In the January 2024 issue of Uncut magazine, Keith Richards was featured in celebration of his birthday. Reflecting on the legendary guitarist, Jimmy Page shared his memories and insights in a December interview.
As a founding member of The Rolling Stones, Keith Richards has been a consistent presence in all of the band’s records spanning their six-decade career. Recalling a jam session with the band in the ’70s, Page reminisced:
“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.”
This London session gave birth to ‘Scarlet,’ an unreleased track later included in the 2020 deluxe reissue of ‘Goats Head Soup.’ While The Rolling Stones members had limited recollection of the song’s recording, Page vividly remembered details, particularly Richards’ performance.
Discussing the guitarist’s musical prowess, the former Led Zeppelin member praised Richards’ timing, imagination in crafting riffs, and versatility in both electric and acoustic playing. Page noted, “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.”
Richards celebrated his 80th birthday on December 18, shortly after The Rolling Stones released their latest album, ‘Hackney Diamonds.’ Amid speculations about it being the band’s farewell, Richards clarified in a conversation with Guitar Player:
“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 gearing up for a tour in Spring and Summer 2024 to support ‘Hackney Diamonds,’ commencing with a performance in Texas on April 24.
