"2120 South Michigan Avenue" is an original instrumental by the Rolling Stones, recorded for their second EP ''

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 ...

''. It was also released on their second US album '' 12 X 5'' in 1964. Composer credit goes to

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'': ...

, a title giving credit equally to all members of the band. In the book ''Rolling with the Stones'', Bill Wyman recalls that the composition process started with him playing a bass riff and that the others followed on jamming. The title refers to the address of the offices and recording studios of Chess Records and Checker Records in Chicago, where the five songs for the EP were recorded in June 1964.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

reviewer

Richie Unterberger Richie Unterberger (born January 19, 1962) is an American author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing. Life and writing Unterberger attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he wrote for the university newspaper '' ...

described the track as "a great groovin' original blues-rock jam". The song was originally released at just over two minutes in length, fading early for lack of time available on a conventional EP in 1964. A full-length (3:38 minute) version appears on the 1964 West German Decca LP ''Around And Around,'' and the 2002 CD re-release of ''12 X 5''. There is also a rarer second take which has a rougher, more blues-based sound than the better known ''Five by Five'' rock-groove version. This version, with its short but distinctive tremolo guitar riff, was under consideration as the title track of an eventually unreleased 1964 blues album. In 1965,

Sly Stone Sylvester Stewart (born March 15, 1943), better known by his stage name Sly Stone, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer who is most famous for his role as frontman for Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the ...

released a single, "Buttermilk", that copied the "2120 South Michigan Avenue" riff and overall sound. In 2011,

George Thorogood and the Destroyers George Lawrence Thorogood (born February 24, 1950) is an American musician, singer and songwriter from Wilmington, Delaware. His "high-energy boogie-blues" sound became a staple of 1980s rock radio, with hits like his original songs " Bad to th ...

released an album called '' 2120 South Michigan Ave.'', which includes a cover of this song as well as covers of other Chess Records artists. The song "Space Rock Pt. 2" which came out in 1967 by the

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

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band, The Baskerville Hounds, was based on this track, although composition is credited solely to D.J. Kohler.

Personnel

* Bill Wymanbass guitar *

Brian Jones Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English multi-instrumentalist and singer best known as the founder, rhythm/lead guitarist, and original leader of the Rolling Stones. Initially a guitarist, he went on to prov ...

harmonica * Charlie Wattsdrums *

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

guitar * Ian Stewartorgan *

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 ...

tambourine

References

{{authority control The Rolling Stones songs 1964 songs Songs written by Jagger–Richards Rock instrumentals 1960s instrumentals