According to reports, former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman will appear on the band's long awaited new album. The Stones album has been in the works for a decade and includes tracks produced by Don Was and Andrew Watt. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Elton John have previously been named as guest artists contributing to the still-unnamed collection, which will feature the final sessions by the band's late-drummer Charlie Watts.
The Sun quoted an unnamed source who revealed that it was Mick Jagger that invited Wyman to play on his first Stones album since 1989's Steel Wheels: “Bill hasn’t seen the band together for years, but always loved Charlie. This record’s really a tribute to Charlie, so he couldn’t say no. After several sessions in L.A. done about six months ago, Bill’s playing is going to feature on the record.”
The insider added, “It was really nice for Mick, Keith (Richards) and Ronnie Wood to be back in the studio remembering Charlie, and playing and singing to drum tracks that are being repurposed and woven into the album.”
Bill Wyman retired from the Stones shortly after their 1989/1990 Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle world tour. Back in 1994 when the band hit the road for the first time without Wyman, Keith Richards spoke honestly about the commitment needed to be in a band: “You've got to really wanna do this gig and I think that's why Bill left — because you gotta wanna do it 100 percent. And if you're not at all sure, then you're better off backing out. At first, I was, y'know — I was gonna kill 'im. . . But, y'gotta make a change — y'gotta make a change.”
