The Rolling Stones' 'Time Is On My Side' at Chess Studios: An Organ-Soul Cover That Sparked Ownership Battles

In June 1964, the Rolling Stones walked into Chess Studios in Chicago—the hallowed home of Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry—to cut what would become their first Top 10 U.S. single. They chose a song already recorded by R&B singer Irma Thomas (and earlier by Kai Winding): “Time Is On My Side.” Producer Andrew Loog Oldham wanted a tougher, more organ-driven sound, so the Stones brought in Ian Stewart’s pumping Hammond organ and Keith Richards’ gritty riff to push the track beyond the original’s lush arrangement. The result was a raw, soulful shuffle that hit No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

But behind the record’s success was a legal mess. The song had been written by Jerry Ragovoy under the pseudonym “Norma Meade,” but the publishing had been sold to a company that later claimed the Stones hadn’t secured proper mechanical license rights, leading to a lawsuit. As the Stones’ manager Allen Klein scrambled for control of their publishing, the “Time Is On My Side” ownership dispute became an early lesson in music law for the band. Though the Stones eventually settled, the song’s legacy as their first American breakthrough was set—organ, grit, and all.