Just about four hours after the Rolling Stones announced their new LP Foreign Tongues and unveiled leadoff single “In the Stars,” Conan O’Brien walked onstage at the Weylin in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and addressed a packed crowd that included Leonardo DiCaprio, Christie Brinkley, Andrew Watt, Odessa A’zion, and just about every single music journalist in New York City.
“Let me set the stage for you,” he said. “In 1962, a bunch of young men got together in London. They played small clubs, but dreamed of bigger things. Then they played slightly larger clubs, hoping that one day they’d reach the big time. Sadly, that day never came. They never quite made it. I think this album is going to change things. I think this album is the one. After years of toiling and obscurity, opening for other bands like Oingo Boingo, Bananarama, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, this is their time.”
Moments later, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ron Wood came out for a Q&A by O’Brien that was long on laughs, short on major revelations, and full of audio snafus that never quite let up. But any event featuring the Stones is still a monumental occasion. Here are eight things we learned.
Their New Video for “In the Stars” Features Odessa A’zion and a De-Aged Mick Jagger
At the very end of the event, after many journalists and guests had already trickled out, they played the video for the new Stones single “In The Stars.” It shows a radically de-aged Jagger, looking roughly like he did in the 1960s, singing the song in a club with several other musicians, none of which appeared to be the Rolling Stones. I Love LA/Marty Supreme actress A’zion appears alongside him in the video, and she excitedly watched the premiere perched next to Andrew Watt near the front of the hall.
Charlie Watts Plays on the Album
In the final years of Charlie Watts’s life, he recorded several new songs with the Stones that were put into the vault. Two of them, “Mess It Up” and “Live by the Sword,” appeared on Hackney Diamonds. And a third track entitled “Hit Me in the Head” was dusted off for Foreign Tongues. “We did that in L.A. with Charlie,” said Jagger. “It’s a real fast punk rocker. It’s a super fast song.” Steve Jordan plays on the rest of the songs. “He was recommended by Charlie,” said Richards. “Charlie passed on the baton to him.”
Four of the 14 Songs Pre-Date the Sessions, Including One With Paul McCartney
“Hit Me in the Head” isn’t the only song that pre-dates the Foreign Tongues sessions. The album includes three others from the recent past, including one with Paul McCartney. “It would be really funny if you made him audition,” O’Brien joked. “I think that would be hilarious.” Richards said he just happened to be working at the studio next door while they made the last record. “He wanted to come by and play with the band,” said Richards. “He wanted to tick that box.”
Bizarrely, Robert Smith Is on the Album, Too
Many Stones fans were stunned when the Foreign Tongues press release noted that the Cure’s Robert Smith plays on the album despite their complete lack of any shared history. At the press event, Jagger explained how it happened. “I turned up one day to do my vocals in London, and there’s this bloke standing there with his back to me and this long gown on,” said Jagger. “When he turned around, it was covered in lipstick. I said, ‘I’ve never met you before, but you’re Robert Smith of the Cure.’ He said, ‘Yeah!’ I said, ‘While you’re here, we better go and do something.’ He sings a backing vocal.” O’Brien joked that maybe it wasn’t actually Smith. “You find it later he was there to fix the air conditioner,” he said.
The Album Was Recorded in London in Just Four Weeks
Much like 2023’s Hackney Diamonds, the Stones and Andrew Watt put the album together in just one month. “We used to spend months and months in the studio and never leave,” Jagger said, “which is another way of doing it.” They cut most of Hackney Diamonds in America, but this one was made in London. They told O’Brien they wanted to capture “the London vibe.” “We call it leafy Chiswick,” said Jagger, referring to a posh West London neighborhood. “We weren’t really in the center of the East End or anything like that.”
The Studio Was Very Tiny
“We worked in the studio before,” said Jagger, referring to Metropolis Studios. “It used to be an old power station. But we never actually recorded in this room. The room is quite small. It was big enough, but not huge. You didn’t have to move your eyes to see everyone. You can see exactly what everyone is doing. You can see what they’re thinking. That room really worked out for us. The sound was really good.”
Keith Richards Isn’t a Master of the Mic
Throughout the entire press event, it was only possible to make out roughly 65 percent of what Richards said. This was partially because of his accent, steady chuckle, and the terrible echo in a former bank building, which now hosts large events, but largely due to him moving the mic away from his mouth while he spoke. At one point, O’Brien grew so frustrated that he shoved his own mic in front of Richards’ mouth. “We’ll get you a better mic next time,” said O’Brien, “or we can glue that to your face.”
There’s Not Even a Tiny Hint of a Tour
Ever since Steel Wheels back in 1989, a new Stones album meant a large stadium tour all across the globe. But they cancelled a planned European run in 2025, and pulled another one initially scheduled for this summer. It’s been nearly two years since they’ve played live in any capacity, and no signs point to one happening any time soon. The topic of live work didn’t come up during the O’Brien event. And Jagger, Richards, and Ronnie Wood are going on Fallon on separate nights this week to promote the album. It doesn’t look like they’re even going to do one song live during this promotional run.
It’s possible their concert days are behind them, and they’re a studio band now. It’s also possible there’s a run of dates coming in the near future they just haven’t announced yet. Hey Fallon, if you’re reading this, ask at least one of them about a tour. Quite a few fans are dying to know if the greatest live band in history has quietly retired from the road.
