The single of the day ★ Respectable

'Respectable' was released as a 7" single in the UK exactly 47 years ago on September 15, 1978, where it peaked at #23.

'Respectable' was the second single from 'Some Girls' in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand [the Americas issued 'Beast Of Burden' instead].

The track was recorded from October through December 1977. Originally written by Mick Jagger to be a slower song, Keith Richards saw the advantages of speeding up the tempo and crafting a rocker out of it. In the liner notes to the 1993 compilation 'Jump Back', Jagger said about it: "I was banging out three chords incredibly loud on the electric guitar, which isn't always a wonderful idea but was fun here. This is a punk meets Chuck Berry number..."
As far as the lyrics, Jagger said at the time of its release, "'Respectable' really started off as a so... [+]

Vintage distributors' jukebox strips are popular among collectors.

About the songs
Nearly 80 songs recorded by the Rolling Stones entered either the UK or US charts since 1963, twelve of them peaking at #1 ['Satisfaction', 'Get Off Of My Cloud', 'Paint It, Black' and 'Honky Tonk Women' were #1 in both countries].

The early years also were the most prolific and, whereas most titles were not yet penned by the Jagger-Richards tandem, record labels Decca [in the UK] and London [in the US] would issue singles at a frantic pace, building the band's reputation as the Beatles' most serious threat.

However, no global marketing strategy would emerge before the 70's, and both countries cultivated their differences in their respective discographies, as would their affiliates in other parts of the world.

The richness and diversity of the Rolling Stones singles discography is mainly due to the fact that, during the 60's, Decca would consider singles an independent market from the LPs' one, whereas London would use this format as a 'lift' for album sales. Therefore, British singles would offer non-album tracks [except for compilations], and Decca England would pass on a few US releases, while the US would opt for different B-sides and be a little more productive.

US exclusive couplings and singles would however often be released on Decca in Europe, notably in Scandinavia for which UK would exclusively press 'export' singles [Denmark, Sweden and Norway also pressed their own records and imported regular UK releases].