Mick Jagger's SuperHeavy band mate Dave Stewart has opened up in a new interview with Spinner about the making of the group's eponymous debut album, how Jagger contributed, and the possibility of SuperHeavy doing a tour. Based on what Stewart said in the interview, it is not a question of "if" SuperHeavy will tour, but "when."
SuperHeavy consists of Rolling Stones lead singer Jagger, Eurythmics co-founder Stewart, Joss Stone, Damian Marley and Oscar-winning songwriter/composer A.R. Rahman, who is best known for the music of "Slumdog Millionaire."
As previously reported, SuperHeavy's eponymous debut album will be released September 19, 2011, in countries outside the United States and Canada, and on September 20, 2011, in the United States and Canada. The album's first single is "Miracle Worker," which goes on sale worldwide on July 7, 2011.
Universal Republic will release the album in the United States, and A&M Records will release the album everywhere else. Both record labels are part of Universal Music Group, which is the current record company that has the Rolling Stones under contract for new releases and reissues.
Jagger and Stewart produced the "Super Heavy" album. Here is an excerpt of Stewart's interview with Spinner:
You've said that you like being a behind-the-scenes man. That's not the impression many people have of Mick Jagger. With this SuperHeavy supergroup, was he able to be a team player, or was it hard for him not to be the star?
Stewart: He was great about it, actually. Everybody was adding their parts. He joined in a big room where we were recording, and there was only a tiny few occasions where there was mixed opinion about what should happen in a certain song. It was a real flow that happened, flowing out of everybody. Most of it was born out of huge long jams we started a couple years ago. I might start it or Damian might start it, and these recordings would be like 40 minutes for one song. It wasn't until the next few times we all started going, "That was as good bit. Let's use that, and let's put this together." And lyrics started to come more and more, and it just started to build and build, and now we've got 18 great songs. We started mixing, and then we said, "These sound killer."
A lot of fans have speculated about what SuperHeavy might sound like. Is it primarily reggae-based?
Stewart: Some of it is reggae-kind of Caribbean, dancehall feeling. And then it flips into bluesy rock, and suddenly an Indian string section comes in -- all in one song. Anybody I've played it for has gone, "Holy s---. I've never heard anything like this."
With regard to Mick's other band, the Rolling Stones, what are your thoughts on rockers continuing to tour into old age? You've spoken fondly of the old bluesmen, such as RL Burnside, who played into his twilight years. Should the Stones be allowed to do likewise?
Stewart: Yeah, I think these guys should do whatever they want to do, whenever they want to do it. They're true pioneers and legends, and just like RL Burnside and lots of my favorite blues players, any recordings of them, or last recordings, would be valuable to me.
Are there plans to tour behind SuperHeavy?
Stewart: We're talking about how to perform such an epic fusion of sounds. There's lots of talk of different ways, almost like a happening, and I think when we do something, it'll be a happening. And it will have all sorts of people intersecting from different cultures and different walks of life and different ages, because of the fusion.
Stewart's solo album "The Blackbird Diaries" has a U.S. and Canadian release date of August 23, 2011. Since Stewart has tour dates scheduled for the end of 2011, the SuperHeavy tour will most likely launch in 2012.
However, don't be surprised if SuperHeavy does at least one live performance close to the album's September 2011 release date. Any live performances that SuperHeavy could do in 2011 might be a TV appearance or a concert that is open to the public or both. Nothing has been officially announced yet.
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