Why does Elton John think that The Rolling Stones are irrelevant?
Elton John’s history with The Rolling Stones is a complicated one. For the last few decades, the singer-songwriter has been locked in a vicious feud with guitarist Keith Richards and added more fuel to the fire when he branded the group “irrelevant” during a radio interview.
The possible catalyst for the rivalry came in the 1980s when Elton performed with The Rolling Stones in Colorado. At the time, the singer-songwriter was at the height of his cocaine addiction, which showed in his cameo. “If anything, cocaine gave me too much confidence for my own good,” John recalled about the incident in his autobiography, Me. He added: “If I hadn’t been coked out of my head when the Rolling Stones turned up in Colorado and asked me to come onstage with them, I might have just performed ‘Honky Tonk Women’, waved to the crowd and made my exit.”
Rather than bidding his farewell after completing the song, Elton decided to overstay his welcome. Despite various cues from Richards telling him to depart the stage, due to the drugs in his system, it took Elton far too long to realise this and finally exit. “After a few songs, it finally penetrated my brain that the expression on his face wasn’t really suggestive of profound musical appreciation,” John added. “I quickly scuttled off, noting as I went that Keith was still staring at me in a manner that suggested we’d be discussing this later, and decided it might be best if I didn’t hang around for the after-show party”.
Since that moment, Elton and The Rolling Stones have endured a handful of public spats. Most notably, Richards criticised Elton’s decision to re-release ‘Candle In The Wind’ to celebrate the life of Princess Dianna, which led to him saying to the New York Daily News: “I’m glad I’ve given up drugs and alcohol. It would be awful to be like Keith Richards. He’s pathetic, poor thing. It’s like a monkey with arthritis, trying to go on stage and look young.”
Elton added: “I have great respect for the Stones but they would have been better if they had thrown Keith out 15 years ago… I just think he’s an a-hole and I have for a long time…what I think the Rolling Stones should do is a great blues record, and go back to what they used to do – and do things like ‘Come On’ – the Chuck Berry song like they did in their early career. That is what they should do.
In 2016, John again stuck the boot into The Rolling Stones, claiming they had lost all relevancy. He told a US radio station (via NME): “What I think the Rolling Stones should do is a great blues record, and go back to what they used to do – and do things like ‘Come On’ – the Chuck Berry song like they did in their early career. That is what they should do.”
Elton added: “I think Mick wants to still be relevant on the radio – well they are not. And I think Keith would love to do a record like that. And that is what they should be doing.”
Despite John’s comment seeming harsh, later in 2016, The Rolling Stones coincidentally released Blue and Lonesome. The record saw the group return to their roots and solely comprised of The Stones covering a selection of their favourite blues songs.
