Photo Credit: CBS This Morning
Keith Richards says The Rolling Stones aren’t planning to sell their music catalog – yet.
In a new interview with CBS This Morning, the legendary rocker says they’ve not even discussed the possibility. The news comes as other rock acts like Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, and Bruce Springsteen have sold their music publishing rights for huge payouts.
“Mick and I have not spoken about it on a serious level,” Keith Richards told CBS This Morning about The Rolling Stones catalog. “I don’t know if we’re ready to sell our catalog. We might drag it out a bit, put some more stuff in it. The only thing about selling your catalog – it’s a sign of getting old.”
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Richards also spoke about the surprise passing of drummer Charlie Watts last year. “I think he tried to keep [his health] under the wraps last year,” Richards says. “It came as quite a shock. He had had a round with cancer a year or two before, but he beat that one. He just got hit with a double whammy; bless his soul.” Richards added that The Rolling Stones considered canceling the rest of their ‘No Filter’ tour after Watts passed.
“I think Charlie wanted us to go on the road,” Richards says. “He wanted the tour to happen. That was my feeling the last time I spoke to him.” The last original Rolling Stones album dropped in 2005 with A Bigger Bang. Richards confirms that he and Mick Jagger have been working on new material.
“I was working with Mick last week, and Steve Jordan [the drummer], and we came up with eight or nine pieces of new material which is overwhelming by our standards,” Richards laughs.
Richards is releasing a 30th-anniversary re-issue of his second solo album, Main Offender, later this month. The Rolling Stones have also shared the details for their upcoming 60th-anniversary tour for the UK and Europe. Tickets to the UK shows go on sale March 18.
