Tonight I was dining with a friend and the jukebox in the diner was playing a bunch of Stones songs among which was Ruby Tuesday. My friend said he thought it sounded like The Beatles.

What is it that my friend heard that made him think this? I don't hear The Beatles in this song at all. Yes, it's a pop song but that's as far as it goes. I've NEVER heard a Stones song that sounds like The Beatles and it bugs the hell out of me when people make these misinformed comparisons. It typically seems to come from people who are too young to have witnessed the British invasion first hand and see The Stones as 'wanna be' Beatles! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I mean wouldn't I know it if it sounded like The Beatles!!!!

I ain't stupid, I'm just guitarded.

It's very melodic, a strong point of the Beatless but less of the Stones.

Mathijs

Almost everything the Stones did around 1966 sounds like the Beatles. Esp. Between the Buttons.

Has a touch of Strawberry Fields about it. Was it recorded/released before or after that one? Both '67, n' est-ce pas?

No, it doesn't sound like the Beatles. It sounds like the Stones.

In my opinion, the Beatles actually wrote better "pop" songs than the Stones during this period, but Ruby Tuesday ranks up there, only because it was heavily influenced by the Beatles. The Stones were still following the leaders at this point, but once they broke away from this trend, and Keith learned the Open-G riffs, thats when most comparisons should end.

But the Stones didn't fully evolve as the greatest until their after the Beatles called it quits.

This is pointless if the discussion will be fully developed.
I looked around a little, both are recorded ("Strawberry..." and "Ruby... ") in late November and early December 1966, and released Jan/Feb - "Ruby Tuesday" in January 13 1966 as a single in UK (and on album BTB in US February 11 1967) and
"Strawberry Fields" in February (I dont have the exact date right now: But I´m pretty sure somehere jere´s gonna vome up with it...) as a single with Penny Lane as the flip side.

(on the former [www.columbia.edu],
on the latter [www.keno.org])

George Martin made the main mixes in the 22nd of December 1966, and (the stereo mix) the 29th of December 66. He couldnt have heard Ruby Tuesday at that point... - But be sure the Stones and the Beatles-lads had heard each others works in progress & recordings!

They influence each other, and other groups were as well connected in this psychedelic global atmosphere...

If I'm forced to make a comparison, I actually hear the Beatles "Nowhere Man" being the main influence of Ruby Tuesday. It's almost obvious that the Stones borrowed the vocal intro idea, and then followed it with the harmonizing chorus. Listen to them back to back...it's all there, and Nowhere Man came way before Ruby Tuesday.

They were definitely friends and were probably hearing each others stuff prior to release. I don't have Nowhere Man, is that on Rubber Soul? Because Eleanor Rigby is on Revolver and I thought as a kid I bought the 45" with Eleanor on one side and Nowhere Man on the other?

Anyway, I'm still not sure I hear The Beatles in Ruby Tuesday, but, maybe. I do however hear The Beatles on 'We Love You" and for sure on 'Dandelion. Which the former John and Paul sang back-up on.

I ain't stupid, I'm just guitarded.

We have to remember the influence could as well has gone the other way around in some cases (no examples now; but I may come up with some... ).



The smiling man cozying lower left is Mr James Phelge; his books (e.g. Nankering With The Stones) tell a lot about the friendship between these two groups. You may recognize some of the others as well.

"Almost everything the Stones did around 1966 sounds like the Beatles. Esp. Between the Buttons."

Which Beatles song has inspired Stones to "Going Home", "Under my Thumb", "I am Waiting", "Flight 505", "High and Dry" - also other songs like Satisfaction, Paint it Balck etc.....

Hence the word ALMOST. (and most songs you mention are from 1965!)

"Going Home" recorded, December 1965, "Satisfaction", May 1965, the rest: "Under my Thumb", "I am Waiting", "Flight 505", "High and Dry" and "Paint it Balck" in RCA, Hollywood, March 1966....

So most of them I mentioned were recorded in 1966.... but you never told me how Beatles influenced these songs......

How about BTB - Lets Spend The Night Together, Please Go Home, My Obsession, She Smiled..... were is Beatles here???

Just want to know......

Country Honk makes a great point. I am sick and tired of all the accusations that the Stones were 'influenced' (and even copied) the Beatles from '65 to '67. Utter nonsense! Great rockers such as The Last Time, Satisfaction, Get Off of My Cloud, Paint It, Black, and 19th Nervous Breakdown were Beatlesque? Please! The Stones were the first great rock n' roll band, period. Their sound emphasized the use of signature guitar riffs backed by a thumping rhythm section. This all happened before Keith discovered the open-G in '68. Such stupid comparisons with the Beatles, I think, undermine everything the Stones accomplished before 1968 . . .

The answer to country honk's question is - nowhere.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-05-08 02:31 by Beast.

IN A WORD! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I never said that the Stones copied the Beatles! But if there is one period were the Stones and the Beatles sound alike, it's 1966. So the Stones sounded like the Beatles AND vice versa. Country Honk mentioned Let's spend the night together. After Who's driving your plane?, to me it's the most Beatles sounding song in the book! Very poppy and melodic (as Mathijs stated before). The lyrics are pure Beatles. This isn't a discussion on 'Who did what first?'. It's about a certain period the two bands sounded alike (to me).

(country honk: sorry, I had to say: some of the songs you mentioned. Please forgive me....).

'Who's Driving Your Plane' sounds like the Beatles? That's amazing.

I ain't stupid, I'm just guitarded.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2005-05-08 14:39 by RankOutsider.

I think Between The Buttons has more Kinks and also Bob Dylan lyrical influences than the Beatles. I've never seen much connection even in the psychedelic era between the Beatles and the Stones. I've always felt although in a sense the Stones were jumping on the psychedelic bandwagon they always sounded more authentic - the Beatles were (apart from a number of noteable John Lennon exceptions) were more aloof.
Ruby Tuesday has a number of musical touches that are less than typical of the Stones most well style but is typical of the musical landscape of the time.
That includes the Beatles music.

I've been listening to the abkco singles from this period. The thing that is alway's there in all The Stones tunes, (no matter how pop sounding), is that freight train rhythm section provided by Charlie and Bill. Man what a beast!

I ain't stupid, I'm just guitarded.

RankOutsider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 'God - If I commit suicide, I'm gonna miss the next Stones album.' (Patti Smith)

Love this Quote!

Me Too!

I ain't stupid, I'm just guitarded.

If one thinks that Let's Spend the Night Together sounds anything like the beatles, he should get some musical education immediately!!!
The Stones already did competely different stuff in the mid sixties. I've never heard anything like Satisfaction or Paint it Black. Sure they have done some pop tunes, but they were very different from the Beatles songs imo.

No.

Milo, NYC
Talkin' 'bout the midnight rambler

Perhaps Beatles' influenced but it doesn't sound like them.

And I really miss the "Nowhere man" comparison.

kyle m

Have you ever lent somebody $20 and never seen them again? It was probably worth it.

Yes Monkey man, perhaps a bit far-fetched comparison. But as I stated..."if I was forced to make a comparison"..., and for the sake of discussion and arguement, I threw one out there. All I ask is listen to them back to back...over and over again...repeatedly...it will all make sense. The Beatles and the Stones were the best during this period, and these 2 songs prove it. You've gotta love them both.

If you want some really Beatles influenced Jagger-Richard song, take "I'm Free" and the part of "So love Me, Hold Me.." Then listen "Eight Day A Week" and find some 'surprising' similarities. Well, one could say that the case is not that of influence, but pure stealing or 'borrowing'. (And by the way, to me "I'm Free" sounds as a funny combination of two sources: Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone" and that particular Beatle thing.)

- Doxa

Hairball I'm as much a Beatles freak as I am Stones.
I don't have a best period for the Beatles cos they nevered faultered really in my eyes.

And Doxa I'd never really noticed the similarities re EDAW and IF.
Pretty astute there miladio!

kyle m

Have you ever lent somebody $20 and never seen them again? It was probably worth it.

I read somewhere that Mick Jagger listened to Chopin when he wrote that song.