Month: October 2023

“‘Hackney Diamonds’ has reached #1 in album charts across the world! Including the UK, Germany, France, Holland, Japan, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Mexico, Portugal, Greece, Denmark, Austria & Croatia. More still to be announced!“

And the music spreads…

Some off-Stones-content here, sorry, hehehe …

The Rolling Stones topped the British music charts on Friday, securing their 14th UK No. 1 album with new record “Hackney Diamonds”.

This is the headline from reuters.com, yesterday. There we can read that Hackney Diamonds “also topped the Official Vinyl Albums Chart“, too. And even “The album also topped charts in Australia and Germany.”

W-O-W! Are we proud of our beloved Stones or what?!!??

Then, at news.sky.com, we read “Rolling Stones album goes to number one – drawing level for record with The Beatles and Springsteen – The album Hackney Diamonds has claimed the number one spot in this week’s UK charts – drawing level with The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen and Robbie Williams for the record for most number one studio albums.“

And more at billboard.com: “Rolling Stones’ ‘Hackney Diamonds’ Sparkles at No. 1 In Australia – “Hackney Diamonds” debuts at No. 1 on the ARIA Chart, published Friday, Oct. 27.“

Finally, soccer:

apnews.com: “Jagger watches Barcelona wear Stones logo in ‘clasico’ but Beatles fan Bellingham gets Madrid winner … Mick Jagger showed up to see the home team wear special jerseys featuring the iconic logo of his legendary rock group before a Beatles fan had the last laugh … After the game, Madrid cheekily posted an image of Bellingham with the message “The Beatles were always my favorite band” on X“

goad.com: “Rolling Stones stars Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood spotted at El Clasico as Barcelona take on Real Madrid at Montjuic in La Liga“
See also: lavanguardia.com 

No more words needed – The Rolling Stones, Oktober 2023 and Lady Gaga

Director: James Barnes
Creative Director: Semera Khan
Executive Producer: Laura Burhenn
Line Producer: Erikx DiSantis
Asst Producer: Lavinia Jones Wright
Production Company: Our Secret Handshake
Director of Photography: Ambrose Eng
Camera Operators: Jason Lester, Danilo Parra, Scott Keenan, Drew Levin
Assistant Camera: Rob Martin
DIT: Isaac Hoff
Editor: Hamish Lyons
Colorist: Jaime OBradovich
Color Producer: Nick Krasnic
Color Company: Company 3

Mixed by Andrew Watt & Paul LaMalfa

Produced by Andrew Watt

Mick Jagger: Lead Vocals
Lady Gaga: Vocals
Keith Richards: Guitar
Ronnie Wood: Guitar
Steve Jordan: Drums
Darryl Jones: Bass
Matt Clifford: Piano / Keys
Chanelle Haynes: Backing Vocals

Recorded at Racket NYC, 19th October 2023

FOH: Jim Ragus
Monitor: Monty Carlo

Hackney Diamonds is getting lots of fine reviews! Here’s another one:

The Idependent in his Saturday Interview features Keith: “The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards: ‘Don’t get me going on modern-day music. It’s a one-way toilet’ […] Mick wanted the new record done quick – and cracked the whip to get the boys to knuckle down, as the ghost of Charlie Watts hovered ‘right there, over our shoulder’ during recording. And Keith? Well, he’s still on crackling street-fighting form (and full of fire and fury about digital music) as he and the rest of The Rolling Stones tell Paul Sexton about the making of ‘Hackney Diamonds’ “
Ok, the full text is behind a paywall, but for the occasional readers there’s also archive.ph

Billboard.com #1: “The Rolling Stones’ Six-Decade Career: Looking Through Their Past, Darkly”
Billboard.com #2: “Lady Gaga Joins the Rolling Stones on Stage in NYC for Surprise Album Launch Party – ‘Hackney Diamonds’ is the British legends’ latest.”
Billboard.com #3: “Rolling Stones’ ‘Hackney Diamonds’ Sparkles on Midweek U.K. Chart – Nothing will stop these Rolling Stones from gathering a 14th U.K. No. 1.“

savingcountrymusic.com – “Rock Review – The Rolling Stones – “Hackney Diamonds”” I dare a short citation: “… Why is a country music outlet even talking about The Rolling Stones? If you don’t think albums like Let It Bleed and Exile on Main St., and songs like “Dead Flowers” and “Sway” haven’t been as significantly influential on country artists as almost anything from the country canon itself, you don’t know music. The Gram Parsons-influenced era of The Rolling Stones back in the early 70s was a gateway for so many rock fans to country. It was also a gateway for many country fans to rock. …”

Do you know about other interesting reviews? Well send them in or help me and post them straightaway as a comment! 🙂

Yup – here’s Keith at Jimmy’s show – in three parts…

Jimmy talks about watching The Rolling Stones give a surprise performance with Lady Gaga at their album release party for Hackney Diamonds.

=> Don’t forget about this kind friend of ours, Jimi O.,  – Jimi sent us a link to the complete Keith at the Howard Stern Show (mp4, 1.54 GB). That’s some impressive 1:32:18 talk with Keith – simply great!! I have no idea how long this link will be working, so then here you go… 🙂

Ok, see & listen to part #1:

… and part #2

… and part #3 – notice the 5-string Guitar Keith plays…

This is a dream come true – Andrew Watt writes beautiful lines at Insta and adds a great gallery.

At his Insta account, Andrew Watt writes:
“Today is October 20th…my 33rd birthday…I woke up in nyc to the release of @therollingstones album I produced. This cannot be real, it must be Rock n Roll Heaven…everyone in the world knows what it’s like to be a fan of this band. They’re the worlds greatest rock n roll band…but somehow I got to spend real time with these guys. They took a freak from behind the barricade and let him produce their record!! I learned about muddy waters from Keith, little Richard from mick, and Rembrandt from Ron. We were a family for 6 months straight giving everything we had to the record that is out today. Thank you to @paulmccartney @eltonjohn @ladygaga @steviewonderlegacy @bill_wyman_official @matterialist12 @jayveerecords @benmonttench It took an army to make this happen @the_malfa @marsonaudio and @serbangheneamixes I could not have dreamed of doing this without you. Dreams do come true…I am filled with nothing but deep gratitude today. Boy do I fucking love music“

And here are his pictures… really nice!

What a night! What a gig! What a band!!

Below are the videos and some pics from last night’s gig. As for the press, not only the new album gets great reviews, but the band too. Quite a bunch of celebs were seen there, among them Daniel Craig, Mary Kate Olsen, Chris Rock, Jimmy Fallon, Trevor Noah, Taylor Hill, Rachel Weisz, Christie Brinkley, Ed Burns, Keegan-Michael Key, Minka Kelly, Christy Turlington, and Andrew Watt and Elvis Costello and Diana Krall.

There’s a great review in Rolling Stone, of which I quote only a few words as appetizer:

“... Tonight, however, there weren’t any signs of rust … the songs crackled with life on the stage … even though they played a mere seven songs, nobody walked out looking unhappy … Everyone knew they’d just witnessed something historic … This is a colossal achievement that nobody expected from a group that started when JFK was president… the Rolling Stones proved tonight that there’s at least one more great chapter to come before this whole saga wraps up“

And variety.com:

“The group’s impressively lively new album would bring a jolt to their familiar setlist and they were well-rehearsed if not yet tour-tight … Jagger defies biology, incredibly lithe and elastic … Thursday night’s show suggests that something else might be beginning soon“

Angry:

Shattered, TD:

SSOH:

Hang Fire YT Blog:

Even german Tagesschau has it covered as ‘Pictures of the day’:

Apparently, according to Robert B. from Instagram, The Rolling Stones will be playing tonight at the Racket in Ney York City!

SETLIST!!!

1. Shattered
2.  Angry
3. Whole Wide World
4. Tumbling Dice
5. Bite My Head Off
6. Sweet Sounds Of Heaven (w. Lady Gaga)
7. Jumping Jack Flash

Short video Sweet Sounds Of Heaven (Insta) – a little longer here at YouTube – and a Mick-Gaga duett (Insta) – and Keith opening JJF!! (Insta)

Final bow:

– – – – – – – – – – – –

Check out Robert B.’s Insta for this info!

This is exciting! I woner how and what they’ll play – will Bill Wyman be there, too? I think, Mr. Watt, too could play the bass on the new songs. Maybe it’s just a private gig for the industry? Or will it be open to some lucky fans, too?

Whatever the boys are up to – we will see and hear hopefully what’s going on. By now, Lady Gaga might be there (and who else!??) and the warm-up gig is the Questlove …

Robert B. from Insta:

“I heard Lady Gaga might show. It will probably be a star Studded event” … “Questlove Will warmup”

Brad Wheeler, entertaintment writer from the Globe&Mail also posted this on X some hours ago: “#RollingStones launching new album #HackneyDiamonds tonight with an appearance in Manhattan, at Racket NYC. Three songs to be performed live is what I’m hearing.”

More coming up…

=> Then, I received mail from a kind friend of ours, Jimi O., reached me – Jimi sent us a link to the complete Keith at the Tonight Show (mp4, 1.54 GB). That’s some impressive 1:32:18 talk with Keith – simply great!!

Ronnie Wood on The Rolling Stones’ Star-Studded Album and Working with Paul McCartney 

Ronnie Wood talks about working with Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Paul McCartney on The Rolling Stones’ album Hackney Diamonds, the album featuring two songs with fallen bandmate Charlie Watts, and how he got into painting…

Here’s the video:

Seems like it’s possible that Mick, Keith and Ronnie (and Bill?) will be at Jimmy Fallon’s show and maybe will be playing live.

Ronnie is scheduled for tonight, Keith for Friday. See the show’s page for this.

Another venue in the rumors is the Racket Club. They should be rehearsing by now if this really would happen; maybe the SST Studios, NJ are a good guess…

If you plan to buy tickets for Jimmy Fallon, here’s some info:

Standby cards are now available in the Shop at NBC Studios, located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza (via the 6th Avenue entrance between 49th & 50th st.). Standby cards will be distributed from 9 am – 3 pm EST the morning of a show.

Space is limited! Anyone receiving a card must be 16 years or older (regardless of whether a parent or guardian is present). Standby cards are limited to one per person and are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.

Here’s something for the german fans interested in the latest merch – the Hackney Diamond Bus-Tour:

Visit the Rolling Stones Pop Up Tour and immerse yourself in the world of “Hackney Diamonds”! Listen to the new album in Dolby Atmos (only on the bus), enjoy a drink and buy exclusive merch as well as a limited album format – only available on the bus and in the stationary pop-up stores!

This is what you can experience in and on the HACKNEY DIAMONDS bus:

• Listen to the album exclusively in Dolby Atmos (spaces are limited)
• Enjoy a drink
• Get exclusive pop-up merch and a special album format (RS Carnaby No.9” Vinyl in red)
• Take a souvenir picture in the photo box
• Receive unique giveaways
• Get exclusive pop-up merch and a special album format
• Exclusive midnight sale
• From 8 p.m. there is 100 liters of free beer

Check out hackneydiamonds-bustour.de for more details and all the Tour-Dates:

Bill Wyman is rumoured to have flown to NYC, besides his fear of flying…

How that is and even could happen I don’t know, but if it’s true, then we’ll have a great bass player for the possible club gig/live gig somewhere this week in NYC, right?

Then, Ronnie shares some memories with NME and with us, including hinting towards the newxt US tour. And he even spoke about playing the new songs live “next week“… so go figure:

And here’s more: CBS’ Sunday Morning show interviews all three of them at once, hehehe … so here’ part #1:

… aaaand part #2:

It’s possible that The Stones will be in New York next week for the promotion of Hackney Diamonds!

showbiz411.com tells us, that Mick, Keith and Ronnie will be in NY next week and will appear on Jimmy Fallon’s show – either together or seperately, that’s not clear as yet. At Jimmy’s site, you can see Ronnie scheduled for Wednesday, October 18th and Keith for Friday, October 20th.

It’s rumoured as well, that “there is a 99% chance the Stones will put on a live show in New York for fans next week” in a club or small theater…

Well, that they will do promotion in NYC seems obvious and very likely; the club show – OMG, that would be a dream come true. All three of them are in good condition and even have practiced playing so maybe there’s really some chance to see them play a little set in a small venue next week.

They definitely should do this, IMHO!

Paul Smith’s collaboration with The Rolling Stones is out – limited-edition Hackney Diamonds vinyl and collectable tees.

“Incorporating the band’s signature colour – red – the vinyl sleeve also features Paul’s distinctive handwriting for the band name and track list on the back. The vinyl itself has a sticker with a reworking of The Rolling Stone’s iconic tongue logo using our well-known Signature Stripe. It is available for pre-order through The Rolling Stones official online shop now and will be on sale in a select number of our stores – London’s King’s Cross and Beak Street as well as our shops in Shibuya, Tokyo and Mini Melrose in LA – on 20 October 2023.

Along with the vinyl, Paul has also been working on a selection of collectable organic cotton tees featuring the exclusive vinyl print as well as a version with a print of the reinterpreted Signature Stripe tongue logo front and centre.“

Are The Rolling Stones going on tour in 2024 behind Hachney Diamonds?

planetradio.co.uk reports about an interview the BBC did with Keith under the headline “Keith Richards says The Rolling Stones are planning 2024 tour“.

Here’s a snippet:

In fact, rather than waving goodbye, the band are plotting to take their new music on the road next year, “if everybody is still standing”. “We’re all in good fettle,” says Richards. “We’re not looking at each other and saying, ‘time’s up’.
Is that a phrase he could ever imagine uttering?
“My answer is I’m not Nostradamus,” he chuckles. “Of course it’s going to end some time, but there’s no particular rush.”

Then, Keith also joined the Howard Stern show at SiriusXM! To get the full interview, check out the show’s homepage and check out siriusxm.us (subscription needed, 3 months free trial possible). There’s 4 teasers from it at YouTube:

1. Keith Richards on How the Rolling Stones Got Their Name

2. Keith Richards Talks Teaming Up With Mick Jagger

3. Keith Richards Remembers Rolling Stones Drummer Charlie Watts

4. Keith Richards on Writing the Rolling Stones Hit “Satisfaction”

Now, as we have seen, listened and read about Hackney Diamonds, Angry and SSOH and enjoyed interviews with Mick, it’s about time we ask for who this Mr. Watt is…

And here we have one magazine, namely Guitar Player (vol. 57, No. 12, December 2023) with 2 recommended interviews: the first is with Mr. Keith Richards (p. 42 – 51) followed by a remarcable interview with Mr. Andrew Watt (p 52 – 58).

Thanks to rbarnes00 [iorr] we can read both interviews online at issuu.com – go there and flip through the pages. That interview with Watt is really astonishing – that guy is just 32 years old, but knows about the Stones and guitars and so… ah, you better read it for yourselfs, hehehe …

That’s a real gimmick and maybe must-have for all those vinyl completicits!

A stunning vinyl LP version of Hackney Diamonds due for release on October 20th 2023.

BUT: This edition is “limited to Customers with shipping adress in Germany, Austria & Switzerland only.” Don’t ask me why that is, I have no idea.

It’s 1LP – Picture Disc [Blood Records Zoetrope] and will be shipped approximately on October 20th for the price of 34,99 €. Preorder it at rollingstones.bravado.de

Check out their video: