About The Song
“Brown Sugar” is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones, released as the lead single from their ninth studio album, Sticky Fingers, on April 16, 1971, through Rolling Stones Records. Written primarily by Mick Jagger with contributions from Keith Richards, the track was produced by Jimmy Miller. It was recorded over three days, December 2–4, 1969, at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama, with additional work at Olympic Studios in London. The release was delayed until 1971 due to legal disputes with the band’s former label, Decca Records. The single marked the debut of Rolling Stones Records, distributed by Atlantic Records in the US.
The song achieved significant chart success. It reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on May 29, 1971, holding the top spot for two weeks and charting for 12 weeks total. Billboard ranked it as the No. 16 song of 1971. In the UK, it peaked at No. 2 on the Official Singles Chart, kept from the top by Tony Orlando & Dawn’s “Knock Three Times,” and charted for 13 weeks. Internationally, it hit No. 1 in Canada (RPM Top Singles), the Netherlands (Single Top 100), and Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade), No. 2 in Ireland (IRMA), No. 4 in Germany (GfK), No. 5 in Australia (Kent Music Report), and No. 7 in Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders). Certifications include Platinum in Australia (70,000 units), Platinum in the UK for digital sales (600,000 units), and Silver in the UK for physical sales (250,000 units). The album Sticky Fingers topped the US Billboard 200 for four weeks and the UK Albums Chart.
“Brown Sugar” was primarily written by Jagger during the filming of Ned Kelly in Australia in 1969. Marsha Hunt, Jagger’s girlfriend at the time, claimed the song was inspired by her, as did former Ikette Claudia Lennear, who dated Jagger during its creation, according to a 2014 interview with The Times. Bill Wyman’s 2002 book, Rolling with the Stones, also credits Lennear as a partial inspiration. Jagger described the lyrics as a mix of “drugs and girls,” noting their provocative nature in a 1995 Rolling Stone interview, admitting he would likely censor himself if writing it today. The song was debuted live at the Altamont Speedway concert on December 6, 1969, with Mick Taylor, who had recently replaced Brian Jones, requesting its inclusion.
Production details include the use of a mono mix for the single, distinct from the album’s stereo version, featuring studio chatter. The track features Jagger on vocals and percussion, Richards on rhythm and acoustic guitar, Taylor on lead guitar, Wyman on bass, Charlie Watts on drums, Ian Stewart on piano, and Bobby Keys on tenor saxophone. An alternative version, recorded on December 18, 1970, at Olympic Studios during Keith Richards’ and Bobby Keys’ birthday party, included Al Kooper on piano and Eric Clapton on slide guitar. This version was released in 2015 on the deluxe edition of Sticky Fingers. The song was performed on Top of the Pops, taped in late March 1971, with Trevor Lawrence miming Keys’ saxophone solo. The US single featured “Bitch” as the B-side, while the UK release included a live version of Chuck Berry’s “Let It Rock” from a 1971 University of Leeds performance.
Additional trivia includes the song’s inclusion in compilations like Hot Rocks 1964–1971 and Forty Licks. It was a staple in the band’s live sets, notably opening their 1972 American tour, though Jagger altered controversial lyrics like “I hear him whip the women just around midnight” in later performances, as noted in a 2021 article by American Songwriter. The track was covered by Little Richard in 1971 for his album The King of Rock and Roll.
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Lyric
Gold Coast slave ship bound for cotton fields
Sold in the market down in New Orleans
Scarred old slaver knows he’s doin’ alright
Hear him whip the women just around midnightBrown Sugar, how come you taste so good?
Brown Sugar, just like a young girl shouldDrums beatin’ cold, English blood runs hot
Lady of the house wonderin’ when it’s gonna stop
House boy knows that he’s doin’ alright
You shoulda heard him just around midnightBrown Sugar, how come you taste so good? Ow!
Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should, yeahI bet your mama was a tent show queen
And all her boyfriends were sweet sixteen
I’m no schoolboy, but I know what I like
You shoulda heard me just around midnightBrown Sugar, how come you taste so good? Babe
Brown Sugar, just like a young girl should, yeahI said yeah, yeah, yeah, woo
How come you, how come you taste so good?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, woo
Just like a, just like a young girl should
Yeah, yeah, yeah, woo