Although "The Last Time" is credited to Jagger/Richards, the song's refrain is identical to "This May Be the Last Time", a traditional gospel song recorded in 1954 by the Staple Singers. In 2003, Richards acknowledged this, saying, "We came up with 'The Last Time', which was basically re-adapting a traditional gospel song that had been sung by the Staple Singers, but luckily the song itself goes back into the mists of time." The Rolling Stones' song has a main melody and a hook (a distinctive guitar riff) that were both absent in the Staple Singers' version. Phil Spector, whose "Wall of Sound" approach can be heard on the recording, assisted with the production.