While fans of veteran rockers The Rolling Stones may believe some of their records are perfect, drummer Charlie Watts disagrees.
The late musician was with the band from 1963 to his death in 2021 and once suggested that, despite their broad range of releases, they never quite managed to get part of their sound right. Mick Jagger and the band have toured across the world multiple times, often bringing in special guests like Amy Winehouse and Bob Dylan to perform with them. Despite that high-octane energy and special guest thrills that have seen everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Tom Waits and Lady Gaga, Watts believes the band has never captured the skill of Keith Richards‘ guitar playing accurately enough.
Speaking as part of According to The Rolling Stones, Watts would break down his problem with every album the band released. He said: “The live band is where Keith loves being – and our records have never, ever reflected that. We’ve produced some very good, very clever records, but they’ve never had the fire of the live performance. That’s partly because an album is designed and produced to be listened to over and over again, while a live show is done and then it’s gone.”
It appears that even the live albums were lacking in that manner, with Watts implying that the band can never reproduce their live experience on an album because it’s not live in the moment. The Rolling Stones may never tour again, either, with Jagger and Richards seemingly at odds with one another on whether a 2027 tour is plausible.
Jagger appears up for touring after the release of this year’s Foreign Tongues while Richards has remained coy with whether the band would appear on stage as part of a traditional tour. Residencies weren’t ruled out, but there has been no official announcement so far.
Despite Watt’s death in 2021, he still has a hold on the band’s studio work. His final sessions were used on both Foreign Tongues and preceding album, Hackney Diamonds. But he also left Jagger and company a request for after his death which the band has seemingly stuck to.
Though Watts had stepped back from the band’s 2021 tour due to a heart surgery, his replacement, Steve Jordan, stepped in and has been with the band ever since. Ronnie Wood shared Watts’ request for the rest of the members in an interview to promote Hackney Diamonds, the first album from The Rolling Stones not to feature Watts on percussion.
Jordan performed drums on all tracks, except for Mess It Up, Live By the Sword and Rolling Stones Blues. Asked whether Watts’ presence was “felt in the studio,” Wood confirmed he felt the influence of the veteran drummer “all the time”.
He said: “Oh yeah, all the time. I was the last one to see Charlie in the hospital in London. Anyway, to cut a long story short, he said ‘I want to get out of this bloody place but until I do, will you please make sure that Steve Jordan carries the flag for me and then when I get better I’ll come and join you, but please let Steve Jordan play in my place.'”
Wood and the rest of the band have made good on Watts’ final wish, with Jordan maintaining his spot on drums in shows and recordings released after Watts’ death. Wood added: “‘Don’t worry about that we’ve got you covered Charlie.’ He said ‘Alright now I can watch Frankie Dettori win the next race,’ at York, or wherever.”
Discover more from Cult Following
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
