How the Rolling Stones' First Single 'Come On' Was Chosen, Recorded, and Received

The Stones’ debut single, a Chuck Berry cover of “Come On,” was recorded on May 10, 1963, at Olympic Studios in London. Producer Andrew Loog Oldham—just 19 and fresh from working with the Beatles—pushed the band to cut it quickly, aiming for a raw R&B sound that mirrored their live set. The band themselves weren’t thrilled: Keith Richards later called it “a bit of a disaster,” and Mick Jagger dismissed it as a poor imitation of Berry, though it still hit the UK Top 30. The choice was partly strategic—Berry was a proven crowd-pleaser, and the song’s simple 12-bar structure let the young group cut their first wax with minimal fuss.