The Rolling Stones shared a pro-shot video from their recent surprise show at a New York City club. The video features the Stones joined by Lady Gaga on “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.”
Before you watch the clip, take a look at Pierre Robert’s interpretation of the performance. He was lucky enough to be in the house for this intimate Stones performance, but when he tried to explain its excellence to Preston & Steve… well, watch how that went.
This song is featured on Hackney Diamonds, the Rolling Stones’ first new album in 18 years. The album is out now and available in a variety of formats at RollingStones.com. In addition to Gaga, the album features other high-profile guests. Stevie Wonder joins Gaga on “Sweet Sounds of Heaven.” Late drummer Charlie Watts drums on two tracks: “Mess It Up” and “Live by the Sword.” The latter track also features original Stones bassist Bill Wyman and Elton John. Paul McCartney is also on the album and plays bass on “Bite My Head Off.”
How Lady Gaga got involved with the Rolling Stones is quite a funny story. The band touched on it in a new interview with Rolling Stone. As luck would have it, Gaga and the Stones were at the same recording studio at the same time working on new music. The pop star asked if she could stop by and say hello. During this session, the band was working on the song “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” which also features Stevie Wonder on keyboards.
Mick Jagger said, “She just walked in, in front of me, and she just curled up in a ball in front of me on the floor, and then someone gave her a mic, and she started singing ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs.’”
Ronnie Wood added, “And Mick said, ‘Well, come on in. Stand up. Let’s make a thing of this then. Let’s do it properly.’”
And there you have it: A simple request to say hello turned into a guest spot on a new Rolling Stones album!