Did You Know?
The lyrics of “Miss You” appeared to draw inspiration from Mick Jagger’s deteriorating relationship with his wife, Bianca. Jagger has contested this notion, asserting that “‘Miss You’ embodies an emotion; it’s not specifically about a girl. To me, the song encapsulates the sensation of longing.”
Session musicians for the track included Sugar Blue (James Whiting) on harmonica, Mel Collins on saxophone, and Ian MacLagan on electric piano. Collins had previously played with King Crimson, while MacLagan had been a member of the band Faces with Stones guitarist Ron Wood. Sugar Blue, originally from Harlem, was discovered while performing in the Paris metro (subway), catching the attention of someone from The Stones’ record company who subsequently brought him to the recording sessions.
The combination of the bassline, horns, and drums imparted a disco sound to the song, which both alienated some of their fans and propelled it to the top of the charts. The Stones regarded it as more R&B than disco.
Drummer Charlie Watts provided insight: “Many of the songs, such as ‘Miss You,’ were heavily influenced by our visits to the discos. You can discern it in the prevalent four-on-the-floor rhythms and the drumming style reminiscent of Philadelphia. Mick and I used to frequent discos quite often. It was a remarkable era. I recall being in Munich, returning from a club with Mick singing one of the Village People songs – I believe it was ‘Y.M.C.A.’ – and Keith became incensed, but it sounded fantastic on the dance floor.”
This track marked the first single release from the album “Some Girls.” Jagger assumed a lead role in the album’s creation, primarily because Keith Richards had faced legal issues due to drug possession in Toronto the preceding year, with an uncertain sentencing outcome. With the potential of a life sentence looming, Keith had more pressing concerns than making an album. Following the release of the single, the Canadian judge sentenced Richards to continue his addiction treatment and perform a benefit concert for the blind.
Jagger and Billy Preston conceived the basic track while on tour in Europe in 1976. Stones bassist Bill Wyman explained, “The concept for those bass lines originated from Billy Preston. We had recorded a rough demo a year or so earlier after a recording session. I had already left, and Billy picked up my old bass when they began rehearsing that song. He started playing that part because it seemed to align with his left hand’s style. So, when it came time to record the song, the guys suggested I work around Billy’s idea. I listened to it once, grasped the fundamental riff, and built upon it. It required some refinement, but the core concept was Billy’s.”
On the same day they recorded this track, The Stones conceived the idea for “Start Me Up.”
This song stands out among The Stones’ repertoire due to its prominent bassline. Many of their songs were typically driven by Keith Richards’ rhythm guitar.
“Miss You” was the first song released by The Stones as a 12-inch single, featuring an extended dance mix lasting 8 minutes and 36 seconds, issued on pink vinyl. This particular version remains unavailable on CD.
It marked the eighth #1 hit for The Rolling Stones in America.
When “Miss You” climbed the charts, it emboldened other rock artists to explore the disco genre, most notably Rod Stewart, who ventured into disco with “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” after hearing this track and observing The Stones’ success. While Stewart’s song became a massive hit, he faced greater backlash from rock fans for embracing the disco genre. Rather than shying away from his sexy disco hit, Stewart embraced it, performing the song regularly throughout his career.
In the book “Playboy Interviews with John Lennon & Yoko Ono” (the book version contains sections omitted from the official magazine interview), Lennon is quoted as saying: “‘Bless You’ is again about Yoko. I think Mick Jagger took ‘Bless You’ and turned it into ‘Miss You’… The engineer kept wanting me to speed that up – he said, ‘This is a hit song if you’d just do it fast.’ He was right. ‘Cause as ‘Miss You,’ it turned into a hit. I like Mick’s record better. I have no ill feelings about it. I think it’s a GREAT Stones track, and I really love it. But I do hear that lick in it.”
The song plays in the first scene of the initial episode of “Miami Vice,” which aired from 1984-1989 on NBC. The series revolved around two undercover cops combatting crime in Miami and featured many famous songs in its episodes. In the same episode, the Phil Collins song “In The Air Tonight” is used in a climactic scene, contributing to the song’s considerable popularity in America.
Blues legend Etta James covered “Miss You” on her 2000 album “Matriarch Of The Blues,” reversing the usual pattern where The Stones covered many Blues songs in their early years.
Van Halen incorporated the bassline from “Miss You” into their 1981 song “Push Comes To Shove.”
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards performed “Miss You” at the 2001 “Concert For New York,” a benefit event for victims of the World Trade Center attacks.
In 2002, Dr. Dre remixed “Miss You” for the soundtrack of “Austin Powers In: Goldmember.”
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Lyrics
I’ve been holding out so long
I’ve been sleeping all alone
Lord I miss you
I’ve been hanging on the phone
I’ve been sleeping all alone
I want to kiss you sometimeOooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh ooohOooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh ooohWell, I’ve been haunted in my sleep
You’ve been starring in my dreams
Lord I miss you, child
I’ve been waiting in the hall
Been waiting on your call
When the phone rings
It’s just some friends of mine that say“Hey, what’s the matter man?
We’re gonna come around at twelve
With some Puerto Rican girls that’s just dyin’ to meet you
We’re gonna bring a case of wine
Hey, let’s go mess and fool around
You know, like we used to”Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
Aaah aaah aaah aaahOh everybody waits so long
Oh baby why you waiting so long
Won’t you come on! Come on!I’ve been walking Central Park
Singing after dark
People think I’m crazy
Stumbling on my feet
Shuffling through the street
Asking people, “What’s the matter with you boy?”Sometimes I want to say to to myself
Sometimes I sayOooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh ooohOooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
Oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh oooh
I won’t miss you childI guess I’m lying to myself
It’s just you and no one else
Lord I won’t kiss you child
You’ve just been blotting out my mind
Fooling on my time
No, I won’t kiss you, baby, yeahLord, I miss you child
Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
Aaah aaah aaah aaahLord, I miss you child
Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
Aaah aaah aaah aaahLord, I miss you child
Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
Aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah aaah
Aaah aaah aaah aaah