Keith Richards – Take It So Hard

When my Max Picks come up for 88…this will probably be in it. That year we had Keith Richards release Talk Is Cheap and a few weeks later The Traveling Wilburys released their debut album. The year before that George Harrison released his Cloud 9 album. I started to listen to mainstream radio a little more because of those three albums.

When I heard this song with the opening riff coming from that 5-string G turning that he is known for… it was love. I bought the album Talk is Cheap which some reviews half-jokingly called the best Rolling Stones album in years. The song got plenty of play on rock stations at the time. It peaked at #3 in the Mainstream Rock Tracks.

The album was recorded when Mick and Keith were feuding about the direction of the Stones. The Stones were not recording or playing live. “You Don’t Move Me Anymore” off the album points right at Mick.

Personally, I’ve always liked Keith Richards voice. Happy, Salt of the Earth, You Got the Silver, Before They Make Me Run rank among my favorite Stones songs. This song would fit on any Stones album.

The band Keith put together was great.
Keith Richards: lead and background vocal, guitar
Waddy Wachtel: guitar
Steve Jordan: drums (he is now drummer for the Stones)
Charley Drayton: background vocal, bass
Ivan Neville: piano and keyboards

Waddy Wachtel: We went up to Canada and did the whole of the first record, Talk Is Cheap, there. I think the second track we cut was “Take It So Hard,” which is a magnificent composition. And I just thought, I get to play on this? Let’s go. And we played it a few times. I guess you could call it rehearsing. And there’s one take that is just a great pass. It’s just ridiculously good. It was the second tune of the night, and it was this killer fucking take of our strongest tune. I went back to the house going, we’ve conquered Everest already? These other mountains we can climb easily if we’ve got the big one down. And Keith didn’t want to believe it; he was going, I don’t want these guys thinking they’re that good. He made us do a retake. I don’t know why. The take was shouting, hey, dude, I’m the take. I think Keith just did it to make sure people stayed in focus. But it never sounded as good as that first take. When you’ve got it, you’ve got it. When we were putting the sequence of the album together, I insisted “Big Enough” should be the first song. Because the first time you hear Keith sing on that, that first line is amazing, his voice sounds so beautiful. He delivers it effortlessly. I said, people when they hear this, they’re not going to believe it’s fucking Keith Richards singing. And then we’ll hit ’em with “Take It So Hard.”

Keith Richards: Steve and I thought we ought to make a record and started to put together the core of the X-Pensive Winos–so named later on when I noticed a bottle of Chateau Lafite introduced as light refreshment in the studio. Well, nothing was too good for this amazing band of brothers. Steve asked me who I wanted to play with, and first up, on guitar I said Waddy Wachtel. And Steve said, you took the words, brother. I had known Waddy since the ’70s and I’d always wanted to play with him, one of the most tasteful, simpatico players I know. And he’s completely musical. Understanding of it, empathetic, nothing ever needing to be explained. He’s also got the most uncanny ultrasonic ear, still tuned high after years of bandstands. He was playing with Linda Ronstadt and he was playing with Stevie Nicks– chick bands–but I knew my man wanted to rock. So I called him and said simply, “I’m putting a band together, and you’re in it.” Steve agreed that Charley Drayton should be the bass player, and I think it was just a general consensus that Ivan Neville, from Aaron Neville’s family from New Orleans, should be the piano player. There was no audition process whatsoever.

Take It So Hard

Giving up lovin’, easy to do
People so pitiful they never come through
Honey, honey, honey, I ain’t that way
(You want a little bit) once in a while, come on and get a bit
You shouldn’t take it so hard (yeah) you shouldn’t take it (yeah)
You shouldn’t take it so hard (yeah)

Take a look around you, tell me, what do you see?
People with little bits try, tryin’ to smile
Most of what you’ve gotten is free (yeah)
(Yeah) you shouldn’t take it so hard (yeah)

You shouldn’t take it so hard (yeah) you shouldn’t take it so hard (yeah)
You shouldn’t take it so hard (yeah)

Yank it up baby or go get yourself a new name
You want a little bit once in a while, yeah you got a taste for it
You shouldn’t take it (yeah) you shouldn’t take it so hard (yeah)
(Yeah)

You shouldn’t take it so hard (yeah)
You shouldn’t take it so hard (yeah)
You shouldn’t take it so hard (yeah)
You shouldn’t take it so hard (yeah)

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

36 thoughts on “Keith Richards – Take It So Hard”

  3. I vaguely remember the album coming out but didn’t really hear it… quite possibly Q107 (the hard rock station) in Toronto played it, but CFNY (the alt rock one) and CHUM-Fm (kind of Madonna-Phil Collins hit station) didn’t. You’re right though, Keith has a pretty good voice and assembled a really good band. Seems like it might have been a bit better effort than Mick Jagger’s solo record from around then. I might think that having him work with guys like Neville and Wachtel might have had him return to the Stones with some new, fresh ideas for the next RS album.

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    1. I do like the album a lot…probably a little better than the Stones album that came out the following year or so.
      He did put together a super band…and he still plays with them to this day I believe.

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      4. That about sums it up… Mick Jagger once said when the Beatles were breaking up…something like “we might break up one day but we won’t be so bitchy about it”….Lol yea…right.

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  6. I agree, Keith had a serviceable voice early on, but -in my opinion-it’s pretty knackered now thanks to ciggies and various stimulants. (Yes, I will say ‘enough to make him fall out of his/a tree.) I’m a massive Stones fan but Mick and Keef are better feuding together than working apart on their own. Like John and Paul they need the other one to yank their chain, in another direction, to get the best out of each other. ‘Happy’ is fantastic, but I can’t go a whole album of Keith. Mick did some very nice solo stuff like ‘Evening Gown’ and ‘Sweet Thing’ but… but…

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    1. But…I’ll say it…It’s not the Stones.
      In fairness to Keith…I dont’ think he would have done this but Mick wanted to go out and do something on his own…Keith was not happy lol.
      Now his voice is bad…but I really liked his songs on album his living caught up with his voice.

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  8. The guitar work on this song couldn’t be more Stonesy. While I think it’s fair to say Keith’s vocals never quite matched Mick’s pipes, I still feel they were decent enough. Also, Keith got himself a killer backing band. I guess if you’re Keith Richards finding top-notch musicians who want to play with you isn’t so hard!

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  9. Oh HELL yes, that’s a kickass tune. Watching that video reminded me he named his band the Expensive Winos (I think.) Quite an ensemble. I think Keith is as talented as Mick, but Mick’s voice is stronger in comparison when the Stones play together so Mick’s voice is the lead. I also like the tune that Keith sings on Hackney Diamonds.

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    1. Keith is my favorite Stone…hands down…for the same reason John is my favorite Beatle…they were the alphas…
      The ones the other guys were a little leery of lol…but… both needed their partners though…

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      1. I can’t pick between Keith and Mick because they are both essential to the Stones. I love Mick’s voice and his stage presence. I love Keiths’ guitar playing. Two very different personalities though. I see John and Paul in a similar way.

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      2. Wow….you really do like it. Almost like Bruce and Tunnel of Love…Tattoo You was the last album I really liked…it wasn’t a great one but very good.

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