Keith Richards has said Sir Mick Jagger “won’t bloody stop” making new music, crediting the singer’s “momentum” for the speed at which the Rolling Stones’ next album has come together.
The rock ’n’ roll legends will release Foreign Tongues, the follow‑up to 2023’s Hackney Diamonds, in July, and the Gimme Shelter guitarist said Mick shows no signs of slowing down as he approaches his 83rd birthday next month.
He told The Guardian: “Mick’s been very prolific lately, which is one reason this album has come out so quick, because he won’t bloody stop.
“And the momentum from Hackney Diamonds was such that this is basically carrying on in the same breath. I was just letting it roll – we had enough stuff if we wanted to keep pushing, and so Mick and I gave each other the usual wry look and said: ‘Yeah, let’s keep pushing.’”
The publication pointed out that the two musicians have historically differed in their approach to the band’s sound, with frontman Mick inclined toward contemporary experimentation and Keith favouring the traditional style he has always championed.
The 82-year-old musician said his long relationship with Mick has shaped the way they work together.
He said: “I’ve known Mick, I think, roughly since preschool, so let’s say about four years old.
“And when you’ve known a chap that long, you always say: ‘Listen to me, boy, I’ve known you since you were four …’ And that seems to have an effect.”
The Start Me Up guitarist added that their dynamic has softened with age.
He insisted: “No, there’s not as much jousting.
“He’s broken his sword, he’s broken his lance. It’s another thing that Mick and I gave up, probably down to age. Or at least he hasn’t come at me for a while, so I presume we have.”
The Jumpin’ Jack Flash hitmaker also praised producer Andrew Watt, describing him as “a breath of fresh air and a kick up the a**.”
Keith said: “He knows his stuff musically and technically, and he doesn’t put up with any bull**** – he just gets on with it. So I found him very easy to work with. He’s a bit impetuous at times, but then so what?”
Asked whether Andrew had ever had to challenge him directly, the rock icon replied: “No. But he may have given somebody a talking‑to.”