“Gimme Shelter” is a song by The Rolling Stones. It first appeared as the opening track on the band’s 1969 album Let It Bleed. Although the first word was spelled “Gimmie” on that album, subsequent recordings by the band and other musicians have made “Gimme” the customary spelling. Greil Marcus, writing in Rolling Stone magazine at the time of its release, said of it, “The Stones have never done anything better.”The recording features Richards playing in his new open tuning; the guitar riff is widely considered to be among the most distinctive and recognizable in rock history. The recording also features powerful vocals by Merry Clayton, recorded at a last-minute late-night recording session during the mixing phase, arranged by her friend and record producer Jack Nitzsche.