Mick Jagger is convinced that you won’t be able to tell whether the Rolling Stones’ upcoming album, “Hackney Diamonds” (release: October 20, 2023), will feature Steve Jordan or Charlie Watts. The band’s drummer died in 2021, but can be heard on two songs that he was able to record in time. During the “Sixty” tour, Watts, who was ill, was represented by bandmate Steve Jordan.
Jagger explained how important it was to have two songs with Charlie Watts on the album in an interview asked. “Very important,” said the 80-year-old. Because “It also stands for continuity. But I don’t think the typical listener would notice a difference between Charlie playing on the song and Steve Jordan, who recorded the rest of the songs.”
The Stones boss also discussed dealing with Watts’ death: “It’s difficult for me. He was the drummer I played with the most in my musical life. We simply had an excellent musical understanding and also got along very well in our private lives. He loved sports, we constantly talked about football and cricket, his collection of books, we listened to music together. Not just rock music, pop music, African music, all sorts of things.”
Then he becomes sentimental: “So we had a lot in common. I really miss talking to him and of course him as a person. He was such a great person.”
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It is the second single from the new Rolling Stones album “Hackney Diamonds”. The track “Sweet Sounds of Heaven”, which was created in collaboration with Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder, was released on Thursday (September 28th). While the “Shallow” interpreter supports the rock band vocally, Wonder plays the piano. Mick Jagger seems enthusiastic about the joint project and describes Gaga as a “really great singer”.
In a recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, the Rolling Stones frontman describes the collaboration as a “great experience.” The recording was taken on site and in person. Jagger recounts that “[Lady Gaga] “Just came into the room and opened up and saw their parts and felt their path and then became more confident.” When the musicians returned another day to record additional parts of the song, they were even “a little competitive and shouting” become.
This isn’t the first time the Rolling Stones and Lady Gaga have collaborated. Back in 2012, they performed the song “Gimme Shelter” together on the rock band’s “50 & Counting Tour”.
The album “Hackney Diamonds” will be released on October 20th and will not only be the band’s first original album in almost two decades, it will also be the first album since the death of Charlie Watts. However, Jagger recently announced that the drummer was still able to take part in two tracks on the record. In addition to Watts, Stevie Wonder and Lady Gaga, other star musicians will appear at the work – including Paul McCartney and Elton John.