Keith Richards ‘didn’t want to release’ song which made The Rolling Stones a ‘monster’ band

A song which turned The Rolling Stones into a “monster” band very nearly didn’t release as a single.

Guitarist Keith Richards had reportedly objected to the song being released as a lead track from the album Out of Our Heads. In a long-form interview with Rolling Stone magazine, music legend Mick Jagger confirmed there was an internal struggle over getting the song released as a single. Richards was strongly opposed to releasing the track as a single, though when it was eventually released, it topped the UK and US charts. The song was credited as turning the group into a “monster band”, which made them huge across the globe. Jagger has since recalled that Richards did not want to release the song, and warned there was a risk of becoming “blasé” about the songs which made the band big.

Jagger told Jann Wenner Richards “didn’t want” (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction “to come out as a single.” When asked for why the song was special so long after its release, Jagger said it was because the song which made the band a huge global name.

He told Wenner: “People get very blasé about their big hit. It was the song that really made the Rolling Stones, changed us from just another band into a huge, monster band. You always need one song.

“We weren’t American, and America was a big thing, and we always wanted to make it here. It was very impressive the way that song and the popularity of the band became a worldwide thing. You know, we went to play in Singapore.

“The Beatles really opened all that up. But to do that, you needed the song; otherwise, you were just a picture in the newspaper, and you had these little hits.”

Out of Our Heads released on July 30, 1965, and marked the third studio album release from The Rolling Stones. The album is a collection of American rhythm and blues cover tracks, but a few original works from The Rolling Stones made their way onto the album.

One such song was (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, written by Jagger and Richards. Despite being the group’s fourth number one in the UK, it was initially barred from radio play due to its sexually suggestive lyrics.

Popularity on pirate radio would lead to the song eventually appearing on official airwaves, leading to another chart-topping release from the band. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction was covered by Otis Redding, Devo, and Britney Spears among other recognisable acts.

A recent cover of the song featured on Dolly Parton’s 2023 album, Rockstar, where she and fellow musicians Pink and Brandi Carlile performed The Rolling Stones’ classic. Devo and The Residents also notably covered the song.