Paul McCartney is confirmed to appear on the new studio album from the Rolling Stones following reports that surfaced yesterday (February 21.)
CNN reports they received an email from a rep for the Stones stating Sir Paul plays bass “on just one RS track.” While Ringo Starr was also reported as appearing on the album, the Stones rep said he is not on the track with McCartney. The rep didn’t detail whether Starr is on the album elsewhere.
Rumors of the former Beatles appearing on the new Stones album came via Variety. The outlet cited “multiple sources” on the matter and said the album is going to be produced by Andrew Watt. He has produced a number of pop stars but has also produced Ozzy Osbourne’s last two albums.
News of a new Rolling Stones album dates back to November 2022. Ronnie Wood shared the band was working on new music, some of which would feature late drummer Charlie Watts. He told The Sun, “We are recording the new album now and we are going to LA in a few weeks to carry it on and finish it off. Charlie is on some of the tracks and drummer Steve Jordan.”
Watts, of course, died in August 2021 at age 80.
Paul McCartney – His 50 Best Post-Beatles Songs, Ranked
If Paul McCartney retired from music after the Beatles broke up, no one would blame him. How do you follow up nearly a decade of being in a band that changed music, changed culture, and maybe changed the world?
But McCartney clearly had a lot of fuel left in the tank. In the decades since, he’s been a formidable force in music: he dominated radio in the ’70s with Wings, he was ubiquitous on MTV in the early days of the cable channel and has collaborated with Kanye West and Rihanna, the surviving members of Nirvana, Diana Krall, David Gilmour, George Michael, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Elvis Costello, among others. He’s delivered classic theme songs for Cameron Crowe and James Bond, and besides recording scores of rock and pop albums, he’s also composed classical music and done experimental electronic music under the name The Fireman.
On December 18, he’s releasing McCartney III. Like 1970’s McCartney and 1980’s McCartney II, it was recorded entirely by McCartney — this was his “quarantine album.” Given that some of his recent songs (“Home Tonight,” “Fuh You,” “New”) made this list, we’re sure we’re going to have to update this one pretty soon.