You Gotta Move by The Rolling Stones

Album: Sticky Fingers (1971)

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Songfacts®:

This was written and originally performed by Mississippi bluesman Fred McDowell. McDowell was active in the 1920s and '30s as both a musician and a farmer. He remained fairly obscure until the '60s, when blues and folk historians raised his profile. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Bertrand - Paris, France
This was the first song The Stones recorded for Sticky Fingers. They did it over three days in 1969 at studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. "Brown Sugar" and "Wild Horses" were also recorded over these three days.
Before recording this, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards had been performing it as a duet.
The Stones played this at their live shows throughout the '70s.
This was the Stones third straight album with one blues cover. Let It Bleed had "Love In Vain" and Beggars Banquet had "Prodigal Son."
Aerosmith covered this on their album Honkin' On Bobo. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Bertrand - Paris, France
Mick Taylor, 2011: "'You Gotta Move' was this great Mississippi Fred McDowell song that we used to play all the time in the studio. I used a slide on that - on an old 1954 Fender Telecaster - and that was the beginning of that slide thing I tried to develop with the Stones." >>>
Suggestion credit:
Bertrand - Paris, France
Bill Wyman played the Wurlitzer on "You Gotta Move." "That song didn't need a bass," he told Mojo magazine, "so I played electric piano."

Comments: 15

Luna Loud from Royal Woods, MichiganI like it! I think it's a fun little blues ditty and a nice addition to the Sticky Fingers album. I really like Aerosmith's version from their "Honkin' On Bobo" blues covers album. I love Tyler's Ad-lib, "I'd rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a big sofa." Something about that line really resonates with mi, seeing as I live with 10 siblings. Ha ha!
Bob-o from San DiegoIt is the best song on sticky fingers! What I like the most is the guitar lead by Mick Taylor being paralleled by Jagger's vocals.
Dia Woodall from 98628This is a great song one of my favorites... it is just a simple truth and somewhat of a footnote for the the album. The Sticky Fingers album is my favorite.
David from Youngstown, OhThe Stones performed this song during their 1969 American tour, before it was released on Sticky Fingers. It can be heard on the famous bootleg Live'R Than You'll Ever Be in Oakland, Nov. 9, 1969.
Rodrigo from Lobería, ArgentinaI agree with Jo-C and Jake it's the worst song of Sticky Fingers. What the hell were they thinkin?!
Steve from Boston, Majulie, you make a good point about it sounding exilish but that album flows perfect to me, this way they've extended that vibe through difr'nt albums. plus the blind boys also do a killer take of " just wanna see his face ". good stuff.
Julie from Durham, NcIt's not a bad song -- the Blind Boys of Alabama recorded a version that was very moving. I think the real problem is that this track feels out of place on SF. I, for one, would love to hear it on Exile (right before "Turd on the Run," maybe).
Johnny from Los Angeles, CaThis shows how diverse the stones music is.
Johnny from Los Angeles, CaYah, joke. Good joke, though
Eduardo from Lima, Perui think its just accustic guitars,right?
Barry from New York, NcOf course you see the Stones recording this down in Muscle Shoals Studio in the film GIMME SHELTER. I am not sure if this is the version that's on the LP.
Henry from Victoria, CanadaThis song is brilliant. Keith's harmonies are so soulful and wrecked and beautiful.
Jake from Toronto, CanadaThe only crappy song on Sticky Fingers... They should have just left it off, so you could listen to the CD straight through without having to skip a song.
Jo-c from Lima, PeruWorst song in Sticky Fingers, seems more of a joke.
Brendan from Vancouver, CanadaThe melody is really similar to "Sitting on Top of the World"

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