The song "Gimme Shelter" - when was it written?

Cafe Society
1

It’s a song I like a lot - especially Merry Clayton’s contribution.
I always thought the song was written after the tragic Altamont concert of Dec 1969. (particularly because of the violent lyrics)
So, basically, was it written before or after Altamont?
If it were written before Altamont, it seems as if it would be a case of life imitating art.
(I’ve tried searching the Internet but could not find the answer.)

2

It was written, recorded and released before Altamont. “Let It Bleed” came out November 28, 1969.

3

*Let It Bleed * was released on November 28, 1969. Altamont was on December 6, 1969.

4

Thanks for asking this. Oddly enough, just an hour ago while driving home, the song came over the radio and the exact same question occurred to me.

Thanks to fishbicycle we’ve got the answer. But I looked it up on Wikipedia to see if I could find anything. I didn’t find the answer, but I did find this interesting bit of trivia:

Damn!

5

Thanks for the quick answers folks.

Cabbage
Great minds think alike I guess. :slight_smile:
Yes the song seems to have been inspired by Altamont but it sure seems creepier knowing that it was released before that ill-fated concert.

6

Anyone old enough to have lived through 1968 knows there was plenty of stuff before Altamont that inspired a need for shelter.

7

Indeed; the song isn’t all that different from the previous year’s “Street Fighting Man.”

8

[slight hijack] If you’re looking for a song that was inspired by Altamont, try “New Speedway Boogie” on Workingman’s Dead.[/slight hijack]