Gimmie Shelter

**Gimmie Shelter** by **The Rolling Stones** is a red metagiant (RMG) located 8,000 light years away from earth in the constellation of Kansas, the radius of Gimmie Shelter is about 4,352 times that of the Sun and 2.77 million times more luminous of the Sun and the mass of Gimmie Shelter is 110 times that of the Sun, if placed at the center of the solar system, Gimmie Shelter's surface would extend to the orbit of Uranus.

## Intensity Scale

Gimmie Shelter is a major microgame was featured on iHeart 60's and Vinyl Classic Rock. The intensity scale of Gimmie Shelter was calculated to be 9.0, in June 2018 the scale has measured at intensity 8.9 at a strength of Major-7, and then on October 2020, the intensity scale has upgraded to 9.0 was based on a late major strength of Major-9.

Gimmie Shelter may have been the aftershock of Proud Mary which has struck Jamestown Kansas on 26 November 1969 at 19:01.52 UTC, and then nearly 10 days later another 8.9 intensity has stuck the same state, which the star was similar sized.

Gimmie Shelter is among the largest songs in Vinal Classic Rock in the early 70's, a 1972 study was officially calculated an Eta intensity of Iη 9.8 based on a luminosity of 7.3 million *L*☉ with a radii of 12,165 *R*☉ based on a rather cool temperature of 2,723 K at a distance 13,300 ly.

## Wikipedia

"**Gimme Shelter**" is the opening track to the 1969 album *Let It Bleed* by The Rolling Stones. Greil Marcus, writing in *Rolling Stone* magazine at the time of its release, praised the song, stating that the band has "never done anything better".

Although the first word was spelled "Gimmie" on that album, subsequent recordings by the band and other musicians have made "Gimme" the customary spelling.

It is on *Rolling Stone'*s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list, and is also the 34th best ranked song on critics' all-time lists according to Acclaimed Music.

## Inspiration and recording

"Gimme Shelter" was written by the Rolling Stones' lead vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards, the band's primary songwriting team. Richards began working on the song's signature opening riff in London while Jagger was away filming *Performance* with Richards' then-girlfriend, Anita Pallenberg. In his autobiography *Life*, Richards revealed that the tension of the song was inspired by his jealousy at seeing the relationship between Pallenberg and Jagger, and his suspicions of an affair between them.

As released, the song begins with Richards performing a guitar intro, soon joined by Jagger's lead vocal. Of *Let It Bleed*'s bleak world view, Jagger said in a 1995 interview with *Rolling Stone* magazine:

Similarly, on NPR in 2012:

However, the song's inspiration was not initially Vietnam or social unrest, but Keith Richards seeing people scurrying for shelter from a sudden rain storm. According to him:

The recording features guest vocals by Merry Clayton, recorded at a last-minute late-night recording session during the mixing phase, arranged by her friend and record producer Jack Nitzsche. After the first verse is sung by Jagger, Merry Clayton enters and they share the next three verses. A harmonica solo by Jagger and guitar solo by Richards follow. Then, with great energy, Clayton repeatedly sings "Rape, murder! It's just a shot away! It's just a shot away!", almost screaming the final stanza. She and Jagger then repeat the line "It's just a shot away" and finish with repeats of "It's just a kiss away". When speaking of her inclusion in the recording, Jagger stated in the 2003 book *According to the Rolling Stones* that the Rolling Stones' producer Jimmy Miller thought of having a female singer on the track and told fellow producer Jack Nitzsche to contact one: "The use of the female voice was the producer's idea. It would be one of those moments along the lines of 'I hear a girl on this track - get one on the phone.'" Summoned from bed around midnight by Nitzsche, Clayton - heavily pregnant - made her recording with just a few takes and then returned home to bed. It remains the most prominent contribution to a Rolling Stones track by a female vocalist.

At about 2:59 into the song, Clayton's voice cracks under the strain; once during the second refrain on the word "shot", then on the word "murder" during the third refrain, after which Jagger is faintly heard exclaiming "Woo!" in response to Clayton's powerful delivery. Upon returning home, Clayton suffered a miscarriage, attributed by some sources to her exertions during the recording.

Merry Clayton's name was erroneously written on the original release, appearing as 'Mary'. Her name is also listed as 'Mary' on the 2002 *Let It Bleed* remastered CD.

The song was recorded in London at Olympic Studios in February and March 1969; the vocals were recorded in Los Angeles at Sunset Sound Recorders and Elektra Studios in October and November that same year. Nicky Hopkins played piano, Jimmy Miller played percussion, Charlie Watts played drums, Bill Wyman played bass, Jagger played harmonica and sang backup vocals with Richards and Clayton. Guitarist Brian Jones was present during the early sessions but did not contribute, Richards being credited with both rhythm and lead guitars on the album sleeve. For the recording, Richards used an Australian-made Maton SE777, a large single-cutaway hollowbody guitar, which he had previously used on "Midnight Rambler". The guitar barely survived the recording before literally falling apart. "On the very last note of 'Gimmie Shelter,'" Richards told *Guitar World* in 2002, "the whole neck fell off. You can hear it on the original take."

## Releases on compilation albums and live recordings

"Gimme Shelter" quickly became a staple of the Rolling Stones' live shows. It was first performed sporadically during their 1969 American Tour and became a regular addition to their setlist during the 1972 American Tour. A version recorded in Oakland, CA is on the bootleg *Live'r Than You'll Ever Be*. Other concert versions appear on the Stones' albums *No Security* (recorded 1997, released 1998), *Live Licks* (recorded 2003, released 2004), *Brussels Affair* (recorded 1973, released 2011), and *Hyde Park Live* (2013). A May 1995 performance recorded at Paradiso (Amsterdam) was released on the 1996 "Wild Horses" (live) single, on the 1998 "Saint of Me" single (included in the 45-CD 2011 box set *The Singles 1971–2006*), and again on *Totally Stripped* in 2016.

The song appeared in *Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones*, a film of the Stones' 1972 North American Tour, as well as on its 2010 official DVD release. It is also featured on the concert DVD/Blu-ray sets *Bridges to Babylon Tour '97–98* (1998), *Four Flicks* (2003), *The Biggest Bang* (2007), *Sweet Summer Sun: Hyde Park Live* (2013), *Totally Stripped* (2016), and *Havana Moon* (2016).

The female contributor to the song live is Lisa Fischer, the only woman to appear in all their tours since 1989.

In their 2012 50th anniversary tour, the Rolling Stones sang this song with Mary J. Blige, Florence Welch, and Lady Gaga.

"Gimme Shelter" was never released as a single. Nevertheless, it has been included on many compilation releases, including *Gimme Shelter*, *Hot Rocks 1964–1971*, *Forty Licks*, and *GRRR!*

### Music video

French filmmaker Michel Gondry directed a music video for the song, which was released in 1998. The video features a sixteen-year old Brad Renfro, playing a young man escaping with his brother from a dysfunctional home and the abuse they suffered at the hands of their abusive alcoholic father, and then from society as a whole.

## Personnel

**The Rolling Stones**

* Mick Jagger – lead vocals, harmonica
* Keith Richards – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals
* Bill Wyman – bass
* Charlie Watts – drums

**Additional personnel**

* Nicky Hopkins – piano
* Jimmy Miller – güiro
* Merry Clayton – co-lead vocals (credited as "Mary Clayton")
* Bobby Keys - saxophone

## Accolades

Greil Marcus, writing for *Rolling Stone* magazine at the time of the "Gimme Shelter"'s release stated that "[t]he Stones have never done anything better". *Pitchfork* placed it at number 12 on its list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s". Ultimate Classic Rock put the song at number one on their Top 100 Rolling Stones songs  and number three on their Top 100 Classic Rock Songs.

It is ranked number 38 on *Rolling Stone'*s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. It is also ranked number 1 on the magazine's list of the band's best songs. According to Acclaimed Music, it is the 34th most celebrated song in popular music history.

## In popular culture

"Gimme Shelter" has been played in a variety of movies and television shows/commercials. The 1970 documentary film *Gimme Shelter*, directed by Albert and David Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin, chronicling the last weeks of the Stones' 1969 US tour and culminating in the disastrous Altamont Free Concert, took its name from the song. A live version of the song played over the documentary's credits. The song has appeared in three Martin Scorsese films.

## Cover versions

* U2 covered the song at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame benefit concert on 30 October 2009, with Mick Jagger sharing lead vocals with Bono and featuring the Black Eyed Peas members Fergie, singing Merry Clayton's vocal part, and will.i.am, playing piano and synthesizer.
* Paolo Nutini covered the song as was asked by Mick Jagger and Ben Affleck to perform the track for a documentary of the same name on the plight of the millions of people displaced from their homes as a result of fighting in the Sudanese region.
* Grand Funk Railroad covered Gimme Shelter on their 1971 album, "Survival"
* Stone Sour covered the song on their 2015 covers EP, "Straight Outta Burbank" with Lzzy Hale of the hard rock band Halestorm singing Merry Clayton's vocal part

### "Putting Our House in Order"

In 1993, a Food Records project collected various versions of the track by the following bands and collaborations, the proceeds of which went to the Shelter charity's "Putting Our House in Order" homeless initiative. The versions were issued across various formats, and had a live version of the song by the Rolling Stones as a common lead track to ensure chart eligibility.

**"Gimme Shelter" (pop version – cassette single)**

* Voice of the Beehive and Jimmy Somerville
* Heaven 17 with Hannah Jones

**"Gimme Shelter" (alternative version – CD single)**

* New Model Army and Tom Jones
* Cud and Sandie Shaw
* Kingmaker

**"Gimme Shelter" (rock version – CD single)**

* Thunder
* Little Angels
* Hawkwind and Samantha Fox

**"Gimme Shelter" (dance version – 12" single)**

* 808 State and Robert Owens
* Pop Will Eat Itself vs Gary Clail vs Ranking Roger vs the Mighty Diamonds vs the On U Sound System
* Blue Pearl (produced and mixed by Utah Saints)