Rolling Stones to release first album of original material in years

LONDON - The Rolling Stones are set to release details of their new LP ‘Hackney Diamonds’, their first studio album of original material since 2005, said German news agency (dpa).

Band members Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood will be interviewed about the new material on Wednesday Sept 6 in Hackney, east London, by American TV host Jimmy Fallon.

It is the first time in 18 years The Rolling Stones have created an album of new original material, since the LP ‘A Bigger Bang’.

The band's last studio album, released in 2016, was called ‘Blue & Lonesome’ and was comprised of blues covers.

The new music has been teased online and in the form of a local newspaper advert which was printed in the Hackney Gazette.

The advert included a website and a phone number, which when called, responded with the automated message: "Welcome to Hackney Diamonds, specialists in glass repair: Don't get angry, get it fixed. Opening early September, Mare Street, E8. Register for a call at hackneydiamonds.com. Come on then."

The phrase Hackney Diamonds is old east London slang for broken glass and specifically refers to shattered glass when windows are smashed during a robbery.

The band also posted the web address to their Instagram page and the link takes fans to a website which looks as though it is made of broken glass.

Clicking on the web page makes the glass break away, which leads viewers to a page with a countdown to the interview on Sept 6.

Another website called www.dontgetangrywithme.com takes viewers to a page which says that they can hear a clip of a new song.

Discussing the album, the band said: "Hackney may be at the heart of Hackney Diamonds, but this is a truly global moment we want to share with fans around the world via YouTube."

Fans can watch the interview on YouTube in a live-stream that is scheduled for 2.30pm (1330 GMT), on Sept 6.

The Rolling Stones formed in the early 1960s. Beforehand Sir Mick, 80, and Richards, 79, had been in a blues band and became regular faces at a jazz club in Ealing Broadway.

In 1989, the band (with members Bill Wyman, Brian Jones, Charlie Watts, Ian Stewart, Mick Taylor, Sir Mick, Richards and Wood), were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame by The Who's Pete Townshend.

According to the Official Charts Company, the band has had eight number one singles in the UK, including ‘(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction’, ‘Paint It, Black’ and ‘Honky Tonk Women’.

Last year the Stones - Sir Mick and guitarists Richards and Wood - travelled through Europe for their 60th anniversary tour which featured stops in cities including Madrid, Milan and Munich, and also a performance at British Summer Time (BST) festival in London.

They were joined on tour by Steve Jordan on drums, following the death of the band's long-time drummer Charlie Watts in August 2021. - BERNAMA-dpa