Miss You

Zoo Freaks, get ready to groove with the Zoo Crew as we spin "Miss You" by The Rolling Stones from their 1978 album Some Girls. This track, with its iconic bassline crafted by Bill Wyman, has a juicy backstory. Mick Jagger, who wrote the song while jamming with keyboardist Billy Preston during rehearsals for the 1977 El Mocambo club gigs, leaned into the disco vibes that were sweeping the scene. But don’t call it straight-up disco—Jagger and drummer Charlie Watts insisted it’s more R&B, inspired by their nights hitting the discos in Munich. Watts even recalled Jagger belting out the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” after a club night, much to Keith Richards’ chagrin. Richards initially wasn’t sold on the track’s danceable groove, grumbling about Jagger’s dive into the disco-club scene, but that funky tension helped make "Miss You" a chart-topper, hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in August 1978.

Another tidbit? The song’s harmonica wails come from Sugar Blue, a blues player Jagger reportedly found busking on the streets of Paris. Blue didn’t just blow harp—he co-wrote the music, though he didn’t get the credit he deserved, a sore point noted in some accounts. The extended "Special Disco Version" of "Miss You," clocking in at over eight minutes, was the Stones’ first foray into a 12-inch single remix, with extra guitar solos and lyrics, including a bit about “Puerto Rican girls who’re just dyin’ to meet you.” Jagger’s called the song an emotion, not just about a specific person, saying in a 2019 post on X, “’Miss You’ is an emotion, it’s not really about a girl. To me, the feeling of longing is what the song is.” Fans on Songfacts rave about its slow, sexy vibe, with one calling out the vivid lyric about bringing a case of wine to party with those Puerto Rican girls, straight from Jagger’s wild life.

The Rolling Stones, born in London in 1962, kicked off as a gritty blues outfit, channeling Chicago blues and early rock and roll. Mick Jagger (vocals), Keith Richards (guitar), Brian Jones (multi-instrumentalist), Bill Wyman (bass), and Charlie Watts (drums) formed the core, with manager Andrew Loog Oldham pushing them to write originals, sparking the Jagger-Richards songwriting duo that became their creative engine. They started by covering blues tunes, riding the British Invasion wave, but their raw, rebellious sound—honed through early gigs in London clubs like the Crawdaddy—set them apart. By the mid-’60s, hits like “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” cemented their bad-boy image, rivaling The Beatles but with a darker, bluesier edge. Jones’ death in 1969 and lineup shifts (Mick Taylor, then Ronnie Wood) didn’t slow them down; they kept evolving, absorbing punk, disco, and more, as seen in Some Girls.

Connect with the Stones on their official website for tour dates, merch, and exclusive archives. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and X for the latest news and throwback posts. Fans can dive into the It’s Only Rock’n Roll (IORR) fan site for deep-cut discussions and tour tips, or join the Rolling Stones Fans Facebook group to swap stories and setlists with fellow obsessives. Keep it locked to THE ZOO for more Stones vibes, Zoo Freaks!