Fall Preview Season
As we head into the Fall preview season, one of the most anticipated releases will be coming from The Rolling Stones, who are due to drop on October 20th. This is the Stones’ second record in as many years. After a few false starts and a 17-year release hiatus, they’re going back-to-back and it feels like it’s going to connect.
I’ve been reading up on it, and there are many lessons to learn from their process. First, they brought in fresh blood in the form of producer Andrew Watt. I’ve known Andrew for over a decade. He is a very talented artist who knows how to make remarkable music, as evidenced by his recent track record and winning the Grammy for Producer of the Year in 2021.
As a newcomer to the group, Andrew didn’t have any of the baggage that comes with a band that’s been together for 60 years. He set deadlines and kept the takes to a minimum with a focus on finishing and shipping the project post haste. After all, if this summer’s mega tours are any indication, the larger strategy of being on big stages is the core of the business now. It will be remarkable to see The Stones doing it at 80!
Andrew is a true student of the game and a superfan of The Rolling Stones. Proving that, he showed his enthusiasm at the recording sessions wearing the band’s old tour t-shirts as well as those of their spinoff projects like Richards’ X-Pensive Winos and Wood’s New Barbarians.
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From a technical side, Watts also sourced vintage equipment from the band’s past to stoke the nostalgic vibe. Retro works.
For the studio nerds, Watt intentionally placed Richard’s guitars on the left and Wood’s on the right, the opposite of what a concertgoer would see but the exact way the band would hear itself on stage. He wanted the sound of this album to resonate in stadiums because that’s the audience they play for and, as I noted, that’s the whole shabang right now.
It’s all pretty poetic. The band hasn’t released music since losing their beloved bandmate Charlie Watts. Their solution was to slot in a young Andrew Watt, making him an unofficial member. A coincidence, I’m sure, but one which could make the creation and release of “Hackney Diamonds” that much more endearing and memorable.
Jesse Kirshbaum
Co-Founder of Nue
Partner at Street Level Entertainment Organisation and Crazy Lighthouse Records
1 年Excellent article. I first saw The Stones in 1963 and have followed them ever since and still rate them as utterly superb. They are not afraid to move with the times or go back to their roots as the fancy takes them. The new album is, in my opinion, their strongest since Exile on Main Street. Charlie was indeed a sad loss but the Stones have paid great homage in this album, and getting Andrew Watt to produce it, together with his skill and homage to their roots has proved to be a brave and outstanding decision. Long may they continue to roll.
Driving Business Growth Through Strategic Development and Scaling Expertise
1 年The Rolling Stones are like a fine wine. .They keep getting better with age...