I still have yet to find any sound better than Merry's voice crack followed by Mick and Keith's "whooo". It will forever be an iconic moment in music history

The incredible female vocalist is Merry Clayton.

Little did Merry know that when she was awakened in the middle of the night and asked to come to a recording studio and sing on a sound track with a band she hadn't heard of that she was making history. She's incredible on this track.

Merry Clayton is one of the few female singers that can give me instant goosebumps... The power in her voice is unmatched. Such a shame she didn't get more recognition.

This was an anti-war protest song in the heat of Viet Nam. Merry’s voice absolutely makes this track!

This evokes images of Vietnam- especially that poor naked girl fleeing her burning village. It’s so visceral. We saw those horrific images on evening news every night. They sparked the student protests which ultimately turned the country against such a destructive war.

Goosebumps here, too. Must've heard this song near 1,000 times over the past 50 years, and still get goosebumps every time.

Simply the best rock song ever.

Thing is that in the 1960's people started seeing some pretty ugly images in the news enter their living rooms for the first time - Vietnam, inner city riots, campus shootings and the middle East. Songs like this just reflected how real things were getting for most people who found it all harder to ignore.

Easily my favorite Stones song. I can't even imagine that song without the incredible vocals of Merry Clayton.

Watts' drumming is so amazing on this track. And the rest of the guys play along with him and it's pure perfection

The most powerful moment in this song, as if the body isn’t already on vibrate up to this point is the solo by the very talented Merry Clayton, who in her third and final solo stanza strain so hard, it’s crystal clear her voice cracks jusd breaks the glass entirely. She was called into a late night session in Los Angeles ti drop her pipes in last minute scenario, Meery was also pregnant and just hours after returning home from dropping her chops sadly miscarried and was told by her doctors it was caused by very recent exceptional strain. No one could ever really prove this but for those who choose to believe that to not, she sung her ass clean off to give that song the power pinnacle it needed. When you hear Mick Jagger yell “whoo!” right after that voice cracking verse, that was unplanned. Mick was so blown away at how powerful Merry could deliver such a brilliant solo into scream of desperation, he just blurted it out and it put the cherry on top of that piece of the song. Her solo was so forceful the studio glass shook. It’s a transformational song at a very turbulent time in the 🇺🇸 back in 1969. And it left its mark so ingrained in American culture one can’t see any war movies since that doesn’t include the track in it. Legendary work.

The look Asia gave him when he stopped in the middle of the solo. 😄

When her voice cracks. It gets me every time.

Never fails to give me chills. The intro is epic. The droning bass and pulsing beat, and the lyrics so pigment and heavy. Top it off with the most intense vocal bridge ever recorded by Merry Clayton. Hell yeah!!!

One of the greatest rock songs of all time!!

Probably my favorite Stones song. The background singers on this song are on point!

This entire album called Let it Bleed is incredible , Sticky Fingers is another masterpiece,every song is great. You need to check them out .

The Stones at their best! The vocals, the guitar, the bass, the harmonica, the DRUMS!!! And Merry Clayton's unbelievable backing vocal. 💢💢💢💯

When BJ stopped it Asia's face is PRICELESS 🤣!! She looked like she was going to throw hands 😂

In my understanding this song is a protest against the atrocities that were happening in the Vietnam war. And can be summed up to "Make love not war"

"This song bleeds subject matter"...what a perfect comment! Y'all nailed it.

It never ceases to amaze me at just how lucky I am to have grown up listening to and loving all of the great music by great bands in my lifetime. It makes me so happy to see you young folks enjoying the same music that was so much a part of my life growing up. Keep doing your fantastic reactions cuz you make this old guy smile!

I am 74 and I still love the Stones. I hope you see them do this in performance. The electricity of the band and the crowd will let you know what iconic is. Most bands never get there.

My favorite Stones song by far!! This was an anthem for protest vs the Vietnam War. All those horrible things are "just a shot away". But in the end, "love" is just a kiss away. Meaning, both are simple if that's what you're after. "make love not war" concept. A couple other amazing songs: Wild Horses, and Angie

The Rolling Stones stand out from every other rock band. Iconic.

First off I'm now a 67 year old man and I was very much alive and into music as a 15 year old teenager. This song was written in 1969 right at the height of the Vietnam war. Before I delve into the song a HUGE shoutout goes out to MERRY CLAYTON. The woman who did the background vocals with Mick Jagger. Merry was at the time an American Gospel singer and her manager had just gotten her this gig with The Stones. She Flew across the Atlantic and with no rest from her flight walked into the recording studio and laid the track down in her very first attempt at recording and forever put her down in the history books. This Stones song was a major hit at the time when it was released in Dec. of 1969 and her background vocals were a topic of many music enthusiasts at the time. Big time kudos out to her. Now to the song itself. The times then were rampant with many anti war songs from a variety of bands at the time. This sentiment was engrained into the culture of the time. Plus Woodstock had just occurred several months earlier adding to the fuel of the theme. And far too many assassinations which had occurred prior, the latest being Bobby Kennedy. A favorable candidate of the people by far. The air was filled with the chantings of peace and love by the younger generation while receiving nothing but stubborn resistance and outright disdain and insults by the status quo older generation. The atmosphere was electric and charged at the time. So much so was the unrest of the time that the 4 students killed by a simple protest at Kent State University was just months away. Occurring on May 4 1970. Four young college students shot outright and murdered by the National Guard for simply exercising their first amendment right to protest and redress grievances against their government. Plus the verse referring to "flames in the street" to me is significant because just the year before that very thing happened in Chicago at the Democratic National Convention. The Democrats themselves being so divided on their own platform demonstrated and rioted against their own party burning, rioting and looting in the same fashion as BLM and Antifa has recently done. Civil unrest was the soup du jour of the times. The very last lyric, "love is just a kiss away." is symbolic of the very well known chant of the times, "Make Love, Not War." Very electric and very charged times back then. Many wondered then if our country would survive such charged and divisive times. Songs like this one were meant to influence change over the powers that were in charge. That was a brief description of living in the sixties and into the early seventies.

Merry Clayton brings it from great to iconic. If the apocalypse is going to have a theme song this one gets my vote. There was only one band that could have created Gimme Shelter. Great video guys thanks

This might be the greatest song ever.

The most awesome Merry Clayton- she sang her part while she was pregnant- one of the greatest stones songs ever made!! Great reaction as always!

This song brings back childhood memories. 😢 Veitnam, the Draft, Woodstock, Flower Power, Hippies, and Charles Manson/Helter Skelter... there was so much division, so many lives lost. U.S. Soldiers were spit on by other Americans and called "Baby killers" for fighting in Vietnam.😢 It was a very rough time... yet we made it thru, together.

Great reaction guys! The Vietnam war was still raging and the Stones created this immortal song to speak to its destruction. Merry’s vocal is one of the greatest in rock history. Love how her vocal cracks twice from the power of her voice!!

What a great song. How freaking talented do you have to be to create something like that.

Merry Clayton sings back up and you can hear her voice crack twice and mick go “whoa” in the background. She came in the studio late at night after being called in. This is 1969, a year of total unrest!

Merry Clayton MADE this song. They tell a story about recording this song in the middle of the night at Muscle Shoals Sound in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Woke Merry up out of her sleep. She went to the studio and made this magic all in her pink foam rollers. She's amazing.

My favorite Stones song, I go crazy for two versions, the original one with Merry Clayton's vocal solo and the incredible ones with Mick Taylor's guitar solo in the 1972/73 live shows

Do you know a lot of groups back in the 60s and 70s did create songs about what was going on at the time… And we listen to them and we agreed with them, and it just so happens they were great musicians vocalist in their chart busting songs were all over the place. It was important to us, kind of like today these songs resonate today but nobody is listening

There was a great 2013 documentary called "20 Feet From Stardom" about the often unheralded role of backup singers in popular music. One of the featured singers was a woman named Merry Clayton whose incredible voice you hear on "Gimme Shelter" (and A LOT of other classic songs). Here's a clip from the movie: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ec5_gdiXtZaqdac.html Merry Clayton also appeared on the Queen Latifah Show (along with fellow legend Darlene Love) talking about recording "Gimme Shelter": kzfaq.info/get/bejne/oN6TYNGn0NS0lqM.html

I love this song very much, with Mick Jagger‘s voice but Merry Clayton no words can describe what she did to this song but if I could say anything she gave it life her voice is haunting and brought to a new level .what a beautiful voice can do to a song

The bluesiest rock band ever! The Stones never held back from calling people out...... It's either a shot and get death and heartache or it can be a 💋 and live in love and peace..... but it's up to us! Another great reaction Asia and BJ!!

Merry Clayton makes this song her stunning vocals just brings it all home perfection for sure.

Every single word, 100% still relevant today. The GREAT Merry Clayton's vocals 🔥🔥

Every INCH Of this song from start to finish is a MASTERPIECE...

The guitar layering in this song is just classic rock perfection!

Merry Clayton delivers the best vocal cameo in a rock song I can think of... as good a Stones song as there is. The song was released in 1969, so Vietnam and the assassination of MLK are fresh in the news.

Asia, I was waiting for your expression at 6:57, when guest singer Merry Clayton's voice cracked in the midst of, *"MURDERRRRR!"* and your squint followed by a head shake said it all. That crack in Merry's voice is iconic in rock history lore. It was unintentional, but Mick and the boys loved the raw emotion behind it, and wisely kept it in. Great reaction, to both of you. Next from The Stones, I suggest you try one of their gorgeous ballads called, *"Angie"* you'll both love it!! (Studio version.)

Merry Clayton's vocals still gives me the chills on this song...one of my faves!

A Stones concert is such an experience , a dance party really , vary cool , this is such an iconic song , Mick Jagger is a front man in touch with the audience , he helps you feel the music , some of the best shows I've seen were the Stones .

Released in 1969 at the height of the Vietnam War. A year after the Tet Offensive when the govt. knew it was a lost cause.

Another great song and reaction! Stones are so easy to lose oneself into a fantastic vibe zone. Thanks Asia n BJ

I was in high school when this song came out...a dark period. Watching your great reaction and hearing this song again makes me realize how even scarier it is today.

If you listen carefully on the third chorus by Merry Clayton as she hits those very high note you can hear Jagger go "whoo" in appreciation .

Asia and Bj…Love the fact you are willing to listen to older music….there are so many songs from 1960’s and 1970’s that are Important to many of us!! and your thoughts are on point! Thank you 🙏🏻 ❤️🙏🏻

6:51 on the 3rd "rape, murder", her voice cracks. the band was in listening in the booth, loved it and went nuts. you can just barely hear Mick go "yeah" in the background right after her voice cracks. pretty cool.

Female vocalist Merry Clayton has a video on KZfaq where she explains the circumstances behind her role in the making of this song. Great story and an even greater vocalist! She was very young and very preagnant at the time. I believe her agent called her late night early morning and asked if she would do this for a band she was unfamiliar with at the time. She arrived at the studio in a fur jacket and her pj's and met the Stones for the very first time. When she read the part she was to sing she was very shocked, but did not disappoint. She actually held back a bit, and then when laying down her main track she decided to blow the roof off the studio... and the rest is history!

Top ten song of all time! This is the 60's. BJ you are right on. Vietnam, riots in the cities, famine, and floods. It's how people communicated back then in a world without cellphones, instant news, or social media. Music was our connection to each other.

This is my absolute favorite Stones song. Big respect for singer Merry Clayton. This song wouldn't have been as powerful had she not performed on this song. Outstanding!

You have to watch the documentary, "20 Feet from Stardom" They feature Mary Clayton and the part she sings in this song. It is about the black backup singers that were used to give the needed flavor to rock and roll music. They also talk about the Queen of backup singers, Lisa Fischer. Who went to sing backup for the Rolling Stones including this song. Lisa also won a Grammy for the song on her debut album entitled "How can I feel the pain" which you should react to as well. She never made an album again. And was more comfortable as a backup singer. If you do the reaction, do the one live in Japan. Hands down one of the top female singers for vocal range and control.

There's a "fin de siècle" vibe to this song; Not quite the end of the century but certainly an end to the 60s vibe of peace, love & harmony. The album (released December 1969) this song is from is really a quite angry album - and a Rock Classic.

This song was recorded shortly after the nightmare concert at Altamont on Dec 6 1969 and most of the songs references are about that rock festival in which the Stones performed... ASIA and BJ watch the movie Gimme Shelter and find out why they recorded this song.

I have 1 memory of the Vietnam war. I was born in 67 so I was too young to remember the whole war or to even understand that there was a war but when I was in Kindergarten this boy's father left for Vietnam. When we were in 1st grade our Kindergarten teacher came out on the playground and took Tommy to the office the next day our teacher told us his father was killed in Vietnam. Tommy was never the same again. It wasn"t till years later I learned about the war.

They called Marry in the middle of the night to ask her to come in to do backup vocals. She was pregnant and her husband asked her not to go. She went in and gave the most amazing performance ever! Very soon after she miscarried the baby.

The song was released right during the vietnam war, when things were really starting to heat up. Also for the first time people were seeing the flag draped coffins of the soldiers killed in action being offloaded from the planes of the television.

Man don't stop Asia's groove ! Priceless expression on her face. Wild Horses is another great old Stones tune.💖💖💖

If you want dark, off the same album, try Midnight Rambler by the Stones.

YES! MAKE LOVE NOT WAR! I love this song and your reaction to it! I still get chills when I listen to it!

Its a master piece lyrics and melody !!!!

I'm so proud to have been a part of that generation. Some of the best music came out in the 60s and 70 s. Here is just one of those examples.

The song is timeless, just as meaningful today as the late 60's

I do love your reactions. When you started talking about the happeningss of the times related to the lyrics, I couldn't let it go that Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, CSNY, CCR, Rush, plus countless others from the sixties and seventies wrote a plethora of songs addressing political and social issues. Their lyrics are timeless and would be relevant thousands of years ago till today and especially into the future. Cheers from the canadian Queen nut.

From a black guy former Marine was born 1960 joined the Marine Corps 1979 this was a big song all across this nation I was jamming on this music and high School from 1975 to 79 everybody jammed on the rolling Stones they're another great they played with Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock and also with Santana and a bunch of other great artists were there at Woodstock 1968

I was born two years before this was released, so I've heard it a couple times.. and Merry Clayton's voice still gives me chills! Her voice makes this song the classic that it is. 💕 Thanks !

Love the reaction, please more of The Stones. This song brings out emotions, loved the goosebumps reference, you guys brought out a few of my own just watching. Keep the great reactions coming.

It was a reference to the Vietnam War I think. The woman who sang on this song was pregnant and allegedly had a miscarriage after recording the song. That's why she screamed when singing "murder!" and you can hear Mick Jagger in the background going "whoo!" in the background, impressed by her vocals.

This album was recorded beginning in november 1968... A quick review of 1968: Tet Offensive, which greatly intensified the war in Viet Nam MLK Jr. shot Robert Kennedy shot Riots in Paris, New York, LA, Chicago and all the hell over the place DARK times, believe me, and one of the scariest years of my childhood

The story about Merry Clayton coming to be on this song is that the Stones were recording it well into the morning. The band members felt it was lacking something..one of the engineers said he knew someone who might give it what it lacked. In the wee hours of the morning, Merry comes in and lays this down. Supposedly in pajamas and rollers.

This song was released in 1969 and was an antiwar song in regards to the Vietnam War which was going on at that time. This to me is one of their best songs. Cheers

Great song, Great reaction!! I was bobbing and swaying with Y'all. This was released at the end of 1969 and was timely then as it is now. Timeless! Wonderful instrumentation and vocals. Thank You!!

Well- I believe this song came out in the late sixties when Veitnam was going full blown crazy. The Stones were on top of the toppermost with one unfathmably great recording after the next. It's possible this is one of a handful of their greatest tunes ever and still remains pretty dang potent. Love the reaction!!!

Fun Fact! Merry Clayton was 6 or 8 months pregnant when she was woken up at fucking 3:00 am in her nightgown and curlers to sing that song. And when she really sang couple octaves higher... She blew the Mick Jagger and the Producer minds. Sadly by doing that, when she went into labor it was a miscarrige, and she blamed the band, but she is thankful for the recognition. I never met her but I know her brother Sam Clayton professionally and personally. I worked for the band he's in called Little Feat. They are a great Rock Band and we're not just friends we're like family. I highly recommend you check them out. These are the songs I recommend... 1) Let it Roll 2) Changin Luck 3) Fat Man In A Bathtub 4) Time Loves A Hero 5) Willin 6) Representing the Mambo 7) Cajun Rage 8) Rooster Rag 9) A Church Falling Down 10) Ragtop Down

The female vocals on this track were done by Merry Clayton. She was called out of bed in the middle of the night while pregnant and curlers in her hair to perform on this track by a band she knew nothing about. She killed it. There's a short video on KZfaq about the events that led her to perform on this song. Definitely worth checking out. Btw I really look forward to your guys videos. You guys are the shit.

One of my top 5 all times songs! 🔥🔥🔥❤️❤️❤️🔥❤️❤️❤️🔥🔥

LOL,🤣🤣 she was in a trance during the solo. That look she snaps at him is priceless.🤣

I don’t know how I missed this a year ago. Over the years, from 1981 til now, I have seen them do this live 16 times. Always an extended jam and incredible vocals from Lisa Fischer (until a few years ago). Amazing. ‘Thank you. Hope you are both doing well.

One of my FAVS along with Sympathy for the Devil 👿

The Stones are phenomenal…stories told to great rock music!

Yes, Wow. BJ’s right. Choose war or choose love. I was a babe in the turbulent 60’s and early 70’s. I appreciate this song more as I get older. And now with the times the way they are. Heavy lyrics. The Stones are genius. 70’s Rock. Social Statements. Vietnam War. Protest Songs.

"Burns like a red coal carpet, mad bull, lost your way." One of the most iconic lines ever.

Great band, great song!! Seen them twice...lucky me. I believe this was on the soundtrack for a great movie, Apocalypse now

One of many great Rolling Stones songs. I would suggest "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" from the Sticky Fingers album. Great album along with the album this song came from Let it Bleed. Two of the best albums in rock history IMO.

Oh my… well again I hear blues all thru this song. These guys took some artistic risks- and busted up some hotel rooms too. They’re a definite rabbit hole to visit too. ❤️😎❤️

Asia and BJ, I’m 72 years old and saw almost all of the acts you cover either live or as an opening act in several bands I was in at the time. I just saw your give me shelter reaction. Do your self a giant favor and watch 20 feet from stardom. The amazing high voice on Rape, Murder, was I believe Mary Clayton. She is the most amazing thing in the documentary.

All time favorite Stones song!!!!! The funky bluesy, rock vibe combines the political times wars rampant by n the world. The hippie love vibe wrapping it up is just a masterpiece!!!!

Love the sound of the guitar on this whole album.

I'm about to fall outa my chair laughing at you two. The way she looked at you when you stopped it during the solo. LMAO Then BJ say "lemme go back a bit" and she keeps staring it you , just too funny.

Heard it last night live in Denver. Still gives goosebumps.

Check out “Wild Horses”

Such an amazing song!!!

Vietnam...Nixon...Watergate...Kent State....the Women's Movement....all were going on when this song was written! The album, "Let it Bleed", that this song was on, was released in 1969.

Shout out for the lovely lead guitar of Mick Taylor, very sympathetic to the song and the other players.