Ronnie Wood is just as excited as the rest of us for the release of The Rolling Stones’ 25th and latest studio album Foreign Tongues.
When the legendary British guitarist proved it when he stopped by The Tonight Show on Thursday night, May 7, demonstrating the bounce of a cat, and the energy of lightning bolt.
Wood, age 78, will turn back time when he sets out on a run of solo shows in the United Kingdom and Continental Europe this summer, his first in 16 years. And in November, an exhibition of his artwork in Germany.
The big drop, of course, is the release of Foreign Tongues on July 10, a 14-track LP led by core members Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Wood, with starry contributions from Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood, The Cure frontman Robert Smith and others.
The album, Fallon explained, reading from a vinyl copy, includes a cover of Amy Winehouse’s “You Know I’m No Good,” the original of which was housed on the late diva’s Back to Black album from 2006. Winehouse and the Rolling Stones have history. The “Rehab” singer joined the Rock Hall-inducted band on stage in June 2007 at the U.K.’s Isle of Wight Festival, for a rendition of “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.”
Late night viewers were also treated to a snippet of “Back In Your Life,” which features a “fantastic” Wood solo, according to Fallon, who has enjoyed an early listen to the album. Wood, we learned, drew divine inspiration for the recording. The Englishman cut his solo on the day Brian Wilson died, last June, when he was still reeling from Sly Stone’s passing days earlier. “It came out my guitar, the feeling, you know,” he recounts. “Just one take. I didn’t do that, the guitar played itself.”
For his latest stint on NBC’s The Tonight Show, Wood took a trip down memory lane as he reminisced on how he learned music and art from his older siblings, was gifted his first guitar, being skint before fame, forming The Faces with Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart, and he rounded it out with a harmonica jam with Fallon and the house band.
“It’s inspirational to do” music and art, he says. “You know, I’m lucky enough to do a solo thing with the painting, and then be a part of a band, you know, part of a group, to express musically. It’s such a gift, you know, to be able to do both.”
Ahead of Foreign Tongues, the band has released two tracks from the project: album opener “Rough and Twisted” and lead single “In the Stars.” Wood’s guest spot on NBC’s The Tonight Show came 24 hours after Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger stopped by to do his bit in a comedy sketch.
Watch Wood’s interview below.
