The Rolling Stones - Got Live If You Want It - 1966

The Rolling Stones - Got Live If You Want It - 1966 - Full Album
May 9, 2025
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Got Live If You Want It!, released on December 10, 1966, in the US by London Records, is not a studio album but The Rolling Stones’ first official live album. Clocking in at just over 33 minutes across 12 tracks, it captures Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman, and Charlie Watts in their raw, early R&B-rock prime, performing for frenzied UK crowds. Recorded primarily during concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, Manchester, and Liverpool in September and October 1966, with some studio overdubs added in London (IBC and Olympic Studios), and produced by Andrew Loog Oldham, it’s a chaotic snapshot of the Stones’ live energy during their Aftermath era. Notably, it was a US-only release, not part of the UK studio album canon, and its title nods to their 1965 UK live EP of the same name.

The album aims to bottle the Stones’ electrifying stage presence amid Beatlemania’s peak, but it’s marred by poor sound quality, heavy crowd noise, and controversial studio tweaks (some tracks, like “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long,” were studio recordings with dubbed crowd sounds). Here’s the track-by-track breakdown:

Side A

"Under My Thumb" (
2:53
) - From Aftermath (1966), this live take is raw, with Jagger’s vocal cutting through screams and Jones’ marimba-like guitar. The sound is muddy but gritty.

"Get Off of My Cloud" (
2:54
) - A 1965 US #1 single, delivered with high energy. Richards’ riff and Jagger’s snarl battle the crowd’s roar—lively but lo-fi.

"Lady Jane" (
3:08
) - From Aftermath, this baroque ballad feels out of place live. Jagger’s vocal and Jones’ dulcimer are drowned by fans—delicate but messy.

"Not Fade Away" (
2:04
) - A 1964 Buddy Holly cover (UK #3), with Jagger’s harmonica and Jones’ rhythm. It’s a raucous highlight, capturing their R&B roots.

"I’ve Been Loving You Too Long" (
2:55
) - An Otis Redding cover, later revealed as a studio track with overdubbed crowd noise. Jagger’s soulful vocal and Jones’ organ shine, but the fakery undercuts it.

"Fortune Teller" (
1:57
) - A Benny Spellman cover, also a studio track with added crowd sounds. Richards’ riff and Jagger’s energy make it punchy, though it’s not truly live.

Side B

"The Last Time" (
3:08
) - A 1965 UK #1, performed with raw swagger. Richards’ guitar and Jagger’s vocal fight through the chaos—a fan favorite.

"19th Nervous Breakdown" (
3:31
) - A 1966 UK #2, with Jagger’s rapid-fire delivery and Jones’ jangly guitar. The live energy is palpable, despite murky sound.

"Time Is on My Side" (
2:48
) - A 1964 US #6 (Irma Thomas cover), with Jagger’s soulful vocal and Jones’ organ. It’s a solid crowd-pleaser.

"I’m Alright" (
2:27
) - A Bo Diddley-inspired track from the 1965 Out of Our Heads sessions, performed live. Its hypnotic beat and Jagger’s call-and-response rev up the crowd.

"Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?" (
2:19
) - A 1966 single (US #9), live with brass and distortion. It’s chaotic but shows their psychedelic shift.

"(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction" (
3:44
) - The 1965 UK/US #1 closer, with Richards’ iconic riff and Jagger’s defiant vocal. The crowd’s frenzy nearly drowns it, but it’s a thrilling cap.

The production, overseen by Oldham, is rough—live recordings suffer from poor mic placement and overwhelming screams, typical of ‘60s live tech. Studio overdubs on “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and “Fortune Teller” (added to pad the runtime) were deceptive, drawing criticism. Jagger’s vocals are charismatic but often buried, Richards and Jones trade sharp riffs, and Wyman-Watts keep it tight despite the chaos. The album captures the Stones’ live menace—Jagger’s crowd control, the band’s R&B swagger—but it’s not a pristine document like Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! (1970).

In 1966, Got Live If You Want It! hit #6 in the US and went gold, fueled by the Stones’ British Invasion hype. It had no UK album release, as the band prioritized studio work (Between the Buttons was next), but its tracks overlapped with the UK’s 1965 Got Live If You Want It! EP and singles. Critics were lukewarm, noting the sloppy sound and studio fakes—retrospectively, it’s a flawed but vital artifact of their early live prowess. Its influence lies in showcasing the Stones as a live act, rivaling The Beatles’ polish with raw danger.