Brown Sugar' [RS 19100] was originally recorded over a three day period at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Alabama during 2-4 December 1969, but because of contractual reasons only saw the light of the day in May 1971.
Released three weeks after the UK - as the first single from the album 'Sticky Fingers', it ranked #1 in the US charts.
It was coupled with 'Bitch' as in the rest of the world [but the UK, France, Lebanon, Iran and Yugoslavia, which added a live rendition of 'Let It Rock' for a bonus EP - eventually released in the US in PS for the 'Record Store Day' on April 16, 2011 - see Universal section].

The yellow labels with the tongue logo would be the band's trademark for a long time. Note that pressings coming from Plastic Products, in Memphis, bear catalogue number '45-19100' instead of 'RS-19100' [as it would also be the case for the next single].

Promo copies were issued on white labels with mono / stereo versions.
Some test pressings - or advance copies - bore the words 'artist' and 'title' and were most likely distributed for promo purposes as well.
The 'LY' version [Shelley Products] also exists on plain labels [with a little hole in the middle] which were distributed in Hong Kong, Malaysia & Singapore.

The same legal wranglings surrounded 'Wild Horses' [RS 19101] recorded at the same sessions than the previous single. The track had already been lent by the Gimmer Twins to the Burrito Brothers' though, who recorded it on their second album, 'Burrito Deluxe', out in April 1970.

This single, unissued in England and most of Europe, offered on its flip side a different version [mono mix of 3:25] of 'Sway' than the album's version [both recorded at Stargroves], featuring fragments of a different vocal take and extra Keith Richards vocals on the verses.

It peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was distributed into company sleeves only [red Atco / Atlantic, mostly, but also the thick tongue-shaped company sleeve that would be used for a few next numbers].
Promo white labels issues contain the short [3:25] versus the long [5:38] versions of the song.

A promo-only 5-track 7" EP [CO7 22900] turning at 33^1/3 rpm was issued on Atlantic to promote the album 'Exile On Main Street'.
Distributed into an exclusive brown picture sleeve envelope [whom artwork was taken from the back of the album's cover] and with a full 7"x7" jukebox stripes sheet, it included 'Rip This Joint', 'Hip Shake', 'Tumbling Dice', 'Rocks Off' and 'Sweet Virginia'.
Despite a so-so sound, this EP is the rarest and most sought-after promo-only issue of the RSR years.

'Tumbling Dice' [RS 19103] was the first single from 'Exile On Main Street' and peaked at #7 in the US charts. Previously entitled 'Good Time Women' from the 'Sticky Fingers' sessions, the track was recorded in the basement of the chateau Villa Nellcôte, near Villefranche-sur-Mer, France.

Its B-side 'Sweet Black Angel' was a song written by Jagger about Black Panther activist Angela Davis.

As in most parts of the world, the single was distributed into the tongue-shaped Rolling Stones company sleeve.

For some reason, the A-side was in mono, and the stereo version would only be available on promo copies.

This single was reissued in June 2010 by Universal Music as part of a two remastered singles set in PS, exclusively issued with an on-line mail order 'Tumbling Dice' 45's case box set [limited to 3,000 numbered copies]. The 2010 picture cover used the famous 'dice cartoon' artwork, which was only originally seen through sheet music [USA, UK, Australia], or on promo singles [Spain, Israel].

Released in July 1972, 'Happy' [RS 19104], with Keith Richards on lead vocals, ranked #22 in the US charts. The basic tracks of the song were recorded at the same sessions than its predecessor, whereas the B-side 'All Down The Line' - which would be played live during nearly every tour ever since its release - was recorded at Olympic Sound Studios in London and Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles.

The 7" single version only offers a non-album version of this later track, which made the single popular among collectors [as 'Wild Horses' before].

Unusually here, most promo versions of this single have the same B-side than stock copies [only the advance test pressings and the Monarch Record promo version 'mo' bears the same track on the flip side.

Most issues came out in the tongue company sleeve.
Like 'Tumbling Dice', a reissue of this single was made in 2010 on Universal, in a new PS [reworked from the tongue shaped original company sleeve], and sold in the same limited 45's case box through mail order only.

The new album 'Goats Head Soup' was also promoted through another jukebox Atlantic EP of the same title [CO7 59101] in hard cover offering 4 [non-US singles] tracks: 'Star Star', 'Hide Your Love', 'Can You Hear The Music' and '100 Years Ago'. Its picture cover is the same as the album from which it is inspired, and as the previous promo-only EP of this type, it was initially distributed with its jukebox stripes.

'Angie' [RS 19105] was recorded in November and December 1972 and released in August 1973.
The single went straight to the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and reached number five in the UK [it was also #1 in Australia for five weeks and topped the charts in many countries throughout Europe and the rest of the world].

The B-side 'Silver Train', also from the 'Goats Head Soup' album, got covered earlier by Johnny Winter.

Note that a pressing of this single is mistakenly labeled 'Angie' on side two and 'Silver Train' on side one. It however appears less rare that one could have thought.

'Angie' was the last single that could be found into the tongue shaped sleeve, most copies being distributed into Atco / Atlantic multi-colored company sleeves.

Released in December 1973 as the second single from 'Goats Head Soup', 'Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)' [RS 19109] reached number 15 in the US.

This single, coupled with 'Dancing With Mr. D', was also issued in some parts of Europe, South America and Japan, but not in the UK.
The version pressed by Specialty Records Corp.was exported [a drill hole in labels] to Belgium where it was distributed into a rare Belgian-only picture sleeve.

'Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)' was also the first single from the Rolling Stones Records roster to be reissued within the 'Oldies' series [mind the 'Oldies' note on labels].

Note that a testpressing of 'Dancing With Mr. D' was made on Atlantic Records, dated Dec. 18, 1973, incidentally coinciding with Keith Richards' 30th birthday.

'It's Only Rock'n'Roll (But I Like It)' [RS 19301] was the first single from the album of the same title, and one of the first collaboration with new guitarist Ron Wood, originally recorded one night in a studio at Wood's house, 'The Wick' in Richmond, London. As in the UK, the song was coupled with 'Through The Lonely Nights', a ballad which had to wait until 2005 and the compilation 'Rarities 1971-2003' to feature on an album.



The single reached #16 in the US charts, promoted by a famous video directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, showing the band dressed in sailor suits and playing in a tent which eventually fills with bubbles [one of Mick Taylor's last appearances as a member of the band].

Note that for some reason, 'It's Only Rock'n'Roll (But I Like It)' marked a jump in the US [and Canadian] catalogue numbers [this single was assigned # RS 19114 in the UK].

Like the Temptations' original, the Rolling Stones' version of 'Ain't Too Proud To Beg' [RS 19302] was also a Top 20 hit, peaking at number 17 on the Billboard Pop Charts.

Again, this album's second single was not released in England but in most European countries in various picture covers.

Still from the 'It's Only Rock'n'Roll''s album though, and unique to the United States, a promo-only picture sleeve for 'Time Waits For No One' [PR 228] was issued in January 1975, contaning the mono and stereo versions of the full LP version [6:31].

Its unique b&w picture cover - with a promo text at the attention of programmers on its rear - is quite rare.

The absence of songwriting credit to Mick Taylor for this song, [as well as for 'Till The Next Goodbye'] alongside usual credited composers Jagger and Richards is known to have been part of Taylor's abrupt and unexpected resignation from the band.

In 1976, 'Fool To Cry' [RS 19304] was the first single from the 'Black & Blue' album and reached #10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

Its US-only B-side 'Hot Stuff' [which latter was only issued as a single in France] was equally promoted, and both tracks were released on respective promotional singles bearing the same catalogue numbers.

Rarest pressings include a promo white labels issue of the 'Fool To Cry ' / 'Hot Stuff' coupling and the promo release of 'Hot Stuff' into a special 'Breaking Out' gorilla company sleeve.

'Hot Stuff' promo copies included either or both the short and long versions of the track but this would not always be mentioned as such [long version lasts 5:31].

Parallely, a [first of the kind] promo-only colored 12" was also pressed on blue marbled and clear vinyl with 'Crazy Mama' on the flip side [DSKO 70], distributed into a neutral white die-cut sleeve stamped by the famous red tongue logo [although not very rare, this 12" was heavily counterfeited - additionally, similar colored wax 12"s were issued with the infamous 'Cocksucker Blues' c/w an alternate take 'Brown Sugar' featuring Eric Clapton - yellow Atlantic labels being perfectly bootlegged].

The last 7" before the EMI takeover is a rare promo-only EP made to promote the 'Love You Live' double album in 1977. 'The Rolling Stones' [EP 287] offers an exclusive PS made up of Andy Warhol's polaroids of members of the band biting each other [shots also used for the album artwork and promotion]. Tracklisting included 5 tracks from the album on 45 rpm, featuring a medley of 'If You Can't Rock Me' and 'Get Off Of My Cloud'. Beware of late 70's counterfeits pressed on picture discs with the same catalogue number and design.