The Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards has compared working with frontman Mick Jagger to working alongside opera diva Maria Callas.
In an interview with the Observer, Richards, who was speaking ahead of the band’s reissue of their 1978 album ‘Some Girls’, which is re-released on November 21, spoke about Jagger as “a diva” who the rest of the band try to not to annoy.
Asked whether his relationship with Jagger was like that of squabbling brothers, Richards replied: “No, it’s like working with Maria Callas. The diva is right and we’ve got to try and put music together without annoying the diva. If the diva gets too annoyed, then I get pissed off.”
He continued: “Do you think when we get together we’re all like happy families? Forget about it. We’ve been fighting cats and dogs all our career. We’re like brothers in that sometimes we love each other and sometimes we hate each other and sometimes we don’t even care. I’ve been playing guitar, watching that bum [dance in front of me] for years.”
Speaking in the same interview, Jagger played down the chances of the band reuniting for a tour next year to celebrate their 50th anniversary. Asked about how likely it would be that a tour would take place to celebrate the milestone, the singer replied: “I’ve no idea. We don’t really get together that much as a group.”
Jagger‘s comments come despite Richards‘ statement earlier this week that the band are planning to rehearse in a London studio later this month.
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