''Singles Collection: The London Years'' is a

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

, released in 1989. It was released as a 3-CD and a 4-LP set.

Background

''Singles Collection: The London Years'' was released by former manager Allen Klein's ABKCO Records (who usurped control of the band's

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in We ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

material in 1970) after the band's departure from Decca and Klein. The set is a

triple album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...

of every Rolling Stones single—and their B-Sides—mostly in their original mono mixes (at least as of the 2002 reissue), in both the UK and US encompassing their entire era with

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

in the United Kingdom and

London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...

in the United States—hence the album's title. The original collection was produced by Andrew Loog Oldham, and digitally compiled and prepared under his supervision by P. D. Rain and Jody Klein. With a range from 1963 to 1971, the set begins with their very first UK single, Chuck Berry's " Come On", and runs to '' Sticky Fingers "

Brown Sugar Brown sugar is unrefined or partially refined soft sugar. Brown Sugar may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Brown Sugar'' (1922 film), a 1922 British silent film directed by Fred Paul * ''Brown Sugar'' (1931 film), a 1931 ...

" and "

Wild Horses Wild horse (''Equus ferus'') is a species of the genus ''Equus'' that includes domesticated and undomesticated subspecies. * Przewalski's wild horse (''Equus ferus przewalskii'' or ''Equus przewalskii''), a rare and endangered subspecies of wild ...

" (which Allen Klein shares release rights with The Rolling Stones). The only omissions are four B-sides from 1970 and 1971. "

Bitch Bitch may refer to: * A female dog or other canine * Bitch (slang), a vulgar slur for a human female Bitch or bitches may also refer to: Arts and media Film and television * ''The Bitch'' (film), a 1979 film starring Joan Collins * ''Bitc ...

" and " Let It Rock" (released in the UK on the "Brown Sugar" single) and "

Sway Sway may refer to: Places * Sway, Hampshire, a village and civil parish in the New Forest in England ** Sway railway station, serving the village People * Sway (British musician) (born 1983), British hip hop/grime singer * Sway Calloway (born 1 ...

" (B-side to "Wild Horses"). Allen Klein did not have release rights to this material when this compilation was released. Also not included was "Natural Magic", a

Jack Nitzsche Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche ( '; April 22, 1937 – August 25, 2000) was an American musician, arranger, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He first came to prominence in the early 1960s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spec ...

instrumental, released as the B-side to the 1970 Mick Jagger single " Memo from Turner". These are available on the box set ''

Singles 1968–1971 ''Singles 1968–1971'' is a box set compilation of singles by the Rolling Stones spanning the years 1968 to 1971. Released in 2005 by ABKCO Records, who license the Rolling Stones' 1963–1970 recorded works, ''Singles 1968–1971'' was th ...

'' except "Let It Rock" which is available on the box set ''

Singles 1971–2006 Singles are people not in a committed relationship. Singles may also refer to: Film and television * ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series * ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe * ''Singles'' ...

'' and the ''

Rarities 1971–2003 ''Rarities 1971–2003'' is a compilation album by The Rolling Stones that was released in 2005 worldwide by Virgin Records – as well as by the coffee-chain Starbucks in North America – and features a selection of rare and obscure materia ...

'' album. The release also does not include the EPs released by the band, ''

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

'', ''

Five by Five A signal strength and readability report is a standardized format for reporting the strength of the radio signal and the readability (quality) of the radiotelephone (voice) or radiotelegraph (Morse code) signal transmitted by another station as re ...

'' and '' Got Live If You Want It!'', which are available on the box set ''

Singles 1963–1965 ''Singles 1963–1965'' is a box set compilation of the singles and EPs by The Rolling Stones spanning the years 1963 to 1965. Part of a series of repackages by ABKCO Records, who licence The Rolling Stones' 1963–1970 recorded works, '' ...

''.

Release and reception

''Singles Collection: The London Years'' was released at a timely juncture, just a couple of weeks before The Rolling Stones' comeback album ''

Steel Wheels Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

'' was due for release after a significant break, and months following their induction into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

. Going platinum, the album reached No. 91 in the US. In 2006, Steven Van Zandt placed ''Singles Collection: The London Years'' on top of his list of the most essential albums of all time, calling it: In August 2002, ''Singles Collection: The London Years'' was issued in a new remastered Compact Disc and

SACD Super Audio CD (SACD) is an optical disc format for audio storage introduced in 1999. It was developed jointly by Sony and Philips Electronics and intended to be the successor to the Compact Disc (CD) format. The SACD format allows multiple aud ...

digipak Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage. Jewel case A ...

by ABKCO Records.

Track listing

All songs by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, except where noted.

Disc one

#" Come On" ( Chuck Berry) – 1:48 #"I Want to Be Loved" (

Willie Dixon William James Dixon (July 1, 1915January 29, 1992) was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was proficient in playing both the upright bass and the guitar, and sang with a distinctive voice, but he ...

) – 1:52 #"

I Wanna Be Your Man "I Wanna Be Your Man" is a Lennon–McCartney-penned song first recorded and released as a single by the Rolling Stones, and then recorded by the Beatles. The song was primarily written by Paul McCartney, and finished by Lennon and McCartney in ...

" ( John Lennon/Paul McCartney) – 1:43 #" Stoned" (

Nanker Phelge Nanker Phelge (a.k.a. Nanker/Phelge) was a collective pseudonym used between 1963 and 1965 for several Rolling Stones group compositions. Stones bassist Bill Wyman explained the origins of the name in his 2002 book, ''Rolling with the Stones'': ...

) – 2:09 #" Not Fade Away" ( Charles Hardin/ Norman Petty) – 1:47 #"

Little by Little Little by Little may refer to: Literature * ''Eric, or, Little by Little'', an 1858 children's novel by Frederic W. Farrar * ''Little by Little'', an autobiography by Jean Little * ''Little by Little'', a 2001 book by Michael Tyquin about the Ro ...

" (

Phil Spector Harvey Phillip Spector (born Harvey Philip Spector; December 26, 1939January 16, 2021) was an American record producer and songwriter, best known for his innovative recording practices and entrepreneurship in the 1960s, followed decades later by ...

) – 2:39 #" It's All Over Now" ( Bobby Womack/Shirley Jean Womack) – 3:27 #"Good Times, Bad Times" – 2:31 #"

Tell Me Tell Me may refer to: * '' Tell Me...'', a 1979 album by Jimmy Knepper * Tell me (advertisement), a 2005 Chinese-language newspaper ad calling for universal suffrage in Hong Kong * ''Tell Me'' (TV series), a 2019 South Korean quiz show * Tellme ...

" – 2:47 #" I Just Want to Make Love to You" (

) – 2:17 #" Time Is on My Side" (

Norman Meade Jordan "Jerry" Ragovoy (September 4, 1930 – July 13, 2011) was an American songwriter and record producer. His best-known composition " Time Is on My Side" (written under the pseudonym of Norman Meade) was made famous by the Rolling Stones, alt ...

) – 2:59 #"Congratulations" – 2:28 #"

Little Red Rooster "Little Red Rooster" (or "The Red Rooster" as it was first titled) is a blues standard credited to arranger and songwriter Willie Dixon. The song was first recorded in 1961 by American blues musician Howlin' Wolf in the Chicago blues style. His ...

" (

) – 3:05 #"Off the Hook" – 2:34 #" Heart of Stone" – 2:45 #"What a Shame" – 3:03 #" The Last Time" – 3:42 #" Play with Fire" (

) – 2:14 #"

(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. A product of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' songwriting partnership, it features a guitar riff by Richards that opens and drives the song. The riff ...

" – 3:43 #"The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" (Nanker Phelge) – 3:20 #" The Spider and the Fly" – 3:38 #"

Get Off of My Cloud "Get Off of My Cloud" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for a single to follow the successful "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". Recorded in Hollywood, California, in early Sep ...

" – 2:54 #" I'm Free" – 2:24 #"The Singer Not the Song" – 2:22 #" As Tears Go By" (Mick Jagger/Keith Richards/ Andrew Loog Oldham) – 2:45

Disc two

#"Gotta Get Away" – 2:07 #"

19th Nervous Breakdown "19th Nervous Breakdown" is a song recorded by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was recorded in late 1965 and released as a single in February 1966. It reached number 2 on both the US ''Bil ...

" – 3:56 #"Sad Day" – 3:01 #" Paint It, Black" – 3:44 #" Stupid Girl" – 2:55 #"Long Long While" – 3:01 #"

Mother's Little Helper "Mother's Little Helper" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. A product of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' songwriting partnership, it is a folk rock song with Eastern influences. Its lyrics deal with the popularity of pre ...

" – 2:45 #" Lady Jane" – 3:10 #"

Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow? "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was recorded in the late summer of 1966 during early sessions for what would become t ...

" – 2:34 #"Who's Driving Your Plane?" – 3:14 #" Let's Spend the Night Together" – 3:26 #" Ruby Tuesday" – 3:13 #"

We Love You "We Love You" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones that was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. It was first released as a single on 18 August 1967, with "Dandelion" as the B-side. The song peaked at number eight in Bri ...

" – 4:36 #" Dandelion" – 3:48 #"

She's a Rainbow "She's a Rainbow" is a song by the Rolling Stones and was featured on their 1967 album ''Their Satanic Majesties Request''. via the Digital Library of the University of North Texas. It has been called "the prettiest and most uncharacteristic ...

" – 4:11 #"

2000 Light Years from Home "2000 Light Years from Home" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on their 1967 album ''Their Satanic Majesties Request''. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it also appeared as the B-side to the American sin ...

" – 4:44 #"

In Another Land "In Another Land" is a song by the Rolling Stones, released in December 1967 as the first single from the album ''Their Satanic Majesties Request'', and credited solely to Bill Wyman. In America, London Records released it as a single a week ...

" (

Bill Wyman William George Wyman (né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who achieved international fame as the bassist for the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1993. In 1989, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member ...

) – 2:53 #"The Lantern" – 4:26 #" Jumpin' Jack Flash" – 3:38 #"Child of the Moon" – 3:12

Disc three

#" Street Fighting Man" – 3:09 #" No Expectations" – 3:55 #"Surprise, Surprise" – 2:30 #"

Honky Tonk Women "Honky Tonk Women" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was released as a non-album single on 4 July 1969 in the United Kingdom, and a week later in the United States (although a country version called "Country Honk" was ...

" – 3:00 #"

You Can't Always Get What You Want "You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones on their 1969 album ''Let It Bleed''. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, it was named as the 100th greatest song of all time by ''Rolling Stone'' ...

" – 4:49 #" Memo from Turner" – 4:06 #*Released as a

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

solo single in November 1970 #"

" – 3:49 #"

" – 5:42 #" I Don't Know Why" (

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

/Paul Riser/Don Hunter/Lula Hardaway) – 3:01 #"

Try a Little Harder Try or TRY may refer to: Music Albums * ''Try!'', an album by the John Mayer Trio * ''Try'' (Bebo Norman album) (2014) Songs * "Try" (Blue Rodeo song) (1987) * "Try" (Colbie Caillat song) (2014) * "Try" (Nelly Furtado song) (2004) * "Try (Jus ...

" – 2:17 #" Out of Time" – 3:22 #" Jiving Sister Fanny" – 3:20 #" Sympathy for the Devil" – 6:17 All tracks on disc one and most of disc two were produced by Andrew Loog Oldham; tracks 1–4 of disc one were co-produced with

Eric Easton Eric Easton (1927–1995) was an English record producer and the first manager of British rock group the Rolling Stones. Originally from Lancashire, he joined the music industry playing the organ in music halls and cinemas. By the 1960s he had ...

. Tracks 15–18 of disc two were produced by

and tracks 19–20 produced by Jimmy Miller. All tracks on disc three were produced by Jimmy Miller, except tracks 3, 10, and 11, which were produced by Andrew Loog Oldham. and track 6, which was produced by

Chart positions

Certification

References

{{Authority control Albums produced by Andrew Loog Oldham Albums produced by Jack Nitzsche Albums produced by Jimmy Miller Albums produced by Mick Jagger The Rolling Stones compilation albums 1989 compilation albums ABKCO Records compilation albums Albums with cover art by Mick Rock Albums recorded at IBC Studios Albums recorded at Olympic Sound Studios