One of the Rolling Stones’ most beloved and recognizable songs was largely made possible thanks to an innocent accident.
The Rolling Stones were central figures in the “British Invasion” rock and roll movement during the mid-’60s. The group scored multiple No. 1 hits that decade, including “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965), “Get Off of My Cloud” (1965), “Paint It Black” (1966) and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” (1968).
Their success continued into the ’70s, including more hit songs like “Brown Sugar” (1971), “Wild Horses” (1971), “Tumbling Dice” (1972) and “Angie” (1973). And if it weren’t for a near-perfect session by guitarist Mick Taylor, the Rolling Stones might have been missing one of the greatest classics in their repertoire
In April 1971, the Rolling Stones released Sticky Fingers, which went on to top the Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart. One of the album’s standout tracks, “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”, wasn’t even planned. Rather, it came to life by accident.
The Stones recorded “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” at Olympic Studios in London, England, in 1970. Renowned for its 7:15 length and Taylor’s epic guitar solo, the track was initially supposed to be much shorter.
According to uDiscoverMusic, the Stones needed just one take to complete the “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” master cut. The tape kept rolling, however, and Taylor couldn’t get himself to stop jamming.
“Towards the end of the song, I just felt like carrying on playing,” Taylor recalled, per UDiscoverMusic. “It sounded good, so everybody quickly picked up their instruments again and carried on playing. It just happened.”
‘Sticky Fingers’ Spent Four Weeks at No. 1 on the ‘Billboard’ 200
(Photo by Staff/Mirrorpix/Getty Images)
Sticky Fingers was the Rolling Stones’ second album to top the Billboard 200 after Out Of Our Heads (1965). The band’s legendary 1971 album also spent five weeks atop the UK Albums Chart.
In their list of “The 100 Greatest Guitar Solos of All Time“, Rolling Stone ranked “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” at No. 29.
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