Music veteran Keith Richards said it was “about bloody time” Sir Paul McCartney featured on a Rolling Stones track after six decades in the industry together.
Sir Paul, 81, plays bass guitar on a track titled Bite My Head Off from the Rolling Stones’ latest album – a collaboration that came about while the Rolling Stones producer Andrew Watt was working with the Beatles star.
On the collaboration, 79-year-old Richards told Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music 1: “I felt that it was about bloody time.
“I’ve known Paul for 60 years, just about. Although him and John (Lennon) did do a few backup vocals with us in the sixties.”
Richards described Sir Paul as “great fun to play with”.
“At the end of it, I just said, ‘well, that’s just like the old days’,” he added.
The Rolling Stones’ new studio album Hackney Diamonds is their first collection of original songs for 18 years, and the first since the death of drummer Charlie Watts in August 2021.
The 12-track offering also features appearances from original band member Bill Wyman and US superstars Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder.
Richards said: “The thing is, it was such a spontaneous and organic session.
“We knew that Stevie was coming by and I think Gaga only dropped in because she happened to be working in a studio across the hallway and just walked in, in the middle of the take and started to work her way in.
“Playing with Stevie is always mind-blowing and I thought that Lady did an incredible job, man.
“She snaked her way in there and took it over, and gave her as good as she got with Mick and it was great fun.”
Posting a picture singing with the Rolling Stones on Instagram, Lady Gaga wrote: “One of the greatest nights of my life.”
Richards also said he ‘certainly wouldn’t rule out’ the band playing concerts as holograms, following in the footsteps of Abba Voyage who appear as virtual avatars.
“I’m pretty sure that it is bound to happen,” he said.
“Do I want it? Now, that’s another thing. But I don’t know if I want to hang around that long enough, man. But at the same time, it won’t be up to me, will it?”
The Rolling Stones’ last album of new material was 2005’s A Bigger Bang, while their last studio album, released in 2016, was Blue And Lonesome and comprised blues covers.