LONDON – The Rolling Stones and former Beatle Paul McCartney have joined forces to record a song together for the English rock band’s upcoming new album, a spokesman for the Stones said on Wednesday.

Hollywood industry publication Variety reported late on Tuesday that McCartney, 80, had recorded bass parts “for a forthcoming Rolling Stones project being helmed by 2021 Grammy producer of the year Andrew Watt”.

It added the recording sessions were done in Los Angeles recently and that McCartney’s ex-bandmate Ringo Starr was “also slated to play on the yet-to-be-announced album”.

Asked about the report, a spokesman for the Stones confirmed McCartney “guests on bass on one song” for the album, which will be released later this year. He said Starr had not been involved.

In a video message on his social media pages in January, Stones guitarist Keith Richards told fans “there’s some new music on its way”.

The new album would be the first since the death of Stones’ drummer Charlie Watts aged 80 in August 2021.

The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were global superstars in the 1960s, inevitably leading to talk of a rivalry between the well-mannered Fab Four and the grittier Stones.

Some music historians, however, believe that the supposed rift was more the result of marketing and press scrutiny rather than any deep-seated animosity between the artistes. REUTERS, AFP