Sir Mick Jagger has said he still thinks about The Rolling Stones’ late drummer Charlie Watts when creating music as he would “always bounce things off him”.
The rock band released their new studio album Hackney Diamonds on Friday, which is their first collection of original songs for 18 years and the first since the death of Watts aged 80 in August 2021.
The 12-track offering features appearances from the late drummer as well as a host of global superstars including original member Bill Wyman, Lady Gaga and Sir Elton John.
In an interview with The Guardian, Sir Mick said: “It’s a couple of years now, and I still think about Charlie a lot…
“I miss his laconic humour. His taste in music. His elegance. His don’t-care attitude – he didn’t get intense. Keith and I get a bit intense…
“But Charlie wouldn’t, and it rubs off a bit – I’m not as intense as I used to be.”
The drummer formed part of the band’s original line-up alongside remaining members, guitarist Keith Richards and singer Sir Mick, who now perform with Ronnie Wood and Steve Jordan, the band’s drummer since Watts died.
Watts had played on a number of early samples which were then finished after his death, including the tracks Mess It Up and Live By The Sword which feature on the record.
Sir Mick revealed: “I think about him when I’m playing, and what he would have played; whether he’d have liked this song, because I’d always bounce things off him.
“I’d be playing him the silly pop songs of the moment, and he’d love all that.”
The 80-year-old singer admitted he has not found the loss of his friends any easier as he gets older, adding: “There’s a lot of people around your age, they’re dying all the time.
“I don’t have any friends older than me, only one. Apart from the band, all my friends are much younger.”
Sir Mick, who has eight children, added that becoming a father in his late 20s meant he has been conscious of his mortality for a long time.
He had a son, Deveraux, with his girlfriend Melanie Hamrick when Hamrick was aged 29 and he was aged 73, according to The Guardian.
Reflecting on fatherhood, he said: “You get a bit out of practice – it’s not like riding a bike.
“The more children you have, the more laissez-faire you get about them, to be honest.
“And it depends on the child – they have their own personalities and you can mould them to a certain extent, but you see their likes and dislikes and encourage them to do things they gravitate towards.
“It’s fun to have children, at any age. But if you’re working, and always away, you don’t get to enjoy it quite as much.”
The band performed a star-studded gig in New York on Thursday night to launch the album, with Lady Gaga also making an appearance to recreate her duet with Sir Mick on the new song Sweet Sounds Of Heaven.
Asked how he feels about the band continuing to perform, the singer said: “How long can you really do it? It’s like asking: how long can someone go on playing for England? Not long, is usually the answer.”
He added: “I do think about it. But I write all the time. You’ve just got to keep writing, and now everyone (in the band) can see they can record quite easily.
“It was only three weeks in the studio. It’s not difficult. Too much angst went into recording before. If it’s no good, it’s no good; if that track doesn’t work, another one will. Do it.”
Hackney Diamonds is out on Friday.