Keith Richards at the Beacon Theater 2022 in New York City.
Photo: Getty Images for LOVE ROCKS NYC/, Kevin Mazur. All rights reserved.
In a recent interview, Keith Richards explains why 18 years have passed between “A Bigger Bang” (2005) and the upcoming “Hackney Diamonds”, the first new record with his own Stones material. According to the guitarist, it’s due to Mick Jagger’s wavering enthusiasm when presented with songs he doesn’t like.
“In my opinion the most important thing when making a record is that the singer wants to sing the material,” Richards told BBC. “Mick can really bad-mouth a song he’s not interested in. And that’s perhaps one of the reasons why it’s taken 18 years, because Mick’s waves of enthusiasm come and go.”
The Rolling Stones are – what else – primarily concerned with the authenticity of their music. If a song doesn’t feel right, Richards says they approach it carefully. The band also wants to preserve the authenticity of their sound, which is why “Hackney Diamonds” was “cut primarily for vinyl.”
“Digital is toy city,” says Richards. “They are synthesizers. And now there is AI that is even more superficial and artificial. Vinyl offers what is real and I prefer to hear it that way.”