They earned the title world's greatest rock and roll band a long time ago, but the Rolling Stones are still at it, still touring, still making new music.

Legends indeed.

Talking with our Anthony Mason.

You don't expect birth announcements from a 60 year old band.

But last month in London, the Rolling Stones revealed they'd made a new record.

Don't get angry with me.

Hackney Diamonds is the Stones first album of original music in 18 years.

Do you like working in this place?

Yeah, it's an old, old friend of ours, Electric Lady.

At Electric Lady Studios in New York, where the band worked on the new record, we caught up with Keith Richards.

Is it like getting on a bike when you guys go in the studio?

Pretty much, but you're not sure if the tires are pumped up.

What is he doing here?

I'm with you.

Over in London, Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood joined us.

So how did this come about?

Well, well.

My recollection is that Mick said, what we need to do is say, let's make an album, let's blitz it.

Basically, that was the impetus.

We used to have to have a record ready to go out on tour, so there was a deadline.

So then we more or less did what we said we planned to do.

It's really unusual.

Yeah, really unusual.

And I think I said to Keith, it's going to be finished by Valentine's Day, and Keith looked at me like, how quickly do you know in a recording studio when you have something?

You've got to give it a minute.

You can't be dismissive if you don't get it in the first one minute.

But you kind of get to know in ten minutes, if I say.

It doesn't take long to know if something's really there and whether it's worth chasing.

And it's a bit like a painting.

You construct, you do the first layout, and then you give it a breath, you know, go away.

You're a painter.

Let him have his analogies.

Come back and build a jigsaw, you know.

Most people aren't Van Gogh, man.

Van Gogh away, please.

The album's lead single, Angry, started with a lyric from Jagger.

I was just playing guitar in the Caribbean on my own and just came up with the idea.

And then I took it to the next level with Keith.

Mick and I, we kind of kick each other up the ass.

I like that, I don't like that.

Whatever it is, it's a sort of chemistry.

But the band's chemistry was rocked.

When drummer and founding member Charlie Watts died in 2021.

And start me up!

Did you feel the need to put an album out?

I think maybe because of Charlie's demise, that we felt that if the stones were going to continue, then we better make a mark of what the stones are now.

Was it hard for you on tour to look back and not see Charlie there?

Yeah, of course it's hard.

I mean, it's all my life, ever since I was 19 or whatever, there's always been Charlie.

On some level, it had to be emotional not to have Charlie.

Of course it's emotional, but you have to get past that in life.

You know, I love Charlie, I love all the things, but I still want to carry on making music.

Last year, the Stones toured with new drummer Steve Jordan.

But Watts plays on two tracks on the album, including one with the Stones' original bassist, Bill Wyman, who left the band in 1993.

Did Bill have to be coaxed to come back, Bill Wyman?

No, not at all.

I phoned him and I said, are you still playing the bass even?

I was a bit worried.

He said, what do you mean?

I play it every day, I'm making the album.

I said, great Bill, come and do this track.

Because Charlie's on it and I'd like it to be reunited, the original rhythm section would be a cool idea.

Time is on my side When those original Rolling Stones first formed in London in 1962, they never imagined it would last.

I remember when we had the first hit record, we kind of looked at each other with, like, dismay saying, well, we've got about two years, boys, and then you've got to find a job.

It's only rock and roll, but I like it Yes, I do, and I like it But it's not alright Six decades later, they're still one of the biggest touring acts in the world, grossing $179 million last year alone.

Well, what can a poor boy do Except the same old rock and roll band We just are pioneers in a way that no one's done six years of rock and roll ever.

Ronnie Wood, at 76, the youngest Stone, Do you paint every day?

Well, when I can, yeah, when I'm not playing the guitar. has a side gig as a painter.

I'm inspired here, for instance, by Delacroix.

That's what keeps me going, and then I go, wow, we're going to play music next, and it just, one runs into the other.

His two artistic passions merge on tour.

There's Coachella.

When he makes these set lists after every show, it's a kind of memoir.

Oh, that was when that happened, that's what we played.

Do you know how many shows you've done?

No, no way.

Have you ever considered writing a memoir?

Oh yeah, I've considered it, and I've been offered a lot of money.

And?

And I've seen people do it, and it takes like two years.

They're living two years in their past.

And that doesn't appeal to you?

That does not appeal to me.

So someone else will just have to remember it for me.

Both Jagger and Richards have landmark birthdays this year.

Yeah, yes, yes.

The big 8-0.

Richards in December.

How does that feel?

I asked Mick, because he's 6 months older than me, and he says it's not that different.

Jagger became an octogenarian back in July.

Well, it's a bit overblown, you know.

It's not all it's cracked up to be being 80, I don't think.

There's no really options here.

You're either going to get there or you're not.

Well, you've gotten there in pretty good shape.

Well, thank you, that's very kind of you.

He's singing the best he's ever sang, I think, now.

That's another reason we've got to keep going.

When you've got it, flaunt it, you know.

Why do you think you guys have endured?

I think basically we love each other and we love our music.

And when you're doing it, you don't really think about it.

But I think with Charlie going, I've realised more and more how special that is.

I mean, there's something about the Stones and there's something about us all that sort of says, no, we stick together.

And then you can't just drop it, you know.

To the end, down the tunnel.

As you said, it's bigger than all of you.

Yeah, it is.

Damn thing.