In the heart of 1967’s “Summer of Love,” when psychedelic rock was reshaping the music world, The Rolling Stones took their boldest artistic leap. The result was Their Satanic Majesties Request, a chaotic, kaleidoscopic experiment that stands today as one of the band’s most fascinating and divisive works. Released at the height of the psychedelic movement, the album reflects a band wrestling with fame, legal troubles, and the pull of creative freedom.
The recording sessions for Their Satanic Majesties Request began at Olympic Sound Studios in February 1967 and stretched through that fall. Instead of harmony, the process was defined by disarray. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Brian Jones were each facing high-profile drug charges that often kept them out of the studio. Bassist Bill Wyman later described the atmosphere as “a lottery,” where no one knew which members would show up on a given day.
Their longtime manager and producer, Andrew Loog Oldham, found the sessions unbearable and eventually quit halfway through. His departure forced the Stones to self-produce for the first time, with engineer Glyn Johns stepping in to help them shape the project. The result was a mix of raw experimentation and creative chaos that mirrored the spirit of the late 1960s.
Freed from outside direction, the Stones dove headfirst into experimentation. Inspired by the era’s musical revolution—and clearly influenced by The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band—they traded their usual blues-rock swagger for sitars, Mellotrons, and orchestral arrangements.
Tracks like “She’s a Rainbow” and “2000 Light Years from Home” showcase lush arrangements and surreal production, blending rich melodies with cosmic imagery. The album also features the whimsical “In Another Land,” sung by Bill Wyman when he was the only member present for a session.
Meanwhile, Brian Jones—once the band’s creative engine—contributed haunting instrumental touches, adding dulcimer, recorder, and saxophone throughout the album. The mix of ambition, tension, and altered states produced an unpredictable soundscape unlike anything else in The Rolling Stones’ catalog.
While the Stones denied that Their Satanic Majesties Request was a direct response to Sgt. Pepper, the connection was impossible to ignore. Paul McCartney and John Lennon even visited the Stones during the sessions, contributing backing vocals to the non-album single “We Love You.”
The album’s cover remains one of rock’s most recognizable. Shot by photographer Michael Cooper, who also created the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band cover. Pepper cover—it featured the Stones in colorful, mystical costumes amid a 3D lenticular collage. According to legend, the band built the elaborate set themselves while under the influence of LSD.
Hidden within the artwork were miniature portraits of The Beatles, a playful nod to their friendly rivalry. The album’s title itself—Their Satanic Majesties Request—was a parody of the British passport phrase: “Her Britannic Majesty’s Secretary of State requests and requires…”
Upon its release in December 1967, Their Satanic Majesties Request received mixed reviews. Critics called it self-indulgent, unfocused, and a failed attempt to mimic The Beatles. But time has been kind to this misunderstood project.
Modern listeners view the album as a brave and eccentric detour, capturing the Stones at a rare moment of vulnerability and openness. Tracks like “2000 Light Years from Home” and “Citadel” have been re-evaluated as highlights of late-’60s psychedelic rock.
While the band would soon return to their gritty blues roots with Beggars Banquet in 1968, Their Satanic Majesties Request remains an essential time capsule—a sonic portrait of a world spinning through change and a band daring to lose control.
Sign up for exclusive offers, original stories, events, and more.
