Single:
Paint it Black entered the Australian singles chart* on 4 June 1966 and was a #1 hit. It was the #12 song on the Top 100 of 1966.
Album:
The song is on Aftermath which entered the Australian albums chart* on 25 June 1966 and peaked at #2.
Songwriters:
Mick Jagger, Keith Richards
Producer:
Andrew Loog Oldham
Record label of Australian release:
Decca
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Wikipedia:
Jagger and Richards wrote Paint It Black while on tour with the Stones in Australia.
Brian Jones explored Eastern instruments, specifically the sitar, with a view to bolstering the band’s musical texture and complexity. A multi-instrumentalist, Jones was able to develop a tune from the sitar in a short amount of time; he had a background with the instrument as far back as 1961, largely due to his studies under Harihar Rao, a disciple of Ravi Shankar. Following a discussion with George Harrison of the Beatles, who had recently recorded sitar on Norwegian Wood, Jones arranged basic melodies with the instrument that, over time, morphed into the one featured in Paint It Black.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paint_It_Black
Songfacts:
This is written from the viewpoint of a person who is depressed; he wants everything to turn black to match his mood. There was no specific inspiration for the lyrics. When asked at the time why he wrote a song about death, Mick Jagger replied: “I don’t know. It’s been done before. It’s not an original thought by any means. It all depends on how you do it.”
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/the-rolling-stones/paint-it-black
Lyrics:
I see a red door and I want it painted black
No colors anymore, I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes
I have to turn my head until my darkness goes
Click for full lyrics
This song is also on our Spotify playlists Bang a Gong – the 60s and Bang a Gong – rockin’ the 60s & 70s
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