The Rolling Stones have enlisted the help of a prominent bassist for a new project they’re working on: Paul McCartney.
A source with knowledge of the sessions confirmed McCartney’s involvement in the project, saying he contributed bass to one new Rolling Stones song. The collaboration was first reported by Variety. However, the source denied the initial report’s claim that Beatles drummer Ringo Starr also participated in the sessions.
A rep for McCartney declined to comment.
The Stones have reportedly spent the past several weeks recording new music in Los Angeles with producer Andrew Watt (Post Malone, Ozzy Osbourne, Miley Cyrus, among many others), and the project is nearing the mixing phase. No other details have been shared, including when this music might see the light of day.
The Stones have been steadily building anticipation for new music over the last few years, even releasing a new track, “Living in a Ghost Town,” in April 2020. In a 2021 interview with The Los Angeles Times, Keith Richards said the band might’ve finished a new album had the pandemic not interrupted things, while Mick Jagger added, “We have a lot of tracks done, so when the tour’s finished, we’ll assess where we are with that and continue.”
Last March, Richards told Rolling Stone that the new Stones project would feature some of the final sessions with drummer Charlie Watts (who died in August 2021) but that it would also feature contributions from Watts’ live replacement, Steve Jordan. Additionally, in an Instagram video shared in January, Richards said, “There’s some new music on its way.”
The project will likely mark the Stones’ first with all-new material since their 2005 album, A Bigger Bang. In 2016, they released Blue & Lonesome, which featured only covers of blues songs.
From Rolling Stone US
