The original title of 'Brown Sugar' was something far more explicit

Before it became one of the most famous (and later controversial) singles in rock history, “Brown Sugar” was originally titled “Black Pussy”. The working title was used during the early recording sessions at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in December 1969. Keith Richards later confirmed this in his autobiography Life, explaining that the band never intended to use that title for release — it was just a raw placeholder that captured the song’s primal, sexual energy.

The change to “Brown Sugar” happened before the single’s release in April 1971. While the original title was too overtly racial and sexually graphic even by the Stones’ standards, the final title still carried heavy baggage — referencing a slave woman, drugs, and the singer’s own vices. Mick Jagger later said he regretted the song’s subject matter, but the title swap was a clear commercial and cultural move to avoid immediate censorship and radio bans.