  1. "Flight 505"
  2. "High and Dry"
  3. "Out of Time"
  4. "It's Not Easy"
  5. "I Am Waiting"
  6. "Take It or Leave It"
  7. "Think"
  8. "What to Do"

"Lady Jane" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by the group's songwriting duo of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, the song was initially included on the band's 1966 album Aftermath.[6]

The song showcases Brian Jones' instrumental incorporation of baroque rock as it was beginning to be introduced.[3] In the US, the song was released as the B-side of the "Mother's Little Helper" single on 2 July 1966, and peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[7]

History

Composition

The song was written at a milestone in the Rolling Stones' recording career that saw Jagger and Richards emerge as the group's chief songwriters. On the band's previous album, Out of Our Heads, the duo shared writing credits on just three tracks. On Aftermath, however, the two were credited together on every track, making it the first album to be composed solely of original band material.[8] It was also during this period that Brian Jones, despite losing control of the band's output, was integrating different instruments into the group's repertoire. Joe S. Harrington has noted that the Beatles' harpsichord-like sound on the song "In My Life", in 1965, opened considerations for Jones to include baroque rock instrumentals.[3] The Rolling Stones had already used a harpsichord in the song "Play With Fire" from early 1965 as the B-side to "The Last Time". This was recorded months before The Beatles recorded "In My Life". Apparently, the Stones were already considering baroque rock instruments.

"Lady Jane" was written and composed by Jagger in early 1966 after reading the then controversial 1928 book Lady Chatterley's Lover, which uses the term "Lady Jane" to mean female genitalia.[9] According to Jagger, "the names [in the song] are historical, but it was really unconscious that they should fit together from the same period."[10] At the time, it was widely thought that an inspiration for the song was Jane Ormsby-Gore, daughter of David Ormsby-Gore, the former British ambassador in Washington, who later married Michael Rainey, founder of the Hung on You boutique in Chelsea that was frequented by the Stones.[11] Its most influential development was by Jones, no longer the principal musical force for the band, searching for methods to improve upon their musical textures.[12] He expressed intrigue in incorporating culturally diverse instruments into the band's music, investigating the sitar, koto, marimba, and testing electronics. In the press Jones talked about applying the Appalachian dulcimer into compositions, although he seemed uncertain of the instrument, saying "It's an old English instrument used at the beginning of the century". According to Keith Richards, the dulcimer was brought to his attention when Jones began listening to recordings of folk musician Richard Fariña. Exactly when Jones discovered Fariña and his use of the dulcimer is open to speculation. The influence of these recordings would manifest itself in Aftermath, where Jones performed with the dulcimer on two tracks, "I Am Waiting" and, more distinctively, "Lady Jane". This later contributed to Jones's status as a pioneer in world music, and effectively shifted the band from blues rock to a versatile pop group.[13][14]

Recording

The master recording of "Lady Jane" was recorded from 6 to 9 March 1966, at RCA Studios in Los Angeles, with sound engineer Dave Hassinger guiding the band through the process (despite Andrew Loog Oldham being credited as producer).[15] Mark Brend has indicated that the influence of Fariña's dulcimer playing can be clearly heard in Jones's recurring counter-melody to a call and response with Jagger's vocals. Jones plays the instrument in the traditional style, placed on his knees, fretted with a biter and plucked with a quill.[13] In addition to the striking dulcimer motif, "Lady Jane" is also highlighted by Jack Nitzsche's harpsichord accompaniment halfway through the song.[16] "Lady Jane" also exhibits influences of author Geoffrey Chaucer, particularly in Jagger's vocal delivery and diction. To Richards, "Lady Jane is very Elizabethan. There are a few places in England where people still speak that way, Chaucer English".[16][17] The vocal melody is set in the subtonic range, rather than the conventional major seventh scale degree, which presents a Renaissance-style modal. Although stylistically the two songs have little in common, the modality connects the Eastern melody and harmonies of "Lady Jane" to "Paint It Black".[18]

Release

In the US, "Lady Jane" was released as the B-side of "Mother's Little Helper." "Lady Jane" reached number 24 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, while "Mother's Little Helper" reached number eight, making the release one of the few singles with both songs becoming hits in the US.[19]

Critical reception

Cash Box described the song as a "tender, inventively melodic pledge of devotion."[20] San Francisco Examiner music critic Ralph Gleason called "Lady Jane" a "remarkable switch, a take-off on a 17th century formal dance...with imaginative musical effects."[21]

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon:[22]

The Rolling Stones

Additional musicians

Charts

Chart (1966) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[23] 12
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[24] 5
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[25] 91
US Billboard Hot 100[26] 24

Covers

References

  1. ↑ Brend, Mark (2005). Strange Sounds: Offbeat Instruments and Sonic Experiments in Pop. Winona, Minnesota: Hal Leonard. p. 135. ISBN 9780879308551.
  2. ↑ Smith, Steve (29 November 2012). "Steve Smith: Wyman and Taylor join the Rolling Stones onstage; Coldplay takes a break". Pasadena Star-News. Archived from the original on 3 December 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Harrington, Joe S. (2002). Sonic Cool: The Life & Death of Rock 'n' Roll. Winona, Minnesota: Hal Leonard. p. 191. ISBN 978-0-634-02861-8.
  4. ↑ Wawzenek, Bryan (12 March 2015). "Rolling Stones Albums Ranked Worst to Best". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  5. ↑ Segretto, Mike (2022). "1966". 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute - A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. Backbeat. pp. 104–105. ISBN 9781493064601.
  6. ↑ Rolling Stones, The (23 April 2013). The Rolling Stones: Best of ABKCO Years: Authentic Guitar TAB Sheet Music ... ISBN 9780739099360. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  7. ↑ Nelson, Murry R. The Rolling Stones: A Musical Biography. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. p. 45. Retrieved 29 May 2015. the rolling stones lady jane.
  8. ↑ "Aftermath (UK)". rollingstones.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  9. ↑ Sandford, Christopher (2012). The Rolling Stones: Fifty Years. New York City: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780857201041. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  10. ↑ Hebst, Peter (15 September 1989). Rolling Stone Interview. ISBN 9780312034863. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  11. ↑ Obituary of Michael Rainey, The Times, February 7, 2017
  12. ↑ Wawzenek, Brian (26 March 2013). "Top 10 Brian Jones Multi-Instrumentalist Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  13. 1 2 Brend, Mark (2005). Strange Sounds: Offbeat Instruments and Sonic Experiments in Pop. Beverly, Minnesota: Voyageur Press. p. 135. ISBN 9780879308551. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  14. ↑ DeRogatis, Jim; Kot, Greg (2010). The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones: Sound Opinions On the Great Rock 'N' Rivalry. Beverly, Minnesota: Voyageur Press. p. 82. ISBN 9781610605137.
  15. ↑ "Lady Jane". timeisonourside.com. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  16. 1 2 "100 Greatest Rolling Stones Songs". Rolling Stone. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  17. ↑ Perkins, Jeff; Heatley, Michael. Rolling Stones - Uncensored On the Record. Cheshire, England: Coda Books Ltd. ISBN 9781906783259. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  18. ↑ Perone, James E. (2012). The Album: A Guide to Pop Music's Most Provocative, Influential, and Important Creations. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 9780313379079. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  19. ↑ "Rolling Stones - Billboard Charts". Billboard. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  20. ↑ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 2 July 1966. p. 202. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  21. ↑ Gleason, Ralph J. (10 July 1966). "Rock LPs---Some Remarkable Experiments". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 167. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  22. ↑ Margotin & Guesdon 2016, p. 146.
  23. ↑ "The Rolling Stones – Lady Jane" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  24. ↑ "The Rolling Stones – Lady Jane" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  25. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5792." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  26. ↑ "The Rolling Stones Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  27. ↑ "David Garrick". The Official Charts Company.
  28. ↑ "David Garrick". Dutch Charts.
  29. ↑ "Topp 20 Single 1966-26". VG-lista 2022 (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 20 July 2022.

Sources

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