Songfacts®:

• Running a tight 1:47, "Come On" was The Rolling Stones' first single; it's a remake of a Chuck Berry song from 1961. Berry was a big influence on The Stones, particularly their guitarist, Keith Richards. Before they sharpened their songwriting skills, the group did a lot of covers, and Berry was at the top of their list. Other Chuck Berry songs The Stones recorded include "Around And Around" and "Carol."
• The Stones performed this song on Thank Your Lucky Stars, a popular English TV show, on July 7, 1963 in their very first TV appearance. The show's producer told the Stones manager he should "Get rid of that vile-looking lead singer with the tire-tread lips." They decided to keep Mick Jagger.
• This was the first song The Stones recorded professionally. They recorded it on May 10, 1963.
• The song reached #21 on the UK Singles chart, a solid debut for The Stones. But Mick Jagger isn't impressed. He had this to say about the song in 1971: "I don't think 'Come On' was very good, in fact it was s--t. God knows how it ever got in the charts, it was such a hype. In fact we disliked it so much we didn't do it on any of our gigs."
• In their review of "Come On," June 8, 1963's Record Mirror referred to The Rolling Stones as, "a bluesy very commercial group that should make the charts in a smallish way."