Speaking in the new issue of Uncut, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ron Wood reflect on the long arc of The Rolling Stones’ career, as the band reach the milestone of their 25th studio album, Foreign Tongues, and consider the rich continuity that still defines them…
Twenty-five albums feels like a considerable landmark for the Stones. While Mick Jagger dryly suggests “25 doesn’t seem that many, does it?”, in his philosophical way, Keith Richards sees a bigger picture emerging: “There’s a thread that runs through it somehow,” he nods sagely. “After all, you’re listening to a bunch of guys’ life stories, Mrs. Dale’s Diary.”
For his part, Ron Wood seems genuinely surprised that the band have recorded so many albums: “Fucking hell! Is it really 25? Which ones have I been on?” He begins counting on his fingers: “Black And Blue, Some Girls, Tattoo You, Emotional Rescue, Up Yours…”
Arguably the Stones’ biggest fan, Wood opts for the connoisseur’s choice: “I used to like the days of the EP,” he confides. “[sings] ‘You’re off the hook…’ and things like ‘Time Is On My Side’. I always rub their noses in ‘Come On’. They were going, ‘Oh no, no, don’t like that one.’ Are you kidding? It’s fantastic. And the B-side! [sings] ‘I want to be loved…’ Remember that? I still live off those early songs.”
For Jagger, his relationship with his younger self is more complicated. “The very young one is so odd. One minute, he’s completely there, the next he says something so stupid… Mostly, when you see yourself in clips, you’re either being interviewed or on stage. On stage, you can kind of control things, but it was quite hard dealing with those media people. It’s easy to laugh now and say, ‘What did I say that for?’ But people used to say the stupidest things then, compared to now. It was idiotic…
“You’re finding your feet and you have to try to protect yourself, to keep yourself a bit shrouded. People were very, very hard hitting. It wasn’t a tough life, but you had to be on your guard.”
For Richards, the connection between the Stones in 2026 and their earlier selves is less tangible.
“The sense of humour. There’s a sense of continuity, which is a rare thing in this world. I relish it and treasure it. And you know, although guys are dropping by the wayside, I love Mick’s enthusiasm. He’s my best mate in many ways.”
“Oh, that’s very nice,” says Jagger, when Uncut relays the compliment back. “That’s very nice.”
“I was very drawn to the Stones, because I felt like I was in their gang,” says Wood. “When Brian died and I was around the periphery of the Hyde Park, this car pulls up amongst all these people. Mick and Charlie get out and they come over to me, and they go ‘Hello, how you doing? Look, all these people, we’ve got a lot to do. We’ll see you soon.’ I went, ‘Yes, sooner than you think.’ I never forgot that. Charlie remembers me saying that.”
Not for the first time during Uncut’s interviews, Charlie Watts is spoken of in the present tense. After reeling off a list of his favourite Watts moments — “Paint It, Black”, “Honky Tonk Women”, “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”, “Miss You” — Jagger highlights the drummer’s curiosity.
“Charlie and I were the first in the band to get into reggae,” he says. “He loved the groove — ‘Ah, there’s something new to learn here!’ I brought in those early Trojan 45s, around the Exile period, and no one else wanted to hear them. ‘What are you playing?’ But Charlie was always very open-minded.”
For Wood — the ‘new boy’ no longer — it’s been 50 years since his debut with the band on Black And Blue.
“The spirit of the band has remained exactly the same,” he says. “Same sense of humour, the same vibe, same challenge, same creativity and striving for the same effect, which is a magic that comes out of the air.”
Like Dylan and McCartney, the Stones are now operating in uncharted territory. While Foreign Tongues crackles with energy, Richards admits “to some wear and tear”, especially around playing live.
“I don’t know if tours are possible,” he says. “It’s the travelling that takes it out of you. But I do see the possibility of us doing residency somewhere. Wherever it is, London, New York, Paris, anywhere. I’ll play Rome! But I don’t see why they shouldn’t be able to throw some shows together in a new format.”
“We’re not getting any younger,” says Wood. “None of us are getting out here alive. We all come from the same spirit. We all come from the Earth. We’re all connected, which is so lovely to think about.”
“Is it still exciting?” considers Richards. “Yeah, it’ll be exciting until something inside me says, ‘That’s that.’ I love working with the guys. I mean, what am I gonna do? Jesus Christ. It’s necessary for me – at gunpoint, if needs be – to keep a band together. ‘You will play drums!’ I do my bit, but it’s an incredible gift from everybody else. I didn’t expect this in return.
“It’s still a bit mind boggling, even at this age.”
Get the latest issue of Uncut to read our all-new interviews with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood in full, as they take stock of 25 albums’ worth of Rolling Stones history and the elusive “thread” that still connects them today. From their blues roots to their new album, it’s a rare look at how The Rolling Stones continue to evolve — and endure. We’re in shops — or order a copy HERE!
