Description

Released in the UK in January 1967 by Decca Records and February by London Records in the US ndash Between The Buttons was the Stones fifth British and seventh US studio album. Released as the followup to Aftermath, this album marked a high point in the bands career, continuing their ventures into psychedelia and baroque pop balladry, it is among the bands most musically eclectic works. Brian Jones sidelined his guitar on much of the album, instead playing a wide variety of other instruments including organ, marimba, vibraphone, and kazoo.Piano contributions came from two session players former Rolling Stones member Ian Stewart and frequent contributor and studio legend Jack Nitzsche. It was the last album produced by Andrew Loog Oldham, the bands manager and producer of all of their albums to this point.The album has one of the most striking sleeves of the period, featuring a classic Gered Mankowitz image on the cover. The photo shoot took place at 530 in the morning following an allnight recording session at Olympic Studios. Using a homemade camera filter constructed of black card, glass and Vaseline, Mankowitz created the effect of the Stones dissolving into their surroundings ndash according to Mankowitzhellip to capture the ethereal, druggy feel of the time that feeling at the end of the night when dawn was breaking and theyd been up all night making music, stoned. The songs continued Aftermaths lyrics of acute social observation and savage insight, their earlier raw, rootsy power enhanced by other influences of the period ndash notably The Beatles, The Kinks, and again Dylan. It is one of their strongest, most varied LPs, with many great songs that remain unknown to all but Stones devotees.The inventive arrangements and innovative instrumentation on brooding nearclassics like All Sold Out, My Obsession and Yesterdays Papers brought a new dimension to the music. She Smiled Sweetly shows their hidden romantic side at its best, Connection is one of the records few pieces of more conventional driving rock and album closer Something Happened To Me Yesterday includes Keiths first solo vocal.The US version includes contemporaneous hits ndash the two songs that gave the group a doublesided number one in early 1967 the shameless and controversial Lets Spend The Night Together and the beautiful, melancholy Ruby Tuesday. The Rolling Stones Vinyl is available for home delivery from Vinyl Records London, only £30 +P&P