12 X 5 is the second American album by
The Rolling Stones released in 1964 following the massive success of their debut
The Rolling Stones in the UK and the promising sales of its American substitute
England's Newest Hit Makers.
Not surprisingly,
12 X 5 followed its predecessor's tendency to largely feature
R&B covers, however it does contain three compositions from the still-developing
Mick Jagger/
Keith Richards songwriting team, as well as two group compositions under the pseudonym of "
Nanker Phelge".
12 X 5 is notable for featuring the first, and less often heard, of the Stones' two versions of
Jerry Ragavoy's "
Time Is On My Side", with a prominent electronic organ part instead of the better known version's electric guitar.
After a series of sessions in
Chicago in June 1964, The Rolling Stones' UK label
Decca Records released the five song
EP Five by Five. Because EPs were never a lucrative format in the US,
London Records - their American distributor at the time - spread the EP songs across an entire album, adding seven new recordings to create a release of 12 songs by 5 musicians, hence the album's title. Decca would use the same cover (minus the lettering) for The Rolling Stones' second UK album
The Rolling Stones No. 2 in early 1965.
12 X 5 proved to be a faster seller than
England's Newest Hit Makers, reaching #3 and going gold quickly.
In August 2002,
12 X 5 was reissued in a new remastered
CD and
SACD digipak by
ABKCO Records. This edition...
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