Keith Richards Interview
by Marcelo Orozco, Folha de São Paulo, April 11th

(Authorized translation)
 

F: Will the Stones'concerts with Bob Dylan in Argentina and Brazil be released in an album?

K.R.:  Oh yeah, I hope so.  We made 2 shows in Buenos Aires and did very well together.  I haven't talked to Bob yet but I think he liked it and we'll do it again here.

F: Are you going to include "Like a Rolling Stone" in a live album or just a single?

K.R.: We are recording the shows but it's difficult to answer that right now. I think the shows with Dylan are an awesome combination.  He has a great band and is in a great
"state of spirit".  I will see if we can rehearse another song to play together.  But I am not sure if that will be possible with all those boats catching fire (refering to the accident with the boat where Ron Wood was on Wednesday in Angra dos Reis).... (and laughs).
I did not go because I had a premonition (laughs again).  When Ron came back everything was on fire.  At least  all are safe and a boat is just a boat.  It was scary but at least we never have a single moment without some emotion (laughs).

F: Years ago Dylan said that he could have written "Satisfaction" but you wouldn't be able to write "Mr. Tambourine Man".  Was he bragging?

K.R.:  That was the first thing he said to me.  Actually, what he said was that he could have made "Satisfaction"  but I couldn't have made "Desolation Row".  That was back in 65, we were in a night club and everyone was drunk (laughs).  You can't take that too seriously.  He wasn't bragging.  That was the first time we met and have been friends since then.

F: Wood and you played together at the Live Aid in 85.  It wasn't a tunned performance, what happened?

K.R.:  That was one of "those nights"....   Bob busted 6 strings, the band behind us was warming up and we had acoustic guitars.  We were not able to hear what we were playing.  But it was for a good cause.

F:  Did you play with Dylan at the Live Aid just because Mick was playing a solo there?

K.R.:  It's difficult to remember.  I decided to make that show 2 or 3 days before. Bob arrived, we started to play and it was great.  But I had no idea of who else would be playing.  I just did it for fun.

F:  You wrote "Honky Tonk Women" in Mato Grosso (Brazil) - Jagger and Richards spent vacation in Brazil during 1968 - didn't you?

K.R.:  Yes.

F:  What will be your memories from Brazil from now on? The country where you made "Honky Tonk Women" or the country where you played with Bob Dylan?

K.R.:  A great country, huge and wonderful.

F: You are releasing "Wingless Angels", recorded with Jamaican musicians.  Can you tell us about that project?

K.R.:  I played in it and also produced it.  They are musicians I know and it was a honor recording them.  I know them for 25 years (in 1972 the Stones recorded "Goats Head Soup" in Jamaica)  and they are kind of  a family.  Long time good friends.

F:  Why did it take so long to record an album with them?

K.R.:  They are not a settled group.  They live in a fishermen village.  We were not planning to record and album, we just played  for ourselves.  But after 25 years (the album) kind of happened.  We did not plan it.  Suddenly we had the right equipment and the right people.  The album made itself.  A work of love.  I call them Wingless Angels because they want to fly but they have no wings.  They fly with music.