I Got the Blues


"I Got the Blues" is a song from the Rolling Stones' 1971 album Sticky Fingers.
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "I Got the Blues" is a slow-paced, bluesy song. It features languid guitars with heavy influence of both blues and soul feel.

Reception

In his review, Richie Unterberger compares the Stones' take on their early influences, saying, "Musically, it's very much in the school of slow Stax ballads, by Otis Redding| Redding and some others, with slow reverbed guitars with a gospel feel, dignified brass, and a slow buildup of tension." A notable reference point is the Otis Redding-ballad "I've Been Loving You Too Long", a song that the Stones themselves had recorded in 1965 and very similar in style and buildup.

Recording

Recorded during the months of March through May 1970, the song features Mick Jagger on lead vocals, Keith Richards on harmony vocals, Mick Taylor and Richards on guitars, Bill Wyman on bass, Charlie Watts on drums, and Billy Preston on Hammond organ. Stones' recording veterans Bobby Keys and Jim Price performed on the saxophone and trumpet, respectively.