Ronnie Wood believes the key to the Rolling Stones’ enduring success is they don’t “over socialise”.
The 77-year-old rocker – who joined the group in 1975, 13 years after they formed – stays in occasional contact with bandmates Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards when they’re not recording or touring, but they don’t “over-familiarise” themselves with one another, which he thinks has contributed to their longevity.
He told the Daily Telegraph newspaper: “We’re not on the phone to each other every five minutes. When we’re not touring we keep in touch, just to keep the feelers in each other’s camp, but we don’t over-familiarise – we run on faith and truth.
“We have faith in our music, and we always have hope that people will keep turning up, and sure enough they do.”
The group’s most recent album, 2023’s ‘Hackney Diamonds’ won critical acclaim and generated their best sales, but Ronnie admitted the group have “no idea” about the meaning of chart places these days.
He said: “In the old days we used to have the charts, and you’d be able to plot things and feel a part of it. You’d look at the Melody Maker and say, ‘Look! We’re number 50!’ or whatever. And then you’d creep up the charts.
“It gave young bands so much ambition and something to look forward to. I’ve no idea where we are on the charts now.”
During his time in the Rolling Stones, Ronnie has played the role of “diplomatic welding torch”, serving as peacemaker amid the volatile relationship between Mick and Keith.
He recalled how the pair were not on speaking terms when preparing to record their album ‘Dirty Work’ in 1984 because of Keith’s unhappiness that Mick was also recording his first solo LP.
Recalling being the intermediary between the duo, he said: “It was, ‘OK, you’re going to speak to one another on the phone.’ ‘He doesn’t want to speak to me.’ ‘Oh yes he does! I’ve rigged it up – in 15 minutes he’s expecting your call.’
“So I got Mick to ring Keith, and the other way round. Patching it up, talking, letting nature take its course. But the thing is, if I hadn’t done that, they’d have grown further and further apart.”
Ronnie insisted it was vital he stepped in.
He added: “They’ve been friends since the sandpit. They’re like brothers — they may argue between them, but in the end it’s family. That was the glue, the foundation of the band. I had to protect the institution, didn’t I? It’s the Rolling Stones! No way was this going to collapse.”