No Expectations

"No Expectations"
Song by The Rolling Stones from the album Beggars Banquet
Released	6 December 1968
Recorded	May-June, 1968
Genre	Blues rock, country rock
Length	4:02
Label	ABKCO
Writer	Jagger/Richards
Producer	Jimmy Miller
Beggars Banquet track listing
"Sympathy for the Devil" (1) "No Expectations" (2) "Dear Doctor" (3)

"No Expectations" is a song by the British rock and roll band The Rolling Stones featured on their 1968 album Beggars Banquet. It was first released as the B-side of the "Street Fighting Man" single in August 1968. Brian Jones' acoustic slide guitar on the recording represents one of his last major contributions before leaving the band.

Inspiration and recording

The song slow ballad was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Bill Janovitz says, "The loneliness expressed in the song is palpable; all about being left behind, the song is certainly a tribute in musical and lyrical tone to such Robert Johnson blues songs as "Love in Vain" — a favourite cover of the Rolling Stones — referencing such images as a train leaving the station."^[1]

Jagger said in a 1995 interview in Rolling Stone "That's Brian playing [the slide guitar]. We were sitting around in a circle on the floor, singing and playing, recording with open mikes. That was the last time I remember Brian really being totally involved in something that was really worth doing". ^[2] Accompanying Jones is Richards on acoustic rhythm guitar, with Janovitz remarking that Richards, "play[s] the same open-tuned rhythm he would later use on 'You Can't Always Get What You Want', also contributing to that lonely ambience." The song is also noted for its simple claves-kept beat by Charlie Watts and Nicky Hopkins' "building single-chord organ" and piano trills.

Aftermath

The song's first live performance was filmed for The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus DVD and accompanying live album, which documents Jones' last live performance with the band. The band has since rarely played the song live. The second, and most notable performance, was at the Hyde Park free concert, July 5, 1969, which was held as a memorial to Jones, who died three days before. The third live performance was at the January 18, 1973 benefit concert at the Los Angeles Forum for victims of the recent 23 December 1972 earthquake in Nicaragua. They would not play it live again until August 28, 1994 in Cleveland, Ohio. On the 2002/2003 Licks tour, they played it 11 times in total, and have not played it since.

It is also included on the 1972 Stones compilation album More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies). The single version is available on Singles Collection: The London Years.

Several covers of "No Expectations" have been released. Johnny Cash recorded a bluegrass-inspired version, available on his album Gone Girl and the collection Essential Johnny Cash 1953-83. Waylon Jennings recorded a version for his 1998 album Closing in on the Fire. Soulsavers recorded a piano version accompanied with Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan on their album It's Not How Far You Fall, It's The Way You Land. Joan Baez also performed a cover on her 1970 album One Day at a Time.

Beck also started playing this song in his concerts just after the release of Sea Change. During his first tour after going on hiatus from the Black Crowes in 2002, singer Chris Robinson played the song as an acoustic duo with Paul Stacey. Jam bands Yonder Mountain String Band and Flatlander also often cover this song at their shows.

References

1. ^ Janovitz, Bill."No Expectations". allmusic. 2007 (accessed 29 June 2007).
2. ^ Wenner, Jann."Jagger Remembers". Rolling Stone. 1995 (accessed 29 June 2007).

External links

• Complete Official Lyrics