Mick Jagger Recalls Merry Clayton's 'Gimme Shelter' Vocals and the Tragic Night Behind Them
During a 2013 interview with NPR, Mick Jagger shared the story of how Merry Clayton provided the female vocals for the Rolling Stones' song 'Gimme Shelter' in the fall of 1969. While in Los Angeles mixing the track, the band felt that a woman's voice was needed for the 'rape, murder' part. They contacted Clayton at 11:30 p.m., and she arrived in curlers, managing to record the part in just one or two takes despite being pregnant. After three takes, her voice broke due to the emotional weight of the session. Tragically, she experienced a miscarriage afterward, which was linked to the stress. Clayton, who began her singing career in her father's New Orleans church, worked with stars like Bobby Darin and Elvis Presley. 'Gimme Shelter' was featured on the 1969 album Let It Bleed.
Key facts
- Mick Jagger discussed the making of 'Gimme Shelter' in an interview with Melissa Block on NPR's All Things Considered.
- The Rolling Stones were in a Los Angeles studio in fall 1969 finishing Let It Bleed when they recorded Merry Clayton's vocals.
- Jagger said they randomly phoned Clayton in the middle of the night; she arrived in curlers and recorded the part in one or two takes.
- Producer Jack Nitzsche called Clayton around 11:30 p.m.; her husband initially objected but then encouraged her to go.
- Clayton did not know who the Rolling Stones were and was briefed by Keith Richards at the studio.
- She recorded three takes, sitting on a stool because she was pregnant, and her voice cracked during the performance.
- Shortly after the session, Clayton suffered a miscarriage, generally attributed to the stress and late hour.
- Clayton told the Los Angeles Times in 1986 that the period was 'dark' but she overcame it and no longer finds singing 'Gimme Shelter' bothersome.
Entities
Artists
- Mick Jagger
- Merry Clayton
- Keith Richards
- Brian Jones
- Jack Nitzsche
- Bobby Darin
- Elvis Presley
- Ray Charles
- Martin Luther King
- Robert F. Kennedy
- Stephen Davis
- Melissa Block
- Terry Gross
Institutions
- The Rolling Stones
- NPR
- All Things Considered
- Fresh Air
- The Supremes
- The Raelettes
- Los Angeles Times
- Open Culture
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- New Orleans
- England
- Prague
- Altamont