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{{Short description|1972 single by the Rolling Stones}}{{Good article}}{{Use British English|date=November 2021}}{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}









!scope="row"| Australia (Go-Set)WEB,weblink Go-Set National Top 40, July 15, 1972, 15 July 1972, Poparchives.com.au, 7 June 2021, 2 April 2020,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20200402124904weblink">weblink live, | 11{{single chart|Belgium (Flanders)|28|artist=The Rolling Stones|song=Tumbling Dice|access-date=17 June 2016|refname=belgiumchart|rowheader=true}}{{single chart|Canadatopsingles|7|artist=The Rolling Stones|song=Tumbling Dice|chartid=7697|access-date=17 June 2016|refname=canadachart|rowheader=true}}! scope="row"|Finland (Soumen Virallinen)BOOK, Nyman, Jake, Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja, Tammi, 2005, 951-31-2503-3, 1st, Helsinki, 240, fi, {{single chart|Germany|17|artist=The Rolling Stones|song=Tumbling Dice|songid=22022|access-date=17 June 2016|refname=germanychart|rowheader=true}}{{single chart|Ireland2|14|artist=The Rolling Stones|song=Tumbling Dice|access-date=18 June 2016|refname=irelandchart|rowheader=true}}{{single chart|Norway|6|artist=The Rolling Stones|song=Tumbling Dice|access-date=17 June 2016|refname=norwaychart|rowheader=true}}{{single chart|Dutch100|5|artist=The Rolling Stones|song=Tumbling Dice|access-date=17 June 2016|refname=dutchchart|rowheader=true}}!scope="row"| Spanish Singles ChartBOOK, Salaverri, Fernando, Spain, Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002, 1st, September 2005, Fundación Autor-SGAE, es, 84-8048-639-2, | 7!scope="row"|Sweden (Kvällstoppen)BOOK, Hallberg, Eric, Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3: Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962 - 19. 8. 1975, Drift Musik, 1993, 243, 9163021404, !scope="row"|Sweden (Tio i Topp)BOOK, Hallberg, Eric, Eric Hallberg, Ulf Henningsson presenterar Tio i topp med de utslagna på försök: 1961 - 74, Henningsson, Ulf, Premium Publishing, 1998, 919727125X, 313, {{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|5|artist=Rolling Stones|song=Tumbling Dice|access-date=17 June 2016|refname=uksingles|rowheader=true}}{{single chart|Billboardhot100|7|artist=The Rolling Stones|song=Tumbling Dice|access-date=17 June 2016|refname=billboard100|rowheader=true}}!scope="row"| US Cash Box Top 100WEB,weblink Cash Box Top 100 Singles (June 3, 1972), Cashbox Magazine, 3 June 1972, 5 September 2021, 30 August 2021,weblink live, | 10

1972 weekly chart performance}}!scope="col" style="width:17em;"|Chart (1972)!scope="col"| Peakposition

factoids
name	Tumbling Dice| cover = RollStones-Single1972 TumblingDice.jpg| alt = Tumbling Dice single cover| type = single| artist = the Rolling Stones| album = Exile on Main St.| B-side = Sweet Black Angel Rolling Stones Mobile Studio; Nellcôte>Villa Nellcôte, France; Sunset Sound, Hollywood| genre =	m=3|s=45}}	Rolling Stones Records>Rolling Stones| writer = Jagger–Richards| producer = Jimmy Miller	Wild Horses (Rolling Stones song)>Wild Horses| prev_year = 1971	Happy (Rolling Stones song)>Happy| next_year = 1972}}"Tumbling Dice" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. It was released worldwide as the lead single from the band's 1972 double album Exile on Main St. on 14 April 1972 by Rolling Stones Records. A product of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' songwriting partnership, the song contains a blues and boogie-woogie-influenced rhythm that scholars and musicians have noted for its unusual tempo and groove. The lyrics are about a gambler who cannot remain faithful to any woman. "Tumbling Dice" spent eight weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number five. In the US, the single peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song entered the top 10 in the Netherlands, Norway and Spain. "Tumbling Dice" received acclaim from contemporary music critics, who praised its musicianship and lyrical prowess. "Tumbling Dice" featured on many "best of" lists, including those by Vulture and Rolling Stone.Jimmy Miller produced "Tumbling Dice". The Stones have performed the song during many of their concerts since its release in 1972. Several artists have covered "Tumbling Dice", including Linda Ronstadt, whose version – sung from a female perspective – appears on her 1977 album Simple Dreams. Ronstadt's version was a Top 40 hit the following year and is included on the soundtrack of the film FM (1978). Background and development The Rolling Stones recorded "Tumbling Dice" at a pivotal stage in their history. While recording Exile on Main St. in 1971, the band became UK tax exiles and moved to southern France to avoid paying a 93 per cent supertax imposed by Prime Minister Harold Wilson's Labour government on the country's top earners.WEB, 22 April 2009, How the Budget affects you: The public give their verdict,weblink 30 September 2021, WalesOnline, en, NEWS, Carter, Ben, 25 February 2014, Which country has the highest tax rate?, en-GB, BBC News,weblink 30 September 2021, Recording schedules were erratic and happened at odd hours. According to drummer Charlie Watts, "a lot of Exile was done how Keith [Richards] works", which meant playing songs dozens of times, letting them "marinade" {{sic}} and repeating the cycle.WEB, O'Hagan, Sean, 24 April 2010, The Stones and the true story of Exile on Main St,weblink live, 5 September 2021, The Guardian, en, 31 May 2021,weblink The band recorded an early iteration of "Tumbling Dice", called "Good Time Women",{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2016|p=376}} at Stargroves using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio sometime between March and May 1970 during the sessions for their 1971 studio album Sticky Fingers.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2016|p=376}}MAGAZINE, November 2012, Readers' Poll: The Rolling Stones' 10 Greatest Songs,weblink live, limited,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170807113507weblink">weblink 7 August 2017, 7 August 2017, Rolling Stone, WEB, Kurutz, Steve, Tumbling Dice – The Rolling Stones – Song Info,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170808040334weblink">weblink 8 August 2017, 7 August 2017, AllMusic, It shared a similar blues, boogie-woogie rhythm with "Tumbling Dice"WEB,weblink Dowling, Kyle, No. 21: 'Tumbling Dice' – Top 100 Rolling Stones Songs, Ultimate Classic Rock, 12 July 2012, en-US, 7 August 2017, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150926230348weblink">weblink 26 September 2015, WEB,weblink Smith, Jim, Wild Horses – The Rolling Stones – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic, publisher, 8 August 2017, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130726054757weblink">weblink 26 July 2013, but heavily emphasised Ian Stewart's piano work, had different lyrics and was incomplete.NEWS, Triplett, Gene, 28 May 2010, Rolling Stones add 10 rare tracks to 'Exile', 85, The Daily Oklahoman,weblink 5 September 2021, Newspapers.com, 5 September 2021,weblink live, This song formed the basis for "Tumbling Dice", which the band developed the following year.NEWS,weblink limited, Greene, Andy, The Secrets Behind the Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street" Reissue, Rolling Stone, 9 March 2010, 7 August 2017, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20161213220542weblink">weblink 13 December 2016, NEWS, The Rolling Stones: Torn and Frayed in the South of France, Gates, David, 27 May 2010, Rolling Stone,weblink limited, live, 7 August 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170807113045weblink">weblink 7 August 2017, Writing and recording Jagger and Richards initially composed "Tumbling Dice" using filler lyrics consisting of a few simple phrases. Sound engineers Andy Johns, Glyn Johns, Joe Zagarino and Jeremy Gee recorded the song played in the basement of the Villa Nellcôte, near Villefranche-sur-Mer France,NEWS, O'Hagan, Sean, 24 April 2010, The Stones and the true story of Exile on Main St, en-GB, The Guardian,weblink live, 7 August 2017,weblink 7 August 2017, NEWS, Robinson, John, 15 May 2010, The Rolling Stones at Villa Nellcôte, en-GB, The Guardian,weblink live, 7 August 2017,weblink 7 August 2017, between 7 June and October 1971 using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2016|p=376}} The song's basic track was recorded on 3 August 1971.{{sfn|Wyman|2002|p=391}} That recording featured Mick Taylor playing bass because of Bill Wyman's unexplained absence with Jagger playing rhythm guitar.WEB, Gallucci, Michael, 17 January 2016, Top 10 Mick Taylor Rolling Stones Songs,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170709233807weblink">weblink 9 July 2017, 7 August 2017, Ultimate Classic Rock, en-US, NEWS, Prince, Bill, 25 July 2017, Mick Jagger on The Rolling Stones' infamous Nellcôte sessions, GQ, GQ Magazine,weblink live, 7 August 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170808033947weblink">weblink 8 August 2017, {{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2016|p=376}}{{refn|group=nb|Richards and Taylor played bass on several tracks for Exile on Main St., something Richards later credited to the session's relaxed structure:"Not being done in a proper studio, it was a question of whoever was around just picking up the appropriate instruments and laying down the tracks.{{nbsp}}... I might do the bass part or Mick Taylor might pick it up and play. Then Bill Wyman would turn up three hours later, but we'd laid down what we wanted so it wasn't worth doing it all over again."{{sfn|Babiuk|Prevost|2013|p=374}}}} In the liner notes to (Jump Back: The Best of The Rolling Stones), Richards stated, "I remember writing the riff upstairs in the very elegant front room, and we took it downstairs the same evening and we cut it."Richards, Keith. (1976). [Liner notes]. In (Jump Back: The Best of The Rolling Stones)  [CD]. Virgin Records.{{sfn|Janovitz|2013|p=228}} In addition to playing with a capo on the fourth fret, Richards employed five-string open G tuning – dubbed "Keef-chord" tuning after he used it on several Exile On Main St. tracks.{{sfn|Babiuk|Prevost|2013|p=366}}The song was completed at Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles between November 1971 and March 1972.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2016|p=376}} Jagger had finished the lyrics after speaking with a housekeeper about gambling in LA. He explained, "she liked to play dice and I really didn't know much about it. But I got it off of her and managed to make the song out of that." According to music journalist Bill Janovitz, it was "not pure (wikt:kismet|kismet)" that Jagger thought to speak to the housekeeper, saying he was "consciously turning over rocks, looking for something specific". Janovitz believes Jagger may already have had the idea for the "well-worn lover/gambler/rambler trope, but needed the particulars to come up with something like, 'I'm all sixes and sevens and nines'."{{sfn|Janovitz|2013|p=230}}Discussing "Tumbling Dice", recording engineer Andy Johns said that recording the song was "like pulling teeth" because of the time it took to get a satisfactory take. Johns has claimed there were between thirty and one hundred reels of tape of the song's base track,{{sfn|Janovitz|2013|p=228}} and some have said it may have taken as many as 150 takes to complete it.WEB, Black, Johnny, May 2003, The Greatest Songs Ever! Tumbling,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20060529192002weblink">weblink 29 May 2006, Blender (magazine), Blender, Mixing the album was also difficult; Jagger has never liked the final mix of the song, saying in an interview with Melody Maker, "I think they used the wrong mix for that one. I know they did."{{sfn|Perry|1999|pp=67, 68}} Rolling Stone associate editor Robert Greenfield, who was present at the mixing sessions, later recalled Jagger telling producer Jimmy Miller that he was okay with either mix.{{sfn|Janovitz|2013|p=231}} Music and lyrics {{Listen| type = music| filename = Rolling Stones - Tumbling Dice.ogg| title = "Tumbling Dice"	boogie-woogie rhythm, "Tumbling Dice" is a song that scholars and musicians have noted for its unusual tempo and Groove (popular music)>groove. Charlie Watts' drumming is credited by music critic Ben Sisario with giving the song's backbeat a "languid strut". The song's lyrics are about a gambler who cannot remain faithful to one woman.| pos =}}"Tumbling Dice" is known for its groove. Aerosmith's Joe Perry described the song as, "so laid-back, it really sucks you in{{nbsp}}..."WEB, Black, Johnny, May 2003, The Greatest Songs Ever! Tumbling,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20060529192002weblink">weblink 29 May 2006, Blender (magazine), Blender, Joe Strummer of the Clash says "Tumbling Dice" is "not a straightforward tempo" but is "halfway between a slow and straightforward rocker".{{sfn|Janovitz|2013|p=228}} Music critic Bill Janovitz credits the song's "perfect tempo", "slight drag" and "shuffle" with creating that groove. In concert, Jagger and Richards have been known to argue over the speed of the song, with Jagger trying to push the song's tempo a bit faster.{{sfn|Perry|1999|pp=67, 68}}It was acknowledged forty years after the release of "Tumbling Dice" that Miller played the last part of the song, right as the coda begins, because Watts was having trouble with it. "Tumbling Dice" was the only Rolling Stones song where Watts overdubbed a second drum track over the original, creating a bigger sound.{{sfn|Janovitz|2013|pp=228–233}}MAGAZINE, Merlis, Jim, 24 May 2018, Rolling Stones Producer Jimmy Miller: 15 Things You Didn't Know,weblink live, limited, 29 August 2021, Rolling Stone, en-US, 25 August 2021,weblink In a retrospective article shortly after Watts' death, Ben Sisario wrote for The New York Times that Watts' backbeat gave "Tumbling Dice" a "languid strut".NEWS, Sisario, Ben, Ben Sisario, 24 August 2021, Charlie Watts, the Unlikely Soul of the Rolling Stones, en-US, The New York Times,weblink live, limited, 29 August 2021,weblink 29 August 2021, The song's lyrical structure is irregular. While many songs have the same number of lines for the verse or chorus, the first verse of "Tumbling Dice" has eight, the second six, and the third two lines. The song's first chorus has two lines, the second has three, and the third has twelve lines. At the beginning of each chorus, the piano, bass and drums drop out and the backing vocals sing "you got to roll me" as the guitar plays the song's signature guitar figure.{{sfn|Janovitz|2013|pp=228–233}} The third chorus leads into the song's coda. Slowly, the band's rhythm section works its way back into the song. The coda includes a call and response with the backing vocals singing "you got to roll me" as Jagger and Richards respond by singing "keep on rollin'."{{sfn|Janovitz|2013|pp=228–233}}MAGAZINE,weblink limited, 100 Greatest Rolling Stones Songs, Rolling Stone, 7 August 2017, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170808035325weblink">weblink 8 August 2017, 15 October 2013, Release Rolling Stones Records released "Tumbling Dice" worldwide on 14 April 1972{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2016|p=376}} – the Stones' 23rd US single and their 17th in the UK.{{sfn|Wyman|2002|p=391}} "Tumbling Dice{{"'}}s B-side features "Sweet Black Angel".MAGAZINE, 15 October 2013, 100 Greatest Rolling Stones Songs,weblink limited, 30 August 2017, Rolling Stone, 30 August 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170830233821weblink">weblink live, American artist Ruby Mazur created the single's sleeve.WEB,weblink Artist who created tongue logo calls Jagger "a very bad guy", Fox News, New York Post, 22 March 2014, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170816150644weblink">weblink 16 August 2017, The song is the fifth track on Exile on Main St..MAGAZINE, Kaye, Lenny, Lenny Kaye, 12 May 1972, Exile on Main Street,weblink limited, live, 29 August 2021, Rolling Stone, en-US, 29 August 2021,weblink On 21 May 1972, Top of the Pops broadcast a film of the Stones rehearsing "Tumbling Dice" in Montreux for their 1972 tour. On 27 May 1972, The Old Grey Whistle Test showed the same footage.{{sfn|Karnbach|Bernson|1997|p=351}}"Tumbling Dice" appears on Stones' compilations and live albums, including the 1977 double album Love You Live,{{sfn|Karnbach|Bernson|1997|p=158}} Shine a Light (2006),NEWS,weblink Cohen, Jonathan, 26 February 2008, Stones Reveal 'Shine A Light' Track List, Billboard (magazine), Billboard, 22 August 2017, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160511082326weblink">weblink 11 May 2016, and Hyde Park Live.WEB,weblink The Rolling Stones 'Sweet Summer Sun – Hyde Park Live' Out On DVD and Blu-Ray On 11 November 2013, 4 September 2013, The Rolling Stones, en,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170302220413weblink">weblink 2 March 2017, dead, 22 August 2017, The song is included on several "From the Vault" archive releases, including Hampton Coliseum – Live In 1981 (2014) and L.A. Forum – Live In 1975 (2014).NEWS, Ives, Brian, 17 September 2014, Review: The Rolling Stones 'Some Girls – Live in Texas '78' CD edition, en-US, AXS (company), AXS,weblink 2 September 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20150911091501weblink">weblink 11 September 2015, WEB,weblink Rolling Stones to Release Live Albums from 1975, 1981, Ives, Brian, Radio.com, 14 September 2014,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170902134643weblink">weblink 2 September 2017, 2 September 2017, A unique, live version of the song was recorded for Stripped, the 1995 CD that documented part of the Voodoo Lounge Tour but did not appear on that album or on the 2016 re-release CD, Totally Stripped.NEWS,weblink Marinucci, Steve, 8 June 2016, Rolling Stones get 'Stripped' again, but the question is why?, AXS, 8 August 2017, en-US, live,weblink 8 August 2017, WEB,weblink Giles, Jeff, 6 April 2016, Rolling Stones Announce Expanded 'Totally Stripped' Package, Ultimate Classic Rock, en-US, 8 August 2017, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160718125930weblink">weblink 18 July 2016, WEB,weblink Bentley, Mark, 10 August 2016, The Rolling Stones – Totally Stripped, Uncut (magazine), Uncut, en-US, 8 August 2017, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170808033113weblink">weblink 8 August 2017, The recording crossfades from a backstage vocal rehearsal of the song on solo piano to an onstage performance of the song. The backstage rehearsal portion was recorded at the Paradiso, Amsterdam, on 26 or 27 May 1995, and the live performance at the Olympia, Paris, on 3 July 1995.{{sfn|Elliott|2012|p=303}} This recording appears on the 1996 "Wild Horses" (live) singleNEWS,weblink 6 April 2016, The Rolling Stones reissuing 1995's Stripped {{!, KSHE 95|work=KSHE 95|access-date=2 September 2017|language=en|archive-date=3 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903031616weblink|url-status=live}} and the Rarities 1971–2003 album.NEWS,weblink limited, Wild, David, 21 November 2005, Rarities 1971–2003, Rolling Stone, 2 September 2017, 2 September 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170902145515weblink">weblink live, Many Stones concert films have included "Tumbling Dice": (Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones) (1974),MAGAZINE, Hodgetts, Vicki, 10 May 1974, Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones,weblink limited, live, 30 August 2021, Rolling Stone, en-US, 30 August 2021,weblink Let's Spend the Night Together (1983),NEWS, Himes, Geoffrey, 11 February 1983, Film misses one essential: the Stones' great rock 'n' roll, 17, The Baltimore Sun,weblink 30 August 2021, Newspapers.com, 5 September 2021,weblink live, Stones at the Max (1992),NEWS, Radel, Cliff, DeChick, Joe, 24 November 1991, Stones fans can get more of what they want, 51, The Cincinnati Enquirer,weblink 30 August 2021, Newspapers.com, 30 August 2021,weblink live, (The Rolling Stones: Voodoo Lounge Live) (1995; extended version, 2018),MAGAZINE, Blistein, Jon, 25 September 2018, Rolling Stones Detail 'Voodoo Lounge Uncut' With Unreleased Live Footage,weblink limited, live, 30 August 2021, Rolling Stone, en-US, 30 August 2021,weblink Bridges to Babylon Tour '97–98 (1998), Rolling Stones – Four Flicks (2003),{{sfn|Patell|2011|p=127}} The Biggest Bang (2007),WEB, The Rolling Stones: The Biggest Bang,weblink live, 29 August 2021, Amazon.ca, 30 August 2021,weblink Shine a Light (2008),MAGAZINE, Sheffield, Rob, 1 April 2008, Shine a Light: Original Soundtrack,weblink limited, live, 30 August 2021, Rolling Stone, en-US, 30 August 2021,weblink (Some Girls: Live in Texas '78) (2011)WEB, The Rolling Stones: Some Girls – Live In Texas '78 [DVD/CD Combo], Amazon, 21 November 2011,weblink live, 29 August 2021, 30 August 2021,weblink and (Hyde Park Live#Sweet Summer Sun|Sweet Summer Sun: Hyde Park Live) (2013).MAGAZINE, Luerssen, John D., 30 October 2013, Rolling Stones Rock 'Doom and Gloom',weblink limited, live, 30 August 2021, Rolling Stone, en-US, 30 August 2021,weblink Critical reception and legacy "Tumbling Dice" received acclaim from music critics, with many praising its musicianship. Los Angeles Times music critic Robert Hilburn asserted it "features marvelously sensual guitar work by Richards"NEWS, Hilburn, Robert, 10 June 1972, Stones Relying on Newer Material, 33, The Los Angeles Times,weblink live, 26 August 2021,weblink 26 August 2021, Newspapers.com, and that it should rank with "Satisfaction", "Street Fighting Man" and "Honky Tonk Women" "as one of the Stones' classic concert numbers".NEWS, Hilburn, Robert, 31 May 1972, Stones' Album Previews U.S. Tour, 16, The Town Talk,weblink live, 26 August 2021,weblink 26 August 2021, Newspapers.com, The Boston Globe critic Ernie Santosuosso agreed, finding the "chorale" to be "outstanding" and the lyrics "intriguing".NEWS, Santosuosso, Ernie, 4 June 1972, Rolling Stones find some potholes on 'Main Street' LP, 119, The Boston Globe,weblink live, 26 August 2021,weblink 26 August 2021, Newspapers.com, Peter Barsocchini described the guitar work of Richards and Mick Taylor "sassy" in a review for The Times.NEWS, Barsocchini, Peter J., 17 June 1972, The Stones Best, Could Be Better, 46, The Times (San Mateo, California), The Times,weblink live, 26 August 2021,weblink 26 August 2021, Newspapers.com, Record World called it an "exciting release" with a "phenomenal rhythm track, vocal chorus."MAGAZINE, Record World, April 22, 1972, 2023-04-01, Hits of the Week, 1,weblink Writing for the Daily News, music critic Jerry Oster found "Tumbling Dice" and "Happy" to be the two songs on Exile on Main St. that had "all the energy and dynamism on which this greatness was founded" and that it came through "overpoweringly". He considered it to be "music that, in a time when dancing is dead, not only can be danced to, but must be".The drum work by Charlie Watts was also praised. Rolling Stone critic Lenny Kaye considered the guitar work and drumming of Watts to build to a "kind of majesty the Stones at their best have always provided". In a retrospective review for Spin, music critic Al Shipley described every note of the song as "perfection" where every "hooky little moment" is accompanied by a "perfect Charlie Watts snare fill".WEB, Shipley, Al, 25 August 2021, Charlie Watts's 10 Best Rolling Stones Songs,weblink live,weblink 28 August 2021, 29 August 2021, Spin (magazine), SPIN, David Morgan of CBS News asserted that Watts' percussion on the single was "remarkable".WEB, Morgan, David, 15 August 2021, Notable Deaths in 2021,weblink live,weblink 29 August 2021, 29 August 2021, CBS News, en-US, Several critics complimented the tempo and groove of the single. Music critic Jack Garner asserted in a review for Courier News that the song featured a "marvellous tempo".NEWS, Garner, Jack, 19 June 1972, Rolling Stones' 'Exile:' Greatest album ever??, 16, The Courier-News,weblink live, 26 August 2021,weblink 26 August 2021, Newspapers.com, Shipley felt the song has an "irresistible singalong energy", describing the "breakdown and buildup into the final 'you got to roll me' refrain" as "sublime". Critic Bill Janovitz described "Tumbling Dice" in his 2014 book Rocks Off as the "Holy Grail of grooves".{{sfn|Janovitz|2013|p=228}}The lyrics of "Tumbling Dice" were well received by critics. Barsocchini considered its lyrics to be "provocative". Garner agreed, stating in a review for Courier News that the lyrics contained "wonderfully sexy double entendre[s]".Critics frequently considered "Tumbling Dice" to be one of the best songs on Exile. Oster asserted that "Tumbling Dice" was among the eight songs he would keep on Exile, using the others for "hairspray or frisbees".NEWS, Oster, Jerry, 27 June 1972, Rolling Stones' Latest Misses Their Greatest, 58, New York Daily News,weblink live, 26 August 2021,weblink 26 August 2021, Newspapers.com, Kaye considered the single to be "a cherry on the first side" of Exile and the only song on the album that made "real moves towards a classic".MAGAZINE, Kaye, Lenny, Lenny Kaye, 12 May 1972, Exile on Main Street,weblink live, Rolling Stone, en-US,weblink 29 August 2021, 29 August 2021, limited, Ultimate Classic Rock critic Kyle Dowling agreed, calling it a "true standout" of the album and a "classic piece of rock and roll music", noting that it was a persistent favourite in live performances.WEB, Dowling, Kyle, 12 July 2012, No. 21: 'Tumbling Dice' – Top 100 Rolling Stones Songs,weblink live,weblink 29 August 2021, 29 August 2021, Ultimate Classic Rock, en, Morgan agreed with Dowling, calling it a "classic". David Marchese wrote for Vulture that the song "achieves choogle nirvana", expressing surprise that despite a "near-consensus" that Exile on Main St. was the best Stones album, it did not produce any other big singles.WEB, Marchese, David, 5 May 2017, Ranking All 374 Rolling Stones Songs,weblink live,weblink 30 April 2020, 29 August 2021, Vulture (magazine), Vulture, en-us, WEB, NPR staff, 17 May 2010, Keith Richards: An 'Exile' In France,weblink live,weblink 29 August 2021, 29 August 2021, NPR Morning Edition, en, According to Janovitz, Rod Stewart "so coveted" the song that he took a tape of it into his Foot Loose & Fancy Free (1977) sessions "to play to the band he had assembled to record "Hot Legs".{{sfn|Janovitz|2013|p=228}} The song has earned spots on numerous "best of" lists. Vulture ranked the single as the seventeenth best Rolling Stones song and Rolling Stone ranked "Tumbling Dice" number 424 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004;MAGAZINE, 9 December 2004, The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,weblink dead, Rolling Stone,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20080622112029weblink">weblink 22 June 2008, 7 August 2017, limited, Rolling Stone's 2021 update ranked it number 86.MAGAZINE, 15 September 2021, The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,weblink live, Rolling Stone, en-US,weblink 16 September 2021, 16 September 2021, Commercial performance "Tumbling Dice" debuted at number 18 on the 8 May 1972 UK Singles Chart.BOOK, New York,weblink Billboard, 6 May 1972, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., 72, en, 30 August 2021, 30 August 2021,weblink live, By 13 May, it had climbed to number 14BOOK, New York,weblink Billboard, 13 May 1972, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., 60, en, 30 August 2021, 30 August 2021,weblink live, before peaking at number five on the chart dated 20 May.BOOK, Inc, Nielsen Business Media,weblink Billboard, 20 May 1972, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., New York, 56, en, 30 August 2021, 30 August 2021,weblink live, BOOK, Janovitz, Bill, Rocks Off: 50 Tracks That Tell the Story of the Rolling Stones, St. Martin's Griffin, 2014, 978-1250049520, 227, It remained on the chart for eight weeks.WEB, Tumbling Dice chart history, Official Charts Company,weblink live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170822050556weblink">weblink 22 August 2017, 22 August 2017, In the Netherlands, "Tumbling Dice" peaked at number five on the Single Top 100 chart. The single was a top ten hit in other European countries, peaking at number six in Norway and number seven in Spain.The song debuted at number 50 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week of 29 April 1972,BOOK, New York,weblink Billboard, 29 April 1972, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., en, 30 August 2021, 30 August 2021,weblink live, and took five weeks to rise to number seven,BOOK, New York,weblink Billboard, 27 May 1972, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., en, 30 August 2021, 30 August 2021,weblink live, NEWS, Music: Top 100 Songs {{!, Billboard Hot 100 Chart|magazine=Billboard|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1972-06-03|url-status=live|access-date=22 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803044855weblink|archive-date=3 August 2016}} where it stayed for one week.BOOK, New York,weblink Billboard, 3 June 1972, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., en, 30 August 2021, 30 August 2021,weblink live, BOOK, New York,weblink Billboard, 10 June 1972, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., en, 30 August 2021, 30 August 2021,weblink live, "Tumbling Dice" was a top ten success on the US Cash Box Top 100 chart, peaking at number ten, and in Canada, where it peaked at number seven. In the Cash Box year-end chart, the song ranked number 92. Personnel Credits per Margotin and Guesdon.{{sfn|Margotin|Guesdon|2016|pp=376–377}}The Rolling Stones Mick Jagger{{snd}} lead vocals, rhythm guitar Keith Richards{{snd}} lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals Mick Taylor{{snd}} slide guitar, bass Charlie Watts{{snd}} drums Additional musicians and production Jimmy Miller{{snd}} producer, drums (coda) Nicky Hopkins{{snd}} piano Bobby Keys{{snd}} saxophone Jim Price{{snd}} trumpet, trombone Clydie King, Venetta Fields, Sherlie Matthews{{snd}} backing vocals Andy Johns, Glyn Johns, Joe Zagarino, Jeremy Gee{{snd}} sound engineers Robin Millar{{snd}} assistant sound engineer Chart performance {{col-begin}}{{col-2}} Weekly charts{|class"wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style"text-align:center"
26
11
6

{{col-2}}1972 year-end chart performance}}">

Year-end charts{|class"wikitable plainrowheaders" style"text-align:center"1972 year-end chart performance}}

!scope="col"| Chart (1972)!scope="col"| Rank!scope="row"| US Cash BoxWEB,weblink The Cash box Year-End Charts: 1972, 30 December 1972, Cash Box Magazine, 7 June 2021, 5 May 2021,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20210505141046weblink">weblink live, | 92{{col-end}}

Certifications

{{Certification Table Top}}{{Certification Table Entry|type=single|region=Australia|artist=The Rolling Stones|title=Tumbling Dice|award=Gold|certyear=2023|access-date=30 November 2023}}{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

Live performances and other versions

The Rolling Stones have performed "Tumbling Dice" during multiple tours, including the 1972 North American Tour,NEWS, Close, Roy M., 19 June 1972, Rolling Stones gone; memory of sound, excitement lingers, 7, The Minneapolis Star,weblink 5 September 2021, Newspapers.com, 5 September 2021,weblink live, European Tour 1973,NEWS, Denselow, Robin, 8 September 1973, The Rolling Stones at the Empire Pool, 8, The Guardian,weblink 5 September 2021, Newspapers.com, 5 September 2021,weblink live, The Rolling Stones American Tour 1981,NEWS, Fleming, Dick, 13 December 1981, Rolling Stones: The Price We Pay, 50, The Daily Times (Salisbury, Maryland), The Daily Times,weblink 5 September 2021, Newspapers.com, 5 September 2021,weblink live, Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour,WEB, Friedlander, Matt, 25 September 2020, Rolling Stones' archival concert film and album, 'Steel Wheels Live – Atlantic City,' released today,weblink live, 29 August 2021, ABC News Radio, en, 29 August 2021,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20210829222053weblink">weblink Voodoo Lounge Tour,NEWS, Sullivan, Caroline, 10 July 1995, Charlie upstages ye olde rock stars, 2, The Guardian,weblink 5 September 2021, Newspapers.com, 5 September 2021,weblink live, No Security Tour,NEWS,weblink limited, Live Review: The Rolling Stones Oakland Arena, Oakland, Calif., Jan. 25, 1999, Uhelszki, Jaan, 26 January 1999, Rolling Stone, 7 August 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170807113614weblink">weblink 7 August 2017, live, Licks TourNEWS, Richler, Jacob, 31 July 2003, A favoured city's favourite band, 4, National Post,weblink 5 September 2021, Newspapers.com, 5 September 2021,weblink live, and A Bigger Bang Tour.NEWS, Martinez, Leonard, 21 October 2006, Rolling Stones EP fans get nothing but satisfaction, 18, El Paso Times,weblink 5 September 2021, Newspapers.com, 5 September 2021,weblink live, Cover versions of "Tumbling Dice" have been recorded by other artists, including Linda Ronstadt, Pussy Galore and Keith Urban.

Linda Ronstadt version

factoids

Asylum Records>Asylum| writer = Jagger–Richards| producer = Peter Asher| prev_title = Poor Poor Pitiful Me| prev_year = 1977| next_title = Back in the USA| next_year = 1978}}In 1977, Linda Ronstadt covered the song "Tumbling Dice" for her Simple Dreams studio album. In an interview with Hit Parader magazine, she said that her band played "Tumbling Dice" for sound checks, but nobody knew the words. Jagger thought Ronstadt should sing more rock and roll songs, suggested "Tumbling Dice", and wrote out the lyrics for her.NEWS, Robinson, Linda, 30 September 1977, Rock Talk, 15, Green Bay Press-Gazette,weblink 5 September 2021, Newspapers.com, 5 September 2021,weblink live, The opening line of Ronstadt’s version varied significantly from the Rolling Stones. Their version begins with:{{blockquote|Women think I'm tasty but they're always tryin' to waste me.}}Ronstadt opened with:{{blockquote|People try to rape me. Always think I'm crazy.}}Produced by Peter Asher and released by Asylum Records as a single in the spring of 1978, Ronstadt's version peaked at number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was a Top 40 Adult Contemporary hit in both the US and Canada.BOOK, Joel, Whitburn, Joel Whitburn, 1993, Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993, Record Research, 205, WEB,weblink Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada, Collectionscanada.gc.ca, 1 July 1978, 2 October 2021, She performed the song and starred in the movie FM (1978); her live version appears on the film's soundtrack album. Ronstadt joined the Rolling Stones onstage to sing "Tumbling Dice" on 21 July 1978 in her hometown of Tucson, Arizona.{{sfn|Karnbach|Bernson|1997|p=310}}In 2001, Hilary Rosen, representing the Recording Industry Association of America, testified before the US Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs and listed a number of songs that would be in danger of censorship if Senator Joe Lieberman's Media Marketing Accountability Act was to be enacted. Among those were Linda Ronstadt's cover of "Tumbling Dice", which Rosen described as "a song about rape written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards".WEB,weblink Rosen Rapes Rolling Stones, Marsh, Dave, Dave Marsh, 6 August 2001, StarPolish,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20050219050831weblink">weblink 19 February 2005,

Chart history{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!scope="col"| Chart (1978)!scope="col"| Peakposition!scope="row"| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary| 22!scope="row"| US Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 – {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}}| 32!scope="row"| US Easy Listening (Billboard)BOOK, Joel, Whitburn, Joel Whitburn, 1993, Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993, Record Research, 205, | 30!scope="row"| US Cash Box Top 100WEB,weblink Cash Box Top 100 Singles, June 10, 1978, 2 October 2021, 1 September 2022,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20220901154014weblink">weblink dead, | 40The single's B-side, "I Never Will Marry", charted concurrently on the country charts of both the US (number 8)BOOK, The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition, Whitburn, Joel, Joel Whitburn, 2004, Record Research, 301, and Canada (number 16),WEB,weblink Item Display – RPM – Library and Archives Canada, Collectionscanada.gc.ca, 29 July 1978, 2 October 2021, and reached number 30 and 39 on the corresponding Adult Contemporary charts.BOOK, Joel, Whitburn, Joel Whitburn, 1993, Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993, Record Research, 205,

Other versions

The band Pussy Galore covered all of Exile on Main St. on their album of the same name. Writing for the Los Angeles Times, music critic Randall Roberts referred to the quality of their version as if "it was recorded in the tank of a Lower East Side toilet".WEB,weblink Roberts, Randall, The other 'Exile on Main St.': celebrating Pussy Galore's 1986 cover version, 19 May 2010, Los Angeles Times, en-US,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170808034624weblink">weblink 8 August 2017, live, 7 August 2017, Phish covered the song, performing it as part of their 2009 Halloween show, in addition to covering the entire Exile on Main St. album.NEWS,weblink limited, Kreps, Daniel, 1 November 2009, Phish Cover the Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street" at Festival 8, Rolling Stone, 7 August 2017, live,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170808033435weblink">weblink 8 August 2017, Keith Urban performed a version on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in May 2010.NEWS, Kreps, Daniel, 12 May 2010, Mick Jagger Cameos on 'Fallon' as Keith Urban Rocks 'Tumbling Dice', Rolling Stone,weblink limited, live, 7 August 2017,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20170808035517weblink">weblink 8 August 2017, Urban's version was called a "surprisingly hard-rocking rendition" of the song by Rolling Stone. For the performance, he recruited long-time Rolling Stones{{'}} keyboardist Chuck Leavell in an effort to add "some authenticity to his version".

Notes

{{Reflist|group=nb}}

References

{{Reflist}}

Sources

• BOOK, Babiuk, Andy, Prevost, Greg, Andy Babiuk, Rolling Stones Gear: All the Stones' Instruments from Stage to Studio, 2013, Backbeat Books, Milwaukee, 978-1-61713-092-2,
• BOOK, Janovitz, Bill, New York, Rocks Off: 50 Tracks That Tell the Story of the Rolling Stones, 2013, St. Martin's Press, 978-1-250-02631-6, First U.S., 811597730,
• BOOK, Margotin, Philippe, New York,weblink The Rolling Stones All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track, Guesdon, Jean-Michel, 25 October 2016, Running Press, 978-0-316-31773-3, en, 17 September 2017, 6 January 2021,weblink live,
• BOOK, Wyman, Bill, Bill Wyman, Rolling with the Stones, DK (publisher), Dorling Kindersley, London, 2002, 978-0-7513-4646-6,
• BOOK, Perry, John, Exile on Main Street – The Rolling Stones., G. Schirmer, Inc., Schermer Books, New York, 1999, 978-0-8256-7180-7, 67–68, John Perry (musician),
• BOOK, Karnbach, James, It's Only Rock 'n' Roll: The Ultimate Guide to the Rolling Stones, Bernson, Carol., 1997, New York, Infobase Publishing, Facts on File, 978-0-8160-3547-2, 36215019,
• BOOK, The Rolling Stones Complete Recording Sessions 1962–2012, Elliott, Martin, 2012, London, Cherry Red Records, Cherry Red Books, 978-1-901447-77-4,
• BOOK, Patell, Cyrus R. K.,weblink The Rolling Stones' Some Girls, 9 June 2011, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, 978-1-4411-9913-3, New York, en, 30 August 2021, 30 August 2021,weblink live,

External links

• Lyrics for Linda Ronstadt's "Tumbling Dice"
• {{YouTube|0C8i6tOjt-M|Rolling Stones – Tumbling Dice}}
• {{YouTube|wVTV7TOEvqA|Linda Ronstadt – Tumbling Dice}}

{{Exile on Main St.}}{{The Rolling Stones}}{{The Rolling Stones singles}}{{Linda Ronstadt}}{{Authority control}}