Is Keith Richards igniting old rumors about a rivalry between the Beatles and the Rolling Stones? The Rolling Stones guitarist famous for a lifestyle rife with drug use has thrown a little shade the way of John, Paul, George, and Ringo in an interview with Esquire.
When music by the Beatles and Stones was mentioned, Keith responds:
The Beatles sounded great when they were the Beatles. But there’s not a lot of roots in that music. I think they got carried away. Why not? If you’re the Beatles in the 60’s, you just get carried away-you forget what it is you wanted to do. You’re starting to do Sgt. Pepper. Some people think it’s a genius album, but I think it’s a mishmash of rubbish, kind of like Satanic Majesties-‘Oh if you can make a load of shit, so can we.’
Richards has always believed in the purity of music, relishing the bluesy element to the Stones’ sound. The two bands were part of the British Invasion back in the 60’s. While the Beatles broke up and went on to have solo careers, the Rolling Stones continue to play, selling out stadiums to this day. Richards takes what appears to be another dig at the Fab Four telling Esquire their groupies tired them out saying:
The Beatles, those chicks wore those guys out. They stopped turning in 1966-they were done already. They were ready to go to India and sh-t.
The Beatles were often considered cute and loved by fans while the Stones were often considered the bad boys of rock and roll, an image they made no attempt to shed. Richards recently told a reported that he still likes to begin the day with a joint. At 71 he’s still touring and coming out with a solo album on September 18, so maybe he knows something the rest of us don’t.
He will also be the subject of a Netflix documentary, Keith Richards: Under the Influence, set to stream the same day his album is released. Richards has always been outspoken when it comes to life and music and while he laid stories of a Beatles/Stones rivalry to rest, his comments about the iconic Sgt. Pepper may fan some flames.
What do you think about Keith Richards calling Sgt Pepper rubbish? Is he right or do you think he’s smoking a little too much? Let us know what you think here at Haveuheard.