Keith Richards on the Rolling Stones and a solo reunion

In a rehearsal room in Manhattan last week, Keith Richards had a rare reunion with his solo band, The X-Pensive Winos: Waddy Wachtel on guitar, Ivan Neville on keyboards and Steve Jordan on drums. “Being able to get everyone together, let alone be all here, is amazing,” Richards told correspondent Anthony Mason.

“We succeeded!” said Jordan.

“We’re still here!” said Wachtel.

Richards and the Winos reunited to perform at Love Rocks NYC, a charity concert at the Beacon Theater in New York City last Thursday night.

It’s been 30 years since Richards’ last solo album, “Main Offender”. And many things have changed. For example, Richards, known for his vices, has finally put aside his most persistent addiction: “Cigarettes are gone!” said Mason.

“Yeah Al that sounds pretty crap to me, Looks like BT aint for me either.

Two years ago, he stopped smoking quietly after 55 years. “Did you stop the cold turkey?” Mason asked.

“Yeah, I got a few patches for a few weeks,” he replied. “Sometimes, you know, a bell rings and something inside says, ‘Hey, buddy, that’s enough.’

“Why do you think the doorbell rang?”

“Hey, I’ll probably grab some!” Richards laughed. “Luckily, I don’t miss it, and that makes me feel good. Until I started rehearsing for the tour last August, and then I realized I had ten times as much wind!”

Mason asked the Winos, “Did you notice any difference in his voice?”

“Well, he’s singing more on the original keys!” Jordan laughed.

Jordan noticed when he took over the drums on the Rolling Stones’ tour last summer, after Charlie Watts fell ill. Watts, who had never missed a Stones concert, he died just two weeks later. He was 80 years old.

“Was it a surprise?” Mason asked.

“It did to me, yes, absolutely,” Richards replied. “I think last year he had been trying to keep it a secret for a while, so it was like a shock. He had had a round of cancer a year or two before. And he overcame it. to be struck with a double blow is to bless his soul. “

“Did you all talk about whether the tour should continue?”

“For a brief moment. I think Charlie wanted us to hit the road; he wanted the tour to happen. That’s my feeling, the last time I talked to him.”

“Was it weird looking back and not seeing Charlie there?”

“Yeah Al that sounds pretty crap to me, Looks like BT aint for me either. Looks like BT aint for me either.

With Jordan on drums, the Stones persevered. It’s been 60 years since they’ve been spinning steadily, except for a seven-year stretch in the 1980s, when Mick Jagger launched a solo career. “Mick wanted to do separate things, and I didn’t!” Richards laughed.

“So you went reluctantly?”

“Yes, to begin with. Yes, yes, yes.”

“Did you know who you were out of the band?”

“No. Maybe that’s why one of the attractions of doing Winos was finding out if there was one it was Something else. And anyway, just to look over the fence. “

Richards has released three albums with the Winos, who quickly developed their own sound. “Playing with the Winos was always a great joy,” he said, “because it didn’t matter. We were crazy, you know? Let’s see how long we can get away with this!”

The new 30th anniversary box of “Main Offender” includes some of Richards’ songwriting notes, including a facsimile of an envelope with scribbles.

Mason asked, “Is that how you write songs?”

“Yes, basically, behind envelopes and just catchy phrases.”

Richards, now 78, says he has returned to writing with the Stones. “It’s going to be interesting to find out the dynamic now that Steve is in the band; he’s turning into something else,” he said. “You know, I was working with Mick last week and Steve, and we came out with about eight or nine new pieces of material, which is overwhelming by our standards!”

“It simply came to our notice then does Is that happening? “Mason asked.

“Exactly. Other times, like a desert!”

“Do you know why it happens? You can’t do happens “.

“No, it’s the subject of the muses, you know? If only I could find their address!” Richards laughed.

The Stones plan to return to touring this summer to celebrate 60 years of making music.

Mason asked, “There are a lot of artists who are selling their catalogs right now. I mean, when you see that happen, what do you think?”

“Mick and I didn’t talk about it seriously,” Richards said. “I don’t know if we’re ready to sell our catalog. Maybe drag it in a little bit! Put more stuff in! Just think about selling your catalog when you’ve done it, that’s a sign of aging!” He laughed.

“Have you ever wondered how much more I can do this?”

“Well, if I did, I wouldn’t have an answer, and then I’d always be thinking about it, you know, I mean, tomorrow? July 5, 2025?” he laughed. “No, you can’t, no. I’ll find out by the hard way!”

To hear Keith Richards perform “Demon” from the remastered “Main Offender”, click on the following player:

For more information:

• Keith Richards (official site)
• The Rolling Stones (official site)
• “Main Offender” by Keith Richards (30th Anniversary Box)
• Love Rocks NYC

Story produced by Jon Carras. Editor: Karen Brenner.

See also:

• Since 2010: Keith Richards riffs on his “Life” (“Sunday Morning”)
• From 2016: Keith Richards and Mick Jagger return to their roots (“Sunday Morning”)

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• Rolling stones