Rolling Stones: Play With Fire

Today’s Friday Flipside is credited to that semi prolific songwriter Nanker Phlege. Er, who? No, the Rolling Stones. The Nanker Phelge name was utilized when the entire band was involved in the writing of a particular song.

In most cases, Nanker Phelge’s royalties were split five ways between Mick Jagger, Keith Richard, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman, and Charlie Watts. On two earlier songs, keyboardist/road manager Ian Stewart received one sixth of the royalties with the five band members.

While the writing royalties were split among all members of the band, only Mick Jagger, Keith Richard, and Charlie Watts appear on today’s selection “Play with Fire.” It was the flip of “The Last Time,” which charted at #9. “Play with Fire” barely made it to the Hot 100 by charting at #96.

The single appeared on the 1965 LP “Out of our Heads*” which was the Stones first #1 album in the United States. The US album had only six of its twelve cuts in common with six of the twelve cuts from the British LP of the same name. They also sported different covers.