How the Rolling Stones Built the Groove on 'Sympathy for the Devil' With Overdubs

The recording of ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ at Olympic Studios in June 1968 started with just a scratch track: Keith Richards on acoustic guitar, Bill Wyman on maracas, Charlie Watts on drums, and Mick Jagger singing a guide vocal. But the real magic happened when the band overdubbed themselves into a tribal, building frenzy. No session musicians were used — every handclap, shaker, cowbell, and backing vocal came from the Stones themselves, layering parts in a specific order to create that hypnotic push.

The overdub sequence, as documented by engineer Glyn Johns, went like this: Keith added electric guitar and then handclaps with Mick. Charlie overdubbed the conga drums (played by Watts, not a pro percussionist). Bill Wyman layered the cowbell. Then Brian Jones came in with a second conga part and some shakers, while Keith and Mick added more handclaps and backing vocals. Finally, the whole band — including Nicky Hopkins on piano — did the “woo woo” backing vocals, with Jagger doubling his lead vocal over the top. The result is a groove that feels like it’s rising from a swamp, built entirely by the Stones’ own hands.