In 1966, The Rolling Stones released their most popular song. To this day, Keith Richards doesn’t think it sounds right
The Rolling Stones released “Paint It Black” in 1966, using Brian Jones’s sitar to give the song an unusual sound and reinforce its theme of feeling out of place. The article presents it as one of the band’s most popular songs and a striking move beyond their blues roots.
Keith Richards later said he was unhappy with the recording: he felt the electric guitar sounded wrong and the ending was over-recorded and rushed. He thought more takes might have improved it, while the article argues that the track’s hurried, cacophonous energy suits its dark subject matter.
In short
- “Paint It Black” featured Brian Jones on sitar.
- Keith Richards thought its guitar sound and ending could be better.
- The article links the rushed feel to the song’s dark mood.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The recording’s rough edges can be heard as part of its artistic force: the rushed ending and dense sound reinforce the song’s darkness and sense of disorientation. Its unusual sitar-led texture also marked a bold departure from the band’s blues roots, helping make it distinctive and enduring.
The case against
Richards’s reservations are reasonable: a prominent electric guitar that sounds wrong to him and an over-recorded, hurried ending may weaken the balance and finish he wanted. More takes could have preserved the song’s distinctive character while making the performance feel more deliberate and the instruments sit better together.
Explained simply
The Rolling Stones are a British rock band whose early music drew heavily on American blues. By the mid-1960s, they were experimenting with different sounds and instruments as they developed their own songwriting and recording style.
“Paint It Black” features Brian Jones playing the sitar, an Indian stringed instrument, alongside the band’s guitars and drums. Its lyrics describe a bleak outlook and a sense of being out of place, and the song became one of the band’s best-known recordings.
Keith Richards, the band’s guitarist, has criticised aspects of how the track was recorded, including its guitar sound and ending. His view offers a glimpse of the tension between musicians’ intentions in the studio and how listeners respond to a finished recording.