LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 06: (LR) Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards pose for a photocall at the Rolling Stones “Hackney Diamonds” Launch Event at Hackney Empire on September 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jo Hale/Redferns)
Photo: Redferns, Jo Hale. All rights reserved.
We remember: Paul McCartney said in an interview from 2021 that he was a Rolling Stones fan, but that the band, unlike the Beatles, was a blues cover band. Macca and Mick Jagger are friends – a friendship can withstand such accusations, especially since the “Beatles vs. Stones” debate is ancient and has not yet been resolved with arguments. For many music listeners, having to somehow decide between the two bands was part of their socialization at some point. The rivalry between the Beatles and the Stones is one of rock’s great myths.
At that time, Jagger countered by jokingly introducing his band as a “blues cover band” on the “No Filter” tour; McCartney is said to have been sitting in the audience.
Now McCartney found himself in the recording studio to work on the new Stones album “Hackney Diamonds” (release: October 20, 2023), plucking on his bass. In an interview with the Times it was discussed how the 80-year-old Stone views the matter from today’s perspective.
He shoots back with the same weapons, retaliates: “Well, the Beatles were just a blues cover band when they started.” Because: “Every band is a cover band at the beginning, that’s just how it is.” Then Jagger brings up the 2021 stage anecdote: “When we’re on tour, I like to say that someone is in the audience, even though they really aren’t, to create a big moment, so I once said, ‘Paul McCartney is here tonight. He’ll come on stage and play some of our blues covers.’ I texted Paul to thank him for his comment because it gave me a lot of funny material.” A Beatle as an unwilling gag writer.
In recent years there have still been some humorous comments about the musical performance of the competition. This is how Keith Richards described the Beatles masterpiece “Sgt. Pepper’s” a few years ago as a “heap of dirt” and mocked the Fab Four’s poor live qualities compared to the Stones.