The 1966 song Frank Zappa hailed as “one of the finest things that’s ever happened in British rock”
Frank Zappa praised the Rolling Stones’ 1966 song ‘Paint It Black’, calling it “one of the finest things that’s ever happened in British rock”. His admiration was striking given his distance from the British Invasion, and his comments highlight how the song’s unusual details impressed a musician known for listening closely to arrangements.
On BBC Radio 1, Zappa singled out the bass part, especially the rising “wooom” sound, as exhilarating. Keith Richards said he wrote the music while Mick Jagger wrote the lyrics, and recalled that the band initially cut the track as a comedy piece. The song also features a sitar and fast organ playing that, according to Richards, was intended to parody the band’s first manager.
- Zappa singled out the bass on ‘Paint It Black’.
- He called the 1966 track a landmark in British rock.
- The Stones first approached it as a comedy track.
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The Rolling Stones are a British rock band whose mid-1960s recordings helped define the era known as the British Invasion, when UK groups found large audiences in the United States. Their songs often combined blues-based rock with new sounds and studio techniques.
‘Paint It Black’ was written by guitarist Keith Richards and singer Mick Jagger. Its arrangement includes a sitar, organ and a prominent bass part; Richards later said the band first approached the track as a comedy piece, with the organ playing intended to parody their first manager.
Frank Zappa was an American musician and composer known for detailed, often unconventional arrangements. His attention to the song’s individual parts reflects how musicians can hear and value elements of a recording that casual listeners may overlook.