The Rolling Stones No. 2

The Rolling Stones No. 2 is the second UK album by the Rolling Stones released in 1965 following the massive success of 1964's debut The Rolling Stones. Not surprisingly, The Rolling Stones No. 2 followed its predecessor's tendency to largely feature R&B covers. However, it does contain three compositions from the still-developing Mick Jagger/Keith Richards songwriting team. Interesting note: on the front of the (vinyl) album cover the title is: The Rolling Stones Vol. 2, the back of the album cover says The Rolling Stones No. 2.

Using the cover shot for 12 X 5, the second US-released album in October 1964, The Rolling Stones No. 2's tracklisting would largely be emulated on the upcoming US release of The Rolling Stones, Now!. While Eric Easton was co-credited as producer alongside Andrew Loog Oldham on The Rolling Stones' debut album, Oldham takes full production duties for The Rolling Stones No, 2, which was recorded sporadically in the UK and US during 1964.

A huge hit in the UK upon release, The Rolling Stones No. 2 spent 10 weeks at #1 in early 1965, becoming one of the year's biggest sellers in the UK.

According to Bill Wyman in his book Stone Alone: The Story of a Rock'N'Roll Band, John Lennon said of The Rolling Stones No. 2: "The album's great, but I don't like five-minute numbers."

Due to the preference towards the American albums, ABKCO Records overlooked both The Rolling Stones and The Rolling Stones No. 2 for CD release in 1986 and during its remastering series in 2002. Consequently, the album was out of print for many years and was thus widely bootlegged by collectors.

The Rolling Stones No. 2 was again made available to the public as part of a limited edition vinyl box set, titled "The Rolling Stones 1964-1969", in November 2010 and (by itself) digitally at the same time.