19th Nervous Breakdown

Composition and recording

The song was written during the group's October–December 1965 tour of the United States and recorded at the conclusion of their fourth North American tour during the Aftermath album sessions, between 3 and 8 December 1965 at RCA Recording Studios in Hollywood, California.

Jagger came up with the title first and then wrote the lyrics around it. The opening guitar figure is played by Keith Richards while in the verses Brian Jones plays a bass-note figure that derives from "Diddley Daddy" by Bo Diddley, a major influence on the Rolling Stones' style. Here the riff is extended into a long blues chord progression behind lyrics similar to those of their previous UK single, "Get Off of My Cloud", and the verse alternates with a bridge theme. The track is also known for Bill Wyman's "dive-bombing" bass line at the end. At almost four minutes' duration, it is long by the standards of the time.

Cash Box described the single as a "pulsating, hard-driving fast-moving bluesy affair about a sensitive gal who lets her guy get him down". Record World called the lyrics "intriguing".

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon, except where noted:

The Rolling Stones

• Mick Jaggervocals
• Keith Richardsbacking vocals, lead guitar, fuzz guitar
• Brian Jonesrhythm guitar
• Bill Wymanbass
• Charlie Wattsdrums

Additional musician

• Ian Stewartpiano

Release

"19th Nervous Breakdown" was released as a single on 4 February 1966 in the UK and on 12 February 1966 in the US. Like many early Rolling Stones recordings, "19th Nervous Breakdown" has been officially released only in mono sound. A stereo mix of the song has turned up in private and bootleg collections. An alternate version features a radically different vocal from Jagger, who alternates between mellow on the verses and rawer on the chorus. The Stones performed "19th Nervous Breakdown" live on The Ed Sullivan Show on 11 September.

"19th Nervous Breakdown" has further appeared on numerous Stones compilations, including Hot Rocks 1964–1971 (1971), Singles Collection: The London Years (1989), Forty Licks (2002), and GRRR! (2012).

Commercial performance

In the UK, "19th Nervous Breakdown" reached number 2 on the Record Retailer chart. The single topped the NME Top 30 chart for three weeks in addition to the BBC's Pick of the Pops charts. The single was the fifth best-selling single of 1966 in the UK, achieving greater full-year sales than both Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin' and the Stones' own "Paint It Black".

In the US, "19th Nervous Breakdown" peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, behind "The Ballad of the Green Berets" by SSgt Barry Sadler, and number 1 on the Cash Box Top 100.

Other versions

• In June 1966, just four months after the Rolling Stones released their single, American garage rock band The Standells covered the song for their album Dirty Water.
• In 2010, English indie rock group The Wedding Present covered the song for the first season of The A.V. Clubs A.V. Undercover web series.

Chart performance

References

Sources

References

1. {{Pop Chronicles. 38. 3. Mick Jagger
2. "Bo Diddley – The Story Of Bo Diddley: album review".
3. {{Allmusic
4. (February 19, 1966). "CashBox Record Reviews".
5. (February 19, 1966). "Single Picks of the Week".
6. "The Rolling Stones in Stereo".
7. (4 March 2016). "Products Page".
8. Eder, Bruce. "Hot Rocks: 1964-1971 - The Rolling Stones {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits". [[AllMusic]].
9. "''The Complete Singles Collection: The London Years'' – The Rolling Stones". [[AllMusic]].
10. ""Forty Licks" – The Rolling Stones". AllMusic.
11. Egan, Sean. "BBC – Music – Review of The Rolling Stones – Grrr!". [[BBC]].
12. "The 100 Best-Selling Singles of 1966 [in the U.K.]".
13. Bonanno, Massimo. (1990). "The Rolling Stones Chronicle: The First Thirty Years". Plexus.
14. (March 24, 2025). "Larry Tamblyn, Co-Founder of ‘Dirty Water’ Garage Rockers the Standells Dies at 82". [[Billboard (magazine).
15. (June 1, 2010). "The Wedding Present covers the Rolling Stones' "19th Nervous Breakdown"". [[The A.V. Club]].
16. "RPM 100". [[RPM (magazine).
17. Nyman, Jake. (2005). "Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja". Tammi.
18. "flavour of new zealand - search listener".
19. "SA Charts 1965 – March 1989".
20. Hallberg, Eric. (1993). "Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3: Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962 - 19. 8. 1975". Drift Musik.
21. (1998). "Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök: 1961 - 74". Premium Publishing.
22. "Featured Artist: Rolling Stones". [[Official Charts Company]].
23. (1995). "Forty Years of "NME" Charts". [[Macmillan Publishers.
24. (5 March 1966). "Hit Happy Hollies!". Melody Maker.
25. "The Rolling Stones > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles".
26. (2015-10-25). "Unique #1 Singles Between Cashbox & Billboard - Top40weekly".
27. "Cash Box Top 100 4/02/66".