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TL;DR:

  • Mick Jagger discussed The Rolling Stones’ “Beast of Burden” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”
  • He said they created very different moods.
  • He revealed why he sang one after the other during The Rolling Stones’ live shows.
The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger wearing a sweater
The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger | Icon and Image / Contributor

The Rolling Stones‘ “Beast of Burden” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” have very different vibes. Mick Jagger said he performed one after the other for a specific reason. Subsequently, he revealed the reason why The Rolling Stones’ set list was constructed a certain way.

Mick Jagger said The Rolling Stones’ ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ and ‘Beast of Burden’ were part of his concert’s ‘plots’

During a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone, Jagger discussed his band’s live sets. “There’s quite a big move at the end of ‘Satisfaction’ that becomes the high point of that set; then we start to slow it down,” he said. “It changes mood again going into ‘Beast of Burden’ and whatever ballad we do.”

Jagger discussed the structure of The Rolling Stones’ performances. “When we constructed the set musically, I had in mind that it was in these sections — like breaking down a screenplay or, very simply, a plot,” he said. 

Mick Jagger said The Rolling Stones’ concerts were divided into different sections

Jagger elaborated. “It starts off with this moody thing, goes into this rock section, breaks down into this power section, then we have what we used to call the grab bag section,” he said. “Then it goes into Keith’s two songs, it goes up at the end of that into this more audience-participation thing — ‘Honky Tonk Women.'” 

Jagger said the band also incorporated some of its then-recent music into sets. “Then it goes into the Voodoo Lounge section, where we change the set,” Jagger said. “Then it goes into the end, the rock ‘n’ roll run-out section.”

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The Rolling Stones’ ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’: How Mick Jagger Reacted to Devo’s Unique Cover

How ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ and ‘Beast of Burden’ performed on the charts in the United States

“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” became one of The Rolling Stones’ biggest hits in the United States. For four weeks, it topped the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for a total of 14 weeks. The track appeared on the album Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass). The album reached No. 3 and lasted 99 weeks on the Billboard 200.

“Beast of Burden” became a more modest hit. It hit No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 13 weeks. The Rolling Stones included the song on the album Some Girls. The album topped the Billboard 200 for two of its 88 weeks on the Billboard 200.

“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “Beast of Burden” were both hits — and they had specific roles in The Rolling Stones’ concerts.

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