Heaven (Rolling Stones song)

"Heaven" is a song by the English rock band The Rolling Stones. It's the ninth track featured on their 16th (UK) 18th (US) studio album Tattoo You, released August 24, 1981. The 4-minute, 24-second song was recorded in October-November 1980 and was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
The song
Heaven along with Neighbours, this song was one of only two songs recorded specifically for Tattoo You (The other songs were outtakes) although Heaven originally started to take shape during their 1980 album Emotional Rescue alongside No Use in Crying, Neighbours and Little T&A.
On the lyrics, There is a question of whether or not this song is conveying one’s mental meditation on a religious concept of Heaven, or, whether it is a psychedelic venture into sexual ecstasy. A deep study into the psyche of the band leaves room for much interpretation. Although, one could argue, that the lyrics “the smell of you baby, my senses, my senses be praised” matched with “nothing will harm you, nothing will stand in your way” resembles a personal dialogue between the narrator and a God. Mick’s version of God could very well be female, just as God could very well be female. The word "heaven" doesn't show up in the lyrics. Stones frontman Mick Jagger isn't sure how it ended up with that title.
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Recording
Recording began in early October and ran through November 1980. "Heaven" came together in the studio during a midnight session without Richards or Ronnie Wood present. Jagger, producer Chris Kimsey, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts recorded the track without the two guitarists. "Mick started playing the chord sequence, and I sat down at the piano and started following along, and next thing I knew, it sounded really good," Kimsey recalled. "So I told the assistant to roll it, and we put some things on it and it sounded very good."
The vocals here peg this song as one of the most psychedelic the Stones ever did. The group had been gradually edging from pure blues to hard rock to psychedelic styles throughout the previous decade. Mick got quite creative with overdubbing and audio mixing on parts of Tattoo You. Noticeably less gritty than other songs found on the No. 1 album, "Heaven" has never been performed live by the rock band.
Personnel
*Mick Jagger - lead vocals, electric guitar
*Bill Wyman - electric guitar, bass guitar, synthesizer
*Charlie Watts - drums

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