As Uncut magazine featured Keith Richards in its January 2024 issue in honor of his birthday, Jimmy Page shared his memories and thoughts about the guitarist in a December interview.
Being a founding member of the band, Richards played in all of The Rolling Stones’ records throughout their six-decade career. So, while talking about a jam session he had with the band in the ’70s, Page shared:
“The thing I remember the most is that Keith was solid and driving, and he didn’t make mistakes. He kept going all the way through. And I realized just what a powerful force he is behind those Rolling Stones records. There was no doubt about it. Of course, I could take it all apart and highlight everybody’s vital contribution, but Keith was really driving it.”
The Led Zeppelin Guitarist Thinks Richards Deserves Respect
This session in London led to the creation of ‘Scarlet,’ an unreleased track later featured on the 2020 deluxe reissue of ‘Goats Head Soup.’ While The Rolling Stones members had limited memory of the song’s recording, Page remembered some details, including Richards’ performance.
Commenting on the guitarist’s contributions and musical skills, the ex-Led Zeppelin member said:
“The thing about Keith is his timing is really good and he has the imagination to be able to construct these wonderful riffs, which are the driving force behind the Stones’ records, pretty much. Not only that, but he could then turn his attention towards the acoustic playing on the 12-string, where he does ‘Angie’ and things like that. So, he’s extremely versatile. And super creative. If you’ve got somebody who can keep coming up with really good riffs decade after decade, that’s pretty serious. And to be respected.”
The Rolling Stones Founder’s Contributions To The Band Will Continue In The Near Future
Richards turned 80 on December 18, shortly after The Rolling Stones released their latest album, ‘Hackney Diamonds.’ While some speculated that this could be the guitarist and his bandmates’ last record as a band, he cleared the air during a chat with Guitar Player.
Talking about their first album since Charlie Watts’ death in 2021, he explained:
“I’ve never even come close to thinking of wrapping up the Rolling Stones’ story, so my answer to that is ‘Absolutely not.’ It was just a cool way of wrapping up the album and the story so far. We plan to keep on working. I know we’re going to work next year.”
The Rolling Stones are set to start a tour in the Spring and Summer of 2024 to support ‘Hackney Diamonds.’ The tour begins with a performance in Texas on April 24.
