Love Is Strong

Zoo Freaks, get ready for some gritty vibes as The Zoo Crew spins "Love Is Strong" by The Rolling Stones from their 1994 album Voodoo Lounge. This track, the album’s lead single, slinks with a bluesy edge, driven by Mick Jagger’s harmonica and a riff inspired by Keith Richards’ solo work, specifically his 1992 track “Wicked as It Seems.” In a 2019 post on X, Jagger shared, “It was good to put harmonica on a track like this. You always think of playing it on a 12-bar blues, and it’s kind of fun to put it on one which isn’t. It’s good to work with another sequence.” The song’s music video, directed by David Fincher, is a visual trip, showing the band as giants towering over a city, with Jagger strutting among models—a nod to their larger-than-life presence. Despite its No. 14 peak in the UK, it only hit No. 91 in the US, marking it as the Stones’ least successful lead single at the time, though it was a rock radio hit.

The song carries a raw, seductive energy, with lyrics like “You make me hard/You make me weak,” which stirred some controversy for their boldness, especially given the band’s age in their 50s. Fan reviews on sites like Keno’s Rolling Stones Web Site praise its “scary” vibe and classic Stones grit, with one fan noting, “Keith’s guitar sounds like the old times again.” The Voodoo Lounge recording sessions in Ireland and Barbados were steeped in character—Keith Richards adopted a stray cat named Voodoo, inspiring the album’s title when he dubbed his terrace “Voodoo’s Lounge.” A lesser-known story involves “Sparks Will Fly,” another track from the album, sparked by a heated jam session with Jerry Lee Lewis in Ireland, where Lewis’s critique of Richards’ band led to a fiery exchange, fueling the song’s creation.

The Rolling Stones kicked off in London in 1962, born from a shared love of blues and early rock and roll. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, childhood friends who reconnected as teens, joined forces with multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts. Their early gigs at the Marquee Club and Crawdaddy Club built a cult following, with Jones initially leading the charge. Manager Andrew Loog Oldham shaped their bad-boy image, pushing them to write original songs and ditch their clean-cut look for something “raunchy” and “animalistic.” Their 1963 Decca Records deal gave them creative control and high royalties, a rare win for a new act. Covering Chuck Berry and Willie Dixon tunes, they honed a gritty sound that defined hard rock, with the Jagger-Richards songwriting duo soon taking center stage.

By the mid-1960s, hits like “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” cemented their global fame, but their raw energy and rebellious streak—amped up by Oldham’s PR—made them cultural lightning rods. Over six decades, they’ve sold over 250 million albums, with 38 top-10 US albums, and played over 2,000 concerts, including the record-breaking Voodoo Lounge Tour, which grossed $320 million. Despite lineup changes, like Jones’s departure in 1969 and Wyman’s exit in 1993, the Stones remain a live juggernaut, with Darryl Jones stepping in as bassist for Voodoo Lounge. Their official site, rollingstones.com, is your go-to for tour dates and merch, while their Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts keep fans plugged into new releases and archival goodies.

Zoo Freaks looking to dive deeper can check out fan hubs like Keno’s Rolling Stones Web Site for reviews and trivia or It’s Only Rock’n Roll (IORR) for tour news and fan forums. The r/rollingstones subreddit and Rolling Stones Fans Facebook group are buzzing with diehards sharing bootlegs, setlist debates, and love for tracks like “Love Is Strong.” Whether you’re grooving to its harmonica wail or digging into the Stones’ rebel roots, this song and band are pure rock and roll alchemy.