Rolling Stones reveal new album Hackney Diamonds release date

Rolling Stones announced the release date of their new album Hackney Diamonds and single Angry, during a special live event with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday. 

Arriving at the Hackney Empire in London, to crowds of screaming fans, Sir Mick Jagger, Keith Richard and Ronnie Wood revealed the record will drop October 20. 

In what will be their first album of original songs in 18 years and first without late drummer Charlie Watts, the rock and roll legends said: ‘Of course he’s missed.’

Keith added: ‘Ever since Charlie is gone it’s different, he’s number four.

‘He’s missing, of course he’s missed incredibly, but thanks to Charlie we have Steve Jordan who was his recommendation if anything should happen to him.’ 

The guitarist continued: ‘He’s been a friend of ours so he was a natural progression, it would have been a lot harder without Charlie’s blessing.

Sir Mick added there are 12 tracks on the album and while most featured Jordan, there are two tracks recorded in 2019 with Charlie.

Charlie passed away aged 80 in December 2021, surrounded by his family in hospital – weeks after he pulled out of US tour to recover from emergency surgery. 

The London-born drummer joined the then-fledgling band in 1963 after meeting Mick, Keith and Brian Jones while playing in rhythm and blues clubs.

Along with Mick and Keith, he featured on every one of the band’s studio albums. He was widely regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time

Frontman Sir Mick announced the band will release a new single called Angry and an accompanying video.

Explaining the title, Keith said: ‘We were flinging ideas around for titles and went from Hit And Run to Smash And Grab and we came up with Hackney Diamonds, which is variations of them both and we are a London band.’

He added that being in the studio and touring were the ‘Holy Grail’ of being a musician. 

‘It is fun, it is where a band can come together, playing live is the other Holy Grail, but to record is where the guys can come together and pass around ideas without any interference. It’s a great place for a band to work it all out,’ Keith said. 

When host Jimmy asked if they ever worry about how their fans will receive new music, he replied: ‘No, we just cross our fingers.’ 

Fans around the globe will be able to tune in via the band’s official YouTube channel to hear their new material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang. 

Satisfaction hitmakers Mick, 80, Keith, 79, and Ronnie, 76, said: ‘Hackney may be at the heart of Hackney Diamonds but this is a truly global moment we want to share with fans around the world via YouTube.’

A trailer for the event saw US chat show host Jimmy, 48, receive a call from the trio asking him to host.

In the caption, it teased: ‘Talking new album, new music, new era.’

The details of the event come after the legendary group used a local newspaper advert to reveal the name of their next album.

The Paint It Black rockers used the publicity gimmick to tell fans they are calling their new record Hackney Diamonds – with the announcement disguised as an advert for a fictional glass company of the same name placed in London’s Hackney Gazette paper.

One fan who spotted it shared the ad on X, saying: ‘Anyone see this? An ad ran in Hackney Gazette for a company called ‘Hackney Diamonds’ teasing Rolling Stones song titles.

‘Their est. date is 1962, same year Stones formed. Website seems to be run by Universal Music, the Stones’ label.

‘A clue their long-awaited new LP is on its way.’

Included in the Hackney Gazette ad was a miniscule version of the Stones’ iconic tongue logo – which they used to dot the ‘i’ in the brand name Diamonds.

The advert’s blurb also contained a reference to the Stones’ 1965 hit ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’, as well as nods to the tracks ‘Gimme Shelter’ and ‘Shattered’.

The font used for ‘Hackney Diamonds’ is also the same as the one used on the Stones’ album cover for 1978’s ‘Some Girls’.

It added the ‘glass company’ was ‘established in 1962’ in reference to the year the Stones formed,

The advert was printed on page three of the paper on August 21 and included a phone number.

When called, a recorded message plays that appears to announce the record or a single from it is coming out in September.

It says: ‘Welcome to Hackney Diamonds, specialists in glass repair.

‘Don’t get angry, get it fixed – opening early September, Mare Street, E8.’

The message also urges callers to ‘register for a call at www.hackneydiamonds.com’, adding: ‘Come on then.’

Hackney Diamonds will be the Stones’ 31st studio album and the first without their drummer Charlie Watts, who died aged 80 in August 2021 after a cancer battle.

It has already been revealed Bill Wyman, 86, the Stones’ long-term bassist, returned to the group to record a track for their next album in tribute to Charlie.

It’s also been reported the Stones’ next record would feature drumming by Charlie recorded before his death, and that there will be appearances by Sir Paul McCartney, 81, and 76-year-old Sir Elton John.