The Rolling Stones tease ‘Hackney Diamonds’ album announcement next week
A major announcement from the group is coming on September 6...
By Nick Reilly
The Rolling Stones have continued to stoke rumours of a new album after teasing a worldwide announcement next week, linked to the mysterious Hackney Diamonds.
It comes after the group shared a recent mysterious newspaper advert for Hackney Diamonds, a firm which prided itself in being “specialists in glass repair”.
But when a closer look is taken at the advert printed in the Hackney Gazette, an array of clues seemingly point to the fact that it’s new activity from the Stones.
These include the inclusion of their iconic lips logo, which is used to dot the i in diamonds. There’s also a selection of not-so-subtle nods to their own songs including ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’, ‘Gimme Shelter’ and ‘Shattered’.
It’s now thought that the group are about to officially announce their 24th album – their first of original music since 2005’s A Bigger Bang – which is believed to be called Hackney Diamonds.
Stoking the rumours further, the group today an augmented reality video clip of their tongue and lips logo floating above an entrance to New York City’s 59th Street Columbus Circle subway station.
Fitting the theme, the logo is seen repairing itself from shards of broken glass in the clip, while music can also be faintly heard.
A countdown to September 6 is finally revealed, with fans urged to sign up to “join the world”.
t was also suggested earlier this year that the group are reportedly working with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr on the new album.
The two surviving Beatles members are set to contribute instrumentals to the album, according to Variety.
As per multiple sources, McCartney has recorded bass parts for the forthcoming project, while there are also plans for Starr to contribute to the currently unannounced new album, which is said to be produced by Andrew Watt.
While it’s not clear if the tracks will make it onto the album, recording has apparently taken place in Los Angeles. It has also been suggested that ex-Stone Bill Wyman could make an appearance on the album.
Back in 2021, Keith Richards told the LA Times that the band “might’ve finished the damn thing” if COVID-19 hadn’t closed everything down and halted work on the album.
“We have a lot of tracks done, so when the tour’s finished we’ll assess where we are with that and continue.”
While Richards and Mick Jagger were tight-lipped about what their new music might sound like, they did share that fans “haven’t heard the last of Charlie Watts,” the band’s late drummer of more than 50 years who died in August 2021.
Richards also shared in a New Year’s Instagram post last month that “there’s some new music on its way”.