Rolling Stones pay tribute to Charlie Watts at Hackney Diamonds’ album launch, reveal tracklist includes his last performances and unveil A-list star who appears in new video

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, 80, Keith Richards, 79, and Ronnie Wood, 76, 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 revealed he would star on two tracks and said: ‘Of course he’s missed.’

Angry, which was released during the event, follows a Francois Rousselet-directed music video starring American actress Sydney Sweeney, who was seen in the crowd.

Speaking on stage, Keith reflected on Charlie’s passing, saying: ‘Ever since Charlie has been gone it’s different, he’s number four.’ 

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

Missed: IT will be their first album of original songs in 18 years and first without late drummer Charlie Watts, who passed away aged 80 in December 2021

The guitarist continued: ‘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.

‘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.

On the song Live By The Sword the trio are backed by both Charlie and former bassist Bill Wyman, reuniting the original rhythm section of The Rolling Stones. The second song featuring Charlie is named Mess It Up. 

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

Of their new song’s he explained: ‘I don’t want to be big-headed but we wouldn’t have put this album out if we hadn’t really liked it.’

Coming soon: 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

Trio: The rock and roll legends said: ‘Of course he’s missed’ as they spoke about Charlie

Star: Angry, which was released during the event, follows a Francois Rousselet-directed music video starring American actress Sydney Sweeney, who was seen in the crowd

She is seen riding in a red convertible through West Hollywood in the video 

Excited: People lined the street to catch a glimpse of the rock and roll legends

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

The guitarist continued: ‘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’ 

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

Throwback: On the song Live By The Sword the trio are backed by both Charlie and former bassist Bill Wyman (Bill pictured on stage with the band in 1981)

Replacement: Drummer Steve has toured with the band (Pictured on stage in November 2021)

Sir Mick wore a black bomber jacket and baseball cap for the event 

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’

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

Mick continued: ‘We said we had to make a record we really love ourselves. We are quite pleased with it, we are not big-headed about it, but we hope you all like it.’

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.’Hackney Diamonds tracklist

Mick later explained: ‘Hackney Diamonds is named after when your car windscreen gets smashed on a Saturday night and the glass goes everywhere.’

Keith 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,’ he 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.’ 

Elsewhere, Ronnie joked that he performs with other bands in between gigs

‘You’ve got to keep your fingers moving when you get to my age. You’ve got to keep everything moving,’ he said as they all laughed. 

Fans around the globe were 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, Keith and Ronnie 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.’

Title: Mick later explained: ‘Hackney Diamonds is named after when your car windscreen gets smashed on a Saturday night and the glass goes everywhere’

Star: Sydney looked incredible in a busty corset dress at the launch 

Proud: Mick continued: ‘We said we had to make a record we really love ourselves. We are quite pleased with it, we are not big-headed about it, but we hope you all like it’

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

Cryptic: The Rolling Stones had previously announced their new album title Hackney Diamonds in a local newspaper

Red carpet: Nick Cave’s son Earl was in attendance at the launch 

Elegant: Nicola Roberts looked as chic as ever in a black dress 

Loss: 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

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. 

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.

The album will be released across a number of formats including a special limited RS No.9 Carnaby Red vinyl, available exclusively to pre-order direct from the flagship store from September 6.

An exclusive Hackney Diamonds merch line is also now available from the London store.