Rock and a Hard Place

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Not to be confused with the Bailey Zimmerman song of the same name, other uses for the common idiom Between a Rock and a Hard Place, or the Better Call Saul episode Rock and Hard Place.

"Rock and a Hard Place"
Single by The Rolling Stones
from the album Steel Wheels
B-side"Cook Cook Blues"
ReleasedOctober 1989
Length
Label
Songwriter(s)Jagger/Richards
Producer(s)
The Rolling Stones singles chronology
"Mixed Emotions"
(1989) 		"Rock and a Hard Place"
(1989) 		"Almost Hear You Sigh"
(1990)
Music video
"Rock and a Hard Place" on YouTube
Steel Wheels track listing
12 tracks
Side one
  1. "Sad Sad Sad"
  2. "Mixed Emotions"
  3. "Terrifying"
  4. "Hold On to Your Hat"
  5. "Hearts for Sale"
  6. "Blinded by Love"
Side two
  2. "Rock and a Hard Place"
  3. "Can't Be Seen"
  4. "Almost Hear You Sigh"
  5. "Continental Drift"
  6. "Break the Spell"
  7. "Slipping Away"

"Rock and a Hard Place" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1989 album, Steel Wheels. It was released as the second single from the album and remains the band's most recent top-40 hit in the United States as of 2024, peaking at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Recording[edit]

Credited to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Rock and a Hard Place" was recorded at Montserrat's AIR Studios and London's Olympic Studios in the spring months of 1989. On the song, Richards said in the liner notes to the 1993 compilation album Jump Back (on which it was included), "This was like going back to the way we worked in the early days, before Exile, when we were living round the corner from each other in London. Mick and I hadn't got together in four years since Dirty Work, but as soon as we met up in Barbados for a fortnight, with a couple guitars and pianos, everything was fine." At the time of release, Jagger said, "This is one of those songs like "Start Me Up", where the minute you hear the opening notes, you head for the dance floor. It's real '70s, in the best possible way."

With Jagger on lead vocals, Richards, Ron Wood and Jagger perform guitars for the recording. Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts perform bass and drums, respectively. Keyboards are played by Matt Clifford and Chuck Leavell. The Kick Horns provided brass for the recording. Lisa Fischer, Sarah Dash and Bernard Fowler all perform backing vocals.

Release[edit]

"Rock and a Hard Place" was released as the second single from Steel Wheels on 6 November 1989 in the United Kingdom.[1] "Cook Cook Blues", a slow blues outtake from the 1983 album Undercover, was the B-side. The single reached No. 63 in the UK, No. 23 in the U.S. and No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The song has been performed by the Stones sporadically since its release, appearing on the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour, Voodoo Lounge Tour, Bridges to Babylon Tour, and Licks Tour.

Music video[edit]

A music video was shot at Sullivan Stadium, in Foxborough, Massachusetts during the band's three sold out night stand at that venue and directed by Wayne Isham. The video reached the Top 10 of MTV's Top 20 Video Countdown in December 1989.

Live performances[edit]

A live recording captured during the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour was included on the live albums Flashpoint, Live at The Tokyo Dome and Steel Wheels Live.

Track listing[edit]

  1. "Rock and a Hard Place" – 4:05
  2. "Cook Cook Blues" – 4:08

Charts[edit]

Release history[edit]

Release dates and formats for "Rock and a Hard Place"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States October 1989
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • cassette
United Kingdom 6 November 1989
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD1
 [1]
20 November 1989
  • CD2
  • cassette
 [10]
Japan 1 December 1989 Mini-CD
[11]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "New Singles". Music Week. 4 November 1989. p. 45.
  2. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 238.
  3. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6681." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 50, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  5. ^ "The Rolling Stones – Rock and a Hard Place" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Rolling Stones: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  7. ^ "The Rolling Stones Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 June 2016.
  8. ^ "The Rolling Stones Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  9. ^ "1989 The Year in Music: Top Album Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 101, no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. Y-58.
  10. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. 18 November 1989. p. 45.
  11. ^ "ロック・アンド・ア・ハード・プレイス | ザ・ローリング・ストーンズ" [Rock and a Hard Place | The Rolling Stones] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
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