TIME IS ON OUR SIDE

The 2010s



I don't know where (the rumors of my leaving the Stones) came from. I don't know why they picked on me. And why would I want to leave? We're not doing anything. (Laughs) What am I leaving? Do you know what I mean?
- Charlie Watts, January 2010

 

There's no definite plans, but I can't see any of (the Stones) stopping. I wouldn't be surprised if we did something later this year. I don't know how the rest of them feel about roadwork at the moment. Maybe we'll search for a different way for the Stones to go back on the road. Maybe not the football stadiums anymore. Maybe something different. You can't go around there in lemon-yellow tights forever.
- Keith Richards, February 2010

 

You're always thinking of new songs. Or rather, the new songs are thinking of you. I never sit down and say, Oh, it's songwriting time. But every now and again, a certain note or a certain chord sort of rings a bell, and you grab a guitar and go, I must remember that.
- Keith Richards, February 2010, on finding new song ideas during work on the Exile outtakes



Hey, you're asking me? You better ask Mick that one (laughs). But my feeling is that, generally, people get itchy at a certain time. I'm sort of waiting for a phone call, you know?
- Keith Richards, February 2010, asked if Mick wants to record a new album



I just sent Charlie a note saying, Charlie, what's Mick doing? Should I put an available ad in Jazz News or something, like, Guitar player available? I feel a bit itchy, you know. It's been a couple years. There's something inside you that just starts to scratch.
- Keith Richards, March 2010



I don't know (about the Stones' future plans), I'm going to hopefully find out soon, I'm going to be seeing Mick next week or something, so I'm going to try and screw some information out of him. You've got to have everybody want to do it, so I usually wait for a call from Mick saying, Let's make something, let's do something, because without his actual "want to do it", then there's not much point. But I'm always working, I've got ideas for stuff, but I haven't put them together yet with Mick.... (B)ut I don't think (we'll tour) this year, not that I've heard. The suggestion is that there would be a record on instead.
- Keith Richards, May 2010



I don't know what the future of the Rolling Stones (is). Very good, I should think. And we look forward to doing more concerts. Yeah, I'm sure we will.
- Mick Jagger, May 2010



I’m sure we will (tour again). It would be stupid to say there won’t be another Stones tour because I love doing them and I always imagine there would be another Stones tour. When that’s going to be I don’t really know at this point.
- Mick Jagger, May 2010



I don't know yet (when we'll tour) but I look forward to doing it.
- Mick Jagger, May 2010



We have all agreed th(e next tour) won't be the last time. Everyone's rocking.
- Ron Wood, July 2010



We're having discussions for the moment. We're telling ourselves that, if we do something, it'll be next year or in two years. We're getting at an age where you can't project yourself too far into the future. Celebrating our 50 years onstage would be incredible.
- Charlie Watts, September 2010



(W)e're due for our summit meeting, where we all sit around a table and bullshit.... Everyone's got itchy feet. We'll know something by December.
- Ron Wood, September 2010



Well, it's always been "next year" - it's been like that for two years. We'll go on the road when Keith's bored, when his book's out of the way and he's bored, and Ronnie's bored. At the moment, they're both not bored. Bored enough, I mean. So I think that will happen. How long and how we do it will be another thing. It takes a lot of thought, an awful lot, and it usually takes a lot of time.
- Charlie Watts, October 2010



People say, Why don't you give up? I can't retire until I croak. I don't think they quite understand what I get out of this. I'm not doing it just for the money or for you. I'm diong it for me.
- Keith Richards, Life (2010)



(W)e'll be on the road again in the future. Yeah. On the road. I think it's going to happen. I've had a chat with Her Majesty. Brenda.
- Keith Richards, October 2010



(Right now w)e're whispering - I wouldn't say talking. I'm getting hints. And I'm always ready. Mick and I spoke about a month ago in New York. It's at that mumbling stage. But I had some outtakes from the last sessions we did (for A Bigger Bang) and said, Just to jog your memory... So there's interaction. You don't want to push it too hard.
- Keith Richards, October 2010



We're looking forward to going on tour next June.
- Keith Richards, November 2010



Everybody's ready to go out there again. Who said it should stop, and who said when? Only we will know when it comes to an end, with a crashing halt... After these many years working together, we have a lot of unfinished stuff to work on that we had to leave off the last album. And knowing Mick, as I do, he's a very prolific writer. I have ideas (too) and we'll put them together in December or January. We're looking forward to working.
- Keith Richards, November 2010



I get whispers, ideas. I have a feeling that we'll be working next year. I don't know if it'll be in January but next year if all goes well. I get the feeling that Mick wants to get on the road.
- Keith Richards, November 2010



I kind of got a hint of an itch from Mick (laughs) and we started to talk about possibilities of next year and how to do it... How to make the Stones grow up is our big problem right now (laughs)... And I also spoke to Charlie about it when he was here a month or two previous to that. And I know that he's got the gleam in the eye... So we're thinking of, we're working on our different concepts and ways of doing it that will work for us and also work for the audience. And that's the story so far, I cannot give away anything more (laughs)... Yes, (it might extend to recording), that might even come in front... There is a glimmer of light on the horizon. I can't wait to get back at work after two years of looking backwards.
- Keith Richards, December 2010



The one thing I will never give up, if I can avoid it, is the Rolling Stones. You can't go to rehab for that.
- Keith Richards, spring 2011



I'm trying to nail them down but I don't want to crucify them! (laughs)
- Keith Richards, May 2011, asked if the Rolling Stones will work in 2011



I don't have any announcement to make at the moment. I'm just, uh, ya know...just doing this (Super Heavy album) right now.
- Mick Jagger, May 2011, asked if the Rolling Stones will tour in 2012



Something's blowing in the wind. The idea's there. We kind of know we should do it, but nobody's put their finger on the moment yet. This is what we have to ask each other: Do we want to go out in a blaze of glory? We can, if Mick and Charlie feel like I do, that we can still turn people on. We don't have to prove nothing anymore. I just love playing, and I miss the crowd.
- Keith Richards, May 2011, asked if the Rolling Stones will tour in 2012



(B)asically I want to get the Stones back together and give it one more bash. I think they've got it in them. But it's about timing and an awful lot of very careful diplomacy...
- Keith Richards, June 2011



I know Keith is fully supportive, as are the rest of the boys in the Stones. We'll see what we can do as a unit. Playing Hyde Park would be fabulous.
- Ron Wood, July 2011, on the Rolling Stones possibly playing Hyde Park
and other concerts in 2012 to mark their 50th anniversary



(W)e talked about maybe what events are going to be going around for the 50th anniversary of the Rolling Stones. We don't really know the answer to that, but we talked about it a bit... When is the next Rolling Stones mega-tour? I don’t know really. There isn’t one so far. But there might be anything, anything can happen. It is the 50th anniversary next year... Maybe we could go back to the Marquee to accept a plaque for 50 years of service instead.
- Mick Jagger, September 2011



(Fifty years) sounds a lot of years to me. But you know, you're very lucky to have been doing it that long, so I guess I should be happy (laughs)... It is quite an achievement I suppose, still being around at all. I guess you should be pleased with it but, you know...
- Mick Jagger, September 2011



Well, we're talking about (a tour in 2012) but I don't know if it's going to happen. Listen, you could do anything you want if you put your mind to it. I don't know what's going to happen next year. We'll see... There may be a tour, who knows. Maybe. At the moment nothing is fixed.
- Mick Jagger, September 2011



I don't ever think about that, not [screws up his face] at all, but it exists. You might believe people are more creative at 21 than 61, but a mixed aged group in a room will cure that problem.
- Mick Jagger, 2011, asked if it's harder being
the frontman "character" in his sixties



(W)e're all looking forward to (the 50th anniversary) whatever it is, we don't know what we're going to do... But I said to them we owe it to ourselves and to the people to do something. But we just, you know, whatever... we'll find a way. Anyway we had a great meeting the other week and we're all getting along great and see what happens.
- Ron Wood, October 2011



I would like to think we'd do a tour. If we don't, we don't. I mean, I've felt like that for the last 50 years. It's never bothered me if the Rolling Stones stopped tomorrow.
- Charlie Watts, November 2011



I've no idea (if there'll be a tour next year). We don't really get together that much as a group... There are a lot of ideas and things to do, some of them sound interesting, some of them sound possible and some of them sound difficult and some sound outright schmaltzy, to be honest. I don't really know what's going to exactly happen - but I'm working on it...  (The fiftieth anniversary) is quite amazing when you think about it. Anything's possible.
- Mick Jagger, November 2011



The Stones still work. I know (the prospect of a tour is] an all important point but there's nothing more I'm going to say about that. But the Stones will pull it together... I don't see why in the world the Stones can't put together some kind of show next year. I'd almost count on it. It doesn't have to be the whole spectacle bullshit again, but we've got to find our own way through this... I'm hoping to do something about it. Right now, I don't want to go too much into it. I'm pulling the boys together and (we'll) see what happens. It's a work in progress. I'm not Nostradamus on this, but we all want to do something for the bigI'5-0.
- Keith Richards, November 2011



It's a very different group than the one that played 50 years ago. When I think about it, one part of me goes, We're slightly cheating, because it's not the same band (as in July 1962) - still the same name, but it's only Keith and myself that are the same people, I think. I've tried to find out when Charlie's first gig was... But it's an amazing achievement. It's fantastic and I'm very proud of it.
- Mick Jagger, November 2011



The '80s only seem like yesterday to me. The '90s went so fast. Before you know it, time has flown by.
- Ron Wood, November 2011



It all sounds great, and I'm sure we're going to do lots and lots of wonderful things. What the future may hold is known only to God and myself. I'll talk after we've done it rather than before.
- Mick Jagger, November 2011



It would be lovely to do some shows because it will be 50 years. Ronnie plays, I still play, Mick sings, he can do it anyway, I think Keith is doing some records. Anyway it would be great if we did, e are just getting to an age where it's getting a bit difficult to get it together and it's such a bloody performance getting us together... I think no one wants to quit because the others will say You quit.
- Charlie Watts, December 2011








 

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