The Rolling Stones Vinyl Reissues

ARTIST JUN, 09, 2023
The Rolling Stones Vinyl Reissues

16 Titles From 1960s Catalog, Some of Which Have Been Out-of-Print For Almost Four Decades, To Be Rolled Out Over Next Year On 180-Gram Vinyl, Continuing With UK Version of Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass) June 9

ABKCO Records reissued the US version of the seminal 1966 album Aftermath by The Rolling Stones on vinyl at the very end of March, kicking off the label’s enormous undertaking of getting 16 titles from the legendary rock band’s back catalog back in print in their original format. Throughout the remainder of the year and into early 2024, US and UK versions of albums recorded between 1963 and 1970, largely by the original Jagger/Richards/Jones/Watts/Wyman lineup, will find their way onto 180-gram vinyl. Some of these titles, including their debut live album Got Live If You Want It!, Between The Buttons (US) and the aforementioned Aftermath (US), have been out-of-print as stand-alone vinyl records for the past 37 years.

During the 1960s, it was customary for album release versions to differ depending on the territory in which they were released and this was the case with The Rolling Stones in that era, their UK label, Decca Records, and US label, London Records, had separate schedules, often utilizing different cover art and different tune stacks for a given title. In the case of Aftermath, the first Stones album containing only original Jagger/Richards compositions, Americans were treated to the groundbreaking hit “Paint It, Black” kicking off side 1, taking the place of “Mother’s Little Helper” (and sleeve art featuring David Bailey’s haunting color photograph of the band members with faces blurred) on the UK version.

April 28 saw the reissue of their 1967 opus Between The Buttons (US) which, despite utilizing near-identical cover art as its British counterpart, has the distinction of containing the number one hit “Ruby Tuesday” and the controversial “Let’s Spend the Night Together.”

After this, a flurry of collections will be reissued, including the UK and US versions of The Rolling Stones first hits compilation Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass) on June 9 and June 16 respectively. This is followed on June 16 by the US-only release Flowers (1967), which partially served to give the American market songs that were omitted from the London Records-issued Aftermath and Between The Buttons, but also contained three previously unreleased tracks (“My Girl,” “Ride On, Baby,” “Sittin’ On A Fence”). The band’s first official rarities collection Metamorphosis will get its own vinyl reissue on July 14. Originally released in 1975 by ABKCO, and consisting of outtakes and Jagger/Richards demos written for other artists recorded between 1964 and 1970, many tracks utilize guest musicians such as Jimmy Page (“Heart Of Stone”) and John McLaughlin (“I’d Much Rather Be With The Boys”).

On September 15, both the US and UK versions of Out Of Our Heads (1965) will be reissued. This title marked a milestone in The Rolling Stones’ career – it was their first number one US album, containing their first chart topping US single “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” It was also their last album of this era to primarily consist of covers (Don Covay’s “Mercy, Mercy,” Marvin Gaye’s “Hitch Hike” and Solomon Burke’s Bert Berns-penned “Cry To Me,” among many others). The UK version contains two underrated pop gems – “I’m Free” and the sublimely cynical “The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man.”

The Rolling Stones’ second hits collection Through The Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) (1969), notable for its octagonal sleeve and epitaph for the then recently departed Brian Jones, will receive its vinyl reissue on October 20 (UK version) and November 10 (US version). The former contains “You Better Move On,” “Sittin’ On A Fence” and “We Love You,” while the latter contains “Paint It, Black” and “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?” Virtually every track on the stop sign-shaped package is ubiquitous, from “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” to “She’s a Rainbow.”

December 1 will see the reissue of the aptly titled sophomore UK album The Rolling Stones No. 2 (1965), as well as December’s Children (and Everybody’s) (1965), an American release gathering some of the material from Decca’s Out Of Our Heads as well as the hit single “Get Off Of My Cloud” and “As Tears Go By.” On December 1, Got Live If You Want It! (1966) will again see the light of day. Only released in the US, this live album contains performances from three concerts in England recorded earlier in the year, including a barn-burning version of  “I’m Alright.” The album is fleshed out with two earlier studio recordings: “Fortune Teller” from 1963 and “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” from 1965, with added crowd ambiance.

Both originally released in 1964, ABKCO plans on vinyl reissues for the debut US album (England’s Newest Hit Makers) on October 6 and the debut UK album (The Rolling Stones) in early 2024. Their third US album The Rolling Stones, Now! from 1965 will also be reissued in 2024. The latter contains their number one UK hit “Little Red Rooster (a cover of the Howlin’ Wolf song written by Willie Dixon) as well as the Jagger/Richards ballad “Heart Of Stone.”

These 16 180-gram vinyl reissues will join The Rolling Stones back catalog that ABKCO has long kept in print, including 12 x 5 (1964), Aftermath (UK version, 1966), Between The Buttons (UK version, 1967), Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967), Beggars Banquet (1968), Let It Bleed (1969), the live album Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! The Rolling Stones In Concert (1970), and the collections Hot Rocks 1964-1971 (1971) and More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies) from 1972.

The Rolling Stones black vinyl reissue release schedule:

June 9 – Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass) (UK version)
Side A

  1. Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?
  2. Paint It, Black
  3. It’s All Over Now
  4. The Last Time
  5. Heart of Stone
  6. Not Fade Away
  7. Come On

Side B

  1. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
  2. Get Off Of My Cloud
  3. As Tears Go By
  4. 19th Nervous Breakdown
  5. Lady Jane
  6. Time Is On My Side
  7. Little Red Rooster

June 16 – Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass) (US version)
Side A

  1. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
  2. The Last Time
  3. As Tears Go By
  4. Time Is On My Side
  5. It’s All Over Now
  6. Tell Me

Side B

  1. 19th Nervous Breakdown
  2. Heart Of Stone
  3. Get Off Of My Cloud
  4. Not Fade Away
  5. Good Times, Bad Times
  6. Play With Fire

June 16 – Flowers
Side A

  1. Ruby Tuesday
  2. Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?
  3. Let’s Spend The Night Together
  4. Lady Jane
  5. Out Of Time
  6. My Girl

Side B

  1. Back Street Girl
  2. Please Go Home
  3. Mother’s Little Helper
  4. Take It Or Leave It
  5. Ride On, Baby
  6. Sittin’ On A Fence

July 14 – Metamorphosis
Side A

  1. Out Of Time
  2. Don’t Lie To Me
  3. Somethings Just Stick In Your Mind
  4. Each and Every Day of the Year
  5. Heart Of Stone
  6. I’d Much Rather Be With The Boys
  7. (Walkin’ Thru The) Sleepy City
  8. We’re Wastin’ Time
  9. Try A Little Harder

Side B

  1. I Don’t Know Why
  2. If You Let Me
  3. Jiving Sister Fanny
  4. Downtown Suzie
  5. Family
  6. Memo From Turner
  7. I’m Going Down

September 15 – Out Of Our Heads (US version)
Side A

  1. Mercy Mercy
  2. Hitch Hike
  3. The Last Time
  4. That’s How Strong My Love Is
  5. Good Times
  6. I’m Alright (Live)

Side B

  1. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
  2. Cry To Me
  3. The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man
  4. Play With Fire
  5. The Spider And The Fly
  6. One More Try

September 15 – Out Of Our Heads (UK version)

Side A

  1. She Said Yeah
  2. Mercy Mercy
  3. Hitch Hike
  4. That’s How Strong My Love Is
  5. Good Times
  6. Gotta Get Away

Side B

  1. Talkin’ ‘Bout You
  2. Cry To Me
  3. Oh, Baby (We Got A Good Thing Goin’)
  4. Heart Of Stone
  5. The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man
  6. I’m Free

October 6 – England’s Newest Hit Makers
Side A

  1. Not Fade Away
  2. Route 66
  3. I Just Want To Make Love To You
  4. Honest I Do
  5. Now I’ve Got A Witness
  6. Little By Little

Side B

  1. I’m A King Bee
  2. Carol
  3. Tell Me
  4. Can I Get A Witness
  5. You Can Make It If You Try
  6. Walking The Dog

October 20 – Through The Past Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) (UK version)
Side A

  1. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
  2. Mother’s Little Helper
  3. 2,000 Light Years From Home
  4. Let’s Spend The Night Together
  5. You Better Move On
  6. We Love You

Side B

  1. Street Fighting Man
  2. She’s A Rainbow
  3. Ruby Tuesday
  4. Dandelion
  5. Sittin’ On The Fence
  6. Honky Tonk Women

November 10 – Through The Past Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) (US version)
Side A

  1. Paint It, Black
  2. Ruby Tuesday
  3. She’s a Rainbow
  4. Jumpin’ Jack Flash
  5. Mother’s Little Helper
  6. Let’s Spend the Night Together

Side B

  1. Honky Tonk Women
  2. Dandelion
  3. 2000 Light Years from Home
  4. Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?
  5. Street Fighting Man

December 1 – The Rolling Stones No. 2
Side A

  1. Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (Version 2)
  2. Down Home Girl
  3. You Can’t Catch Me
  4. Time Is On My Side (Version 2)
  5. What A Shame
  6. Grown Up Wrong

Side B

  1. Down The Road Apiece
  2. Under The Boardwalk
  3. I Can’t Be Satisfied
  4. Pain In My Heart
  5. Off The Hook
  6. Suzie-Q

December 1 – December’s Children (And Everybody’s)
Side A

  1. She Said Yeah
  2. Talkin’ ‘Bout You
  3. You Better Move On
  4. Look What You’ve Done
  5. The Singer Not he Song
  6. Route 66 (Live)

Side B

  1. Get Off Of My Cloud
  2. I’m Free
  3. As Tears Go By
  4. Gotta Get Away
  5. Blue Turns To Grey
  6. I’m Moving On (Live)

December 1 – Got Live If You Want It!
Side A

  1. Under My Thumb
  2. Get Off Of My Cloud
  3. Lady Jane
  4. Not Fade Away
  5. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long
  6. Fortune Teller

Side B

  1. The Last Time
  2. 19th Nervous Breakdown
  3. Time Is On My Side
  4. I’m Alright
  5. Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?
  6. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

Coming In 2024:
The Rolling Stones, Now!
Side A

  1. Everybody Needs Somebody To Love (Version 1)
  2. Down Home Girl
  3. You Can’t Catch Me
  4. Heart Of Stone
  5. What A Shame
  6. Mona (I Need You Baby)

Side B

  1. Down The Road Apiece
  2. Off The Hook
  3. Pain In My Heart
  4. Oh, Baby (We Got A Good Thing Goin’)
  5. Little Red Rooster
  6. Surprise, Surprise 

The Rolling Stones (UK version)
Side A

  1. Route 66
  2. I Just Want To Make Love To You
  3. Honest I Do
  4. Mona (I Need You Baby)
  5. Now I’ve Got A Witness
  6. Little By Little

Side B

  1. I’m A King Bee
  2. Carol
  3. Tell Me
  4. Can I Get A Witness
  5. You Can Make It If You Try
  6. Walking The Dog