Mick Jagger.Photo:Paras Griffin/Getty
Paras Griffin/Getty
Mick Jaggerhas some thoughts about the rivalry betweenThe Rolling StonesandThe Beatles— and how the two bands are actually quite similar in ways.
“[McCartney] said The Beatles were better than The Stones because The Stones were really just a blues cover band,” Jagger reiterated. “Well, The Beatles were also really just a blues cover band when they started out. Every band is a cover band at the beginning, because that’s how it goes.”
Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney.Daniele Venturelli/WireImage, David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage
Daniele Venturelli/WireImage, David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage
“I’m not sure I should say it, but they’re a blues cover band, that’s sort of what the Stones are,” McCartney said, going on to explain how he thought that The Beatles’ “net was cast a bit wider” musically.
While Jagger previously went onZane Lowe’s Apple Music showin 2020 and said there’s “obviously no competition,” he added that he thought his rock band was more of a live act than the “Let It Be” group ever was.
“The Rolling Stones is a big concert band in other decades and other eras when the Beatles never even did an arena tour,” the vocalist said. “They broke up before that business started, the touring business for real.”
The Rolling Stones.ERIC LALMAND/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty
ERIC LALMAND/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty
The “Satisfaction” performer continued to make that point in his recent interview withThe Times, explaining how he turned the back-and-forth into an on-stage bit that he’s used on tour. “When we’re on tour I like to say that someone is in the audience when they’re actually not, to create a big moment, so I said one time, ‘Paul McCartney is here tonight. He’s going to come up on stage and play some of our blues cover tunes,’” he told the outlet, referring to ashow at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium in October 2021.
He joked, “I texted Paul to say thank you for his comment because it has given me a lot of comic material.”
There’s ultimately no real beef between the two music legends: The former Beatle appears as a feature on The Stones’ upcoming, new albumHackney Diamonds. He joined them on the bass for the soon-to-be-released track “Bite My Head Off.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The Grammy winners’ will release their first new album in 18 years on Oct. 20. The Rolling Stones, currently made up of Richards,Mick JaggerandRonnie Wood, confirmed that the record was on the way with aspecial event in Londonin early September.
The project marks the first release from the hitmakers since the death of theirdrummer Charlie Watts, who joined the band in 1963 and died at age 80 in August 2021.Steve Jordan, who Watts suggested as his replacement, has since joined the group.
The Rolling Stones have already released several tracks from Hackney Diamonds: “Sweet Sounds of Heaven,” a collaboration withLady GagaandStevie Wonder, and “Angry,” whicharrived along with a music videostarringSydney Sweeney.
source: people.com
