Keith Richards is already planning his next endeavor months after closing up a series of gigs on the Rolling Stones Sixty Tour, which celebrated the band’s six decades together. The next album could feature yet another collaboration with Tom Waits. “With Tom, it’s no sweat,” Richards added. “We weren’t obligated to do anything together; we simply did it because we were together.” We sometimes compose stuff together, and other times we go out to eat. It’s a natural process that’s a lot of fun. I had a great time working with him, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat, Tom.” Waits and Richards collaborated on multiple occasions over the course of roughly four decades. Richards made his debut on numerous songs on Tom Waits’ 1985 album Rain Dogs. They again worked together a few years later on the song “That Feel,” which appeared on Tom Waits’ 1992 album Bone Machine. “We ended up in Tom’s studio-playroom in California, somewhere near Monterey, for ‘Bone Machine,'” Richards explained. “We messed about and played around. We sort of fell into each other and began to strum.
” The duo also recorded a version of the 19th-century folk song “Shenandoah” for the anthology Son of Rogue’s Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys in 2013. Richards was also “incredibly humbled” when he realized he was the only other person Waits had written songs with outside his wife, Kathleen Brennan, and commended the duo. “Kathleen is a very important part of what he does,” Richards explained. “They’re a close pair. He’s only ever written with Kathleen and me, I believe. I just found out after the incident, and that humbled me tremendously.””They’re a hell of a duo to break into, man,” he continued. She has a secret talent. What a wonderful thing for a couple to be able to do. Only one other married couple, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, who created all those amazing tunes for the Everly Brothers, come to mind. Actually, Tom and Kathleen remind me of them. In some ways, what they do is extremely conventional.
” The Rolling Stone praised Waits and his live performances once more. “He’s such a fantastic performer,” Richards added. “He pulls little tricks out of nowhere, a little bit of shadow and movement, and he’s got it.” I’d want to see him do more live work. I know he’s hesitant to do it, but I and a lot of other people would want to see it. Simultaneously, you can only do it when you wish to.” “Tom’s music is so American — probably more folk-American than anything, but somehow modern,” remarked the 79-year-old rocker. “He’s a strange mix of things, a great bunch of guys.” Both nearly reunited in April during Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday event at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. “I spoke to him a couple of months ago,” Richards explained. “He was supposed to be at the Willie Nelson birthday party concert at one point.” That was something I was looking forward to, but it didn’t happen. We’ve communicated. I have letters from him up on the wall in his lovely handwriting.”
