I think his saying "with the Stones" is key. Eventually we'll find out.

If they were recording down in Chiswick, it's just a cab ride away for Bill ... be great if they actually recorded together dans le room!

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doitywoik
Depends on when (what year) the interview was done. Bill's solo album (Drive My Car) was released in August 2024, that is, ~one and a half months before the interview was published. So, if the interview was done one year before that, say, middle of 2023, he was in fact still working on Drive My Car, and HD with his track on it was not yet released. (Not sure when his latest books came out, the Chelsea book was published in Oct 2023?)

Other option (if the interview was in 2024): Bill is already working on yet another solo album, and played bass on yet another Stones track after HD, and is preparing yet more books. I wouldn't totally rule that out, he's a prolific guy despite his age.

My best guess is that the interview was done on 29 August 2024. Bill had a signing event at the Ealing Book Festival that day.

The journalist also posted the pic below on the same day.



[www.instagram.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025-07-06 00:57 by Cristiano Radtke.

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Stonesfan2146
I do totally believe UMGs marketing people who probably receive millions of dollars to do research on buying behaviors both in the past and recent times and I think that if they conclude that Christmas is the best release time, it's based on numbers and facts. This leads me to the thought that a release postponement until a possible spring 26 tour would be a risk as they are well aware there's a chance the tour plans fall apart as it happened this year.

Yep but at least I still believe that they skipped this year (Europe) since there are just way too much competition this summer (combined with the wonky economy and state of world affairs): Oasis, AC/DC, Bruce, G n R's etc and they probably figured it's better to deliver the sucker punch later on (I would've loved an autumn tour like 2017).

One more summer away from Europe won't hurt The Rolling Stones, especially since they don't make much money touring Europe.

HD came out in October of 2023. Kinda early for "the Christmas season".

B&L sold well because it was their first release since 2005 and it's likely older based fans were interested because it was a blues (covers) album, "back to their roots".

It's very likely that the people that bought B&L did not buy HD because, duh, it's another new Stones album by the Stones. Regardless of it being 18 years or whatever it was.

I can understand, having heard from fans of the 1968-1971 Stones, that another new album is whatever. In their minds those are the best albums and they probably heard Tumbling Dice and Angie and IORR and thought, nahhh, nowhere as good, why bother.

It's not argumentative. It's a mind set. Set in stone. The same people most likely say, Why would I pay $300 to go hear the Stones with a bunch of songs I don't know?

It's not their loss - they're not interested post-1971. It's that simple. Just as some people are whatever about post-Brian Jones or post-Mick Taylor or post-Charlie Watts.

It doesn't matter. The same people will probably buy the new album that bought HD. They are a dwindling market aspect and have been for quite some time. "I would only get the vinyl" and then they see that it's $50 and they laugh.

It's a mentality that will never be breached. It hasn't been breached for 4 decades.

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Cristiano Radtke
My best guess is that the interview was done on 29 August 2024. Bill had a signing event at the Ealing Book Festival that day.

The journalist also posted the pic below on the same day.

OK, now it's getting interesting!

Quote
MadMetaphoricalMax
If they were recording down in Chiswick, it's just a cab ride away for Bill ... be great if they actually recorded together dans le room!

Just a cab ride away, just a cab ride away...yeah yah yah.

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treaclefingers

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MadMetaphoricalMax
If they were recording down in Chiswick, it's just a cab ride away for Bill ... be great if they actually recorded together dans le room!

Just a cab ride away, just a cab ride away...yeah yah yah.

And I could’ve hopped on a short bus-ride and joined them for a few handclaps… if they’d asked

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Big Al

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treaclefingers

Quote
MadMetaphoricalMax
If they were recording down in Chiswick, it's just a cab ride away for Bill ... be great if they actually recorded together dans le room!

Just a cab ride away, just a cab ride away...yeah yah yah.

And I could’ve hopped on a short bus-ride and joined them for a few handclaps… if they’d asked

I'm sure they have got their professionals for that. And for some little extra bucks they will even snap their fingers ...

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GasLightStreet
...The same people will probably buy the new album that bought HD. They are a dwindling market aspect and have been for quite some time. "I would only get the vinyl" and then they see that it's $50 and they laugh.

It's a mentality that will never be breached. It hasn't been breached for 4 decades.

I will, of course, buy the new album. Just like everything else The Stones have released legally since the very beginning. And a fair amout of, er, material of a more uncertain provenance.

The market for recorded music is dwindling. And there are all sorts of reasons why this is so. Sites like IORR can give a very distorted perspective on The Stones because everyone here, or almost everyone here, is a genuine fan. Yes we disagree between ourselves about a lot of things regarding the band and the music, but not about the fact that The Stones MATTER. Beyond this bubble it might appear that The Stones still retain a vast world-wide fan base. I am not convinced it is vast. Sizeable yes, but not vast. It comprises those who go to concerts, sing along to the warhorses, and know of care about little else.

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GerardHennessy

Quote
GasLightStreet
...The same people will probably buy the new album that bought HD. They are a dwindling market aspect and have been for quite some time. "I would only get the vinyl" and then they see that it's $50 and they laugh.

It's a mentality that will never be breached. It hasn't been breached for 4 decades.

I will, of course, buy the new album. Just like everything else The Stones have released legally since the very beginning. And a fair amout of, er, material of a more uncertain provenance.

The market for recorded music is dwindling. And there are all sorts of reasons why this is so. Sites like IORR can give a very distorted perspective on The Stones because everyone here, or almost everyone here, is a genuine fan. Yes we disagree between ourselves about a lot of things regarding the band and the music, but not about the fact that The Stones MATTER. Beyond this bubble it might appear that The Stones still retain a vast world-wide fan base. I am not convinced it is vast. Sizeable yes, but not vast. It comprises those who go to concerts, sing along to the warhorses, and know of care about little else.

It's reasonable to see that the fan base is different than concert attendees:

STEEL WHEELS/URBAN JUNGLE had about twice the attendance as record sales.

More people saw the VOODOO tour than bought the album world wide (not that that really means a lot since there are many countries they don't play shows in but also attendance was hardly more than record sales).

Is that because of... TV exposure? JUMP BACK wasn't exactly a chart topper and it had been not quite 4 years since URBAN JUNGLE ended when the VOODOO tour started. VOODOO was a top 20 album in 18 countries and number 1 in 8.

The BRIDGES LP outsold the tour.

More people bought the BANG LP than attended the tour.

That's the end of that entire era.

Not exactly a surprise, right?


Starting with BANG the listening culture had already changed: YouTube became a place to listen to music that year and iTunes was just a 2 years old in terms of $ for DL. Other streaming services existed prior to iTunes, legal and illegal, but in regard to industry shake up, Apple knocked the cart over (sorry). Yet BANG sold decently and typically for a Stones album.

Then came the ultimate (legal) disruption - MySpace, followed by Spotify. And lots of others since (Tidal, Amazon, etc).

The record label industry hangs onto physical formats while getting a decent cut in streaming revenue (and artists hardly get anything). There are artists/bands that release albums strictly online, others cover all existing formats (including artists/bands that say the album is dead) and there may be some that only release on vinyl. Or have specific releases available only on vinyl.

The Rolling Stones are among a number of artists/bands that still release studio albums in all available various formats at the time (which is probably ridiculous to mention but various lossless and all other digital files, which, duh, everything that isn't a hard copy format is).

Is it safe to surmise that once they, along with AC/DC, Pearl Jam and a few other legacy acts with an older age following, retire that the physical format will be dead?

No.

There's no guessing when for that to happen if it even does. For example, Sabrina Carpenter releases on every format and she's now 26 years old, with her third Island Records "big girl" release coming out August 29 in all formats (more specific via her website for now) but every release she's had has been the usual formats.

It's going to be a long time until any physical media is truly dead. Even cassette releases have made a come back.

Perhaps with The Rolling Stones, in particular, but quickly getting near as well is AC/DC and several other solo artists and bands of varying popularity/fans, at some point people will very likely say enough is enough with the absurd cost of shows (and vs performance) and attendance will drop enough and financially some may be forced to retire from touring.

Maybe Vegas looks better and better. Although Resorts World does not have the financial knowledge to know how to book acts.

It will be interesting to see how the hopeful new Stones album is promoted since there's not an 18 year gap since the last original studio album to jump on hype wise for UMG.

The hype for HD was over the top compared to any previous releases, although the very first advert with the old phone was brilliant.

Although HACKNEY DIAMONDS is an OK title (better than a few going back to 1974 at least), like B&L the artwork sucked; hopefully this next one has much better artwork and perhaps a great title.

Quote
doitywoik

Quote
Cristiano Radtke
My best guess is that the interview was done on 29 August 2024. Bill had a signing event at the Ealing Book Festival that day.

The journalist also posted the pic below on the same day.

OK, now it's getting interesting!

It surely is!

Wondering if it's a different song than the one he recorded during the Hackney Diamonds sessions, as mentioned by Bill on this interview:

"after I’d finished my part, and was happy with it, I said: “Have you got any other songs that I could do while I’m here?” And they said: “Yeah, there’s another one.” So they set it up, and I played bass on it, and they said: “We’ll save that for the next album.” So I might be on the next album as well."

you know since we all seem to agree that the cover art for there albums has for the most part sucked for decades

and if the new albums cover arts likley to suck anyways

maybe they should let ronnie have a wack at it

kinda curious what he'd come up with

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GasLightStreet

Quote
GerardHennessy

Quote
GasLightStreet
...The same people will probably buy the new album that bought HD. They are a dwindling market aspect and have been for quite some time. "I would only get the vinyl" and then they see that it's $50 and they laugh.

It's a mentality that will never be breached. It hasn't been breached for 4 decades.

I will, of course, buy the new album. Just like everything else The Stones have released legally since the very beginning. And a fair amout of, er, material of a more uncertain provenance.

The market for recorded music is dwindling. And there are all sorts of reasons why this is so. Sites like IORR can give a very distorted perspective on The Stones because everyone here, or almost everyone here, is a genuine fan. Yes we disagree between ourselves about a lot of things regarding the band and the music, but not about the fact that The Stones MATTER. Beyond this bubble it might appear that The Stones still retain a vast world-wide fan base. I am not convinced it is vast. Sizeable yes, but not vast. It comprises those who go to concerts, sing along to the warhorses, and know of care about little else.

It's reasonable to see that the fan base is different than concert attendees:

STEEL WHEELS/URBAN JUNGLE had about twice the attendance as record sales.

More people saw the VOODOO tour than bought the album world wide (not that that really means a lot since there are many countries they don't play shows in but also attendance was hardly more than record sales).

Is that because of... TV exposure? JUMP BACK wasn't exactly a chart topper and it had been not quite 4 years since URBAN JUNGLE ended when the VOODOO tour started. VOODOO was a top 20 album in 18 countries and number 1 in 8.

The BRIDGES LP outsold the tour.

More people bought the BANG LP than attended the tour.

That's the end of that entire era.

Not exactly a surprise, right?


Starting with BANG the listening culture had already changed: YouTube became a place to listen to music that year and iTunes was just a 2 years old in terms of $ for DL. Other streaming services existed prior to iTunes, legal and illegal, but in regard to industry shake up, Apple knocked the cart over (sorry). Yet BANG sold decently and typically for a Stones album.

Then came the ultimate (legal) disruption - MySpace, followed by Spotify. And lots of others since (Tidal, Amazon, etc).

The record label industry hangs onto physical formats while getting a decent cut in streaming revenue (and artists hardly get anything). There are artists/bands that release albums strictly online, others cover all existing formats (including artists/bands that say the album is dead) and there may be some that only release on vinyl. Or have specific releases available only on vinyl.

The Rolling Stones are among a number of artists/bands that still release studio albums in all available various formats at the time (which is probably ridiculous to mention but various lossless and all other digital files, which, duh, everything that isn't a hard copy format is).

Is it safe to surmise that once they, along with AC/DC, Pearl Jam and a few other legacy acts with an older age following, retire that the physical format will be dead?

No.

There's no guessing when for that to happen if it even does. For example, Sabrina Carpenter releases on every format and she's now 26 years old, with her third Island Records "big girl" release coming out August 29 in all formats (more specific via her website for now) but every release she's had has been the usual formats.

It's going to be a long time until any physical media is truly dead. Even cassette releases have made a come back.

Perhaps with The Rolling Stones, in particular, but quickly getting near as well is AC/DC and several other solo artists and bands of varying popularity/fans, at some point people will very likely say enough is enough with the absurd cost of shows (and vs performance) and attendance will drop enough and financially some may be forced to retire from touring.

Maybe Vegas looks better and better. Although Resorts World does not have the financial knowledge to know how to book acts.

It will be interesting to see how the hopeful new Stones album is promoted since there's not an 18 year gap since the last original studio album to jump on hype wise for UMG.

The hype for HD was over the top compared to any previous releases, although the very first advert with the old phone was brilliant.

Although HACKNEY DIAMONDS is an OK title (better than a few going back to 1974 at least), like B&L the artwork sucked; hopefully this next one has much better artwork and perhaps a great title.

Hackney Diamonds could have been a great title if the album cover was a street shot at night with a car with a broken window and glass shards all over the street.

.... you mean like a convertible Goggomobil .... ????



ROCKMAN

Quote
Cristiano Radtke

Quote
doitywoik

Quote
Cristiano Radtke
My best guess is that the interview was done on 29 August 2024. Bill had a signing event at the Ealing Book Festival that day.

The journalist also posted the pic below on the same day.

OK, now it's getting interesting!

It surely is!

Wondering if it's a different song than the one he recorded during the Hackney Diamonds sessions, as mentioned by Bill on this interview:

"after I’d finished my part, and was happy with it, I said: “Have you got any other songs that I could do while I’m here?” And they said: “Yeah, there’s another one.” So they set it up, and I played bass on it, and they said: “We’ll save that for the next album.” So I might be on the next album as well."

Tbanks for the link, mate! Appears like this interview has totally escaped me! (OK, I was travelling in India in Dec 2024, maybe that's why.)

So there's quite likely not only another Bill (plus Charlie?) track on HD2, Bill is also working on yet another sollo album! Good, good news!

Quote
Rockman
.... you mean like a convertible Goggomobil .... ????

no, because if it was a convertible, you'd slit the roof and not worry about breaking the glass.

…. Yep live by thee sword



ROCKMAN

Quote
GasLightStreet
It's reasonable to see that the fan base is different than concert attendees:

STEEL WHEELS/URBAN JUNGLE had about twice the attendance as record sales.

More people saw the VOODOO tour than bought the album world wide (not that that really means a lot since there are many countries they don't play shows in but also attendance was hardly more than record sales).

Is that because of... TV exposure? JUMP BACK wasn't exactly a chart topper and it had been not quite 4 years since URBAN JUNGLE ended when the VOODOO tour started. VOODOO was a top 20 album in 18 countries and number 1 in 8.

The BRIDGES LP outsold the tour.

More people bought the BANG LP than attended the tour.

That's the end of that entire era.

Just a few facts:

Steel Wheels
- Worldwide Sales 6.2 million copies, US Sales 3.4 million copies (it's undercerified at 2 million on RIAA)
- Tour Sales 6.4 million tickets sold

Voodoo Lounge
- Worldwide Sales 6.5 million copies, US Sales 2.4 million copies
- Tour Sales 6.5 million tickets sold

Bridges To Babylon
- Worldwide Sales 4.5 million copies, US Sales 1.2 million copies
- Tour Sales 5.7 million tickets sold

A Bigger Bang
- Worldwide Sales 2.5 million copies, US Sales 600,000
- Tour Sales 4.7 million tickets sold

Quote
georgelicks

Quote
GasLightStreet
It's reasonable to see that the fan base is different than concert attendees:

STEEL WHEELS/URBAN JUNGLE had about twice the attendance as record sales.

More people saw the VOODOO tour than bought the album world wide (not that that really means a lot since there are many countries they don't play shows in but also attendance was hardly more than record sales).

Is that because of... TV exposure? JUMP BACK wasn't exactly a chart topper and it had been not quite 4 years since URBAN JUNGLE ended when the VOODOO tour started. VOODOO was a top 20 album in 18 countries and number 1 in 8.

The BRIDGES LP outsold the tour.

More people bought the BANG LP than attended the tour.

That's the end of that entire era.

Just a few facts:

Steel Wheels
- Worldwide Sales 6.2 million copies, US Sales 3.4 million copies (it's undercerified at 2 million on RIAA)
- Tour Sales 6.4 million tickets sold

Voodoo Lounge
- Worldwide Sales 6.5 million copies, US Sales 2.4 million copies
- Tour Sales 6.5 million tickets sold

Bridges To Babylon
- Worldwide Sales 4.5 million copies, US Sales 1.2 million copies
- Tour Sales 5.7 million tickets sold

A Bigger Bang
- Worldwide Sales 2.5 million copies, US Sales 600,000
- Tour Sales 4.7 million tickets sold

An interesting fact from your numbers George. For Steel Wheels, US accounted for about half of album sales, for Voodoo Lounge, a third and for Bridges a bit over a quarter and ABB, a bit under a quarter.

US interest in the new music has been declining for close to 40 years, I guess along with the decline generally with rock music sales in the US as opposed to other categories.

Quote
doitywoik

Quote
Cristiano Radtke

Quote
doitywoik

Quote
Cristiano Radtke
My best guess is that the interview was done on 29 August 2024. Bill had a signing event at the Ealing Book Festival that day.

The journalist also posted the pic below on the same day.

OK, now it's getting interesting!

It surely is!

Wondering if it's a different song than the one he recorded during the Hackney Diamonds sessions, as mentioned by Bill on this interview:

"after I’d finished my part, and was happy with it, I said: “Have you got any other songs that I could do while I’m here?” And they said: “Yeah, there’s another one.” So they set it up, and I played bass on it, and they said: “We’ll save that for the next album.” So I might be on the next album as well."

Tbanks for the link, mate! Appears like this interview has totally escaped me! (OK, I was travelling in India in Dec 2024, maybe that's why.)

So there's quite likely not only another Bill (plus Charlie?) track on HD2, Bill is also working on yet another sollo album! Good, good news!

My pleasure!

Quote
treaclefingers

Quote
georgelicks

Quote
GasLightStreet
It's reasonable to see that the fan base is different than concert attendees:

STEEL WHEELS/URBAN JUNGLE had about twice the attendance as record sales.

More people saw the VOODOO tour than bought the album world wide (not that that really means a lot since there are many countries they don't play shows in but also attendance was hardly more than record sales).

Is that because of... TV exposure? JUMP BACK wasn't exactly a chart topper and it had been not quite 4 years since URBAN JUNGLE ended when the VOODOO tour started. VOODOO was a top 20 album in 18 countries and number 1 in 8.

The BRIDGES LP outsold the tour.

More people bought the BANG LP than attended the tour.

That's the end of that entire era.

Just a few facts:

Steel Wheels
- Worldwide Sales 6.2 million copies, US Sales 3.4 million copies (it's undercerified at 2 million on RIAA)
- Tour Sales 6.4 million tickets sold

Voodoo Lounge
- Worldwide Sales 6.5 million copies, US Sales 2.4 million copies
- Tour Sales 6.5 million tickets sold

Bridges To Babylon
- Worldwide Sales 4.5 million copies, US Sales 1.2 million copies
- Tour Sales 5.7 million tickets sold

A Bigger Bang
- Worldwide Sales 2.5 million copies, US Sales 600,000
- Tour Sales 4.7 million tickets sold

An interesting fact from your numbers George. For Steel Wheels, US accounted for about half of album sales, for Voodoo Lounge, a third and for Bridges a bit over a quarter and ABB, a bit under a quarter.

US interest in the new music has been declining for close to 40 years, I guess along with the decline generally with rock music sales in the US as opposed to other categories.

And I think the trend has continued at least with BLUE & LONESOME (selling about the same as A BIGGER BANG worldwide but around 400 000 - or less - copies in U.S. I'm not sure how it is with HACKNEY DIAMONDS.

It seems like Europe is nowadays their biggest market salewise, something traditionally US was. They do especially well in UK. That was not the case at their home market, for example, during the 70's.

I discuss more about this phenomenon in the statistics thread.

- Doxa



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2025-07-07 10:37 by Doxa.

Blue and Lonesome - 2.4 m. worldwide (370,000 in the US)

HD - 1.4 m. worldwide (250,000 in the US)

Quote
georgelicks
Blue and Lonesome - 2.4 m. worldwide (370,000 in the US)

HD - 1.4 m. worldwide (250,000 in the US)

- Doxa

"Only" 250.000 for HD in the US ?!

Quote
georgelicks
Blue and Lonesome - 2.4 m. worldwide (370,000 in the US)

HD - 1.4 m. worldwide (250,000 in the US)

wow...that is a staggering statistic. So the interest in new music in the US is down to less than one 1/6th for B&L and bumps up a bit for HD, but a staggeringly low overall number.

We should be glad that hasn't dissuaded them from putting out new material...thanks for sharing that georgelicks.

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treaclefingers

Quote
georgelicks
Blue and Lonesome - 2.4 m. worldwide (370,000 in the US)

HD - 1.4 m. worldwide (250,000 in the US)

wow...that is a staggering statistic. So the interest in new music in the US is down to less than one 1/6th for B&L and bumps up a bit for HD, but a staggeringly low overall number.

We should be glad that hasn't dissuaded them from putting out new material...thanks for sharing that georgelicks.

Interest in NEW STONES music has declined in the US. Other artists like Taylor Swift still seem to sell up a storm.

Demographics. Who we grow up with, we buy. We die, interest “dies”.

Rod

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bitusa2012

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treaclefingers

Quote
georgelicks
Blue and Lonesome - 2.4 m. worldwide (370,000 in the US)

HD - 1.4 m. worldwide (250,000 in the US)

wow...that is a staggering statistic. So the interest in new music in the US is down to less than one 1/6th for B&L and bumps up a bit for HD, but a staggeringly low overall number.

We should be glad that hasn't dissuaded them from putting out new material...thanks for sharing that georgelicks.

Interest in NEW STONES music has declined in the US. Other artists like Taylor Swift still seem to sell up a storm.

Demographics. Who we grow up with, we buy. We die, interest “dies”.

Yes, that's obvious. The point was the decline in the US, vs the rest of the world.

Funny that Steel Wheels and Voodoo Lounge each have outsold Beggars Banquet.

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Send It To me
Funny that Steel Wheels and Voodoo Lounge each have outsold Beggars Banquet.

not funny but easy to explain: the market for music grew much bigger since the last 60s