Roosevelt Jamison / 2:23
Musicians
Mick Jagger: vocals
Keith Richards: rhythm guitar
Brian Jones: organ (?)
Bill Wyman: bass
Charlie Watts: drums
Ian Stewart: piano
Recorded
Chess Studios, Chicago: May 10, 1965
Technical Team
Producer: Andrew Loog Oldham
Sound engineer: Ron Malo
Born in the state of Mississippi, Roosevelt Jamison later settled in Memphis, Tennessee, becoming one of the celebrities of the local music scene, both as a songwriter and as a manager. It was he who discovered O. V. Wright in the Beale Street district. He persuaded the blues and gospel singer to record “That’s How Strong My Love Is” for Quinton Claunch’s label Goldwax Records in 1964. The song enabled O. V. Wright to widen his audience, but it was Otis Redding who would transform it into a hymn of Southern soul: I’ll be the weeping willow drowning in my tears/And you can go swimming when you’re here/And I’ll be the rainbow after the tears are gone/Wrap you in my colors and keep you warm. Otis Redding released the single “Mr. Pitiful” in December 1964 with “That’s How Strong My Love Is” as the B-side.
This declaration of passionate love in ballad form suits Mick Jagger’s voice to a T. By now the singer had complete control of his tone, with the ability to alternate between raucous and more gentle phrasing. This is one of his best performances on the album and he was obviously inspired by Otis Redding to rise to this level. Their version is more spirited, a quality sustained throughout by Charlie Watts on the ride cymbal. Jagger even allows himself some freedom with the melody of the verses, making the song more or less unrecognizable other than in the refrains. Keith Richards alone plays rhythm on his Gibson Les Paul. Brian Jones seems to be playing the organ (inaudibly, other than perhaps on the bridge between 1:08 and 1:19). Although there is some room for doubt, he can certainly be seen playing it on the Ready Steady Go! show broadcast on September 10, 1965 (recorded on September 2). The piano is audible but discreet (around 1:19), marking Ian Stewart’s return after being absent from the Stones’ recordings for a little while.