BBC practices at the time, the performances were erased and all that remains is "Brown Sugar". Saxophone player Trevor Lawrence mimes to Bobby Keys' actual solo. In the United Kingdom, the single was originally issued in mono using a now-rarely heard bespoke mono mix. This mono mix has not been released on any compilation. The song was performed routinely during The Rolling Stones' 1970 European Tour, occupying a prominent spot near the end of the set list even though audiences were unfamiliar with it. The band opened the shows of their infamous 1972 American Tour with "Brown Sugar", and it has since become a Stones concert staple. However, in more recent times, Jagger has changed some of the more controversial lyrics when performing the song live. For example, the first verse line "I hear him whip the women just around midnight" has been replaced with the more simple "you should have heard him just around midnight." Critical reception Writing for Sounds in 1971, Penny Valentine praised "Brown Sugar", stating that it was her "choice as the best track". Cash Box described the song as returning to "the fresh blues sound of the team's pre-Satanic days" with a "sax break, gritty wailing and the unique stones rhythm work." Writing for The Rag, rock critic Mike Saunders found the single to be the "only especially noteworthy" track of Sticky Fingers (1971). The lyrical subject matter has often been a point of interest and controversy. Described by rock critic Robert Christgau as "a rocker so compelling that it discourages exegesis", the song's popularity has often overshadowed its provocative lyrics, which explore a number of controversial subjects, including slavery, interracial sex, cunnilingus, and drug use. Fifty years later, critic Tom Taylor concludes that the song "does not offer one considered thought to the subject matter that it sings of..." and "the atrocity of the slave trade, rape and the unimaginable suffering therein should not be adorned with gyrating, glib lyrics, guitar solos and no redeeming features in the way of discerned appraisal." In 2021, the band announced that the song would be removed from the setlist of their US tour. Cover versions Little Richard recorded a rendition of "Brown Sugar" for his album The King of Rock and Roll, released in 1971. Chart performance Weekly charts Year-end charts Certifications Personnel The Rolling Stones Mick Jagger – lead vocals, castanets, maracas Keith Richards – rhythm