Bert Russell / 3:09
Musicians
Mick Jagger: vocals
Keith Richards: lead guitar, backing vocals
Brian Jones: rhythm guitar
Bill Wyman: bass, backing vocals (?)
Charlie Watts: drums
Ian Stewart: piano (or organ)
Jack Nitzsche: organ (or piano)
Recorded
RCA Studios, Hollywood: May 13, 1965
Technical Team
Producer: Andrew Loog Oldham
Sound engineer: Dave Hassinger
After coming to attention with “Twist and Shout,” Bert Russell, better known by the name Bert Berns, immediately became one of the pillars of Atlantic. A few months earlier, he had written “Cry to Me” for Solomon Burke. The recording place took place on December 6, 1961, with Berns as producer and Claus Ogerman as arranger and conductor. The song was released as a single (with “I Almost Lost My Mind”) at the beginning of 1962 and climbed to numbers 5 and 44, respectively, on the Billboard R&B and pop charts.
A song about solitude, located musically at the point where rhythm ’n’ blues meets gospel, “Cry to Me” can almost be said to sum up Southern soul, which would be highly successful during the sixties. After Solomon Burke, and then Betty Harris in 1963, the Rolling Stones were the next to be seduced by this superb song. This was the second Bert Berns number they had covered, the first being “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” which opened their second LP.
Once again, Mick Jagger displays all his virtues as a soul singer. He also takes liberties with the tune, and in the first few bars it is difficult to recognize the song as the same one sung by Solomon Burke. Mick shows his skill at bringing different vocal colors to bear, alternating a gentle tone and a rock-style delivery. His performance is excellent and demonstrates that within barely two years, he has attained a level of vocal skill equal to his later reputation. The Stones have chosen once again to reduce the tempo of the original version (see “Talkin’ About You”). This produces a different feel, with a sound that is more like Otis Redding in “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Brian Jones’s rhythm guitar (Vox “Teardrop”?) with plenty of vibrato suits the mood well. Keith Richards plays a very good lead guitar with well-executed blues licks and phrasing, and his solo in the coda (around 2:33) is a triumph. He also provides backing vocals in the coda, most likely supported by Bill Wyman. The latter gets a big sound from his bass, which he plays with a pick, and gives his part even greater prominence, by only coming in after the intro. Ian Stewart is back at the keyboard, most likely on piano, while Jack Nitzsche (probably) accompanies him on the organ, not particularly audibly. The last time the Stones played “Cry to Me” was on the television show Ready, Steady, Go! on October 22,1965.