"Dandelion" is a song by the English rock band
the Rolling Stones, written by
Mick Jagger and
Keith Richards, and first released as a B-side to "
We Love You" in August 1967.
John Lennon and
Paul McCartney sing backing vocals.
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' described the single as "an easy beat rocker with good story line."
Background
The song has lyrical references to British counting or nursery rhymes. The first demo version of "Dandelion" was recorded in November 1966. Originally titled "Sometimes Happy, Sometimes Blue", it had different lyrics and was sung and played by Keith Richards. On the released version, Mick Jagger sings the lead vocal.
The recording's arrangement makes use of
baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
instrumentation;
Brian Jones contributed a distinctive melodic figure played on
Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. A ...
, while
Nicky Hopkins performed on harpsichord. The two parts move in
contrary motion
In music theory, contrapuntal motion is the general movement of two melodic lines with respect to each other. In traditional four-part harmony, it is important that lines maintain their independence, an effect which can be achieved by the judic ...
, with Jones' melody ascending against Hopkins' descending
pedal point. The song is in the key of
B-flat major and in the 4/4
time signature.
The Rolling Stones have never performed "Dandelion" live; nonetheless it has been included on several compilations, including ''
Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)'', ''
More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies)'', ''
Singles Collection: The London Years'', and ''
Rolled Gold+: The Very Best of the Rolling Stones''.
The original single release fades out with a brief section of the Nicky Hopkins piano intro from the A-side, "We Love You".
The coda is missing on most versions of "Dandelion" appearing on compilation albums, which include the song in a 3:32 edit, but it may be heard, for example, in the 3:48 version included on ''Singles Collection: The London Years'' and ''Through The Past, Darkly''.
Personnel
According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon, except where noted:
The Rolling Stones
*
Mick Jagger vocals,
maracas
*
Keith Richards backing vocals, acoustic guitar
*
Brian Jones Mellotron
The Mellotron is an electro-mechanical musical instrument developed in Birmingham, England, in 1963. It is played by pressing its keys, each of which pushes a length of magnetic tape against a capstan, which pulls it across a playback head. A ...
, saxophone
*
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 ...
bass
*
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who achieved international fame as the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021.
Originally trained as a graphic artist, Watts developed an i ...
drums
Additional personnel
*
Nicky Hopkins harpsichord
A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...
*
John Lennon backing vocals
*
Paul McCartney backing vocals
Charts
"Dandelion" reached number eight on the
UK Singles Chart and number 14 on the US
''Billboard'' 100 singles chart.
References
Sources
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dandelion (Song)
The Rolling Stones songs
1967 songs
Decca Records singles
London Records singles
Psychedelic pop songs
Songs written by Jagger–Richards
Song recordings produced by Andrew Loog Oldham