Through the Lonely Nights: The Goats Head Soup Outtake That Became a 1974 B-Side

“Through the Lonely Nights” was originally cut during the Goats Head Soup sessions in late 1972 in Jamaica. That discarded album version featured a slower, almost soulful arrangement with Nicky Hopkins on piano and a more prominent acoustic guitar bed. It was left off the final tracklist.

When the Stones re-recorded it in 1974 for the B-side of “It’s Only Rock ’n Roll (But I Like It)”, they sped up the tempo and swapped Hopkins for Billy Preston on organ. The new version also added backing vocals and a more aggressive electric guitar part from Keith Richards, giving it a tougher, more direct rock feel. Both takes exist on bootlegs, but only the 1974 single version was officially released.