"Silver Train" is a song by the English
rock and roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...
band
the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...
, from their 1973 album ''
Goats Head Soup
''Goats Head Soup'' is the 11th British and 13th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was released on 31 August 1973 by Rolling Stones Records. Like its predecessor '' Exile on Main St.'', the band composed and ...
''.
The lyrics deal with the singer's relationship with a prostitute.
Recording of the song had already begun in 1970 during sessions for ''
Sticky Fingers
''Sticky Fingers'' is the 9th British and 11th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. The Stones released it on 23 April 1971 on their new, and own label Rolling Stones Records. They had been contracted by Decc ...
''. It also was the
B-side of the single "
Angie", which went to No. 1 in the US and top 5 in the UK.
Reception
''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' critic Bud Scoppa had this to say of the song:
Covers
After hearing a demo of the tune,
Johnny Winter
John Dawson Winter III (February 23, 1944 – July 16, 2014) was an American singer and guitarist. Winter was known for his high-energy blues rock albums and live performances in the late 1960s and 1970s. He also produced three Grammy Award-win ...
recorded a cover of it for his album ''
Still Alive and Well'' in 1973, months ahead of the Stones' release of ''Goats Head Soup''.
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1984. Their discography includes eight studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer Ge ...
covered the song live.
A cover of "Silver Train" also appears on the
Carla Olson-
Mick Taylor
Michael Kevin Taylor (born 17 January 1949) is an English guitarist, best known as a former member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (1967–1969) and the Rolling Stones (1969–1974). As a member of the Stones, he appeared on: ''Let It Bleed'' ...
album ''Too Hot For Snakes'', which was released in 1991.
Live performances
The Rolling Stones played the song in concerts in 1973, but did not perform it again until 2014's
14 On Fire tour with Mick Taylor, who played on the original recording as a special guest.
References
{{Authority control
The Rolling Stones songs
Songs written by Jagger–Richards
Song recordings produced by Jimmy Miller
Songs about trains
Music videos directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg