Merry (Gimme Shelter) Clayton (Not Dead)

Canard

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She seems to be doing well, despite some very large setbacks in life, and she has a new album out.


 

Westerly Wood

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so Merry Clayton is the singer in Gimme Shelter, belting it out? I thought that was Miriam Faithful?

oh my...such a great voice.
 

Canard

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If you want to hear the difference that Merry’s voice makes, here we have what is probably Keith’s demo of the song, done without Mick and Merry.




With Mick and Merry.

 

Westerly Wood

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so in Keith's rendition, the music actually sounds a lot like the album cut. so then he wrote this song on his own? and then Mick eventually did the vocals and they decided they needed another vocal over the top for emphasis? which eventually turned out totally making the song a smashing hit.

am i getting this right?
 

Westerly Wood

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ok, i read the story. she did it like in one take after midnight. yeah, those lyrics are terrible.
my gosh keith, so melodramatic now...
 

walrus

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Great links! The song has such a cool intro, but if you play it you have to sing those lyrics...

walrus
 

davismanLV

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I'm a huge Merry Clayton fan. I always think of Grandma's Hands. Her self-titled album was worn out by me. Glad she's still singing and making music!!

 

Canard

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so in Keith's rendition, the music actually sounds a lot like the album cut. so then he wrote this song on his own? and then Mick eventually did the vocals and they decided they needed another vocal over the top for emphasis? which eventually turned out totally making the song a smashing hit.

am i getting this right?

I don't know for sure. Keith worked a lot on his own, sometimes with Charlie. He is/was pretty good on the bass as well as the guitar. The version with him on vocals is the same basic arrangement as the final version but is not as well recorded. If you listen closely, there might be some Mick backing vocals tacked on. It sounds like a demo. It was only ever leaked on boots.

In the once lost and now found film, Charlie is My Darling, we see the Stones on tour in Ireland in 1965. They are basically just a bunch of kids, and Keith is so very shy - has to turn his back on the audience at times, not comfortable with the camera at all. And of course, Mick is Mick. There are a few seconds of Mick and Keith in a hotel room working on a song that would end up on Between the Buttons. Working seems to be Keith shyly singing and playing for Mick what he has written and then Mick more or less saying something to the effect that he doesn't like this part so change it, Keith.




It also has Keith doing impromptu acoustic covers of some Beatles songs that he admires.

It's a pretty good film if you can find it somewhere.
 

Rocky

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Merry is also the sister of Little Feat conga player Sam Clayton. Sam's good, but Merry....oh my, whole 'nother level.
 

matsickma

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Their is a good movie called something like "Twenty feet from Stardom" that goes into the back story of these great backup singers. If I recall the "Give me shelter" back story was at the last minute the Stones need a soulfull backup singer late at night and a young black and very pregnant woman with her hair in curlers arrived to the studio gig after midnight and just maybe was annoyed enough to belt out a bpowerful high octave backup voice to put those white English lads in their place!
M
 

walrus

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I don't know for sure. Keith worked a lot on his own, sometimes with Charlie. He is/was pretty good on the bass as well as the guitar. The version with him on vocals is the same basic arrangement as the final version but is not as well recorded. If you listen closely, there might be some Mick backing vocals tacked on. It sounds like a demo. It was only ever leaked on boots.

In the once lost and now found film, Charlie is My Darling, we see the Stones on tour in Ireland in 1965. They are basically just a bunch of kids, and Keith is so very shy - has to turn his back on the audience at times, not comfortable with the camera at all. And of course, Mick is Mick. There are a few seconds of Mick and Keith in a hotel room working on a song that would end up on Between the Buttons. Working seems to be Keith shyly singing and playing for Mick what he has written and then Mick more or less saying something to the effect that he doesn't like this part so change it, Keith.




It also has Keith doing impromptu acoustic covers of some Beatles songs that he admires.

It's a pretty good film if you can find it somewhere.



I am a huge Keith Richards fan!

walrus
 

matsickma

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Just did a little research and it turns out that Merry Clayton had a miscarriage the day after her night of singing on "Give me Shelter"! That was new and sad info! Apparently it took her years to get over that sad event that she associated when hearing the song.
M
 

Westerly Wood

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kind of ruins the song for me...
great voice though, wow.
got to be one of the greatest back up vocal performances of all time.
and it sounds like it took like 2 hours lol
 

Canard

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More Veer-Outta-Here factiods:

The guitar was an Aussie Maton.








 

walrus

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I'm happy Colt changed the lyrics for the kids!

walrus
 
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