The Rolling Stones are gearing up to release their first album of original material in nearly 20 years, Hackney Diamonds, and in a new interview Keith Richards gave some insight as to why it took so long.
“Mick, given a song that he’s not really interested in can really make it bad,” the guitarist said with a laugh. “That’s maybe one of the reasons it took 18 years – because Mick’s waves of enthusiasm come and go.”
He also said Jagger was the driving force behind making the album. “Mick was the pusher,” he explained.
“On the end of the last tour, for the first time, he hit me in the right spot. He said, ‘I’ve always wanted to record the band as soon as they get off of the road as soon as possible, because they’re a band that is lubricated.’”
Hackney Diamonds is slated for an October 20 release.
They’ve shared two singles: ‘Angry’ and ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven’, which features Stevie Wonder and Lady Gaga. The album will also include contributions from Paul McCartney and Elton John.
This will be the band’s first album since drummer Charlie Watts’ death; however, he will still be featured on a couple tracks. Ronnie Wood confirmed that Watts recorded drums for ‘Live By The Sword’ and ‘Mess It Up’ before passing away in 2021.
