The 1960s
We are bound to change. In a way it is already happening, but the changes will be natural. We consider ourselves a flexible group, and as we change, so will our music. In this respect we resemble a jazz group.
I want to
stay in show business. Write songs, too. And maybe go into management.
I could handle money alright. That wouldn't worry me. Remember I spent
two years at the London School of Economics and I passed all my exams.
I think of going back at times but I don't suppose I ever will. I know
this won't last. I give the Stones another two years. I'm saving for the
future. I bank all my song royalties for a start.
Who's to
say (how long we'll last)? On our present strength I think we can count
on earning big money for at least another two years, even if something
new comes in. But if there's nothing new on its way then we can literally
go on indefinitely. One thing, though, I wouldn't want to struggle along
if the group really lost popularity. There would be no point.
There's
a lot of things that hold this band together... It dominates our families'
lives. I've played in other bands before but nothing quite as fanatical
as this one has been. Don't know what the future will be like, but up until
now it's been the band. Joke isn't it?
I'm dreading
(old age). There are very few old people who are happy. When their minds
stop thinking about the present and the future and stay wrapped in the
past, they are awfully dull. I don't want old dears saying, How old
do you think I am? 48? No, I'm 78 and I've got all your records! Then
I think it's time they should grow up!
Future?
Know something? I never even think about it. Today's what counts. Ambitions?
Things are fine now. But I want to keep on writing songs with Mick. It's
a good partnership, I think - we never seem to be short of ideas.
I've worked
out that I'd be 50 in 1984 (sic). I'd be dead! Horrible isn't it. Halfway
to a hundred. Ugh! I can see myself coming onstage in my black, windowed,
invalid carriage with a stick. Then I turn around, wiggle my bottom at
the audience and say something like Now here's an old song you might
remember called "Satisfaction".
No,
I don't really like doing world tours. I'd rather tour here (Britain) than
anywhere else. But we haven't been international all that long and we've
just finished touring for the first time. So many kids write in from South
Africa and they're disappointed we don't go there.
Oh, Gawd!
I hope I'll be an actor. And I could still be making occasional records...
It's very unlikely (the Rolling Stones will still be going). But we've
been going four years now and that was very unlikely.
Well I
can't tell you how wonderful it is to be here in Hawaii, everybody. (Jokingly)
It's really WONDERFUL, the best audience we've ever had... here... and
this is our last concert... EVER.
I suppose
so. I don't think that far ahead. How can you tell what you'll be doing
in the future?
(W)e shall
never tour America again. It is very hard work and one bring-down after
another. Every place you go there is a barrage of criticism and eventually
you just start lashing out.
Yes we
will perform live again but we are still completing our next LP.
(The
Rolling Stones playing live again) could happen - but it's such a drag
now. It's all right leaping about the stage when you're 20 but when you
get to 25-26 it gets a bit embarrassing. Mick feels that he is old enough
to get into something new now. I know Charlie couldn't care less but if
Mick and Keith suddenly decided on something I suppose we would do it.
The other trouble is that the people we play to now are not really our
audience. Our fans have got married and turned into a record buying public
rather than one which goes to stage shows. If they came now they would
bring their husbands or something. We'd just get the curious and the kids
brought by their Mums and Dads and it wouldn't really be the fans to whom
we owe so much.
I'm trying
to think of some nice place we can play. We'd really like to play outside.
But it's how to present it. We don't want to do an Albert Hall thing again,
but it would be nice to play somewhee we could do all our records with
me jumping about and all of us playing and make it a proper show. Something
like Monterey would be great, but you just can't rely on the weather in
Britain.
(We'd like
to do) giant world tour. We want to do something really different, visiting
everywhere we can. Not even a concert tour, in the real sense of the word,
something far more exciting.
We are
hoping to make several live appearances shortly from our wheelchairs. In
fact, I think you can safely say that live appearances are a thing of the
future.
I'd like
to do (stage performances), but the thought of going onstage and playing
Satisfaction,
Paint
It Black, Jumpin' Jack Flash and six others just doesn't appeal
to me.
We've got
this album with ten groovy numbers, all of which we're dying to play live.
All we want is for someone to give us the opportunity to play somewhere.
It could all work out very groovy.
More than
anything in the world at present, I would like to do some live appearances.
But I don't think the others do. I mean they wouldn't mind but they've
got to be kicked to do them... I think it would give me a buzz to do some
now. I don't want to do ten weeks touring the States and staying in grotty
hotels but I would like to do seven or eight major cities around the world.
(Age) is
more a state of mind than anything else. I don't think I shall live to
a very old age anyway. I've always had that feeling, but if you can stop
your body falling apart you've won half the battle. I believe in that adage,
You
are what you eat. If you eat a colossal amount of potatoes, you end
up looking like one. All lumpy and knobbly-kneed. I'm not a vegetarian
or anything, but I prefer fish to meat and I don't drink milk or eat a
lot of starchy foods.
I don't
want to go back to the womb (playing clubs). The new band isn't going to
be like early Stones. The thing is to go on doing something new.
The future?
I don't think about it. (Laughs) We all have our visions of playing in
our wheelchairs. For the immediate future I want to keep the Stones playing,
because if I don't all the work of the last few months will be blown.
(I)n all
the future gigs, we want to keep the audiences as small as possible. We'd
rather play four shows of 5000 each, than one mammoth 50 000 sort of number.
We're playing at Madison Square Gardens in new York, but it will be a reduced
audience - we're not going to allow them to sell all the seats... After
the coming U.S. tour, I think we'll do some concerts in Europe. I'd very
much like to do Prague - if we can get in there.
I don't
know where to live. England is so small-town. They'll send me away eventually.
And they tax you blind. I think I'd like to live in France and travel,
live in different places different times...But I've got to find a place
to live, got to think about the future, because obviously I can't do THIS
forever. (Rolls his eyes) I mean, we're so OLD - Bill's 33!...
I read
something that said all that's left for the Stones now is to die before
they're thirty, and I thought it was terrible, I was very upset, and then
I remembered Bill's over thirty, so that's all right.
Doesn't
matter if you're 68 and bald. If you can do it, there's somebody who can
dig it, but if you're a rock and roller you've got to be on the stage.
A rock and roller doesn't exist unlesss he's on the stage.
Yeah, we
aim to stay on the streets. We dug doing this tour, actually, more than
the others.