I'M GOING RED
AND MY TONGUE'S
GETTING TIRED
Between the Buttons
is the fifth
studio album
by the
English rock band
released on
January 20th 1967
in the UK
and
February 10th
in the
United States.
Reflecting the band's
brief foray into
psychedelia
and baroque
pop balladry
during the era,
the album is
among their most
eclectic works;
multi-instrumentalist
Brian Jones
frequently abandoned
his guitar
during the sessions
in favour of
instruments
such as
organ,
marimba,
dulcimer,
vibraphone,
kazoo,
and theremin.
Additional keyboard
contributions came from
frequent contributors
Ian Stewart
(piano, organ),
Jack Nitzsche
(piano, harpsichord)
and
Nicky Hopkins
(piano).
Between the Buttons
would be the band's
last album
produced by
Andrew Loog Oldham,
who had,
to this point,
acted as the
band's manager
and produced
all of their albums.
As with prior albums,
the American and British versions
contained slightly
different track listings.
The American version
of
Between the Buttons,
which swaps
"Back Street Girl"
and
"Please Go Home"
for
"Let's Spend the Night Together"
and
"Ruby Tuesday",
is on the 2003
and
2012 versions
of Rolling Stone magazine's
500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Between the Buttons
reached number 3
on the British
album charts
and number 2
on the
U.S. Billboard
Top LPs chart.
Recording and background
On the previous album,
Aftermath,
Brian Jones
introduced a
large number of
different instruments
to the recording sessions,
a trend he continued
on this album.
Jones only contributed
electric guitar
on one track apiece
on the
American release
and
the British version.
Bill Wyman
plays bass
on all except
three tracks
which instead
feature guitarist
Keith Richards on bass
and drummer
Charlie Watts
and lead singer
Mick Jagger
appear on all tracks.
Piano duties
were split by
two session players:
former
Rolling Stones member
Ian Stewart
and frequent contributor
Jack Nitzsche,
although
Nicky Hopkins
also does keyboards.
Early sessions
for the album
occurred between
August 3rd 1966
and the
11th at Los Angeles'
RCA Studios
during the Rolling Stones'
1966 American Tour.
David Hassinger
was the engineer
for the album.
Several songs
were worked on;
the backing tracks
of six songs
that would appear
on the album were recorded,
as were those of
"Let's Spend the Night Together"
and
"Who's Driving Your Plane?",
the B-side of
"Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby,
Standing in the Shadow?",
released as a single
in late September.
During this time,
Brian Wilson
of the Beach Boys
was invited down
to RCA Studios
during the recording of
"My Obsession,"
which remained
one of his favourite
Rolling Stones songs
for the rest of his life.
The band returned to London,
and sessions continued at
IBC Studios
from August 31st
to September 3rd.
"Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby,
Standing in the Shadow?"
was completed and
released on
September 23rd
before the Stones
embarked on their
seventh British tour,
which lasted into
early October
and was their
last UK tour
until 1971.
The second block of
recording sessions for
Between the Buttons
began on November 8th
at the newly opened
Olympic Sound Studios
in Barnes, London,
alternating between
Olympic and Pye Studios
until November 26th
During this time,
the bulk of the album
was completed,
including vocal
and other overdubs
on the previously
recorded backing tracks
and mixing.
"Ruby Tuesday"
was also completed.
Around the same time,
producer and manager
Andrew Loog Oldham
was also preparing the
US-only live album
Got Live If You Want It!,
a contractual requirement
from London Records
that contained
live performances
from their recent
British tour
as well as studio tracks
overdubbed with
audience noise.
After that album's release on
December 10th
a final overdubbing
session for
Buttons was held at
Olympic Studios on
December 13th 1966
before Oldham took
the tapes back to
RCA Studios in
Hollywood for final
mixing and editing.
The album was recorded
using four-track machines,
with tracks of the
initial sessions
mixed down in order
to free the tracks
for use as overdubs.
Between the Buttons
would be the last album
wholly produced by Oldham,
with whom the Stones
fell out in mid-1967
during the
recording sessions for
Their Satanic Majesties Request.
Artwork
The photoshoot for the
album cover
took place in
November 1966 on
Primrose Hill in North London.
The photographer was
Gered Mankowitz,
who also shot the band photos
for the cover of
Out of Our Heads.
The shoot took place at 5:30
in the morning
following an
all-night recording session
at Olympic Studios.
Using a homemade camera filter
constructed of black card,
glass and Vaseline,
Mankowitz created the effect
of the Stones
dissolving into their surroundings.
The goal of the shoot was,
in Mankowitz's words,
"to capture the ethereal,
druggy feel of the time;
that feeling at the end of the night
when dawn was breaking
and they'd been up
all night making music,
stoned."
The cover photo was shot
at the Primrose Hill viewpoint
in the misty
early-morning sunlight,
looking west.
Brian Jones'
dishevelled and gaunt appearance
disturbed many of his fans,
and critic
David Dalton
wrote that he looked
"like a doomed albino raccoon".
"Brian [Jones]
was lurking in his collar",
Mankowitz commented years later.
"I was frustrated because
it felt like we were on the verge
of something really special,
and he was messing it up.
But the way Brian appeared
to not give a shit is
exactly what the
band was about."
Outtakes from this
photo session were later
used for the cover
and inner sleeves
of the
1972 ABKCO
compilation release
More Hot Rocks
(Big Hits & Fazed Cookies).
The back cover of
Between the Buttons
is dominated by a
six-panel cartoon
accompanied by a
rhythmic poem
drawn by Watts.
When he asked Oldham
what the title of the
album would be,
he told him it was
"between the buttons",
a name Jagger
came up with after
noticing the
shiny buttons on
Watt's shirt.
On the album cover itself,
the band name
and album title
appear on the buttons
on Watts' overcoat.
Often difficult to see,
this text was included
blown up on a
hype sticker
affixed to
original US pressings
and would also be added
to the bottom corners
of the artwork
for several CD
and LP reissues.
NOTES :
WITH THIS
IT IS
THE US ALBUM
MIXED WITH
THE UK ALBUM
WITH SOME
OUTTAKES
SO NOW CALLED
"BETWEEN ALL THE BUTTONS"
ENJOY !!
TRACKLIST
Let's Spend The Night Together
Yesterday's Papers
Ruby Tuesday
Back Street Girl
Connection
Who's Driving Your Plane?
She Smiled Sweetly
Cool, Calm & Collected
All Sold Out
My Obsession
Please Go Home
Who's Been Sleeping Here?
Complicated
Miss Amanda Jones
Something Happened To Me Yesterday
Get Yourself Together
AKA
(I Can See It)
Yesterday's Papers
(Demo)
Complicated
(Instr)
Ruby Tuesday
(Instr)
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