The Rolling Stones have just dropped their latest single, ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven,’ which is part of their upcoming album, Hackney Diamonds, scheduled for release on October 20. The track showcases a remarkable vocal performance by Lady Gaga, accompanied by Stevie Wonder on Fender Rhodes, Moog, and piano.
‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven’ emerged spontaneously, a gospel-infused Stones epic reminiscent of classics like ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ and ‘Shine A Light.’ One sunny afternoon at his London home, Jagger was serenaded by rustling leaves and the gentle breeze while he played a captivating chord progression of C, F, and B Flat on his piano.
The song was recorded at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, Metropolis Studios in London, and Sanctuary Studios in Nassau, Bahamas. It was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. While working on the song in Los Angeles, The Rolling Stones collaborated with Stevie Wonder and Lady Gaga, who contributed to “Heaven.”
Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder have shared the stage with The Rolling Stones in the past. In 2012, Lady Gaga performed with The Stones during their 50 & Counting tour, and their rendition of Gimme Shelter was later included in the GRRR Live album. Stevie Wonder also joined The Stones during their American Tour in 1972, where they regularly performed a medley of Satisfaction and Uptight (Everything’s Alright) together.
The Stones recently launched Hackney Diamonds with a globally live-streamed event at Hackney Empire in East London. The premiere of the ‘Angry’ video, starring Sydney Sweeney, has received over 16 million views. This album is their first studio release of new material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang. They have broken box office records on global sell-out tours and achieved chart-topping success with 2016’s Grammy Award-winning Blue & Lonesome, featuring their own versions of influential blues tracks. Last year, they thrilled European audiences with nearly a quarter of a million attendees on the Sixty tour anniversary.
The Rolling Stones’ (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood) first album produced by Grammy Award-winning producer and musician Andrew Watt is called ‘Hackney Diamonds’.
Hackney Diamonds tracklist:
- Angry
- Get Close
- Depending on You
- Bite My Head Off
- Whole Wide World
- Dreamy Skies
- Mess It Up
- Live by the Sword
- Driving Me Too Hard
- Tell Me Straight
- Sweet Sounds of Heaven
- Rolling Stone Blues
Hackney Diamonds cover art:
