Keith Richards – Gimme Shelter Review

Early versions of all-time great songs are a new look at old material. The Rolling Stones released more than a handful of defining tracks, be it traces of the band or comments on the culture around them. Mick Jagger is the core of those songs, his vocal style and performative range a fascinating, seemingly infinite well of inspiration. From Baudelaire to Bob Dylan, the foundations of his writing style are based on the reactive and explosive potential, the feeling of elation and exultation. Gimme Shelter is a classic, a song which is known to those who have no idea what The Rolling Stones achieved. Jagger is the defining spirit of that track, but an earlier version with Keith Richards on vocal duties is a remarkable showcase of just how different a song can be with a different singer. What emotive range they can pull from on a cover, the differences they can make. You can hear that at play on this Gimme Shelter version. 

A clear preference for blues music and soulful appeal, which was what defined those early years of The Rolling Stones, is present. Richards’ dedication to their roots and Jagger’s ongoing desire to adapt the band to popular, contemporary rock, is the difference for Gimme Shelter. Borderline identical instrumental work means dedicated fans have a direct comparison between the Jagger and Richards versions. It’s a real treat for those seeking out deep cuts of The Rolling Stones’ discography, but also a maddeningly brilliant alternative to the original. Richards’ vocal work is far quieter than the guitar, that memorable instrumental beast dominating the song. It feels like a natural choice for the veteran guitarist to make. An admirable voice, but his focus is on those classic riffs, the heavier blues structure of the song heard through a reduction in vocals. It’s quite the contrast to the groaning and moaning mania Jagger provides.  

Gimme Shelter in Richards’ hands is a roaring instrumental. Those guitar solos are the beating heart of the song, but to profile them so clearly, above the vocal work, is a bold choice. It does not quite work for Richards here, but the interpretation he offers the Let It Bleed classic is fascinating. He falls back into the instrumentals, almost like the warning cry Jagger offers is a hopeless shout. A gruffer tone is what Richards provides when he breaks through the rich instrumental layers. That shout of “murder” is perfectly placed, while the shortening of some lines, the removal of vocal intonations, is a thrill. It gives the song a moodier presence, a darker tone, which is in touch with the band’s earliest hits. A softly sinister tone can be heard on Mama’s Little Helper and (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, and that is what Richards brings through here.  

For those who wore the grooves of Gimme Shelter and can recite it note for note, this may serve as a crucial revitalisation of the classic. Richards’ vision of the band was different to Jagger’s. It is why they worked so well together, and why The Rolling Stones went on a break in the ‘80s. Those splintered views of their sound are found as early as this, with Gimme Shelter an already menacing piece of work, turned even harsher and harder by Richards’ gruff approach to vocals. He would find that on his solo albums a decade later. It’s not a defining moment, though certainly of interest to those who do wonder what a Richards-led band would sound like. Brilliant, is the answer to that, but there is no beating the classics in this instance.