The Rolling Stones are actively working on new music.
Saxophonist Courtney Pine, who played on frontman Sir Mick Jagger's 1993 solo album Wandering Spirit, has spilled that he's recently been in the studio with the Start Me Up hitmaker, but didn't say whether it was for a new Stones album.
Appearing on BBC Radio 3’s Private Passions on Sunday (11.10.26), Courtney said: “I’ve just done another session a couple of weeks ago with him [Jagger] for The Rolling Stones.”
Praising the music legend, he continued: “Mick’s an amazing artist.
“That whole pop world is completely different to anything that I know.”
Recalling his work for Mick in the past, he said: “I played on one version of Mick Jagger’s solo album and they threw it away and then I get a call, ‘Can I come out to LA tomorrow and play on another version of the same album?’ Mick Jagger? Of course!”
Back in June, Mick revealed he was penning new music that could be for a Stones album or could end up for other artists.
Asked by NME if he has another album in him after this summer's Foreign Tongues, he replied: “Yeah, it could be a trio [of records]… I’ve already started writing songs anyway. They could be for other people though. When you write a song, you sometimes decide ‘that’s not for me, but it could be for the [Red Hot] Chili Peppers’ or whatever.”
He went on: “I’m very open-minded to it. I’ve got a lot of stuff, and not all of it's suitable for The Rolling Stones. It shouldn’t stop me writing them, you know. If you get an idea, just write it.”
While there is the possibility of new music from the Stones, touring is a different matter altogether. Keith Richards is currently not keen on hitting the road again.
Speaking in a recent interview, bassist and guitarist Ronnie Wood explained that he and Mick are eager to get back on stage, but the lead guitarist is not pushing for the band’s return.
He told NME: “I know Mick is busting to go, and Keith is not busting to go. And you’ve got to have everybody’s enthusiasm to do it.”
Ronnie stressed that he will re-join the Stones as soon as the group decide to move forward, but confirmed there are no plans at present: “When my compadres say, ‘Let’s go’, I’ll be ready. I’ve got no plans yet though."