Band members dying of old age hasn’t dented ageing rockers The Rolling Stones’ output with news of the band’s 31st studio album to be called Hackney Diamonds due out next month. It’ll be the Stones’ first release since the death of legendary drummer Charlie Watts back in August 2021.
To promote the album, the remaining members – Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood – have gone completely old school, placing a spoof ad in London newspaper The Hackney Gazette which was first published way back before even Keith was born in 1864.
The Stones performing in 2022. L-R: Ronnie (76), Keith (79), & Sir Mick (80)
To the uninitiated, the ad looks like a generic newspaper ad for for a new local store. Check it out below:
However, keen-eyed Stones fans soon picked out the multiple references in the ad promoting the new album release.
“Hackney Diamonds, specialists in glass repair, opening September 2023,” the ad told readers on page three of the paper.
Hackney Diamonds is apparently London slang for broken glass, often done after a robbery or vandalism.
An online image of the reported cover of The Stones’ new album Hackney Diamonds
It added: “Our friendly team promises you satisfaction. When you say gimme shelter we’ll fix your shattered windows.” The line alone references three Stones classics – “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”, “Gimme Shelter” and “Shattered”.
Other clues include the “it” in Hackney Diamonds dotted with the band’s famous tongue and lips logo. Diamonds is also a reference to the the band’s 60th anniversary tour, which began last year in Madrid.
According to an article in music bible the NME, the font used for the words Hackney Diamonds is the same as the one used on band’s 1978 album Some Girls.
While the “Est 1962” at the foot of the advert is a reference to the year the Rolling Stones were formed.
There’s even a website at the bottom of the ad that reads www.hackneydiamonds.com and asks users to “register their interest now”.
