On this day in rock history, T. Rex showcased their signature glam rock sound for the first time, the Beach Boys released a heavily soul-influenced album, and Keith Richards was born. Read on to learn more about some important rock music-related events from Dec. 18.
Breakthrough Hits and Milestones
Some of the breakthrough moments and milestones we celebrate today include:
1971: T. Rex had already released four albums under the name Tyrannosaurus Rex, but released their second studio album, Electric Warrior, in September. It reached the top of the U.K. albums chart on Dec. 18 thanks in part to hits such as “Bang a Gong (Get It On)” and “Jeepster.”
1971: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Sly & the Family Stone were on top of the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart with their fifth studio album, There’s a Riot Goin’ On. It was a major commercial success, reaching Platinum status in the U.S. in 2001.
Cultural Milestones
Two iconic musicians who played in the same band share a birthday on Dec. 18:
1943: Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards was born in Dartford, Kent, England. After first meeting Mick Jagger in primary school, they later reunited and bonded over their shared passion for American rhythm-and-blues artists, forming the Rolling Stones in 1962.
1943: Saxophonist Bobby Keys was born on the other side of the Atlantic, in Franklin, Tennessee. He appeared on many legendary albums by the Rolling Stones, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
Notable Recordings and Performances
Dec. 18 is also the anniversary of some notable albums:
1967: The Beach Boys released their thirteenth studio album, Wild Honey, through Capitol Records. It was more soul-influenced than their earlier work and peaked at No. 24 on the U.S. Billboard 200 albums chart.
1970: T. Rex’s self-titled album, the first under this name and fifth overall, was released via Fly Records in the U.K. and Reprise Records in the U.S. Besides the name change, it also marked the band’s departure from their earlier psychedelic folk sound into a more rock-oriented one.
2020: Paul McCartney released his eighteenth solo album, McCartney III, via Capitol Records. This project was a continuation of two of his previous albums, McCartney in 1970 and McCartney II, released in 1980. The ex-Beatle featured on most instruments.
Dec. 18 brought important career moments for rock ‘n’ roll artists such as T. Rex, the Beach Boys, and Paul McCartney. Make sure to come back tomorrow to discover more moments in rock history.
Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman‘s relationship is officially over. Kidman filed for divorce on Sept. 30, 2025, according to People and Page Six.
The divorce filing comes a day after reports surfaced about their split. “She didn’t want this,” a source told People. “She has been fighting to save the marriage.” People close to the Baby Girl actress had been supporting her through the difficult time. “Nicole’s sister has been a rock and the entire Kidman family has come together to support one another,” the source continued.
The two met in 2005 on G’Day Australia, and married less than a year later. The ex-couple share two daughters, Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.
TMZ reported that Keith Urban was already involved with another woman when news of their split broke. “All the signs point to the fact Keith is with another woman,” a source told the gossip site. “Let’s just say, Nicole doesn’t dispute that, but she’s still shocked over it.”
A source close to Nicole said, “It’s all over Nashville.” However, the site reports that the sources don’t know when the other woman became involved, adding that it could be well after their separation.
Multiple outlets reported that Keith Urban had moved out earlier in the summer. “Their lives were moving in different directions, and once he quietly set up his own place, it felt like the writing was on the wall,” a source told People. E! News reported that Urban had applied to become a resident of Portugal.
“It really hasn’t been a secret in their circles that Keith and Nicole have been living separately for a while now,” the People source adds. “People close to Keith felt like the split was kind of inevitable.”
“She was blindsided, but we shall see how things go during the holiday season and his upcoming birthday [next month]. They have some work to do,” a source told the Daily Mail.
This isn’t the first time that the couple was surrounded by cheating rumors. According to the Daily Mail, a model named Amanda Wyatt alleged that the “Somebody Like You” star had cheated on Kidman with her right before their wedding in 2006.
According to Keith Richards’ son Marlon, the Rolling Stones may have an album of new material ready to go by the end of the year. As reported by Record Collector Magazine, the younger Richards indicates that the Stones have been working in the studio with producer Andrew Watt, who helmed their 2024 album Hackney Diamonds, a record that represented the band’s first collection of new material in almost two decades.
It is heartening to hear that the Stones still have some creative coal left in the furnace. Regardless of what the final product may sound like, the fact that these old guys are still making new music is more than impressive. The Stones who are still standing are raging against the dying light and exhibiting an admirable unwillingness to go gently into that good night.
Not that there is any indication that the Stones are about to individually or collectively keel over. I’m speaking metaphorically here. As we saw last year at NRG Stadium, they can still get the job done and even throw in a few surprises in the process. So I can’t wait to see what the lads come up with this time around.
And Marlon would seem to be an unimpeachable source, as he was part of the Stones Touring Party since he was an infant, later acting as his father’s majordomo and keeping some of the leeches away from Richards the senior. Nothing like being told to “fuck off” by an eight-year-old.
Ticket Alert If you missed out on getting tickets for the West Texas Exiles at the Mucky Duck on Saturday, September 27, there is good news. A second (late) show has been added on the same night, but tickets are going fast.
Singer / songwriter / multi-instrumentalist Ben Kweller will perform at the Heights Theater on Tuesday, November 11, touring in support of his latest release, Cover the Mirrors. Tickets are on sale now.
It’s never too early to start planning for New Year’s Eve, I suppose, so if you don’t already have plans, a show for your consideration is Treaty Oak Revival at Toyota Center on Wednesday, December 31. Treaty Oak, “the rock band with a country accent,” has come a long way since getting its start as a cover band in Odessa around 2018. Tickets go on sale this Friday.
Mariah the Scientist (so named because she was actually studying to be a pediatric anesthesiologist before deciding on a career in music) will perform at the Bayou Music Center on Saturday, April 4. Presales are in progress, with the general ticket sale on Friday.
Concerts This Week Man, what a week for shows in Houston. We will begin with Samantha Fish at the Heights Theater tonight. Fish is on tour in support of her latest album, Paper Doll, which exhibits her continued growth as a performer and songwriter. For more information, see the Houston Pressinterview with this blazing guitar player. It may seem like a long time until we get to St. Patrick’s Day, but guess what? It’s only six months away! To celebrate (and why not?) Houston’s Celtic rockers the Blaggards will play a “Half Way to St. Paddy’s Day” show at Under the Volcano tonight. As an added inducement, the Volcano is offering half-price Guinness and Irish stew. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a blaggard is “a person, usually a man, who is not honest or fair and has no moral principles.” There are a couple of big shows at Toyota Center this week, the first being a concert from singer-songwriter Benson Boone on Thursday. Boone made some serious noise on Tik Tok in 2021, racking up 1.7 million views before signing a fat record deal. On Saturday, Toyota Center will welcome chanteuse Laufey (pronounced LAY-vay), who cites Frederic Chopin, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Chet Baker as some of her primary musical influences. Not too shabby. Groundbreaking rapper Lil Wayne will perform at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Thursday. How much of a badass is Lil Wayne? His hometown of New Orleans declared in 2024 that “Lil Wayne Day” will be celebrated each year on February 6 and 7. Country mega-star Lainey Wilson is also at the Pavilion this week, performing on Saturday. Wilson was raised in Baskin, LA, where she grew up on a musical diet of Buck Owens and Glen Campbell, demonstrating that her parents brought her up right. On Sunday at the Pavilion, it’s an intriguing double bill featuring Leon Bridges and Charley Crockett, two artists who are both traditionalists in their respective genres (R&B and country) and both spent time forging their careers in Texas. Jim Lauderdale is well-known as a songwriter, having penned tunes recorded by George Strait, Elvis Costello, the Chicks, Vince Gill and Patty Loveless. But let’s not forget that he is a most engaging performer in his own right. Catch his act on Tuesday at the Mucky Duck.
The history of rock and roll is populated with any number of “unsung heroes,” musicians who made significant contributions to the art form but received little credit or recognition. One such individual is Johnnie Johnson. Which is why those in the know are excited about the recent release of I’m Just Johnnie, a collection of songs recorded over 20 years ago which have been gathering dust in a closet near St. Louis.
Johnson was Chuck Berry’s piano player during the ‘50s, when songs like “Johnny B. Goode,” “Maybellene” and “Roll Over Beethoven” were blasting out of transistor radios. While Berry commanded the stage, duckwalking and strutting while playing some really wild guitar, Johnson sat in the background, providing a solid musical foundation for songs that described a life full of cute girls, snazzy cars and fuse-blowing juke boxes in postwar America.
Not only did Johnson anchor Berry’s band, but it is argued that he contributed mightily to Berry’s revolutionary musical approach that codified much of the rock and roll that came after it. Some (including Chuck Berry scholar Keith Richards) believe that many of Berry’s signature guitar riffs were actually adapted from Johnson’s piano figures. Johnson brought a lawsuit against Berry in 2000, claiming that he was due a cowriter’s credit on over 50 songs. A judge, however, dismissed the case, ruling that too much time had passed since the original copyrights were filed under Berry’s name alone.
After splitting with Berry in 1973, Johnson played with blues legend Albert King while also performing periodic solo gigs. Eric Clapton and Richards championed Johnson in his later years, hiring him for various musical projects and contributing to his most noteworthy solo release, Johnnie B. Bad, in 1991. Johnson continued to live in his longtime home of St. Louis until his passing in 2005.
But, thanks to St. Louis musician Gene Ackmann, the Johnnie Johnson story doesn’t end there. Ackmann met Johnson in 1979, when the latter was playing at a small blues club. The two musicians stayed in touch, with Johnson occasionally playing with Ackmann’s band, notably at St. Louis sporting events, including the Cardinals’ baseball home openers and a parade in 2000 celebrating the Rams’ Super Bowl victory.
“I was – and still am – a huge fan of Johnnie’s,” says Ackmann, speaking from his home near St. Louis. “Initially, I sought him out because I was a big fan of Chuck Berry, and then I started digging in and realized everything Johnnie was doing on [those records].
“He would play at these little blues clubs, so I would go out and listen to him. But he also played at this place – it was called the Lemp Mansion – on Sunday nights, and he had a little trio with an upright bass and drums, and he was playing Great American Songbook type stuff. He was playing ‘Sunny Side of the Street,’ ‘Canadian Sunset,’ ‘Misty’ and stuff.”
After Johnson began to sit in with Ackmann’s band, their friendship truly blossomed when the two discovered that they had not only a love of music in common but also one of fishing. “We were bumming around, he was coming out and playing with my band, and somehow or another I mentioned that I had a lake at my house and that I liked to fish. And Johnnie was so excited to know that. He said, ‘I want to come out and go fishing sometime.’ “Johnnie lived about an hour and a half away from me, down by the Arch in St. Louis. So I would drive down early in the morning and pick him up, drive back out to my house, and we would fish all day. It was making his day, so it was making my day. It was like getting to spend the day with your grandfather again. I would have done anything for Johnnie.” One day, after another fishing outing, Johnson told Ackmann that he would like to record an album and wondered if Ackmann could produce it. Ackmann quickly assembled a group of local musicians, along with guest stars like Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby, Johnny Rivers and John Sebastian.
“I just wanted to put something together that would be really good and represent what Johnnie did,” Ackmann says. “I used some of the guys in my band, and then we used some of the guys who had played with Johnnie for a long time. We wrote some songs, and we did some cover songs.” Work took place primarily in the music room at Ackmann’s house. “Most of what Johnnie and I did, when we put all the arrangements together, was done during rain delays from fishing.”
Johnson died not long after the album was completed, and this development made it difficult for Ackmann to find a company willing to release the record. So the master tapes sat in a closet at Ackmann’s house. “Then, about a year and a half ago, which would have been Johnnie’s 100th birthday, I was out cutting the grass or something, and I thought, “I need to dig back into this thing and see if we can’t get something going,’” Ackmann recalls. After a bit of studio tinkering, Ackmann assembled a collection of songs that included five Johnson vocals, five songs with guest artists and two instrumentals. The music business had changed markedly since the original recordings were made, leading Ackmann to head in a different direction with regard to the release of the album. “I said, ‘You know what? I’m just going to do my own thing. Because I don’t want to give the master tapes to everybody. I don’t want to do all that. I’ll just do it myself.’” Hence the release of I’m Just Johnnie on Ackmann’s Missouri Morning Records.
According to Ackmann, Johnson maintained a positive attitude throughout his life, despite an initial lack of credit and later periods when he wasn’t working much. “He was incredibly humble and gentle and just a joy to be around. He could have been a little bit bitter. Could have been. But he was not. He was not. Because as time went on, after [the Chuck Berry documentary] Hail! Hail! Rock ‘n’ Roll, people discovered him, and he started working more. He got better gigs. He got an agent. He started playing better places. And all of a sudden, Johnnie rose to be an elder statesman of the blues.”
The Rolling Stones turned NRG Stadium into a gigantic rock and roll dance party on Sunday night with a setlist that felt like a greatest hits record with a few bonus tracks of rarities and new songs thrown in. A classic rock big arena show, it also felt comfortably intimate, like hanging out with some cool friends at a backyard party with one of the greatest bands of all time playing.
The Stones started the opening night first concert of their Hackney Diamonds Tour off appropriately enough with “Start Me Up” and Mick Jagger came out onstage like he was fired out of a canon, wearing a cool silver jacket. Born to be an entertainer, he moved effortlessly and with confidence.
The band followed up with “Get Off of My Cloud” then “Rocks Off” before playing one of their very early lesser known songs from 1966 called “Out of Time” that Jagger said they had never played in the United States before; it went over great with the audience as did every thing they played.
The Houston crowd made me proud this time; there were no annoying talking people near me to be found; everyone was having a great time dancing and on their feet for the entire concert. There were quite a bit of pictures and videos being taken with cellphones but this time I could understand it because The Stones are among the last of the true rock stars left.
Oee woman yelled out several times that she wanted to have Mick’s baby. What can you say? Even at 80, Jagger still has sex appeal.
Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards were just effortlessly cool onstage as well; they along with Jagger changed outfits several times with Wood wearing a cool sparkly red jacket at one point and Richards with a leopard print one. Richards had a big smile on his face when Jagger introduced everyone onstage and his name got the biggest cheer. Richards sang the song “Little T&A’ which The Stones last played live in 2016.
Jagger engaged in some fun onstage banter with the crowd throughout the show; he asked if anyone was from San Antonio, then Austin, then Dallas, which garnered more than a few boos; he then asked if anyone was from Cut and Shoot, the small town about six miles east of Conroe and 40 miles north of Houston.
Jagger mentioned that he had visited NASA Space Center while in town and said it was great but he was disappointed that they didn’t have any Beaver Nuggets from Buc-ee’s for him to snack on. He kept the local references going when he held up one of the newly designed Houston Texans jerseys.
There was a lot of cool visual stuff going on behind the band on the giant video screens as they performed. Besides the videos of the band performing, there was some animation, like a red background with a temple and snakes during “Sympathy for the Devil” and some tumbling dice during, you guessed it, “Tumbling Dice.”
The stage had a catwalk that went out into the crowd that Jagger frequently ran out on inspiring a whole lot of selfie attempts with him — not to the amusement of security who didn’t want the aisles blocked.
Besides Jagger, Wood, and Richards, The Stones had a fairly large group of folks onstage with them. Standouts included back up singer Chanel Haynes and drummer Steve Jordan, who replaced longtime great Charlie Watts who passed away in 2021. Haynes shared lead vocal duties with Jagger on a few songs.
The almost two hours flew by. Many of us feel the music of The Stones is great but seeing it performed live just took it to another higher level.
Start Me Up Get Off of My Cloud Rocks Off Out of Time Angry Beast of Burden Mess It Up Tumbling Dice You Can’t Always Get What You Want Little T&A Sympathy for the Devil Gimme Shelter Honky Tonk Women Miss You Paint It Black Jumpin’ Jack Flash Sweet Sounds of Heaven (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
A month after dropping their latest studio album, HACKNEY DIAMONDS, The Rolling Stones have announced a 16-stop stadium tour across North America for next year.
Stones Tour ’24 will feature a new stage following their 2017–2021 North American No Filter Tour. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood will perform the band’s biggest hits — from “Start Me Up” to “Gimme Shelter,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” to “Satisfaction,” and more — plus deep cuts and new songs off HACKNEY DIAMONDS.
Last month, The Rolling Stones celebrated the release of HACKNEY DIAMONDS — their first studio set of new material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang — with a special rock show at Racket NYC. “Angry,” the lead single from the album, just received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Rock Song.
Stones Tour ’24 Dates
Sunday, April 28, 2024 – NRG Stadium – Houston, TX Thursday, May 2, 2024 – Jazz Fest – New Orleans, LA Tuesday, May 7, 2024 – State Farm Stadium – Glendale, AZ Saturday, May 11, 2024 – Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas, NV Wednesday, May 15, 2024 – Lumen Field – Seattle, WA Thursday, May 23, 2024 – MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, NJ Thursday, May 30, 2024 – Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, MA Monday, June 3, 2024 – Camping World Stadium – Orlando, FL Friday, June 7, 2024 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, GA Tuesday, June 11, 2024 – Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia, PA Saturday, June 15, 2024 – Cleveland Browns Stadium – Cleveland, OH Thursday, June 20, 2024 – Empower Field at Mile – High Denver, CO Thursday, June 27, 2024 – Soldier Field – Chicago, IL Friday, July 5, 2024 – BC Place – Vancouver, BC Wednesday, July 10, 2024 – SoFi Stadium – Los Angeles, CA Wednesday, July 17, 2024 – Levi’s® Stadium – Santa Clara, CA
Making fun of the headlines today, so you don’t have to
The news, even that about the Phillies, doesn’t need to be complicated or confusing; that’s what any new release from Microsoft is for. And, as in the case with anything from Microsoft, to keep the news from worrying our pretty little heads over, remember something new and equally indecipherable will come out soon:
Really all you need to do is follow one simple rule: barely pay attention and jump to conclusions. So, here are some headlines today and my first thoughts:
Phillies Fanatic gives fans emotional support, but can’t get any himself.
Phillies deny emotional support alligator from entering ballpark
On a related note, the Phillies Fanatic hasn’t been seen since … wouldn’t be surprised if he tasted like San Diego Chicken.
Jim Jordan forced out of House speaker race after losing secret ballot
Personally, I wouldn’t let Jim Jordan lead a party of five to their table at a restaurant.
“I’m not Nostradamus”: Keith Richards on the future of The Rolling Stones
Adding: “Although I did babysit him.”
Team Biden joined Truth Social
… Probably because they want to have a place to be alone.
Woman says date dashed after she ate 48 oysters and more, sparking debate
Could’ve been worse; she could’ve had crabs.
70 percent of New Jersey residents want Menendez to resign: poll
The other 30% would just like for him to return their gifts!
Happy 52nd Birthday, Snoop Dogg
Looks pretty good for a guy’s who’s 364 in Snoop Dogg years.
Judge Engoron fines Trump $5K for violating his gag order
… Wonder what Mexico’s gonna do with their bill.
Meryl Streep and her husband, Don Gummer, have been quietly separated for the past six years
And living with Will and Jada, respectively.
Fani Willis gets Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro to flip in Georgia RICO case
Fani Willis looks like the new Pinball Wizard; she knows how to work those flippers!
Heidi Klum’s sensational nearly nude photo proves this year’s Cannes appearance is her boldest yet
Or, is that appearance of her cans? Potato/potato.
Squirmy critter seen at wildlife refuge leaves Texans disturbed
I’m shocked, shocked … Ted Cruz was actually spotted in Texas.
Paul Mooney once ‘walked in’ on Barbara Walters hooking up with comedian Richard Pryor, says Sherri Shepherd
Would’ve made a great SNL Sketch with Baba WooWoo.
A Danish artist who submitted empty frames as artwork is appealing court ruling to repay the cash
They should’ve paid with a piece of unlined, white paper …
Matt Gaetz repeatedly cursed out by fellow Republicans in heated conference meeting
… Damn, there’s a lot of white on white violence in the Republican caucus; maybe it should be shut down until we see what is going on …
Paul Lander is not sure which he is proudest of — winning the Noble Peace Prize or sending Congolese gynecologist Dr. Denis Mukwege to accept it on his behalf, bringing to light the plight of African women in war-torn countries. In his non-daydreaming hours, Paul has written for Weekly Humorist, National Lampoon, American Bystander, Huff Post Comedy, McSweeney’s, Bombeck Writers Workshop Blog and the Humor Times, written and/or produced for multiple TV shows and written standup material that’s been performed on Maher, The Daily Show, Colbert, Kimmel, etc. Now, on to Paul’s time-commanding Special Forces in Khandahar… (See all of Paul’s “Ripping the Headlines Today” columns here.)
After six decades of rock ‘n’ roll, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood are at it again. The Rolling Stones‘ long-awaited new album, “Hackney Diamonds,” is out this Friday. It’s the band’s first album since longtime drummer Charlie Watts died in 2021.
“Hackney Diamonds” also marks the Stones’ first album of original songs in 18 years.
When the Rolling Stones ended their tour last year, Jagger issued a challenge to his bandmates – to set a deadline to record an album: “So, I said to Keith, ‘Let’s try and do that. And we’re going in this, we’re going here, and we finished by Valentine’s Day.’”
“It’s called Blitzkrieg,” said Richards.
They did it. “You don’t really need a lot to start, to kick off a song,” Jagger said.
Wood said, “We’re lucky, because we bounce, me and Keith. If somebody’s got a riff. And we weave. You see lots of people say, ‘What is this weaving?’ But it’s fantastic because it provides a net for Mick to fall into.”
Wood said making a record now is no different for them than it was 20 or 40 years ago. “Because you can’t lose that element of camaraderie and live music,” he said. “Something happens which is magic, and we never try to examine it that closely. We just let it rock on.”
Keith Richards, Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood are back with “Hackney Diamonds,” the Rolling Stones’ first album of new music in 18 years.
CBS News
Richards said he still gets excited when writing a song. “Even if it turns out to be lousy, you know, the minute you say, ‘Oh, I’ve got something here,’ or you’re playing it … even the teasing thread that this could be fantastic. Yeah, that’s the joy of it, man,” he said.
Jagger said he has lots of processes for songwriting. “Like, ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven.’ So I just, I wasn’t trying to write a song. I was just playing the piano for fun. And then suddenly, you’ve written ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven’!”
Lady Gaga joined Jagger on the vocal for the new song.
“It’s a very satisfying thing to do. It’s one of my favorite things to do,” Jagger said. “To write a song, you just need your recording device, and you need, you know, your voice. And in 10 minutes you can create something that didn’t exist before, and maybe should never exist! But sometimes they’re worth it, you know?”
Jagger and Richards are one of the most successful songwriting teams of all time, with such classics as “Start Me Up,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Gimme Shelter,” “Honky Tonk Women,” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” The group has sold more than 250 million records.
But back in 1962, they started as a blues band that played only covers, like “Time Is On My Side.” “I’d never considered myself to be a songwriter,” said Richards, “until somebody yelled up, ‘We need a song and somebody’s got to come up with it.’ And so, Mick and I sort of went in the kitchen and started and learned how to write songs for the Rolling Stones.”
In the video for their new song, “Angry,” the vintage Stones from every era come to life again through animation and artificial intelligence. “What I loved about it is that we didn’t have to do anything,” said Jagger.
“You know, when we’re all gone, there will still be AI,” Jagger replied. “So, you won’t be able to get rid of us.”
Another supergroup, ABBA, though no longer together, is still performing in hologram concerts. When asked if they were considering the hologram route, Jagger said, “We definitely have thought about that, and we’ve been asked to. It’s going to happen, I’m sure.”
But Jagger (at age 80), Richards (soon to turn 80), and Wood (76) don’t seem to be contemplating their own mortality …. nor are they considering their legacy.
“I know that other people can think about that,” Richards said. “I’m sure there’d be several different versions!”
After six decades, they’re talking about touring again next year. The band, Richards says, is bigger than all of them: “Because in a way, it’s the Rolling Stones that keep pulling Mick and me and Ronnie back together. There’s something about that that I really admire about the whole bunch, you know?”
“That you’ve made it through?”
“Yeah, yeah. It was a rough trip here and there!” he laughed.
Read more of Anthony Mason’s conversation with The Rolling Stones.
Anthony Mason is senior culture and senior national correspondent for CBS News. He has been a frequent contributor to “CBS Sunday Morning,” and is the former co-host for “CBS This Morning: Saturday” and “CBS This Morning.”
You don’t expect birth announcements from a 60-year-old band. But last month in London, The Rolling Stones revealed they’d made a new record. “Hackney Diamonds” (to be released October 20) is the Stones’ first album of original music in 18 years.
The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Mick Jagger in London September 6, 2023, when they announced the release of their first album of new music in 18 years.
CBS News
At Electric Lady Studios in New York, where the band worked on the new record, “Sunday Morning” caught up with Keith Richards.
Mason asked, “Is it like getting on a bike, when you guys go into the studio?”
“Pretty much, but you’re not sure if the tires are pumped up!” Richards laughed.
Keith Richards.
CBS News
Over in London, Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood joined us, to discuss how “Hackney Diamonds” came about.
According to Richards, “My recollection is that Mick said, ‘What we need to do is, let’s make an album. Let’s blitz it.’ Basically that was the impetus.”
“We used to have to have a record ready to go out on tour, so there was a deadline,” said Jagger. “So, then we more or less did what we said we planned to do.”
“It was really unusual!” Richards laughed.
“Yeah, really unusual! I think I said to Keith, ‘It’s going to be finished by Valentine’s Day.’ And Keith looked at me like [what???].”
Keith Richards, Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones.
CBS News
Mason asked, “How quickly do you know in a recording studio when you have something?”
“You’ve got to give it a minute,” Jagger replied. “You can’t be dismissive if you don’t get it in the first one minute. But you kind of get to know in 10 minutes, I’d say.”
That quickly? “It doesn’t take long to know if something’s really there and whether it’s worth chasing,” Richards said.
“It’s a bit like a painting you construct,” said Wood. “You do that first layout, and then you give it a breath – you know, go away.”
“Because you’re a painter,” said Jagger.
“Let him have his analogy,” added Richards. “Most people aren’t Van Gogh.”
“Van Gogh away, please!” Wood laughed.
The album’s lead single, “Angry,” started with a lyric from Jagger: “I was just playing the guitar in the Caribbean on my own and just came up with the idea. And then I took it to the next level with Keith,” he said.
“Mick and I, we kind of kick each other up the ass,” Richards said. “‘Oh, I like that.’ ‘I don’t like that.’ Whatever it is, it’s a sort of chemistry.”
To hear “Angry,” from the album “Hackney Diamonds,” click on the video player below:
Mason asked, “Did you feel the need to put an album out?”
“I think maybe because of Charlie’s demise that we felt that, if the Stones were going to continue, then we better make a mark of what the Stones are now,” Jagger said.
“Was it hard for you to look back and not see Charlie there?”
“Yeah, of course, it’s hard,” Jagger said. “I mean, it’s all my life. Ever since I was 19 or whatever, it’s always been Charlie.”
Mick Jagger.
CBS News
“On some level it had to be emotional not to have Charlie.”
“Of course it’s emotional,” Jagger said. “But you have to get past that in life, you know? I love Charlie … but I still want to carry on making music.”
Last year, the Stones toured with new drummer Steve Jordan. But Watts plays on two tracks on “Hackney Diamonds,” including one with the Stones’ original bassist, Bill Wyman, who left the band in 1993.
Did Wyman have to be coaxed to come back? “No, not at all,” said Jagger. “I phoned him and I said, ‘Are you still playing the bass even?’ I was a bit worried! He said, ‘What do you mean? I play every day! I’m making an album.’ I said, ‘Great, Bill. Come and do this track. Because Charlie’s on it and I’d like it to be reunited, the original rhythm section. Would be a cool idea.’”
“It All Over Now,” the Stones’ first Top 10 hit in America in 1964:
When those original Rolling Stones first formed in London in 1962, they never imagined it would last. Richards said, “I remember when we had the first hit record, we kind of looked at each other with like dismay: ‘Well, we got about two years, boys, and then you got find a job!’”
Six decades later, they’re still one of the biggest touring acts in the world, grossing $179 million last year alone.
“We just are pioneers, in that no one has done 60 years of rock ‘n’ roll, ever,” said Wood – at 76, the youngest Stone.
He has a side gig as a painter, a passion he pursues when he’s not playing guitar. “That’s what keeps me going,” he said. “And then I go, ‘Wow,’ you know, ‘we’re gonna play music next,’ and it just, one runs into the other.”
His two artistic passions merge on tour when he makes these set lists after every show. It’s a kind of memoir: “That was when that happened, you know, and that’s where we played.”
Ronnie Wood shows correspondent Anthony Mason his paintings and decorated set lists.
CBS News
Speaking of memoirs, Mason asked Jagger if he’d ever considered writing one. “Oh, yeah, I’ve considered it,” he replied. And I’ve been offered a lot of money. And I’ve seen people do it. And it takes like, two years. They’re living two years in their past.”
“And that doesn’t appeal to you?” Mason asked.
“That does not appeal to me,” he replied. “So, someone else will just have to remember it for me!”
Both Jagger and Richards have landmark birthdays this year – the big eight-zero. Richards’ is in December.
How does that feel? “I asked Mick, because he’s six months older than me. And he says it’s not that different,” Richards laughed.
Jagger became an octogenarian back in July. “It’s a bit overblown,” he said. “It’s not all it’s cracked up to be, being 80. There’s not really options here. You’re either going to get there or not.”
“You’ve gotten there in pretty good shape,” Mason said.
“Well, thank you, that’s very kind!”
Members of the Rolling Stones (Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger, Steve Jordan and Keith Richards) perform as part of their European tour, in Madrid, June 1, 2022.
HANS KLAUS TECHT/APA/AFP via Getty Images
Wood said of Jagger, “He’s singing the best he’s ever sang, I think, now. That’s another reason we’ve got to keep going. When you’ve got it, flaunt it, you know?”
Mason asked Richards, “So, why do you think you guys have endured?”
“I think we, basically, we love each other and we love our music,” he said. “And when you’re doing it, you don’t really think about it. But I think with Charlie going, I’ve realized more and more how special that is. I mean, there’s something about the Stones and there’s something about us all that sort of says, ‘No, we stick together!’ And then you can’t just drop it, you know? You got to follow it right down to the end, down the tunnel.”
“As you said, it’s bigger than all of you.”
“Yeah, it is. Damn thing!” he laughed.
To hear “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” from the album “Hackney Diamonds,” click on the video player below:
Anthony Mason is senior culture and senior national correspondent for CBS News. He has been a frequent contributor to “CBS Sunday Morning,” and is the former co-host for “CBS This Morning: Saturday” and “CBS This Morning.”
Who knew Rolling Stones guitarist and songwriter Keith Richards also played with modular synthesizers?
In a clip unearthed by Far Out Magazine, the legendary musician is seen making experimental electronic music on a modular synthesizer. The footage shows Richards arranging cords and cables to create ambient sounds as a soft, dreamy hum emanates from the machine, most likely a Moog.
The clip comes from an obscure documentary called Umano Non Umano, which was screened at the 30th Venice International Film Festival. The film’s title translates to “Human Not Human.” Mario Schifano, an Italian painter known for exhibiting alongside Andy Warhol, released the doc in 1969, per Far Out.
According to IMDb, “artists and poets meet in a dreamlike space between walks and performances” in the experimental film.
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Believe it or not, this may not have been the first time the Stones tested the waters of electronic music via analog synthesizers. The group is said to have purchased an early synth in the ’70s and kicked the tires on how to use it in their music.
“Apparently at the time, the idea was that Mick [Jagger] was going to use the Moog synthesizer as his instrument in the band,” said Sam Umland, an English professor at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, on his 60×50 music blog.
Jagger, however, didn’t ultimately take up the synthesizer. It was eventually sold to a Berlin recording studio, where it was purchased for $15,000 by Christoph Franke of Tangerine Dream.
