The Rolling Stones reveal the key to their longevity: “A marriage of a kind”
After more than 60 years together, The Rolling Stones have revealed the key to their unparalleled longevity.
While most acts of their vintage have either retired or settled in for a lucrative nostalgia-fuelled residency at The Sphere in Las Vegas, The Stones are releasing their new album Foreign Tongues on July 10th.
Remarkably, despite a quiet 21st century before 2023’s Hackney Diamonds, this will be their 25th studio album, and from the way they are speaking, it won’t be their last, either.
Now, in a new interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music, Ronnie Wood, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards all shared their perspective on how the band has lasted this long.
Wood, who, despite not being an original member, has been part of the band for over 50 years, reflected on their lifetime working together, shared the secret to Lowe, “Well we don’t over soak our hanging out. You know, we lead our own lives and when we do get back together, it’s like no time had gone by.”
He added, “So we’re back in the playground, as you’re like naughty school boys, we’re back in the studio. That’s what we do. We love to interact, as you know, you can tell from the music, off of each other. Mick is still very driving, to this day.”
Meanwhile, Richards puts it down to the personnel involved rather than spending apart, saying of his creative partnership with Jagger, “Oh it is a marriage of a kind. Who’s wifey and who’s husband is another thing. But maybe that’s what keeps it going.”
The guitarist poignantly added, “But when you meet the guy that has the same taste in music and the same feel for it as you do it’s more than double the pleasure. You can’t put your finger on it but at the same time it is a mystery and I think maybe long may it be a mystery.”
He also conceded, “I mean I’ve been trying to think about it and figure it out and what is I found pointless.”
Jagger was more forthright in his analysis, admitting, “I think if The Rolling Stones have had a lot of failure it wouldn’t have stayed together. We’ve been very lucky and been successful a lot you know, even though not everything we’ve put out recorded wise has been brilliant.”
Elsewhere, in the same interview, The Stones again hinted that a tour in support of Foreign Tongues was on the horizon for 2027 with Wood saying, “Don’t have to twist my arm, mate. I’ll be out there as soon as I get my call up papers.”
After Jagger said he’d “love to” hit the road again, Richards, who has been reported to have been the stumbling block for a tour this summer, optimistically added, “Next year’s wide open, so I mean it is, it’s up for grabs really.”
Last week, in an interview with Argentine media outfit La Nacíon, Jagger said, “I’d love to tour this album, I can’t wait to sing (it). There’s so many songs on this album we can do on stage, so, I don’t think we’ll be touring this year, but I hope to tour next year, and I hope to do it as soon as possible. And, I’d love to come to Argentina, too.”
Then, Jagger was probed about “rumours about residencies in some specific cities,” to which he seemed against, responding, “I don’t know, I’m very ambivalent about residencies personally because it makes it very expensive for people to come to residencies, it costs twice as much.”
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