Keith Richards speaks out on Eric Clapton’s COVID scepticism

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorBertelsmann has announced its annual results, including details of its music division’s financial performance in 2021.BMG’s figures show its strongest performance yet, based on its investment in acquiring music catalogues and the performance of its recordings business, where vinyl sales more than doubled.Major catalogs acquired by the company in 2021 include Tina Turner, Mötley Crüe and ZZ Top, while key signings and re-signings included 5 Seconds of Summer, Bryan Adams and Louis Tomlinson in records and D’Mile, Diane Warren, the Juice WRLD estate and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in publishing.In 2021, overall revenues grew 10.1% to €663 million (approximately $748 million) while profit measure EBITDA increased by 5.4% to €144m. According to the announcement, catalog recordings and production music both grew revenue by a quarter, while publishing revenues from streaming grew by a fifth.

Naman Ramachandran The BBC is celebrating 60 years of The Rolling Stones with “My Life as a Rolling Stone,” a four-part series of films, each an hour long, focusing separately on Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts. The films will premiere on BBC Two and iPlayer this summer and will include unseen footage and exclusive stories from Jagger, Richards and Wood interwoven with new and archive interviews and performance. The story of Watts, who died in 2021, will be told via tributes from his fellow band members and his musical peers and admirers along with archive interviews.

The Rolling Stones is to be celebrated with a special BBC docuseries and a radio programme featuring exclusive interviews with the bandmembers.The four-part series My Life As A Rolling Stone will air on on BBC Two and iPlayer this summer, with each one-hour episode dedicated to the legendary rock band’s four members: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts.New interviews with the musicians (except for the late Watts, who died last year) and unseen footage will form “intimate portraits” in which they’ll reflect on their busy careers.For the Watts-focused episode, his story will be told via archive interviews and tributes from his fellow bandmates and musical peers.Other Rolling Stones admirers including P.P.

Blue Finch Barbarians Sales

The Rolling Stones have announced a new live album that captures two classic ’70s shows, ‘Live At The El Mocambo’.The 23-track record features the legendary band’s two famed secret gigs at the 300-capacity El Mocambo venue in Toronto, Canada in 1977. It arrives in multiple formats on May 13, marking the first-ever release of the concerts.

Charli XCX could Crash (quite literally) into her first-ever UK Number 1 album this week.

Lisa Bonet was spotted out and about wearing her wedding ring for the first time since she and Jason Momoa opened up about their marriage issues. Lisa put her rock on display as she went out for a shopping trip in Santa Monica. She rocked a boho-chic look consisting of a Bob Marley T-shirt, striped parachute pants and a blue floral kimono. Her dreadlocks flowed long past her shoulders as she wore a suede sunhat and held a number of shopping bags.

Chris Willman Music WriterAlthough it appeared to the public that there might be a bit of beefing going on between the Rolling Stones and Beatles — shades of 1967 — Keith Richards says in a new interview that the matter was quickly resolved, with Paul McCartney reaching out to him to assure him no contemporary slight was intended.The continuation of their alleged friendly feud came up in a discussion the Stones’ guitarist had with writer Brian Hiatt for an episode of “Rolling Stone Music Now,” in which Richards also discussed what it was like to hit the road without their late drummer Charlie Watts, and whether they’ll be able to complete the studio album he started with them.Asked about 2021’s minor Stones/Beatles controversy, Richards said, “I got a note from Paul about that, saying ‘I was taken totally out of context,’” Richards says. The possible tiff came up with McCartney was profiled in a lengthy New Yorker piece and was quoted by the magazine’s famous editor as saying, “I’m not sure I should say it, but they’re a blues cover band, that’s sort of what the Stones are.

Keith Richards and Paul McCartney are all good.

Keith Richards has said that Paul McCartney sent The Rolling Stones a note following the publication of an interview in The New Yorker, in which McCartney labelled them “a blues cover band”.The musician was reflecting on The Beatles’ legacy when he made the remark about the Stones. He said: “I’m not sure I should say it, but they’re a blues cover band, that’s sort of what the Stones are.

Keith Richards has confirmed that The Rolling Stones’ touring drummer Steve Jordan will be on hand to help the long-running band finish their forthcoming new album.Jordan has been filling in on drums for the Stones following the death of their longtime drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away in August last year.Speaking on the latest episode of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Richards clarified reports which previously claimed that Watts had finished work on the Stones’ next studio album before his death.“We do have a lot of stuff of Charlie Watts still in the can,” he said. “We were half-way through making an album when he died…”The guitarist added: “Of course, if we want to carry on recording, we’re gonna need drums, and it’s gonna be Steve Jordan.” You can listen to the full podcast with Richards below.Richards also revealed on the podcast that he was initially reluctant to tour without Watts when the late drummer fell ill last year.“I was in, ‘Oh, I cannot do this without Charlie’,” he recalled.

Killer Mike has sold his entire song back catalogue as part of a new publishing deal with Reservoir Media.As Billboard reports, the agreement will see the independent publisher take a considerable stake in the discography of Run The Jewels – the rap duo comprised of Mike and El-P – as well as songs from the artist’s solo projects.In a statement about the new deal Killer Mike said: “A great publisher is a major key to success, and I’m excited to embark on this phase of my career with the dynamic team at Reservoir.”Faith Newman, executive VP of A&R and catalogue development at Reservoir, added: “Killer Mike has been a fixture of hip-hop for decades now, and both his past successes and upcoming music continue to push boundaries and address deeply meaningful topics.“Artists and visionaries of his calibre do not come around often, and we are grateful to be the publishing home for such a trailblazing creator.”Killer Mike has released four studio albums with Run The Jewels, the latest coming in the form of 2020’s ‘RTJ4’.The Atlanta rapper has also made five solo records: ‘Monster’ (2003), ‘I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind’ (2006), ‘I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind II’ (2008), ‘PL3DGE’ (2011) and ‘R.A.P. Music’ (2012).Additionally, he’s collaborated with the likes of Jay-Z, Outkast, T.I.

Keith Richards has revealed that he’s been “playing a lot of bass” on The Rolling Stones‘ upcoming new material.Speaking to the Daily Star newspaper’s ‘Wired’ column (via Music-News.com), the musician spoke about spending a week in Jamaica to work on music with Stones frontman Mick Jagger.Richards told the newspaper that him picking up the bass guitar provided “another angle” to the legendary band’s sound. “It’s quite interesting – at the same time it’s Stones man,” he said.Asked how many new tracks emerged from the sessions, the guitarist replied: “More than I can count – it was a very productive week.”Richards went on to say that he and Jagger “got a very good sound going”, adding: “Jamaica is good for sound.”Elsewhere, he told the Daily Star that the Rolling Stones are currently “gearing up” for their recently-announced UK and European 60th anniversary tour, which takes place this summer.“Once a year I like to keep my hand in – there’s nothing like playing on stage,” Richards said of his desire to head back out on the road.The forthcoming tracks will serve as the first new music from the Stones since the death of their drummer Charlie Watts last summer.

Keith Richards is in “peak performance” mode after putting down the cigarettes.