Gimme Shelter

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"Gimme Shelter" is a song by The Rolling Stones, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It first appeared as the lead-off track on the band's 1969 album Let It Bleed, and quickly became a staple of their live show. It has been included on many compilation releases, and concert versions appear on the Stones' albums No Security and Live Licks.

The song takes the form of a churning mid-tempo rocker. Jagger's lead vocal is joined by a high second vocal track sung by guest vocalist Merry Clayton. An unreleased version features only Richards providing vocals. The song's lyrics paint a picture of social apocalypse -- storm, fire, war, rape, murder, all "just a shot away" -- finally capped by the assertion that "love, sister, it's just a kiss away."

"Gimme Shelter" was placed #38 in the list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004.

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Personnel

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Cover versions

"Gimme Shelter" has been covered by a number of artists over the years, including Grand Funk Railroad in 1971, The Sisters of Mercy in 1983, Hawkwind (with Samantha Fox taking the female vocal solo) in 1993, Thunder also in 1993, and Swedish rockers The Hellacopters in 2002.

The late Renato Russo, leader of Brazilian rock band Legião Urbana, was known to cover this song in during his performances. For example, in a Rio de Janeiro concert in early October of 1994, he sang some verses of "Gimme Shelter" during the (usually) instrumental interlude in "Ainda é Cedo". At least two concert recordings have surfaced of him performing "Gimme Shelter". In both, he mumbles the first lines of the second stanza - nothing too unusual, as he often forgot lines to his own songs during live performances.

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Film

Gimme Shelter was also the title of the 1970 documentary film by Albert and David Maysles about the Stones' 1969 tour, including the Altamont concert during which an audience member was fatally stabbed by a member of the Hells Angels, who had been hired as security.

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Trivia

  • Gimme Shelter is also the name of Dr. Eggman's hideout in the Sonic Battle video game.
  • Merry Clayton reportedly suffered a miscarriage due to the intensity of her performance on the song. [1]
  • On the Let It Bleed album, the song is spelled "Gimmie Shelter". However, the second 'i' is omitted in the title of the movie, as well as in the song title on the Hot Rocks compilation and www.rollingstones.com, the band's official website.
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External links

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