The Rolling Stones' 'We Love You' and Its Backwards Guitar Solo

The Rolling Stones song from the 1960s featuring a backwards guitar solo is “We Love You,” released as a single in August 1967. The solo was played by Brian Jones, who recorded it forward and then the tape was flipped to play in reverse, creating a psychedelic, swirling effect. The same trick was also applied to parts of the backing vocals, giving the whole track a disorienting, kaleidoscopic feel.

The recording trick is called “backmasking” or tape reversal — simply recording a sound and then playing the tape backwards. The Stones and their producer, Glyn Johns, used this trick to experiment with the psychedelic sounds popular at the time, particularly after Brian Jones had become fascinated with the possibilities of studio manipulation. “We Love You” was also notable for being recorded during the summer of 1967, while Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were awaiting trial on drug charges, and the song’s defiant lyrics reflected their mood.