The Rolling Stones have shared all-star new song ‘Sweet Sounds Of Heaven’.
The band’s new album ‘Hackney Diamonds’ is due to be released on October 20th, with the group hosting a special in-conversation event at London’s Hackney Empire to celebrate. Chaired by Jimmy Fallon and broadcast to a global audience, it featured a slight slip from Ronnie Wood – who accidentally revealed Lady Gaga is on the record.
Lead single ‘Angry’ had a punk edge and a glamorous video starring Sydney Sweeney, with new song ‘Sweet Sounds Of Heaven’ leaning more towards those lush, soulful Stones ballads – think ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ and you’d be close.
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Originating from a sunny afternoon at the piano in Mick Jagger’s London abode, the song’s structure was loosely laid out, before being completed at Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles; Metropolis Studios, London; and Sanctuary Studios, Nassau, Bahamas.
During their time in LA, the Stones opened up their little black book and got some friends involved. Lady Gaga performed alongside the band in 2012, their duet on ‘Gimme Shelter’ finding its way to the ‘GRRR Live’ album.
She appears on this new song, super-charging the arrangement with her utterly distinctive voice. Alongside this, the magnificent Stevie Wonder re-joins the Stones – he toured with them back in 1972, and they’ve remained close ever since.
A seven-minute workout, it’s an impressive soul ballad with some Southern overtones, the arrangement showing the Rolling Stones at their best. A word, too, for Mick Jagger’s vocal – writhing, packed with emotion, it contains the energy of a singer half his age.
Tune in now.
‘Hackney Diamonds’ will be released on October 20th – pre-order it online now.
