# Keith Richards has sold 250,000,000 records. But he still wishes he had written a 1966 song he’s spent his career trying “to beat”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/keith-richards-has-sold-250000000-records-but-he-still-wishes-he-had-written-a-1966-song-hes-spent-his-career-trying-to-beat/
- Published: 2026-10-31T10:03:44+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-31T10:37:48+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-1966-song-keith-richards-wishes-he-had-written-to-beat/
- Topics: Entertainment, Music

## Key points

- Richards wishes he had written Freddie Scott’s 1966 hit.
- The song topped the US R&B chart.
- Scott recorded more than 100 takes to perfect it.

## Summary

Keith Richards has said he wishes he had written Freddie Scott’s 1966 R&B song ‘Are You Lonely for Me’. The Rolling Stones guitarist called it the genre’s finest example and said he has spent much of his career trying to match it, making the track a lasting measure of the music he admires.

The song reached number one on the US R&B chart and number 39 on the wider Billboard chart. Scott recorded more than 100 takes with producer Bert Berns, with Cissy Houston and the Sweet Inspirations providing backing vocals. It became Scott’s signature hit, admired by artists including Al Green and Otis Redding; Scott died in 2007, aged 74.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.