Mick Jagger / Keith Richards / 5:01
Musicians
Mick Jagger: vocals
Keith Richards: rhythm guitars and lead guitar, bass (?) backing vocals
Bill Wyman: bass
Charlie Watts: drums
Nicky Hopkins: piano
Ray Cooper: percussion
Recorded
Musicland Studios, Munich: November 14–25, 1973
Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, Stargroves, Newbury: April 12–May 2, 1974
Island Studios, London: May 5–27, 1974
Technical Team
Producers: The Glimmer Twins
Sound engineers: Andy Johns, Keith Harwood, George Chkiantz
Assistant sound engineers: Tapani Tapanainen, Rod Thear, Howard Kilgour, Reinhold Mack
The first side of It’s Only Rock ’n’ Roll having concluded with a song shaped largely by the two Micks, Keith Richards takes things back in hand at the beginning of the second. Indeed “Luxury” can be described as a typically “Richardsian” number, with abundant killer guitar. The lyrics can be interpreted as an implacable indictment of man’s exploitation of his fellow man. The narrator declares that he has had enough of working for the company—which seems to be one of the many oil refineries in Texas—and for bosses who shamelessly grow rich on the back of his hard work and wallow in luxury. Make a million for the Texans, twenty dollar me, sings Jagger. The exploited employee, we are told, works seven days a week but can no longer make ends meet. His woman need a new dress, while his daughter got to go to school.
“Luxury” is the Stones’ first incursion into reggae. In truth it is a kind of calypso rock, although Keith Richards would deny this: “Well first off, that is a bona fide reggae ‘on-beat’ being played there, no matter what anyone may tell you.”28 The idea came to him in Munich while listening to the radio on the way to the studio. When he arrived, he concocted a rock number with a riff played in open G, but the piece did not take off until Charlie Watts gave it its lilting rhythm. Mick Taylor does not seem to have taken part in the recording, leaving Keith to play the second rhythm guitar and solo part. His distinctly “Chuck Berry” style fits perfectly, and the band clearly enjoys playing the number. Bill is probably on bass, although it seems that from the second verse onward (coming in at 0:53), Keith has added a second bass part on his Fender Precision. Nicky Hopkins plays the piano mainly in the refrains and coda, but is somewhat buried in the mix. Ray Cooper distinguishes himself on the timbales, contributing what is the track’s only really exotic element. Mick Jagger gives an excellent vocal performance and can be felt thrilling to the music with contagious enthusiasm.