We can leave. Before she became a staple of the music industry, Clayton was the daughter of a pastor, who played piano and sang. Their whole family loved music, and her parents encouraged her to pursue her passion. They had rules. He said I had to go to school first and then I could be picked up. Early in her career she performed as one of the Raelettes with Ray Charles. Zanes remembers being a year-old musician in a rock band in the studio at the Sound Factory in Los Angeles when the producers said they were going to bring in background singers.
One of them would be Clayton. We wanted her to know we knew who she was and that we thought she was a bigger deal than we were. She stayed in her pyjamas and hair rollers.
She put on a coat, went down to the street and found a car waiting for her to take her to the studio. They made her listen to the song, then asked her to sing the part about rape and murder. They had to convince her; she was not happy to sing those words at first. She was the daughter of a Christian reverend.
But, as she recently told the Queen Latifah Show , at one point she started thinking about all the bad news that she read in the newspapers every day, and it was as if something took a hold of her. She sang them for the first time. Then she had to sit down because of the weight of the child she was carrying, and she did a second and third take.
The rest is history. It was the most successful performance of her career, and it would become one of the most popular rock tracks ever. But Merry would remember that night in a very different way, for what happened later. She returned home and had a miscarriage. Legend has it that being out that night and making such an effort to sing that part had played a decisive role.
I got the spelling from the NPR transcript , but I should have known better. I wish the best for ms Clayton. I remember you having a good and strong voice, my thought was she may really make it as a singer. I am a couple of years older than you if you were born in , I have followed you career somewhat and smile when I see you remembering choir and how your appearances have not changed from the young teen til today in umteen years!! It would be great to communicate or email you if possible.
Merry Clayton I have followed your career from time to time. Your voice is heaven sent. It has been a long time. Remember walking to an from school, John Adams and to the show? If you remember, please let me hear from you. So tragic about her sweet baby leaving. This story, especially with her chilling vocals behind it, gives me goosebumps, literally.
It was her voice that made this song what it is. I can now safely say this is my favorite Rolling Stonees song. Her voice is flawless. Many cover versions have been made of Gimme Shelter. Some are brilliant. But Sisters of Mercy probably recorded the worst ever cover version of any song in rock history. They butchered a classic. I acutely remember the sense of foreboding this song emoted at the time.
It was the end of the sixties and the party was ending in a drug soaked self indulgent bonfire. It is really the most iconic record of that period and still gives me the chills when listening. You will pay for the hundreds of millions you have influenced into subconscious and conscious Satanism. My God, man…. As a matter of fact, she all but avoids mentioning that, when she talks about that particular session. Ive never heard her speak of it.. The soaring notes throughout most of the solo track are hair-raising enough, but the low wind-down at the end is the best 5-second tutorial of soul singing ever.
I remember that time very vividly. It was an amazing thing that we even got through it. Mick nails it every time. Feel bad u both trying to contact her.
I tried to find her contact info for u.. Think your best bet for now is I Reed Man. Or try his facebook : I Reedman and Merry Clayton.
Maybe just say u went to school n want to re connect. Good luck.. I can remember first time I heard Gimme Shelter.. She comments on how she hated singing on Sweet Home Alabama because she knew it was anything but. She says she could barely hide her contempt. U will feel their terror.. Play it. She is a genius w her voice. Easy enough to hear if you pay attention. You can hear it on the recording on this site. Merry Clayton, you have been a ghost in my life until now.
What incredible talent …. Ripping your guts out! Just ripping your guts out on the very first takes, with strangers, your own fragility waived. Haunted me for 50 years or more. Let the cry go on! I would greatly appreciate any info of whether the Merry Clayton version,with Mick , gimme shelter is on any dvd, out there and can be bought,covering that concert,if not is there a cd with that song on it.
Come On now. She simply miscarried. It just makes the backstory better. But that pregnant? Might have been the hormones and memory. It happens. So much death swirling around the Stones that year.
Let It Bleed, indeed…. Oh, man…. Her name is Merry and she was born on Christmas day That is so cool, I love it! You should catch 20 Feet From Stardom. Look at the music made during that time, and in most turbulent times since then. Not in the mainstream anyway. Kudos to Mick for not being threatened at sharing the vocals. Owned the record. Heard it times, times? I bet she had seen plenty on those tours with Ray Charles etc, something was in that performance besides the words scribbled down.
At about 3. Not you. My condolences, Ms. Clayton, for the sorrow that followed. Sorry guy! As has been commented, the miscarriage following the gig is news. I think it is safe to say that figuratively speaking her performance put this song on the MAP!!! I see that someone compared her performance to Shakespeare and that is not an overstatement. Great work Merry!! Wow, what a story, what a lady!
I entered college the year Gimme Shelter was released. We all felt the storm rising and the moral conflicts and the disillusionments. For giving voice to all this Merry Clayton deserves our homage. Great story! Check it out. The short of it is that Mick wrote the lines on the spot about the recording engineer Joey Zagarino.
My sincerest condolences to Merry, I just read that she lost her baby after that session. Well, the story gets sadder.
I just read Merry had both legs amputated last year after a car accident. How sad…. I still get chills listening to her, more than 40 years later. Incredible, and so sad that such an iconic piece of music is attached to such a tragedy. What the hell are you talking about? Ripping her guts out on the first take? Like its somehow a better track bc she lost the baby? Let the cry go on???? What are you babbling about? I mean, really? She was in the business but had no idea who the Stones were?
Just read in December Jazz Times that fantastic vocalist Merry Clayton lost both legs in a car accident. How tragic. She had just received an award for her part in the outstanding Doco 20 Feet From Stardom. Congratulations and. Go get a real life. No-one is worried about their eternal future as a result of listening to the Stones except you and your sad and pathetic god botherers.
In Mick and Keith were approaching the crest of the greatest 10 year run if songwriting in the 20th century. Yet, you take umbrage with Jagger not knowing who she was? Stop being a dummy…. She was a pregnant background singer…. Now apologize to to mick and Keith, douchebag. The intro alone froze me. Emmaretta had been dating Keith when they brought her into the studio after they had all been crashing and partying at Stephen Stills house in the L.
Oh yeah, you know why Mick Taylor has played as a guest from to about ? Poor Merry Clayton has had a tough life. I just hope she feels loved. Gimme Shelter was a magic track because of her. Her voice helps make it what it is.
Wishing everyone better days. But I hope my words join the chorus of hearts and souls found on pages like this site:. Merry, I fear the time for too many great folk comes after their passing. I pray this story lives on in the gift you and your family gave the world through The Rolling Stones.
I pray it continues to change the world like it did for me today. I am now 61 and have just found out that she sang those famous lyrics. I cant stop listening to the isolated track. It is out of this frickin world and gives me joy each time I hear it.
I have shared it a hundred times to friends. If the group knew of her loss, they should have waited a couple of years. After a year or two, they should have re-approached her to re-record, and then mass distributed the art.
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