"Honky Tonk Women" is a 1969 hit song by the Rolling Stones. Released as a single on 4 July 1969 in the United Kingdom and a week later in the United States, it topped the charts in both nations.
Inspiration and recording
Thematically, a "honky tonk woman" refers to a dancing girl in a western bar who may work as a prostitute; the setting for the narrative in the first verse of the blues version is Memphis, while "Country Honk" sets the first verse in Jackson.
| “ | I met a gin soaked bar-room queen in Memphis | ” |
| “ | I'm sittin' in a bar, tipplin' a jar in Jackson | ” |
The band initially recorded the track called "Country Honk", in London in early March 1969. Brian Jones was present during these sessions and may have played on the first handful of takes and demos. It was his last recording session with the band. The song was transformed into the familiar electric, riff-based hit single "Honky Tonk Women" sometime in the spring of 1969, prior to Mick Taylor's joining the group. In an interview in the magazine Crawdaddy!, Richards credits Taylor for influencing the track: "... the song was originally written as a real Hank Williams/Jimmie Rodgers/1930s country song. And it got turned around to this other thing by Mick Taylor, who got into a completely different feel, throwing it off the wall another way." However, in 1979 Taylor recalled it this way: "I definitely added something to Honky Tonk Women, but it was more or less complete by the time I arrived and did my overdubs."
The song is distinctive as it opens not with a guitar riff, but with a beat played on a cowbell. The Rolling Stones' producer Jimmy Miller performed the cowbell for the recording.
Ry Cooder has asserted that he originated the song's main guitar riff, and has accused the Rolling Stones of "ripping him off". Rolling Stones pianist Ian Stewart said of the track: "It's bloody ten times Keith you hear."
The single was released in the UK the day after the death of founder member Brian Jones where it remained on the charts for 5 weeks peaking at No. 1. You Can't Always Get What You Want was the single's B-side. The song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks from 23 August 1969.It was later released on the compilation album Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2) in September. "Honky Tonk Women" was ranked No. 116 on the list of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004.- Drums: Charlie Watts
- Bass: Bill Wyman
- Rhythm electric guitar: Keith Richards
- Lead electric guitars: Keith Richards (incl. solo) & Mick Taylor
- Lead vocals: Mick Jagger
- Background vocals: Keith Richards, Reparata and the Delrons, Nanette Workman (credited as "Nanette Newman"), Doris Troy
- Piano: Ian Stewart
- Cowbell: Jimmy Miller
- Brass: Steve Gregory, Bud Beadle
Covers
Ike & Tina Turner covered the song on their 1969 album Nice n' Rough.
Waylon Jennings covered the song on his 1970 LP Singer of Sad Songs.
On his album Lovejoy, Albert King sang a version with lyrics which skirted the first verse's suggestions of prostitution: "I met a gypsy bar-room queen in Memphis / and on the street the summer sun did shine / The sweetest rose that ever grows in Memphis / I just can't seem to drink her off of my mind." (The lyric editor is not credited.)
Joe Cocker performs the song on his 1970 live album Mad Dogs and Englishmen.
James Last performs the song as part of medley on album Non Stop Dancing 1969/2.
Gram Parsons' version of the song, released on the 1976 rarities compilation Sleepless Nights, features a slightly different set of lyrics and an arrangement that combines elements of both Stones' versions.
Travis Tritt covered the song on the 1997 tribute album Stone Country.
"Weird Al" Yankovic included this song in the Rolling Stones polka medley "The Hot Rocks Polka".
Hank Williams, Jr. covered the song in his album Born to Boogie in July 1987.
A recording of Prince performing the song as "Honky Tonk Women" is on the (possibly unauthorised) 1993 Japanese release The Undertaker.
Paige Miles performed the song during the Rolling Stones Week on American Idol.
Humble Pie performed a live version of the song on their 1973 album Eat It.
Ali Campbell covered the song on his 2010 album Great British Songs.
Elton John performed this song during a concert at A&R Studios in New York City on 17 November 1970, which appeared on his later album 11-17-70.
Billy Joel performed a live version of this song at his 'Night of the 2000 Years' concert on 31 December 1999 at New York's Madison Square Garden. It appears on the concert's live album 2000 Years: The Millennium Concert.
Willie Nelson and Leon Russell performed this song for Nelson's 1985 duet compilation album Half Nelson.
The New Riders of the Purple Sage performed this song during their regular opening for the Grateful Dead. Their version featured Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar recreating the signature guitar riff. Their version, much more "countrified" than the single, but not a cover of "Country Honk", either. While at the Filmore East venue, with the accompanying light show, stills of Mick Jagger in concert were projected on to the scrim above the band as they played the more rhythmic intro to the song.
Taj Mahal covered the song on his album Blue Light Boogie. This cover was also played on the House M.D. episode "Sex Kills". Taj Mahal also covered the song on the 1997 tribute album Paint It Blue: Songs of the Rolling Stones.
Leslie West covered the song on his album The Great Fatsby.
The Meters released a version on their compilation album Kickback in 2001.
The Pogues covered the song on their EP "Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah".
Bosnian band Elvis J. Kurtović & His Meteors covered the song on their debut LP Mitovi i legende o kralju Elvisu (1984). Sung in Serbo-Croat, their version was called "Baščaršy Hanumen".
Tesla covered the song on their 2007 "Reel To Reel" CD
Def Leppard covered the song in Rare gems: disk 2.
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