The Rolling Stones today release the second single, “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” from their upcoming album Hackney Diamonds, set to be released on October 20. It features a bravura vocal performance by Lady Gaga, alongside Stevie Wonder on Fender Rhodes, Moog and piano.
A gospel infused Stones epic in the lineage of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and “Shine A Light” — “Sweet Sounds of Heaven” came about in a spontaneous fashion. Jagger was at his home in London one sunny afternoon, the leaves were rustling as the wind blew through the trees around outside, and he started playing a chord pattern of C, F and B Flat on his piano.
The track was recorded at Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles; Metropolis Studios, London; Sanctuary Studios, Nassau, Bahamas and written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. During sessions in Los Angeles, The Rolling Stones invited Stevie Wonder and Lady Gaga to work on Heaven.
Both Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder have previously performed with The Rolling Stones. Lady Gaga joined The Stones onstage as part of the 50 & Counting tour in 2012. Their performance of Gimme Shelter was eventually released on GRRR Live album. Stevie Wonder toured with The Stones on their American Tour in 1972 regularly performing a medley of “Satisfaction” and “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” together.
The Stones recently launched Hackney Diamonds at a globally live streamed event from Hackney Empire in East London. The live stream was followed by the premiere of the video for “Angry” starring actress Sydney Sweeney which to date has had over 16 million views. The album is their first studio set of new material since 2005’s A Bigger Bang. Since then, the Stones have continued to smash box office records on a series of global sell-out tours and released 2016’s Grammy Award winning Blue & Lonesome, which featured their brilliant versions of many of the blues tracks that helped shape their sound, and topped album charts around the world. Last year, they thrilled European audiences totalling nearly a quarter of a million on the anniversary Sixty tour.
Hackney Diamonds marks The Rolling Stones’ (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood) first album produced by Grammy Award winning producer and musician Andrew Watt.
