Like Lennon and McCartney, Stones tracks were credited to the writing team of Jagger and Richards. Shine A Light, however, started out as a solo Jagger composition back in 1968 and dealt with guitarist Brian Jones and his ever-worsening drug addiction.
Various demos were recorded, but it wasn’t the band hit LA in 1971 and Jagger and Billy Preston started going to church together that the song became fully realised.
Later cut at Olympic Studios in London, it’s a rousing gospel number, with Preston contributing uplifting piano and organ. Producer Jimmy Miller once again filled in on drums for an absent Charlie Watts.
The 2010 version cranks up the overall dB levels, but aside from affecting the backrground vocals and percussion, little else is changed.