1963 Soul Ballad, Made Famous by a Legendary Rock Band, Became a Timeless Rock Anthem
Rock fans may instantly recognize one of the Rolling Stones' earliest breakthrough hits. Before becoming a rock staple, the song was first recorded by a jazz trombonist whose version failed to make the charts.
"Time Is on My Side" was released in 1963 as a rhythm and blues track originally written by Jerry Ragavoy. It's his most famous penned song, among hits like "Get Happy" and Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart." That year, it was first released and recorded by Kai Winding, a Danish-American jazz trombonist, with singers Dee Dee Warwick, Dionne Warwick, and Cissy Houston.
The original version of the song had moderate success but failed to chart. It was later covered by R&B singer Irma Thomas, with Jimmy Norman writing new lyrics about an ex-lover.
"Time Is on My Side" became a notable hit a year after the track's initial release when it was taken up by the Rolling Stones in 1964. According to American Songwriter, Ragavoy received a call about a British band that he had never heard of wanting to record the track. He agreed, hoping it would bring new life to the song.
"Next thing I know," he said, "it's out and it's their first hit in this country. I was amazed. I listened to it and thought, ‘What on earth is this?'"
The Rolling Stones released two different versions of the track, with the first using an organ-only intro and guitars instead of horns to create a rock anthem. Their version of "Time Is on My Side" peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, their first to do so on that U.S. chart, and landed at No.6 on Cash Box. The song became a radio staple and was then re-released with a new arrangement.
Their second version is what most rock fans have come to love, which received the most airplay from radio stations. It's often included in the band's "best of" compilation albums and tagged as having been a staple during the British Invasion.
"In America," said Keith Richards, "we were basically known for heavy, slowish kind of ballads. ‘Time Is On My Side,' ‘Tell Me,' ‘Heart of Stone,' that was what we were known for. Strangely enough, that was our thing. Every single was a slow song. Who would believe it? You'd think they'd be clamoring for out-and-out rock and roll, but no, it was the soul ballads that happened for us in America."
The song has since become a cover staple by artists like Michael Bolton, Blondie, Patti Smith, and even the Moody Blues. It was even been popualr in pop culture, being used in theDenzel Washington-led cult classic thriller film, Fallen, where the song becomes key to the overall plot.
Related: 1973 Rock Classic, With a 14-Minute Live Version, Became a Defining Arena Rock Anthem
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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 7:18 PM.