{"id":71420,"date":"2026-08-27T13:36:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T13:36:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/27\/how-producer-andrew-watt-stood-up-to-keith-richards\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T13:36:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T13:36:27","slug":"how-producer-andrew-watt-stood-up-to-keith-richards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/musicianvoice.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/27\/how-producer-andrew-watt-stood-up-to-keith-richards\/","title":{"rendered":"How Producer Andrew Watt Stood Up to Keith Richards"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Ron Wood<\/a> is praising Andrew Watt<\/a> for giving the Rolling Stones<\/a> a new lease of life with his youthful energy and strong character.<\/p>\n

Watt, 35, oversaw the Rolling Stones\u2019 2023 album Hackney Diamonds<\/em><\/a> and returned for this year\u2019s Foreign Tongues<\/em><\/a>. He previously worked with Ozzy Osbourne<\/a>, Paul McCartney<\/a>, Pearl Jam<\/a> and others.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a young guy with a passion,\u201d Wood told Classic Rock<\/em><\/a>, offering a hint of Watt\u2019s influence on the veteran band. \u201cHe\u2019s a fan. He can back up what he says because he can play. So we listened to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recalling a Classic Era From the Rolling Stones<\/h3>\n

Wood compared their working relationship to an earlier era when late producer Jimmy Miller oversaw a series of classic Rolling Stones albums, including 1968’s Beggars Banquet<\/a><\/em>, 1969’s Let It Bleed<\/a><\/em>, 1971’s Sticky Fingers<\/a><\/em> and 1972’s Exile on Main St<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n

This is a \u201cbit like in the Jimmy Miller days when the Stones were creating an album every couple of years,\u201d Wood argued. \u201cWe were back on that kind of schedule, which is great. People don\u2019t have to wait 10, 12 years between albums now.\u201d<\/p>\n

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‘Foreign Tongues’ is the second consecutive Rolling Stones album produced by Andrew Watt. (Instagram \/ @Mick Jagger)<\/figcaption>‘Foreign Tongues’ is the second consecutive Rolling Stones album produced by Andrew Watt. (Instagram \/ @Mick Jagger)<\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Wood said the Rolling Stones \u201cneed someone to boss us around to say: \u2018Come on, you\u2019ve got to come in at eight o\u2019clock, and I want your parts done,\u2019 you know? \u2018And then over the next week I want all your guitar parts done, Keith [Richards]<\/a>.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n

Richards pushed back, according to Wood. \u201cKeith would go: \u2018What do you mean? I\u2019ll do them when I want to.\u2019 [Watt] said: \u2018No, you won\u2019t. You\u2019ll do them when I tell you. And you\u2019re going to start now.\u2019\u201d Wood said Richards replied: \u201c\u2018Oh, okay then.\u2019 It takes an unusual man to be able to converse with Keith on something like bossing him around. It\u2019s good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Will There Be More Music With Charlie Watts?<\/h3>\n

Foreign Tongues<\/em> included an appearance by their late drummer Charlie Watts<\/a> on the track \u201cHit Me in the Head.\u201d Wood said it\u2019s possible that future material could feature more archive recordings.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong>\u00a0Top 10 Keith Richards Rolling Stones Songs<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe [have] quite a few of them, actually, so that we can keep Charlie\u2019s memory going,\u201d he said. \u201cI leave it to Mick [Jagger]<\/a>. He\u2019s got this kind of little archive of Charlie. I\u2019m not quite sure what\u2019s in it, but I\u2019m sure there\u2019s some more Charlie drum tracks. We did some in Paris that I know he could tap into.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wood also said the Rolling Stones want to keep an element of social commentary in their music \u2013 \u201cin our own little way. In a rock \u2019n\u2019 roll way. We have to try and keep the smile on people\u2019s faces as well as being blatantly honest with them, you know, about that \u2018sickness in the land<\/a>.\u2019 There\u2019s a lot of bad things going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Rolling Stones Album Art: The Stories Behind 27 Famous LP Covers<\/h2>\n
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The Rolling Stones’ album art tells the band’s story as well as any song.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

You Think You Know the Rolling Stones?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n