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TL;DR:

  • Aretha Franklin covered The Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”
  • Keith Richards appeared in the music video for her cover.
  • Both versions of the song appeared in a movie starring Whoopi Goldberg.
Aretha Franklin and The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards in front of a red curtain
Aretha Franklin and The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards | Icon and Image / Contributor

Aretha Franklin covered The Rolling Stones‘ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” Subsequently, Keith Richards said he’d appear in her music video for the song under one condition. He also revealed what he thought of Franklin as a piano player.

The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richard compared Aretha Franklin to Mick Jagger in 1 way

The book Keith Richards on Keith Richards: Interviews & Encounters includes an interview from 1989. In it, Richards discussed his collaborations with Mick Jagger. “Having worked apart for a couple of years, we’ve both learnt and developed slightly different styles, so we say, ‘OK, you do that one,'” he said. 

“Mick’s playing quite a lot of guitar on this album,” he said. “He’s a good rhythm player. I’m singing two or three songs. He sings more rhythmically when he’s playing, kind of like Aretha Franklin.”

Keith Richards appeared in the video for Aretha Franklin’s cover of The Rolling Stones’ ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ since she played piano

Subsequently, Richards discussed Franklin’s talent. “If you can get her to play piano and sing at the same time, you get this extra kick,” he said. “When I worked with her on the ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ video, I told her I’d appear but only if she played piano and sang. 

“She said, ‘Nobody’s asked me to do that for ages’ and then she said she couldn’t fly anywhere because her fear is too great, and I said, ‘That’s OK, you play piano and I’ll bring the band to Detroit and I’ll do it there so this was a 50-50 deal,'” he said.

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How ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ and Aretha Franklin’s cover performed on the pop charts in the United States

The Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 12 weeks. The Rolling Stones put the song on the compilation album Hot Rocks 1964–1971, which reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The album lasted on the chart for 396 weeks, making it the group’s most successful compilation album in the United States by far.

Franklin’s cover hit No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 11 weeks. The tune appeared on the album Aretha. Notably, Aretha was Franklin’s third album with the same title. The album reached No. 32 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 39 weeks. Notably, both versions of the song appeared in the film Jumpin’ Jack Flash starring Whoopi Goldberg.

The Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” was a hit and Franklin’s cover kept the song relevant.

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