Steve Lillywhite's revelation: “Working with the Rolling Stones was hell”

With a career built alongside some of the central names in rock history, Steve Lillywhite has never hidden the fact that he's also lived through some extremely difficult professional experiences. One stands out above all: his collaboration with the Rolling Stones in the mid-1980s, which he himself described as one of the toughest of his career.

In 1985 Lillywhite was brought in to produce the band's eighteenth studio album, "Dirty Work". The English group was going through deep tensions at the time, concentrated above all in the by-then worn-out relationship between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. As the producer recounted in an interview with the Word in Your Ear podcast, the two frontmen barely spoke to each other: "They probably spoke to each other for maybe an hour during the whole time we were recording. They were never in the same room."

In that context Lillywhite found himself playing a role that went well beyond that of producer. He became a kind of permanent go-between, forced to relay messages from one side to the other. "One would come to me and say 'blah blah blah'. I'd go to the other one, who'd say 'you tell him, blah blah blah'." A situation he himself has described with bitter irony, comparing himself to a professional diplomat: "I said I was Henry Kissinger."

Despite the tense atmosphere, "Dirty Work" was released in March 1986 and achieved solid commercial results. The rifts within the band, however, ruled out any real live promotion: the album was not supported by a tour, a clear sign of just how much the conflict had come to affect even operational decisions.

In hindsight, Lillywhite acknowledges that that experience, however brutal, taught him a fundamental lesson. In the studio, he explained, it's essential never to shut yourself off: keeping the doors open and allowing outsiders in can help spot problems that remain invisible from within. "When someone comes in and hears a rough mix, suddenly I understand what isn't working. It's like hearing the track through different ears, and at that point I know what needs to change." A hellish experience, then, but also a decisive lesson in the making of one of the most influential producers of the last forty years.

Meanwhile, rumours are swirling across the pond: the Rolling Stones are reportedly working on a new album, two years after the release of "Hackney Diamonds". But that's not all: despite their age, Mick Jagger and co. are said to already be considering a possible tour as well.

According to the British tabloid The Sun, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Steve Jordan reportedly began recording the follow-up to "Hackney Diamonds" last April. The English band is said to have already completed thirteen tracks at Metropolis Studios in London.

A source close to the band told The Sun: "Initially there was talk of bringing the big US tour to the UK and Europe this summer, but the promoters couldn't find suitable dates. So the Stones decided to go back into the studio to focus on the new album. It's a huge surprise for fans, who won't get to see them live this year." Production is once again in the hands of Andrew Watt, who already worked on three tracks on "Hackney Diamonds" and is now back on board for the project.

At the moment, there has been no official confirmation from the band regarding either the release of the new album or any potential tour plans. What is certain, however, is that even before the release of "Hackney Diamonds" in 2023, Mick Jagger told The New York Times that he didn't see that record as the last of their career - in fact, he said much of the material for a future album was already in the works. Keith Richards shared the same view, telling SiriusXM that same year: "There's still plenty in the pipeline. There'll always be another album, until we drop... That's what we do. Keep the Rolling Stones going till the end."

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