Heart Of Stone

Album: The Rolling Stones Now! (1965)
Charted: 19
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Songfacts®:

  • In this song, Mick Jagger plays a heartbreaker who has met his match. He insists she'll never break his heart of stone, but we're not sure he believes it.
  • Released as a single in the US, "Heart Of Stone" was the fourth Top 40 hit for The Rolling Stones in that country, where they were making their ascent. In the UK, "Little Red Rooster," cover of a blues song first recorded by Howlin' Wolf, was released instead and went to #1.
  • The original version is in mono. A stereo version was released in 1966 on their Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass) compilation.
  • The Stones recorded this at RCA studios in Los Angeles. It became just the second American hit (after "Tell Me (You're Coming Back)") for the group that was written by their band members. Per their custom the song is credited to Mick Jagger/Keith Richards.
  • Jack Nitzsche played piano and tambourine on this track. Nitzsche was an important behind-the-scenes player, producer and arranger for The Rolling Stones and many other rock artists. He worked with Phil Spector as an arranger, helping create the famous Wall of Sound on '60s recordings by The Ronettes, The Crystals and The Righteous Brothers. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France

Comments: 9

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 20th 1965, the Rolling Stones performed "Heart of Stone" on the ABC-TV program 'Shindig!'...
    At the time the song was at #47 on Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; just under four weeks later on February 14th it would peak at #19 {for 1 week} and it stayed on the chart for 9 weeks...
    It was sandwiched between two Top 10 records by the Stones; preceded by "Time Is On My Side" at #6 and succeeded by "The Last Time" at #9...
    "Heart of Stone" wasn't released as a single in their native England, but it reached #5 on the Australian Kent Music Report chart...
    R.I.P Jimmy O'Neill {Shindig's host, 1940 -2013}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn January 3rd, 1965 "Heart of Stone" by the Rolling Stones entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; and on February 14th it peaked at #19 (for 1 week) and spent 9 weeks on the Top 100...
    Was track four on side one of their 1965 album, 'The Rolling Stones, Now', the album peaked at #5 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart...
    Jack Nitzsche who, as stated above, played piano and tambourine on "Heart of Stone", had a Top 100 hit of his own, in 1963 his "The Lonely Surfer" reached #39 on the Top 100...
    R.I.P. Brian Jones (1942 - 1969) and Mr. Nitzsche (1937 - 2000).
  • Bertrand from Paris, FranceThis can be seen as a precursor to "Under My Thumb."
  • Tele from Sacramental, CaLyrics sites list the Songwriters: CASTRO, JASON RENE / BJORKLUND, AMUND / HUFF, BOBBY / LIND, ESPEN. Who are these people?
  • Joshua from La Crosse, WiThe Allman Brothers Band covered this song in the early 2000s. Their version is almost as good as the Stones'.
  • Sabin Shankhadev from Dadhikot-6,bhaktapurThis song is my one of the best.It's so cool.
  • R from Montreal, Qc, Canada2nd version on High Tide in Green Grass is more interesting.
    Guitar sound is fabulous and Jagger singing is great, specially in the 2nd verse.
    Greatly influenced by Paint in my heart which was played by the Stones at the time.
  • Mr. Chimp from Brno, Czech RepublicKeith Richards, Bill Wyman and also Brian Jones sang backup vocals.
  • Simon from Brno, Czech RepublicThe first version of this song was recorded with Jimmy Page,four years before his joining to Led Zeppelin,in June 1964.Jack Nitzsche probably played the piano.
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