Q39:21Mick Jagger: The Rolling Stones, Charlie Watts and the way forward for music
Earlier this month, the Rolling Stones introduced the band’s first album of authentic materials in 18 years, Hackney Diamonds, which will likely be launched on Oct. 20.
And although the legendary rock group has been lively since forming in 1962, frontman Mick Jagger, 80, does not need their new music to be regarded as retro.
“I mentioned [to producer Andrew Watt], ‘Andy, I would like it to be true to the varsity, . I would like it to be like a Rolling Stones file, but it surely’s acquired to sound prefer it was recorded this yr,'” Jagger recollects in a Canadian unique interview with Q‘s Tom Energy.
“We do not need it to sound like 40 years in the past, and naturally it does not. It feels like now — the readability of it, , and constancy of it. And in case you take heed to it — evaluate it to an outdated Rolling Stones file — it is very, very completely different.”
In contrast to some artists of his era, Jagger is not mired in nostalgia. Reflecting on the final 61 years with the Stones, he believes he is been in a position to lead the band to success “by staying abreast of what is going on on.”
“I am not saying I am slavishly making an attempt to be on the chopping fringe of every little thing, however it’s a must to perceive how issues work, , within the present world,” he says. “And that does not simply apply to the music trade, it applies to a number of issues.
“I imply, , driving a automobile is a unique expertise than driving a automobile in 1960. And the file enterprise, like all companies, it adjustments quite a bit. I imply, the file enterprise being a enterprise of expertise, it by no means stays the identical. It by no means stayed the identical ever.”
I do not need to simply hang around with youthful folks, however I imply, a number of the folks in my era are not right here to hang around with.– Mick Jagger
Over the a long time, Jagger has witnessed first-hand the transition from vinyl to eight-track to cassettes, CDs and now streaming and digital distribution. When the Stones first acquired their begin, he says, it was solely about singles.
“Albums by pop acts didn’t promote,” the Stones frontman tells Energy. “What did promote was present albums like South Pacific.… Frank Sinatra may promote albums.… After which all of a sudden, the Beatles got here alongside, and so they began promoting pop albums. So it was an enormous change.”
In the case of the state of the music trade in 2023, Jagger has quite a bit to say about the benefits of streaming, which he is a fan of.
“Streaming, , is … a lot maligned, however the attention-grabbing factor about it’s that individuals of all generations can entry music from all durations,” he says. “Earlier than, if I needed to, , purchase an outdated blues file from 1955, that was actually tough. I needed to do a mail order; I had to enter a specialist’s store, despite the fact that I had loads of cash. To go and purchase it now, I can simply — there it’s. It is proper there.”
WATCH | Official video for Offended:
‘As you grow old, you lose a number of buddies’
Hackney Diamonds isn’t solely the Stones’ first providing of authentic music for the reason that launch of A Larger Bang in 2005, but additionally the primary since drummer Charlie Watts died in 2021. It is the band’s remaining album to characteristic Watts, utilizing recordings from 2019.
“I knew him since I used to be 19,” Jagger says about his late good friend and bandmate.
“Charlie and I had a number of pursuits outdoors of simply enjoying in a band, . We love sport, , soccer and cricket. Charlie and I used to go to cricket collectively quite a bit. We might speak about soccer. He is an enormous Tottenham fan; I am an Arsenal fan. It is like an enormous competitors.… Charlie liked … lovely objects. , he favored antiques; he favored furnishings. So we talked quite a bit about issues like that, . So we had a number of pursuits in frequent aside from simply being a band.”
Now in his 80s, Jagger has discovered it exhausting not solely dropping buddies, but additionally discovering buddies who’re across the identical age as him.
“As you grow old, you lose a number of buddies,” he tells Energy. “I do not need to simply hang around with youthful folks, however I imply, a number of the folks in my era are not right here to hang around with, so what am I going to do?…
“It’s totally unhappy. In fact, , you concentrate on your individual mortality, however folks take into consideration that from a lot earlier ages than mine.… However these items, I imply, it is part of life, ? We had a number of disappointment — [former bandmate] Brian Jones died, . Plenty of younger folks died of their 20s … and well-known musicians that we admired, , Jimi Hendrix. Folks I liked actually dearly, , died early, and it is very unhappy. However there you’re. It is part of life. Cannot make this all about loss of life.”
WATCH | Mick Jagger’s interview with Tom Energy:
The complete interview with Mick Jagger is offered on our podcast, Q with Tom Energy. Pay attention and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Interview with Mick Jagger produced by Vanessa Nigro.
