Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr — the last living members of The Beatles — will reportedly “come together” again to record new music with friendly rivals The Rolling Stones.
According to Variety, both McCartney, 80, and Starr, 82, are slated to appear on The Stones’ upcoming album, which they say is being helmed by 2021 Grammy producer of the year Andrew Watt. McCartney has already recorded some bass parts during recent sessions in Los Angeles, while Starr is reportedly lined up to play drums.
It’s unclear whether the two will be on the same song, whether they’re working on multiple tunes or even if their tracks will make the final cut. The album has yet to be officially announced, though both The Stones’ lead singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards have teased new music is on the way in recent months.
This won’t be the first time The Beatles and The Rolling Stones have collaborated, though the British rockers have rarely worked together in the past six decades since they each found fame.
The late John Lennon sang backup on The Stones’ “We Love You” in 1967 alongside McCarthy. That same year, The Stones’ Brian Jones guests on The Beatles’ “You Know My Name (Look Up the Number),” on saxophone.
Mick Jagger Pays Tribute to Charlie Watts on Anniversary of Rolling Stones Drummer’s Death
If or when The Stones’ new album comes, it’ll be the first new record of original musical from the rockers since 2005’s A Bigger Bang. They just wrapped a tour celebrating 60 years in August 2022, and released a cover album — Blue & Lonesome — in 2016.
The potential new album will also be the first without longtime drummer Watts, who died in August 2021 at age 80.
Watts will be featured on the album, Jagger, 79, and Richards, 79, telling the Los Angeles Times in October 2021 that they had recorded new music with him on drums before his death. “Let me put it this way,” Richards said, “you haven’t heard the last of Charlie Watts.”
Rolling Stones Recorded New Music Before Charlie Watts’ Death: ‘Haven’t Heard the Last’ of Him
The surviving Stones have spoken openly about the pain of losing Watts. Jagger raised a drink to the drummer on stage in September 2021 as they played their first show without him.
“The thing he brought was this beautiful sense of swing and swerve that most bands wish they could have,” the singer told Rolling Stone that month. “We had some really nice conversations in the last couple of years about how all this happened with the band. It’s a huge loss to us all. It’s very, very hard.”
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Meanwhile, McCartney and Starr — who rose to fame in the Fab Four alongside Lennon and George Harrison — have maintained a friendship in the years since the Beatles went their separate ways, and both were recently featured in the Abbey Road documentary If These Walls Could Sing, directed by Paul’s daughter Mary McCartney.
Earlier this month, the two old friends reunited at a Los Angeles event for Paul’s other daughter Stella McCartney, showing off some groovy dance moves in a video shared by Starr to social media.
“Man, this beautiful day is getting better and better we were at the Stella McCartney rollerskating party,” Starr captioned the clip, which showed him dancing with Paul and clapping along to the 1976 disco hit “Young Hearts Run Free” by Candi Staton. “What a time we had go get them, Paul, peace, and love.”
It’s Paul McCartney’s 82nd birthday!
In honor of his 82nd year around the sun on June 18, the former Beatle posted to Instagram and revealed he’s certainly hoping to be showered with gifts in celebration of the big day.
They say it is my birthday,” wrote McCartney, referencing the Beatles’ 1968 track “Birthday” from the iconic White Album, “and I’m looking forward to being spoilt rotten by my loved ones!”
He also received celebratory wishes on social media from some of his kids. His son James, 46, posted a photo of him and Paul hugging to Instagram alongside the message, “Happy Birthday Dad. I will always love you. You are a guiding light that shows me how to move forward. You love me, I love you and that’s all that matters.”
Paul’s daughter Mary, 54, shared a slideshow featuring photos of her father on his own and them together to Instagram, writing in the caption, “Happy Birthday Dad x with all my love x.”
His daughter Stella, 52, posted photos taken by her mom Linda, Paul’s first wife, to Instagram. “PAUL’S BIRTHDAY: Looking at my Dad @PaulMcCartney through my Mum’s lens today… His day…,” she
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