Not currently on display at the V&A

You Can't Always Get What You Want sheet music

Sheet Music
1968 (Written), 1969 (Recorded)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is the sheet music, as arranged for choir by producer and songwriter Jack Nitzche, for the Rolling Stones 1969 song, You Can't Always Get What You Want. Recording began in November 1968, with the London Bach Choir performing the choral part in 1969; this is the sheet music for the alto part. Although popular on the radio, this song was never released as a single, but rather a version without choral part was the b-side to the Honky Tonk Women single. The choral part was re-instated for their 1969 album Let It Bleed. The printed score also features pencil annotation showing how the lyrics and some of the music was adapted and changed during the recording process.

This sheet music was also signed by four members of the band at the time: Mick Jagger, Keith Richard, Bill Wyman and Brian Jones. Brian Jones, however, did not perform on the recording of this song. Although he founded the band in 1962, he was asked to leave by the other members in June 1969 because of his erratic behaviour, and later drowned in his swimming pool, in early July 1969, having never seen this song released.


Object details

Category
Object type
Title<i>You Can't Always Get What You Want</i> sheet music
Materials and techniques
Lithographic print on paper, with pencil annotations and signatures in pen.
Brief description
Sheet music for choral part of the song "You Can't Always Get What You Want", with lyrics, signed by members of The Rolling Stones (Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman and Brian Jones), from the original recording sessions, 1969
Physical description
Off-white paper with black printed musical notation and lyrics, with pencil annotations and signed in pen by members of The Rolling Stones.
Dimensions
  • Height: 34.5cm
  • Width: 21.6cm
Marks and inscriptions
Signed by Mick Jagger (top left), Keith Richards (bottom right), Brian Jones (bottom left) and Bill Wyman (top right).
Credit line
Given by Mrs Janet Lovegrove
Production
Although the song was first recorded in November 1968, the choral part was not recorded until 1969.
Subject depicted
Summary
This is the sheet music, as arranged for choir by producer and songwriter Jack Nitzche, for the Rolling Stones 1969 song, You Can't Always Get What You Want. Recording began in November 1968, with the London Bach Choir performing the choral part in 1969; this is the sheet music for the alto part. Although popular on the radio, this song was never released as a single, but rather a version without choral part was the b-side to the Honky Tonk Women single. The choral part was re-instated for their 1969 album Let It Bleed. The printed score also features pencil annotation showing how the lyrics and some of the music was adapted and changed during the recording process.

This sheet music was also signed by four members of the band at the time: Mick Jagger, Keith Richard, Bill Wyman and Brian Jones. Brian Jones, however, did not perform on the recording of this song. Although he founded the band in 1962, he was asked to leave by the other members in June 1969 because of his erratic behaviour, and later drowned in his swimming pool, in early July 1969, having never seen this song released.
Associated object
S.3-1982 (Set)
Collection
Accession number
S.2-1982

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Record createdAugust 18, 2010
Record URL
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