ABKCO Records is set to release The Rolling Stones Singles 1966-1971 on February 2. The limited-edition set includes reproductions of 18 7” vinyl singles and extended play records by “The World’s Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band,” as originally released by Decca, London Records and ABKCO Records. The collection serves as a second volume and companion to The Rolling Stones Singles 1963-1966, released through ABKCO in 2022.
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All tracks were remastered by 13-time Grammy Award-winning engineer Bob Ludwig, and the discs are manufactured by Third Man Pressing in Detroit. The set, replete with period-correct picture sleeve art, will also come with a 32-page book containing extensive liner notes by Stones authority Nigel Williamson, as well as rare photos and ephemera, plus a set of five photo cards and a poster, all housed in a hard-shell box.
The Rolling Stones Singles 1966-1971 spans a crucial period in the band’s evolution, when their move towards the experimental and psychedelic sounds of “We Love You” and “She’s a Rainbow” gave way to the roots-y, blues-based rock of “Honky Tonk Women” and “Wild Horses.” Also during this time, guitarist/founding member Brian Jones was replaced by Mick Taylor – the first lineup change since the group’s founding. Amidst the stylistic shifts and tumult between ’66 and ’71, the Stones racked up seven Top 10 singles on both sides of the Atlantic, including four Number Ones.
“Paint It, Black” topped the charts internationally in 1966. Its eerie tone and sitar line played by Brian Jones sounded nothing like what the band had previously recorded. Singles 1966-1971 contains both the US and UK versions of the 45; the latter’s B-side “Long Long While” is a rare non-LP track. Other rare B-sides in the set include “Who’s Driving Your Plane” from the US Top 10 hit “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadow?,” and “Child Of The Moon” from UK #1 “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” Stones collectors will also take satisfaction in the mono mixes of “We Love You” and its flipside “Dandelion” (1967), which both contain a reprise at the end with an ode to the other track. These are both exclusive to the single release.
Released in August 1968, the picture sleeve for the “Street Fighting Man”/”No Expectations” single depicts protestors being brutalized by police. After the Chicago Police Department ravaged anti-war protestors outside the Democratic National Convention later that same month, the Stones’ US label withdrew the single, making it one of the most sought-after collector’s items in the band’s canon. The Rolling Stones Singles 1966-1971 collection faithfully reproduces that controversial record art, and also includes the 1971 UK maxi-single version of “Street Fighting Man,” with “Surprise Surprise” and “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love.” While not technically a Rolling Stones song, Mick Jagger’s “Memo From Turner” from the acclaimed Performance soundtrack is included. Originally released as a single in 1970, the song features slide guitar by Ry Cooder, and its B-side “Natural Magic” is a Cooder instrumental.
While every track on The Rolling Stones 1966-1971 box set was recorded in the time frame suggested by its title, some of the records were originally released later. “I Don’t Know Why,” “Out Of Time” and the stereo mix of the 1969 #1 hit “Honky Tonk Women” were 45s that came out in 1975-76, around the time ABKCO issued the Stones rarities album Metamorphosis. “Sympathy For The Devil” was remixed separately by The Neptunes and Fat Boy Slim in 2003 and originally released as part of a Super Audio CD at the time – it exists here as a 7” vinyl record.
The Rolling Stones 1966-1971 is the follow up to The Rolling Stones Singles 1963-1966 boxset, released by ABKCO Records on June 10, 2022 to mark the 60th anniversary of the peerless rock giants. The limited edition set contained reproductions of the first 18 vinyl 7” singles and EP releases by the Stones as they were originally released by Decca and London Records.