Comments, input and alterations are very welcome!
________________________________________________________________________________

Ain’t Too Proud To Beg
(Norman Whitfield / Eddie Holland)

Musicland Studios, Munich, West-Germany, November 13 - 24, 1973,
Rolling Stones Mobile Recording Unit, Stargroves, Newbury, Berkshire, UK,
April 10 - 15, 1974 and Island Recording Studios, London, UK, May 20 - 25, 1974

Mick Jagger - lead vocals, backing vocals
Keith Richards - electric guitar, harmony vocals, backing vocals
Charlie Watts - drums
Bill Wyman - bass
Billy Preston - piano, clavinet
Ray Cooper - bongos
Ed Leach - cowbell

I know you wanna leave me, I refuse to let you go
If I have to beg, plead for sympathy, I don't mind, 'cause it mean that much to me
Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin’, please don't leave me, don't you go
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby, please don't leave me, don't you go
Well, I heard a crying man is half a man, with no sense of pride
If I have to cry to keep ya, I don't mind weepin', if weepin' gonna keep ya by my side
Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin’, please don't leave me, don't you go
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby, please don't leave me, don't you go
If I have to sleep on your door step all night and day
Just to keep you from walkin' away
Let my friends laugh, even this I can stand, cause I want to keep ya, any way I can
Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin’, please don't leave me, don't you go
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby, please don't leave me, don't you go

Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin’, please don't leave me, don't you go
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby, please don't leave me, don't you go
Well, your love's so deep in the pit of my heart, ev'ry day it grows more and more
I'm not ashamed to come and plead with you, baby
If pleadin' keeps you from walkin' out the door
Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin’, please don't leave me, don't you go
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby, please don't leave me, don't you go
Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin’, please don't leave me, don't you go
Ain't too proud to plead, baby, baby, please don't leave me, don't you go
Sweet darlin’, don’t you go, ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin’, ain’t too proud to
Ain’t too proud to get down on my knees, baby, please, don’t you go
Ain’t too proud to, ain't too proud to beg, please don't leave me, now, don't you go
Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin’, please don't leave me, now, don't you go
Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin’, yeah, don't you go

Produced by The Glimmer Twins

First released on:
The Rolling Stones - “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll” LP
(Rolling Stones Records COC 79101) US, October 15, 1974



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010-11-24 19:12 by René.

is that Track Talk as in [www.timeisonourside.com] ?

Not really, it's more a focus on the recording date/place, who's playing, lyrics and the first release of the song. I thought it would be nice to discuss this and come to a "definitive" picture for each song. My plan is to post a song every week. Maybe another topic name?

René

>> Maybe another topic name? <<

yeah, maybe!
and just making sure: what you're hoping is that people will correct or confirm the recording information?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2008-08-18 10:41 by with sssoul.

Yep, that's exactly what I'm hoping for. With so much people on this board we can come pretty close to a "definitive" picture for each song I guess.
Any suggestions for another topic name?

René

smile: well ... who's the source of the details you're quoting in the first post?
if it were from Keno's site, you might call your threads "correcting Keno".

there are so many mistakes on that site that a] you might get more discussion here
and b] you could then submit the corrections to Keno, which would be a good deed.
a lot of people consult that site, so it would be cool if more of the details were correct.

Aint To Proud To Beg - Temptations
Released 3 May 1966
Penned by Norman Whitfield/Eddie Holland Jnr
Produced by Norman Whitfield

Original working titles ...
You Can't Please Everybody...Please Don't Leave Me Girl

Backing track recorded September 1965 and assigned to Mavin Gaye..
Strings recorded November...Temptation vocals dubbed January 1966...
Lead vocals David Ruffin

Released on Temptations - Gettin' Ready album June 1966...
Alternative version with different mix of strings - Temptations Lost & Found 1999






ROCKMAN

No, the info is not from Keno's site. I took the info from several books, internet-sites and my own ears.

René

HA! Thanx Rockman! That's not exactly what I meant, but still excellent info!

René

Rene...
Hey yeah I figured that BUT it's always cool to track back to the original



ROCKMAN

That's for sure, and to be honest....... most times I prefer the original

René

Original's way better. And - much as I love The Stones version - the same goes for Just My Imagination.

Quote
Nikolai
Original's way better. And - much as I love The Stones version - the same goes for Just My Imagination.

I agree with these (& My Girl too)...

actually, I think their version of "(Just My) Imagination" is compensation for the first 2 crap Temptations covers. "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" is by far my favorite of the 3 Temps' songs, but the Stones' version is just flat, although it got better live.

René, if you search here for "andy johns," you should find a detailed interview scanned from a 70s magazine. There's a good chance you could narrow the dates down from the info there.

I'm with cc. Always thought the first two Temps covers were throwaways, while "Imagination" was brilliant. It's glorious in a completely different way than the original and one of my alltime favorite Stones tracks.

Meanwhile, the posted info from Rene and Dr. Rock is fascinating. Many thanks...

Quote
cc

René, if you search here for "andy johns," you should find a detailed interview scanned from a 70s magazine. There's a good chance you could narrow the dates down from the info there.

Here's a shortcut to the pdf article:
[65.61.32.96]

...and the thread where it was posted:
[www.iorr.org]

Need more cowbell!!

>>Let my friends laugh, for this I can stand,
cause I want to keep ya, yeah, yeah, I can<<

Isn't it: 'cause I want to keep ya any way I can

What's Keith playing on this? It's got a nasty growl and seems to be in standard tuning. The Les Paul Jr. with the P-90?

Of the Temps covers, Just My Imagination is the only 'improvement' on the original..taking it from daydreamy to modern (and it still works). I love the live version from Detroit in 1978.

Ain't Too Proud to Beg is OK, but seems like filler, on a record that seems to have a lot of filler.

CC & open-g: thanx for the Andy Johns article! Missed that one, great info!

Marmalade: I think you're right about that line. Thanx!

More comments, input and alterations?

René

"Well, I heard a quiet man is half a man"
I think it's:
'Well, I heard a crying man is half a man'

"Let my friends laugh, for this I can stand, cause I want to keep ya, yeah, yeah, I can" >>>
'Let my friends laugh, even this I can stand, cause I want to keep ya, any way I can'

Rene,

You asked for comments.

Your post gives three separate recording dates but one fixed list of personnel.

I'm surprised if Mick T wasn't at one of those sessions.

Your list says: K Richards : guitar.

But there's more than one guitar on it isn't there?

So shouldn't it either be K Richards: guitars or an extra credit for Mick T?

Quote
JuanTCB
What's Keith playing on this? It's got a nasty growl and seems to be in standard tuning. The Les Paul Jr. with the P-90?

I would say so -it's that growling sound he had during these '74/'75 sessions. It's the same sound as on Slave, which I think is the Junior with the Boogie MkI prototype they recieved for the sessions.

Mathijs

I guess I'm in the minority here, but I actually prefer the Stones version of "Ain't Too Proud to Beg." Howling Mick - I love it.

The Temps "Imagination" is too closely tied to a special time for me and I don't care for ANY remakes!

Ive always prefered the THe stones but latley ive been appreicating the TEMPS version more and more.

what I like about the stones version is that It sounds like them playing in some small pub. Charlie is so good on it, esp. the way he uses the cymballs at the end. and I like how Billy Preston sounds. This is one of my fave stones tracks as a matter of fact.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2008-08-20 05:17 by ryanpow.

the Stones' version would be better if it didn't sound as if it were recorded in an airtight chamber.

Z: Thanx for the correction!

Four Stone Walls:

From Nico Zentgraf's Complete Works website:

731113A 13th - 24th November: Munich, West-Germany, Musicland Studios (without MT).
Producers: MJ & KR (The Glimmer Twins). Sound engineers: Keith Harwood and
Andy Johns.
- Ain’t Too Proud To Beg I (Norman Whitfield/Eddie Holland) -Billy Preston on
piano; unverified early version

740410A 10th - 15th April: Newbury, England, Stargroves (MJ’s house), Rolling Stones Mobile
Studio and 20th - 25th May: London, Island Recording Studios. Producers: The
Glimmer Twins. Sound engineers: Keith Harwood (with Tapani Tapanainen) in April;
Keith Harwood, Glyn Johns (with Howard Kilgour) in May; George Chkiantz (on It’s
Only Rock’n Roll and overdubs). Overdubbing and mixing of the album ‘It’s Only
Rock’n Roll’. Incl.
- Ain’t Too Proud To Beg II (Norman Whitfield/Eddie Holland) -Billy Preston on
piano, Ed Leach on cowbell, Ray Cooper on bongos; longer differently mixed
acetate-version
- Ain’t Too Proud To Beg III (Norman Whitfield/Eddie Holland) -Billy Preston on
piano, Ed Leach on cowbell, Ray Cooper on bongos; It’s Only Rock’n Roll-version

Line-up ‘Ain’t Too Proud To Beg’: MJ (voc)/KR (gtr, bvoc)/BW (bass)
CW (dr)/Billy Preston (p)/Ray Cooper (perc)/Ed Leach (cowbell)

This info is also confirmed in the Complete Recording Sessions 1962 - 2002 book from Dieter Hoffman. And I must say, I do not hear Mick T. playing guitar, it's all Keith to my ears.

Anyone more?

René

According to the comment on New York Dolls' "In Too Much Too Soon" by Rickey Wright,
The Stones' late-'74 slopbucket take on "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" suggests that they'd heard the Dolls rewire the Philly-soul "Showdown."

yeah, I don't hear taylor either. He was absent from the main sessions with a "sinus problem." Many of his parts on the album are overdubbed onto the basic band (along with lots of other overdubs, of course).

Quote
Toru A
According to the comment on New York Dolls' "In Too Much Too Soon" by Rickey Wright,
The Stones' late-'74 slopbucket take on "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" suggests that they'd heard the Dolls rewire the Philly-soul "Showdown."

hm, what do you think the writer means by that, exactly?