Driving Tunes

Merry Clayton – Gimme Shelter

THE name may not be familiar even if the tone of her fabulous voice rings a bell or two. Merry Clayton is best known for her duet with Mick Jagger during Gimme Shelter on the Stones 1969 album Let It Bleed, the standout track on what’s arguably the band’s finest record.

The following year Merry, who also sang backing vocals on Lynyrd Skynyrd classic Sweet Home Alabama and was also the Acid Queen in the first London production of The Who’s Tommy, recorded her own version of Gimme Shelter.

— Mike Torpey

Mike Torpey is freelance Motoring Editor of the Liverpool Echo, past Racing Editor and also a travel/golf writer, music reviewer and rock music nut. Tweet @michaeltorpey1