Universal Music Japan has a transcription of the Sept. 6th press conference - [
www.Universal-Music.co.jp] :
The Rolling Stones have announced the release of their first new studio album in 18 years, "Hackney Diamonds", which has been widely reported on TV, newspapers and the web in Japan, and the preceding single "Angry" has suddenly reached No.1 on the iTunes Store in the UK, where the band is based. It has become a hot topic all over the world.
On 6 September UK time, a press conference was held at the Hackney Empire in East London, hosted by American TV star Jimmy Fallon and attended by the members themselves. Streamed worldwide via YouTube, the press conference included the announcement of the single and album releases, as well as production secrets from the members themselves.
> Streaming video on [
www.YouTube.com] <
The Rolling Stones press conference 6 September 2023
JF: Jimmy Fallon (presenter)
MJ: Mick Jagger
KR: Keith Richards
RW: Ron Wood
SS: Sydney Sweeney
JF: Hello to everyone around the world. This is Jimmy Fallon. I see someone's phone is ringing already. Oh my God. You've got to answer it. Everyone, please put your phones on silent mode or do something. What do you think, ladies and gentlemen? We're live right now at the iconic Hackney Empire Theatre in east London, broadcasting live to the world! Thank you for watching. We're here for one reason only: to bring you the best of what the world has to offer. For 60 years since the 1960s, one band has sold over 250 million albums and left an unforgettable mark on the music scene. They are the ultimate rock band that went on to define the very essence of popular culture. Don't you think so, don't you? Oh, I'm sure you do. I, as I'm sure many of you know, have followed this band throughout my life, buying their records, seeing them live and doing everything I could to be as cool as them, if only a little bit. I love them, and they are here today. Please welcome. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood. The Rolling Stones.
(3 members on stage)
JF: Welcome. We're here, live, all over the world. This is very important, a lot of people are watching this.
MJ: It's early in the morning in Los Angeles, isn't it?
JF: Yes, it is. It's early morning in Los Angeles. One thing I would like to ask you, what is this event about? Why have we gathered here?
MJ: Why did we gather here? I feel like getting up (says and gets up from his chair). We're here to introduce our new single 'Angry' and its video, which you'll see later. 'Angry' is the first single from our new album, Hackney Diamonds, and that's why we're in Hackney, it's out on 20 October. So that's why we're here.
(Applause)
JF: The new single is Angry. As soon as this Q&A is over, we'll be unveiling the world premiere of the video with the very cool people you know who are in it. The album will be released on 20 October. What does 'Hackney Diamonds' mean to you, Keith?
KR: The title became 'Hackney Diamonds' because we had a couple of ideas for the title, it was 'Hit & Run', then it became 'Smash & Grab'...
JF: Those are good.
KR: From those two, somehow we came up with 'Hackney Diamonds'. Because it's like a variation of both those two. And also because we're a London band.
(Applause)
JF: Is this 'Hackney Diamonds' a form of slang or something?
MJ: Yeah, it is. It's like a shattered windscreen around Hackney on a Saturday night and the shards are all over the street.
RW: Shattered windscreens, smash and grab (slang for breaking a window and breaking into a shop).
MJ: That's what 'Hackney Diamonds' is about.
JF: Ronnie, how long did it take you to make this album?
RW: It actually came together quite quickly. I had a lot of ideas and we got them together and did it before Christmas last year.
MJ: Yeah.
RW: Yeah. It was done quite quickly.
JF: But it's been 18 years now.
MJ: We've been very lazy.
KR: It's a Blitzkrieg.
JF: Wait a minute. That's not fast at all.
MJ: We had done it. We were on tour almost all the time. No, maybe I was a bit lazy. Then all of a sudden...
MJ: "Let's set a deadline. Let's make a record and set a deadline". Keith, me and Ronnie talked it over and said, 'OK, let's make this album for Christmas and get it done by Valentine's Day'.
RW: And that's how we got two albums done (laughs).
JF: Yes, that's right.
MJ: So, like Ronnie said, we went into the studio in December, cut 23 songs in no time, finished them in January and mixed them in February. That's what it was like.
JF: Did you and Keith go to Jamaica? I heard a rumour that it started there.
KR: I actually started writing 'Angry' in Jamaica. Mick had it ready and was ready to go. So we put those songs together. There were a lot more songs than that, but you felt that this one stood out first.
MJ: Yeah, Keith and me and...
RW: And Steve.
MJ: Steve and Matt went to Jamaica and we said, 'We'll try things out in the studio'. We went there and bounced ideas around, then we went to New York and Ronnie joined us. Then a producer called Andy Watt blackmailed us. Then we went to Los Angeles and cut the songs like I said before.
JF: It must have felt strange to have Charlie Watts not playing with you in the studio. How did you feel about that?
KR: It's not the same as before, since Charlie passed away. It's natural. You know what I mean? He's No. 4. He's not there (pointing to the top of the hall). He's over there. He is, of course, sorely missed. But thanks to Charlie Watts, we have Steve Jordan. If anything ever happened to Charlie, 'Steve Jordan is the man for the job' because he recommended him to me.
JF: He chose Steve Jordan?
KR: Yes, he did. It was quite a while ago. He was a friend of ours. I'd worked with Steve before, so it was a natural progression. I think it would have been more difficult if Charlie hadn't been so willing to go along with it, but you know. It was difficult at the same time.
JF: Did he do any of the songs on the album?
MJ: Charlie? Yes, he did. There are 12 songs on the album. And ten of the songs... No, that's different. Most of them are Steve, but two of the songs were recorded with Charlie in 2019. So we're using two songs that we recorded with Charlie before.
RW: 'Live by the Sword' and 'Mess it Up'.
MJ: Yeah.
JF: So those are the two songs he played on?
MJ: Yeah.
JF: And another rumour I heard was that Bill...
MJ: Yeah, Bill. I asked Bill to come to the studio.
JF: Live by the Sword?
MJ: Bill came and played one song. So we had the original Rolling Stones rhythm section on one song.
JF: Wow, that's amazing.
MJ: But most of it is new. This song is 2019 though.
JF: Yeah, the first track is 'Angry'. Is anger a theme on the album?
MJ: Yeah, Keith and I thought the theme of the album should be anger.
JF: Yes.
MJ: You should be angry in every song.
JF: Are you getting angry because I said so? I would hate to see you angry.
MJ: Anger and disgust.
JF: Anger and disgust?
MJ: That's the concept.
JF: Like every song is angry.
MJ: Yes, every song is angry.
JF: Are all the songs titled 'Angry'?
MJ: Not every song is titled 'Angry'. That would be ridiculous.
JF: It is ridiculous, but it's never been done before, so what do you think?
MJ: No, it's an original idea.
(Laughs)
KR: Nobody can stay angry for that long.
JF: You should meet my in-laws.
MJ: Then I had a second idea. It was to not make every song about anger. Let's make it more diverse and have some love songs, some ballads, some country songs, etc.
JF: Yeah?
MJ: So it's a combination of things.
JF: The last time I saw you three was when you played here in Hyde Park, London. That was amazing. Hyde Park had never hosted a show like that. It was so beautiful and it started at about 7pm in the park and the sun went down. Then at 10pm everyone is dismissed. It's a very British rule. "Well, everyone's gone home! I've gone home! Everyone has left! Come on, please go home". That was a great performance. And the next day I said to you, Mick, "How did you like the performance? I thought it was great, but what did you think?" Then you said, "We're not a daytime band".
(Laughs)
JF: I thought that was very funny.
MJ: 'Sympathy For The Devil' played at 8pm.
JF: Yes, it was. You don't want to listen to 'Paint It Black!' while eating sandwiches with your kids.
MJ: Yeah, you wouldn't.
JF: But do you guys consider yourselves a night band?
KR: Mostly, yeah.
MJ: Yeah, we are.
JF: But you can listen to this album any time of the day.
MJ: You can listen to it any time of the day, any place in the world, any time you want.
JF: The third track on Hackney Diamonds is always...
MJ: Same with track 4. You can play it.
JF: Please don't.
MJ: You can play the fourth track.
JF: I see.
KR: The same goes for songs 5 and 6.
JF: Is it the same for songs 5 and 6?
RW: Australia is already tomorrow.
JF: Tomorrow? You might already be listening to this album there. That's right. That's good. Keith, I always think of this story when I think of you. You appeared on my show. Thank you very much.
KR: No problem, I'm here to talk to you.
JF: We were backstage and you were smoking.
(Laughter)
JF: Smoking is not allowed in the studio, but the alarm went off and the fire marshal came. I didn't know there was a fireman, but he came to the studio and said, 'Mr Richards, you shouldn't smoke'. And you said, "I know, I know. It's bad for you."
(Laughter)
JF: Do you remember?
KR: Yeah, I remember that. I really did at the time.
JF: Do you still smoke cigarettes?
KR: No, I stopped right after that (laughs).
JF: You see. You owe me. This is your 24th studio album, isn't it?
MJ: Yeah.
JF: It's the 24th one. Guys, do you remember the press conference for the first one?
MJ: Yeah, I remember the press conference. Keith and I were in a pub on Denmark Street, we'd released the album and two journalists came, one from the NME and one from Melody Maker. We bought them a pint of beer and said, 'Here's our album'.
JF: That's it.
MJ: We said, 'Have a listen' and left it at that. That was it.
JF: It's a bit different now, isn't it?
MJ: There were no pictures at all.
JF: Nothing at all.
MJ: It sold well.
JF: How were the reviews?
MJ: The reviews were mixed, but sales were good.
JF: That was good. If a singer wants to make a record, do you all want to make a record?
KR: If a singer wants to make a record, we record him. Because you never know when he's going to be able to do it next.
MJ: He might go.
KR: So when Mick says to me, 'I want to make a record', somehow I say, 'Come on, let's do it'.
MJ: That's good to know.
KR: I've never said that to you before.
MJ: You shouldn't have said that. It's good to know that's all I'm gonna do.
JF: Ronnie, you play all the time. I saw you play with Van Morrison recently. Do you often play with your favourite bands?
RW: Oh yeah, I do. I keep my tech up between gigs. At my age, you have to keep your fingers moving. You have to keep everything moving.
KR: That's interesting.
MJ: Why don't we talk more about that?
RW: When you get older you'll know what I mean.
(Mick and Ron get up and start dancing)
JF: Up and down, move everything!
RW: Shake your body! Shake it up!
JF: We have a tracklist, and our fans would like to know about the tracklist. The first song is "Angry".
MJ: Yes.
JF: Do you feel a certain kind of emotion?
MJ: There's anger.
JF: That was a bad question. sorry.
RW: I like the riff.
KR: It's characterized by super funky riffs.
JF: It has some great riffs. Then “Get Close”.
(pause)
MJ: Yeah.
(Laughs)
JF: Depending on You?
RW: It's heartbreaking.
MJ: It's about always wanting to be able to rely on someone and then being let down.
JF: That's not about me, is it?
MJ: No, you're here. You came all the way from New York.
JF: Yes, I did.
RW: 'Mess It Up' is about you (laughs).
JF: What about 'Bite My Head Off'?
MJ: 'Bite My Head Off' is like when your girlfriend gets really pissed off and you say, 'Darling, don't bite me'.
JF: Yeah, it's like saying, don't bite me.
MJ: That's a rude thing to say.
JF: Yeah, it's a rude thing to say. What about 'Whole Wide World'?
KR: Is that what you mean?
MJ: It's going to fit in.
RW: It's a funky riff. 'Whole Wide World' is very funky.
JF: Really? What about 'Dreamy Skies'?
RW: 'Dreamy Skies' is dreamy.
MJ: What's it about?
RW: Well, Mick I think it's about being stranded and trying to get away from it all. Right? He said he wanted to forget everything and listen to the Hank Williams and Honky Tonks of yesteryear.
JF: It's a difficult thing to realise.
MJ: No, it was realised during lockdown.
JF: Really?
MJ: That was enough.
JF: Was it enough? What about 'Mess It Up'?
RW: It's about you [laughs].
JF: Is it about me? 'Live By The Sword' is played by Charlie, isn't it?
MJ: He's on it. It's a bit retro.
JF: What about 'Driving Me Too Hard'?
MJ: Keith will talk about that.
KR: I can't tell you what any of the songs are about, because I don't think I've heard any of them. No, it's about the riffs and the melody.
RW: It's a melting pot (of different riffs and melodies).
KR: Um, yeah. That's what I mean.
JF: 'Tell Me Straight'?
KR: Straight to the point, I have no idea what it's about.
JF: It's got a good riff.
MJ: Keith sings on that one. I like his singing.
KR: He tried to steal that song and I said, 'It must be good. I'll do it'.
JF: I've heard 'Sweet Sound Of Heaven'. I've heard some of these songs and they are phenomenal.
MJ: This is more like...
RW: Stevie Wonder.
MJ: It's like a gospel song. It's a gospel song.
JF: You've invited guest singers. It's a degree of surprise.
MJ: I love gospel music.
KR: You've never been to church before.
MJ: I have once. I went to church. You're completely wrong, you know.
KR: What was it like?
MJ: Mostly big buildings. With arches, you know.
RW: With a big steeple.
JF: Didn't it burn down as soon as you walked in? (imitating Mick's tone) "Good evening, everyone. I'm going to preach today. Let's get started. Who will receive Holy Communion? Who will receive it? What's up? Thank you, Jesus!
MJ: I don't talk like that.
JF: I wasn't imitating you. I was imitating Ronnie.
MJ: Oh, yeah, right.
JF: Keith, you once said that the holy grail is to make records. Do you all still like being in the studio together? Did you enjoy it?
KR: Yeah, it's fun. It's a place where the band can come together. Playing live is another holy grail. But recording is a place where the members can come together and bounce ideas off each other without any interference. If it works, it's great, but it's not the holy grail. It's true (laughs). It's a great place for the band to work it all out.
JF: When you write a song, do you have your fans' reactions in mind?
KR: I don't.
MJ: I don't think so.
KR: I don't think about what other people think. I just pray and hope (that they like it).
MJ: I think, when you go to work, you have to please yourself. Do you understand? It's not about pleasing others at all, it's about playing for yourself first and not thinking about anything else. Later on you think, 'Oh, people might like this. Or they might not like it', etc.
KR: Right. Then much later you think, 'But if we like it, the audience will like it too'. People will get it.
JF: Until you see someone lip syncing that song.
KR: Maybe I'm wrong.
RW: Lady Gaga sings it really beautifully.
MJ: 'Sweet Sound of Heaven'.
JF: You're giving away valuable information. But you can't believe Lady Gaga. It's stunning.
KR: Yes, she is.
JF: Speaking of fans, we've been getting questions from fans all over the world. Lou asked, "Do you have an all-time favourite Stones song?".
KR: Lou.
MJ: Lou?
JF: He's not here.
KR: Lou asked the most difficult question to answer.
MJ: I don't really have a all-time favorite Stones song. The answer is, "Lou, no. There isn't."
KR: The most impossible question in the world.
JF: Lou, you idiot! What a question to start with. You fool!
KR: But for Lou's sake, I say it's 'Gimme Shelter' or 'Jumpin' Jack Flash'. Personally, I could play all night.
JF: I like 'Off The Hook'.
MJ: What? I've never heard of that.
JF: (Singing out). "Sittin' in my bedroom late last night" [Does riff twice] "Got into bed and turned out the light", "Decided to call my baby on the telephone", "All I got was an engaged tone", "It's off the hook".
(Applause.)
JF: I'm going to sit here again. It's all right.
MJ: I made that guy sit down again.
JF: Maria from Argentina asks, "Have you ever seen a certain fan in the audience and thought that this girl would marry you?"
MJ: I have seen people getting married in the audience.
RW: Yeah, I've seen that.
JF: Did you?
MJ: I've never seen anyone want to get married, but I've seen people get married.
JF: Did Ronnie actually marry anyone?
RW: Yeah.
JF: Did you?
RW: In a dream, yeah. Baby!
JF: Oh come on. Maybe you could...
KR: Maybe I could marry them all [laughs].
MJ: Polygamy lives.
KR: I'm a Mormon.
JF: Oliver from France asks, "Ronnie, I saw you playing with Van Morrison the other day, why do you play with other bands?".
RW: We played Skiffle. He's got a new Skiffle album out and that was great. That's where I got into it.
MJ: A skiffle album?
RW: So that's an easy one.
JF: This is a great question from Gerry from South Wales. 'Who is the best at throwing darts?'
MJ: They're all terrible at it.
JF: Do you play darts?
MJ: There's a darts board in the Ship pub backstage. There's a pub called Ship outside the backstage area of this venue and there's a dartboard there, so we'll see who's the best afterwards.
KR: I'll let you know the result later.
MJ: I'll get back to you with the results.
RW: They'll still be there at three in the morning trying to shoot off the golden target.
JF: Mr Brando from California.
MJ: Marlon, yeah.
JF: "Keith and Mick have been together longer than me and my wife, what's the secret to a happy marriage?" I ask.
KR: Let's let them tell us [laughs].
MJ: Not to talk too often.
KR: How politely to say 'shut up'.
JF: That's all for the Hackney Diamonds. You have done what no one else could have done.
MJ: What? That it took you 18 years to make one album?
JF: No, seriously, there is no other band like you guys. There is not even a comparison.
KR: That's the point.
JF: Yes, that's the point. What you guys are doing is unexplored territory. Who would have thought that this band would come out with a completely new album? And now, in the 2020s, I mean.
MJ: I don't know.
JF: You were around in the 60s.
MJ: I have something to say. I don't want to sound like a pompous prick, but if we didn't really like this album, we wouldn't have released it. We didn't want to just make anything and release it. Before we made it, we all said that we wanted to make a record that we would really like. Other people might like it, other people might not. But we have to be able to say we are happy with it. We're not saying we're great, but we're happy with this work.
RW: Cheers to that!
MJ: And I hope you guys like it.
(Applause)
JF: We're going to clear the stage now and show you some video footage. It's the premiere of a video from their latest album, Hackney Diamonds. It will be released on 20 October. So ladies and gentlemen, The Rolling Stones.
MJ: Thank you.
All three: Thank you!
JF: Come on, each and every one of them is a legend. Also, the album is great. Are you all ready to watch the world premiere of 'Angry'? Every video the Rolling Stones make features the hottest Hollywood actors and actresses, and this time it was no different. This video features Sidney Sweeney, and Sidney is here with us tonight. Sidney, it's nice to meet you.
SS: Nice to meet you.
JF: What do you think about when you are asked to appear in a video with The Rolling Stones?
SS: Well, it's tough! I was astonished and I phoned my family. I brought my mother.
JF: Nice to meet you. I'm so proud of you, aren't you?
Mother: Very proud.
JF: Have you ever made a video?
SS: Yes, there is.
JF: So there is. But you didn't have anything like this.
SS: Nothing like this.
JF: No, there isn't. And Mom, are you a Stones fan?
Mother: Of course I am.
JF: Oh, of course you are. Do you have a favourite era?
Mother: It's a lifetime of music.
JF: A lifetime of music. Did you ever think that your daughter would be in this video?
Mother: No.
JF: Right. You've been in 'White Lotus' and 'EUPHORIA', but this is your biggest film to date.
SS: It's the biggest so far.
JF: The biggest so far. Have you heard the soundtrack? Did you know it would be the first single?
SS: I didn't know it was going to be the first single, but when I heard it, I loved it. I can't get it out of my head.
JF: You can't get it out of your head?
SS: Yeah.
JF: It's a really, really good song. It's the best. I would like everyone to see it. We're going to show it in a few minutes after this, so please get ready. This is the premiere of 'Angry' by The Rolling Stones and Sydney Sweeney. Enjoy!
8-Sep-2023 - [
www.Universal-Music.co.jp] . Re-translation to English mainly done via DeepL, double-checked with Google Translate and the YT-Video itself. The text above may still contain errors.
Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 2023-09-08 23:00 by Irix.