“Sweet Black Angel” (sometimes known as “Black Angel”) is a song by

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 ...

, included on their 1972 album ''

Exile on Main St. ''Exile on Main St.'' is the 10th British and 12th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 12 May 1972 by Rolling Stones Records. Recording began in 1969 in England during sessions for ''Sticky Fingers'' a ...

'' It was also released on a single as the B-side to " Tumbling Dice" prior to the album. The song features a west Indian rhythm.

Writing and recording

Written by

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 ...

and Keith Richards, "Sweet Black Angel" is one of the few outright political songs released by the Rolling Stones. Jagger was inspired to write the song after seeing a poster of civil rights activist Angela Davis. At the time, Davis was facing murder charges. Initial recording took place at

Stargroves Stargroves (also known as Stargrove House) is a manor house and associated estate at East Woodhay in the English county of Hampshire. The house belonged to Mick Jagger during the 1970s and was a recording venue for the Rolling Stones and variou ...

, Mick Jagger’s home in England during the mid 1970 '' Sticky Fingers'' sessions with overdubs and final mixing being completed later at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles between December 1971 and March 1972.

Music and lyrics

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

ballad with a west Indian rhythm. Jagger is on lead vocals and harmonica, Richards and

Mick Taylor Michael Kevin Taylor (born 17 January 1949) is an English guitarist, best known as a former member of John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (1967–1969) and the Rolling Stones (1969–1974). As a member of the Stones, h ...

on guitars and backing vocals,

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 ...

on bass and

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 ...

on drums. Richard “Didymus” Washington plays

marimba The marimba () is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the timbre ...

while producer Jimmy Miller lends support on percussion. Though Angela Davis is not mentioned by name in the lyrics, the lyrics of the song call "obliquely" for justice for Davis.

Critical reception

Steve Kurutz writes in his review: Davis is not mentioned by name in the lyrics:

Live performances

“Sweet Black Angel” was performed live by the Stones only once, in

Fort Worth Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. According ...

on 24 June 1972.

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon: The Rolling Stones *

vocals, harmonica * Keith Richards acoustic guitar, backing vocals *

acoustic guitar (Margotin and Guesdon were uncertain about this) *

bass *

woodblock (Margotin and Guesdon were uncertain about this) Additional musicians * Jimmy Miller

güiro The güiro () is a Puerto Rican percussion instrument consisting of an open-ended, hollow gourd with parallel notches cut in one side. It is played by rubbing a stick or tines (see photo) along the notches to produce a ratchet sound. The güiro ...

*Richard 'Didymus' Washington

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

References

{{Authority control The Rolling Stones songs Songs written by Jagger–Richards 1972 songs Song recordings produced by Jimmy Miller Angela Davis Political songs