Keith Richards knows more than anyone about what it’s like working with Mick Jagger – both good and bad.
He told the BBC that Jagger will sabotage a song if he’s not feeling it: “Mick, given a song that he’s not interested in, can really make it bad. That’s maybe one of the reasons it took 18 years – because Mick’s waves of enthusiasm come and go.”
Richards says that’s the reason the Rolling Stones’ new album Hackney Diamonds took 18 years to make.
“Mick writes the lyrics,” Richards explained while talking about the band’s new music. “He’s got some angst in him, and he probably thought ‘let’s use it’.”
Jagger may not always be enthusiastic, but this time around he was the band member who pushed for the Rolling Stones to record new music, according to Richards.
“Mick was the pusher,” Richards said. “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 possible, because they’re a band that is lubricated’.”
The Rolling Stones have released songs “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” and “Angry” from their upcoming album “Hackney Diamonds,” out October 20th. The upcoming album will include features from Lady Gage, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, and Elton John.
The band also released an official music video for “Angry,” starring actress Sydney Sweeney, known for her roles in “Euphoria” and “White Lotus.” Francois Rousselet directed the video, which features Sweeney on the back of a red convertible driving through Los Angeles as footage of the band plays on billboards.
