The Rolling Stones just confirmed Paul McCartney appears on their new album, Hackney Diamonds, and fans may be surprised by what they hear.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, frontman Mick Jagger says they had a hard time deciding what song to have McCartney play on until the album’s producer, Andrew Watt, suggested the “punk song” “Bite My Head Off.”
“Paul seemed very happy to play in a band where he didn’t have all the responsibility; he was just the bass player. And he really rocked out,” Jagger says. “He fitted straight in. It was like we’d been playing with him for years. It was a really good feeling.”
And it sounds like McCartney was just as thrilled to record with The Stones.
“Paul said to me, ‘Can you believe, here we are in the studio together?’” Ronnie Wood shares. “He said, ‘I have a dream come true: I’m playing with the Rolling Stones.’ He was loving it, like a kid in a toy shop.”
And fans will hear more from the collaboration. Wood tells the mag McCartney played on a separate track that didn’t make the album, but they will use it for a future release.
Elton John is also a guest on the album, playing piano on “Get Close” and “Live By The Sword,” with Jagger saying he was surprised Elton didn’t want to contribute more.
But Watt notes, “Elton loves to play, and he started as a session musician. … Everyone’s a fan of The Rolling Stones. Just like Paul, Elton was like, ‘I just f****** played with The Rolling Stones.’”
Hackney Diamonds will be released October 20. Other guests on the album include the late Stones drummer Charlie Watts, former Stones bassist Bill Wyman, Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder.
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