Mick, Keith, Ron, Paul, and Ringo? In what might be the culmination of Rock and Roll’s biggest “who do you like better?” question it seems like the surviving members of the two biggest acts of the British invasion — The Beatles and The Rolling Stones — might join forces for a history-making collaboration.
According to Variety, multiple sources have come forward to support the rumor that Paul McCartney has been laying down bass tracks for an upcoming album by the Rolling Stones. And what’s more, Ringo Starr will be contributing drum tracks. It’s still unclear if the two ex-Beatles will be featured on the same track, but just the presence of the two alone is enough to make the new album one of the biggest mash-ups in the history of modern music. It’s almost an eerie coincidence that the two remaining Fab Four members play the instruments no longer officially represented in the Stones (drummer Charlie Watts passed away in August of 2021, and original bassist Bill Wyman left the group in 1993).
Recording sessions in Los Angeles took place over the last few weeks, and the album is reportedly nearing its mixing phase. 2021 Grammy producer of the year Andrew Watt, who won for his work with Ozzy Osborne, will be producing the album for the band. According to Variety, McCartney mentioned working with Watt recently in a Q&A posted on his official website. “I’ve been recording with a couple of people, so I’m looking forward to doing even more. I’ve started working with this producer called Andrew Watt, and he’s very interesting — we’ve had some fun,” Macca said. We can only assume that the “couple of people” he was talking about were named Mick, Keith, and Ron.
The Stones and the Beatles have one of the most famous rivalries in history, although all the surviving members contend that any ill feelings were largely made up by the press, and that they’ve been and remained friends over their respective decades-long careers (Lennon and McCartney even wrote the Stones’ first hit single, “I Wanna Be Your Man”).
“The Stones are a fantastic group. I go to see them every time they come out because they’re a great, great band and Mick can really do it, the singing and the moves, and Keith and now Ronnie and Charlie. They’re great. I love ’em,” Paul told Howard Stern in 2020. Although he did add, “they’re kinda writing stuff it’s to do with the blues you know? Whereas we had more influences.”
Perhaps Macca can broaden Mick and Keef’s horizons on this album.