The Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood visited NBC’s The Tonight Show on Wednesday (October 18) to chat about his band’s new studio album, Hackney Diamonds, which hits stores this Friday, October 20. During his interview with host Jimmy Fallon, the 76-year-old rocker gave fans a glimpse of the record’s vinyl version, opening its gatefold sleeve and declaring, “Hey everybody, welcome to the new album!”
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[RELATED: New Rolling Stones Documentary Looks at the Making of Band’s Hackney Diamonds Album]
As previously reported, Hackney Diamonds is The Rolling Stones’ first collection of new original songs in 18 years. Fallon asked Wood how he felt about the band finally releasing a new album.
“Well, I can say it’s about time,” Wood quipped, then proceeded to explain, “It feels so exciting because I’m so excited about every track on it. Every track has something to say and a different direction.”
Wood also singled out a couple of his favorite songs on the album.
“‘Whole Wide World’ is a great up-tempo [track]. You’re gonna love that,” Wood said. “And for the other side of the coin, there’s a country-kind-of-flavored song called ‘Dreamy Skies,’ where I get to play a little slide and Mick [Jagger] sings very country.”
Fallon also asked Wood about Paul McCartney contributing bass to one of the songs, “Bite My Head Off.” “Paul was so blown away [to play on the track]. He was a bit like a schoolboy, like a kid in a toy shop,” Wood explained. “He loved it. He said, ‘My dream! A Beatle gets to play on a Rolling Stones album!’ He was really knocked out.”
Wood also revealed that The Rolling Stones had gotten together this week and rehearsed “Bite My Head Off.” “We’ve been doing a bit of rehearsing to see how [the Hackney Diamonds] songs translate live, and they’re really cooking,” he said.
Other topics Wood talked about with Fallon included how he wound up joining The Rolling Stones in the 1970s and his early fandom of the band, the loss of the band’s longtime drummer Charlie Watts, his paintings, and Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder contributing to the new song “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.”
Watch the full interview with Wood on The Tonight Show’s official YouTube channel.
Wood’s fellow Stones guitarist, Keith Richards also will be a guest on the show this Friday, coinciding with Hackney Diamonds’ release.
(Photo by: Todd Owyoung/NBC)
