THE HIT HAMMER: The Rolling Stones' "Brown Sugar"

(The Hit Hammer is where I'm reviewing each #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Starting from when the chart started in 1958 and eventually working my way to the present. To see my inspiration and more information about this blog, please CLICK HERE)

The Rolling Stones - "Brown Sugar"

Hit Number 1: May 29, 1971

Stay at Number 1: 2 Weeks

In 1969, the Rolling Stones were facing an uncertain future after the death of Brian Jones. What's funny, however, is that they didn't change that much. After Mick Taylor came along to replace Jones, the Rolling Stones were still the rough and rowdy boys that you would rather not have your daughter date. I'm sure they still mourned the loss of Jones, but even after his death these guys didn't miss a beat. They picked up right where they left off. In fact, it was Taylor who requested to the band that they play a new number they had worked on. This new number would be played for the first time at their infamous concert at the Altamont Speedway in 1969. This song was "Brown Sugar".

Despite much of the Stones' other material, "Brown Sugar" was a composition written almost entirely by Mick Jagger. There are differing stories about the "inspiration" of the song. Some sources claim that Jagger was inspired by actress Marsha Hunt, who Jagger was dating at the time. Others say that the song was, instead, written with soul singer Claudia Lennear in mind. Lennear even claims that the song was inspired by her, because she apparently kept Jagger company while he was writing the song. No one can really say for certain where Jagger came up with the song's inspiration, because to this point he's never really said anything about it.

Also unlike other Stones material, "Brown Sugar" was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama. It was recorded in December 1969, but saw delay in a release because the band and their label were facing disagreements. However, it was finally released in 1971, and became a monster hit for the band, reaching the top ten in many different parts of the world. (It hit #1 in America, Canada, the Netherlands and Switzerland) However, there are a few things that should be addressed with "Brown Sugar", and as fun as it may be, there are some dark things that are in the lyrics. Those things are partially saved from the incoherent nature of Jagger's voice, but it doesn't completely let "Brown Sugar" off the hook. The song deals with topics such as rape, slavery, drugs and for its time, interracial sex. Lyrics such as "Hear him whip the women just around midnight" and "Just like a black girl should" don't exactly help the cause here.

Look, I am in no way condoning the message of the song, but it's hard to really give a crap about the lyrics when the song rocks out so hard. I can respect the song if it is fun, and doesn't make a big joke out of its message. At least in my case, I am not overly offended by "Brown Sugar", and I instead think about Jagger's signature growl, Keith Richards' gritty guitar work and the wailing saxophone solo. The song is truly a fun one, and it kicks ass. There's good craftsmanship at work, and it's hard not to enjoy it when it is playing. This is a very similar scenario to "If You Wanna Be Happy", which was a #1 song in 1963 with a message that some people might groan over. However, I still love that song because of its fun and cheerful vibe. I love "Brown Sugar" because of its fun and addictive vibe. It has the hooks, it has the fun, and maybe most importantly, it has the hard, crisp rock vibe. That's why I can give the lyrics a pass here.

Of course, Jagger admitted that he would never write something like this today. He said "God knows what I'm on about on that song. It's such a mishmash. All the nasty subjects in one go... I never would write that song now." There you have it. To me, that's even more of a reason to get over what the hell the lyrics are saying. Jagger was probably intoxicated when he wrote it, and I get the feeling that him and Richards didn't even closely look at what they wrote when they wrote songs. I think they mostly cared about how they sounded. The lyrics were just something there for Jagger to shout, and something to help people get moving. I don't know that for sure, that's just the vibe I get from their songwriting partnership. Whatever the case, I don't love the message of the song, but I love pretty much everything else about it. It's still a damn good song.

GRADE: 8/10