''December's Children (And Everybody's)'' is the fifth American studio album by the English rock band
the Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
, released in December 1965. It is primarily compiled from different released tracks from across the band's recording career up to that point, including the UK version of ''
Out of Our Heads''. Bassist
Bill Wyman
William George Wyman ( né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who was the bass guitarist with the rock band the Rolling Stones from 1962 to 1993. Wyman was part of the band's first stable lineup and performed on their first 19 ...
quotes Jagger in 1968 calling the record "
otan album, it's just a collection of songs." Accordingly, it is only briefly detailed in Wyman's otherwise exhaustive book ''Rolling with the Stones''. It features their then-recent transatlantic hit single "
Get Off of My Cloud", as well as their own remake of
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (29 December 1946 – 30 January 2025) was an English singer and actress who achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her UK top 10 single " As Tears Go By". She became one of the leading female art ...
's
Jagger/Richards-penned hit "
As Tears Go By", which was released as the album's second single in the US.
Recording and music
It is the last of the group's early releases to feature numerous cover songs; writers
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
and
Keith Richards
Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...
wrote only half of the songs themselves. There had been no sessions to record the LP; many of the songs were from the UK edition of ''
Out of Our Heads'' recorded in September 1965 in Los Angeles. Many of the tracks had appeared earlier in the UK versions of Rolling Stones albums or had been released on singles or EPs, but had not been heard in the American market; other tracks were unreleased tracks that had been recorded during other recording sessions.
Title and packaging
The title of the album came from the band's manager, Andrew Loog Oldham (who facetiously credits it to "
Lou Folk-Rock Adler" in his liner notes on the back cover). According to Jagger, it was Oldham's idea of hip,
Beat poetry. The front cover photo of the band, by
Gered Mankowitz, had previously been used for the UK edition of ''Out of Our Heads''.
Release and reception
''December's Children (And Everybody's)'' reached in the US, where it was
certified
Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...
gold.
The group's second US , ''
Get Off of My Cloud'', was the highest-charting single on the album, also a major chart topper in the band's native UK and several other markets.
In August 2002, the album was reissued in a new remastered CD and
SACD 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. "Look What You've Done" remains the album's only cut issued in true stereo.
Track listing
Recording sessions
Most of the songs were recorded 5–6 September 1965 at the
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside Columbia Records (its former longtime rival), Arista Records and Epic R ...
studio in Hollywood, California, except:
*"
You Better Move On" – 8 August 1963,
Decca Studios, London
*"Look What You've Done" – 11 June 1964,
Chess Records
Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock an ...
studio, Chicago
*"
Route 66" and "
I'm Moving On" – 5–7 March 1965, live performances, England
*"
As Tears Go By" – 26 October 1965,
IBC Studios, London
Personnel
The Rolling Stones
*
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
– lead vocals (all tracks), backing vocals (1-2, 7-8, 10-11), tambourine (10)
*
Keith Richards
Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...
– electric guitar (all but 9), acoustic guitar (5, 9), backing vocals (1-2, 5–8, 10–12), co-lead vocals (5)
*
Brian Jones
Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was an English musician and founder of the Rolling Stones. Initially a slide guitarist, he went on to sing backing vocals and played a wide variety of instruments on Rolling Stones r ...
– electric guitar (1-2, 5–8, 11), acoustic guitar (3, 10), slide guitar (12), harmonica (4, 12), organ (8), backing vocals (3)
*
Bill Wyman
William George Wyman ( né Perks; born 24 October 1936) is an English musician who was the bass guitarist with the rock band the Rolling Stones from 1962 to 1993. Wyman was part of the band's first stable lineup and performed on their first 19 ...
– bass guitar (all but 9), backing vocals (3)
*
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert Watts (2 June 1941 – 24 August 2021) was an English musician who was the drummer of the Rolling Stones from 1963 until his death in 2021.
Originally trained as a Graphic designer, graphic artist, Watts developed an interest i ...
– drums (all but 9)
Additional personnel
*
Ian Stewart – piano (2-4, 7)
*
Mike Leander
Michael George Farr (30 June 1941 – 18 April 1996), known professionally as Mike Leander, was a British arranger, songwriter and record producer.
He worked variously with Cliff Richard, the Beatles, David McWilliams (" Days of Pearly Spe ...
–
string arrangement (9)
Charts
Certifications
References
{{Authority control
1965 albums
ABKCO Records albums
Albums produced by Andrew Loog Oldham
London Records albums
The Rolling Stones albums