It's All Over Now
Encyclopedia
"It's All Over Now" was written by Bobby Womack
and Shirley Womack. It was first released by The Valentinos
featuring Bobby Womack
. The Valentinos version entered the Billboard Hot 100 on June 27, 1964, where it stayed on the chart for two weeks, peaking at No. 94. The Rolling Stones
had their first number-one hit with this song in July 1964.
. Murray the K had an extended series of interviews with the Stones on his WINS Swinging Soiree hit radio show following his similar success as the first radio DJ in the USA to have the Beatles with him on the air (February 1964). He played the Valentino's song to the Stones, who "raved on it" and said "it was their kind of song". He also played the Stones' "King Bee" (their Slim Harpo
cover) the same night and remarked on their ability to achieve an authentic blues sound. After hearing "It's All Over Now" by the Womacks (aka the Valentinos) on the WINS show, the band recorded their version nine days later at Chess Studios in Chicago. Years later, Bobby Womack said in an interview that he had told his manager he did not want the Rolling Stones to record their version of the song, and that he had told Mick Jagger to get his own song. His manager convinced him to let the Rolling Stones record the song. Six months later on receiving the royalty check for the song he told his manager that Mick Jagger could have any song he wanted.
The Rolling Stones' version of "It's All Over Now" is the most famous version ever cut of the song. It was first released as a single in Great Britain, where it peaked at number 1 on the Disc Weekly charts, giving the Rolling Stones their first number one hit ever.It was the band's third single released in America, and stayed in the Billboard Hot 100 for ten weeks, peaking at number 26. Months later it appeared on their second American album 12 X 5
. The song was a big hit in Europe and was part of the bands live set in the 1960s.
In his 2010 autobiography, "Life", Keith Richards says that John Lennon
criticized his guitar solo on this song and Richards agreed that it was not one of his best. This is surprising as Bruce Springsteen and many other guitar fans rank it as one of the most inspired guitar breaks ever recorded, and one that is still hard to mimic.
, features the band playing live in front of a crowd, while Mick Jagger dances around the stage and Keith Richards and Brian Jones sing backing vocals. Brian plays the memorable smashing chord drives on this one (typically on his Vox Phantom or Teardrop) while Keith plays the argeggios, does the harmony vocal, and plays the signature lead guitar break (on his Epiphone or his Gibson Les Paul in those days) in the middle of the song.
Bobby Womack
Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40...
and Shirley Womack. It was first released by The Valentinos
The Valentinos
The Valentinos , was a Cleveland, Ohio-based family R&B group, mainly famous for launching the careers of brothers Bobby Womack and Cecil Womack, the former brother finding bigger fame as a solo artist and the latter finding success as a member of the husband and wife team of Womack & Womack with...
featuring Bobby Womack
Bobby Womack
Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40...
. The Valentinos version entered the Billboard Hot 100 on June 27, 1964, where it stayed on the chart for two weeks, peaking at No. 94. The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
had their first number-one hit with this song in July 1964.
The Valentinos version
- Bobby WomackBobby WomackRobert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40...
- lead vocals,guitar, co-writer - Cecil WomackCecil WomackIn 1983, under the name of Womack & Womack, Cecil and Linda released a successful album, Love Wars, and continued to make albums until 1993. Their song "Love Wars" was covered by The Beautiful South for the 1990 compilation Rubáiyát. Their most successful single was "Teardrops" in 1988.-Albums:*...
- background vocals - Harry WomackHarry WomackHarris "Harry" Womack was an American singer and musician, most notable for his tenure as a member of the family R&B quintet, The Valentinos; he was memorized in brother Bobby Womack's 1973 hit, "Harry Hippie".-Early life:...
- background vocals - Friendly Womack Jr. - background vocals
- Curtis Womack - background vocals
- Producer - Sam Cooke
The Rolling Stones version
The Valentinos' original version of the song was played to the Rolling Stones during their first North American tour in June 1964 by New York radio DJ Murray the KMurray the K
Murray Kaufman , professionally known as Murray the K, was an influential rock and roll impresario and disc jockey of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s...
. Murray the K had an extended series of interviews with the Stones on his WINS Swinging Soiree hit radio show following his similar success as the first radio DJ in the USA to have the Beatles with him on the air (February 1964). He played the Valentino's song to the Stones, who "raved on it" and said "it was their kind of song". He also played the Stones' "King Bee" (their Slim Harpo
Slim Harpo
Slim Harpo was an American blues musician. He was known as a master of the blues harmonica; the name "Slim Harpo" was derived from "harp," the popular nickname for the harmonica in blues circles.-Early life:...
cover) the same night and remarked on their ability to achieve an authentic blues sound. After hearing "It's All Over Now" by the Womacks (aka the Valentinos) on the WINS show, the band recorded their version nine days later at Chess Studios in Chicago. Years later, Bobby Womack said in an interview that he had told his manager he did not want the Rolling Stones to record their version of the song, and that he had told Mick Jagger to get his own song. His manager convinced him to let the Rolling Stones record the song. Six months later on receiving the royalty check for the song he told his manager that Mick Jagger could have any song he wanted.
The Rolling Stones' version of "It's All Over Now" is the most famous version ever cut of the song. It was first released as a single in Great Britain, where it peaked at number 1 on the Disc Weekly charts, giving the Rolling Stones their first number one hit ever.It was the band's third single released in America, and stayed in the Billboard Hot 100 for ten weeks, peaking at number 26. Months later it appeared on their second American album 12 X 5
12 X 5
-Personnel:The Rolling Stones*Mick Jagger – lead vocals, harmonica, and percussion*Keith Richards – acoustic and electric guitar, and backing vocals*Brian Jones – electric and acoustic guitar, harmonica, tambourine and backing vocals...
. The song was a big hit in Europe and was part of the bands live set in the 1960s.
In his 2010 autobiography, "Life", Keith Richards says that John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
criticized his guitar solo on this song and Richards agreed that it was not one of his best. This is surprising as Bruce Springsteen and many other guitar fans rank it as one of the most inspired guitar breaks ever recorded, and one that is still hard to mimic.
Music video
The music video, filmed in black and white and taken from The T.A.M.I. ShowThe T.A.M.I. Show
T.A.M.I. Show is a 1964 concert film, released by American International Pictures. It includes performances by numerous popular rock and roll and R&B musicians from the United States and England...
, features the band playing live in front of a crowd, while Mick Jagger dances around the stage and Keith Richards and Brian Jones sing backing vocals. Brian plays the memorable smashing chord drives on this one (typically on his Vox Phantom or Teardrop) while Keith plays the argeggios, does the harmony vocal, and plays the signature lead guitar break (on his Epiphone or his Gibson Les Paul in those days) in the middle of the song.
Personnel
- Mick JaggerMick JaggerSir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
- lead vocals, percussion - Keith RichardsKeith RichardsKeith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
- guitar, backing vocals - Brian JonesBrian JonesLewis Brian Hopkins Jones , known as Brian Jones, was an English musician and a founding member of the Rolling Stones....
- guitar, backing vocals - Bill WymanBill WymanBill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
- bass guitar - Charlie WattsCharlie WattsCharles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
- drums
Other versions
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.
See also
- List of number-one singles from the 1960s (UK)