The Rolling Stones interview: ‘Don’t get me going on modern-day music. It’s a one-way toilet’

The only way to cut a band is to put the boys in a room and play, and look in each other’s eyeballs,” says Keith Richards, fixing me with a glare. I would have called the damn album ‘Deadline’.” open image in gallery ‘I said, let’s not pussyfoot around’: Mick Jagger on making the new Stones album When Mick Jagger told his bandmates that they must aim to finish their new record by Valentine’s Day, just three weeks after tracking dates in Los Angeles started in earnest, there were murmurings of doubt and disquiet. “I spoke to Elton on Zoom,” says Wood, “and he said, ‘I’ve got to play on some songs, Ron!’ I went ‘Join the queue!’” Elton John said, ‘I’ve got to play on some songs, Ron.’ I went, ‘Join the queue!’ Ronnie Wood In a charming tribute, that’s one of two tracks with drum parts recorded in 2019 by Watts. It’s an old track with Charlie, not one of the ones we just recently did,’ and he said ‘Yeah, I’d love to do it.’ So it does have a slightly different groove, that song, because you’ve got Bill and Charlie, who are the original rhythm section.” open image in gallery Left to right: Brian Jones, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Charlie Watts and Bill Wyman in 1963 I’ve never had a conversation with Richards in which he didn’t mention how honoured and lucky he felt to have Watts behind him on stage and in the studio. ‘Guess what you’re doing, pal!’ Keith Richards The sessions also included personal visits from Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder, who make brilliantly spontaneous contributions to the testifying gospel soul that is “Sweet Sounds of Heaven”.