“The song sounds a lot different than the title. The theme is that Mick is talking to a girl saying, ‘All I hear from you is doom and gloom – let’s go party, let’s go dance.’ It’s an uptempo tune.”
— Organist Chuck Leavell on Doom and Gloom
“At first I said, Hey Mick, ‘Doom and Gloom’ is a kind of weird title for a 50-year celebration, you know? But you know what the Stones are like, it’s always against the grain. But he came up with it and it’s a great track and a really quite ‘funny’ song, actually – there are some great lyrics.”
— Keith Richards on Doom and Gloom
Also according to Keith, Doom and Gloom was one of the quickest recordings that the Rolling Stones ever did. It only took three takes to lay down the track. Richards credits that to the chemistry that the Stones have when they’re playing together. As Keith puts it, the only problem when it comes to recording a new Rolling Stones song is finding a time when everyone can actually get together.
As for the video, it was filmed in a warehouse in Paris and it was directed by Jonas Akerlund, a prolific video director who is best-known for his work with Madonna. The video stars Noomi Rapace, the Swedish actress who starred in the original Girl With The Dragon Tattoo trilogy and who later appeared in Prometheus.
One thing about the Stones: they don’t quit. The band has existed for nearly six decades and they’re still making music that demands to be played loud.
Enjoy!