The wait is finally over. The Rolling Stones have released their first music album in nearly two decades, Hackney Diamonds, on 20 October 2023. It marks the band’s 26th studio album.
Hackney Diamonds comes as the first album of original music from the iconic rock n’ roll band since A Bigger Bang (2005). It is also the first album drop since the demise of the band’s drummer Charlie Watts in 2021.
The Rolling Stones members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood made the announcement at a press event on 6 September 2023. The event, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, took place at the Hackney Empire Theatre in London and was streamed live on YouTube. This announcement followed a teaser of their appearance in a local newspaper, Hackney Gazette.
Speaking at the 20-minute long event, Richards said, for him, playing live is a “holy grail” and recording the album is a different experience, “where the guys can get together and pass around ideas without any interference.” Jagger said he did not “want to be bigheaded, but we wouldn’t have put this album out if we hadn’t really liked it,” and hoped their fans like it too.
When asked about the 18-year-long wait, Jagger said, “We were maybe a bit too lazy,” and added, “Suddenly we said, let’s put a deadline … We did it pretty quick.”
The music album comprises 12 tracks, including previous collaborations with renowned musicians. Hackney Diamonds derives its name from a British slang meaning shards of glass left after a heist.
The recording took place around the world, from Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles to Metropolis Studios in London, Sanctuary Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, and Electric Lady Studios and The Hit Factory/Germano Studios in New York.
Tracks and guest artistes
While it is the first album with original songs since 2005, Hackney Diamonds comes nearly seven years after the band dropped Blue & Lonesome which comprised an array of blue covers.
Hackney Diamonds, which, according to Jagger, is themed around anger and disgust, opens with “Angry” featuring Sydney Sweeney.
It also has “Seet Sounds of Heaven” featuring Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder, “Bite My Head Off” featuring bas from Paul McCartney and “Get Close” and “Live By The Sword” featuring piano by Elton John and a bass assist from Bill Wyman.
The album concludes with “The Rolling Stones Blues”, a Jagger-Richard cover of the Muddy Blues song that gave the band its name.
