The new Rolling Stones Album, Foreign Tongues is set for release on July 10th 2026 and promo is hotting up.
On thursday 25th June, the BBC’s flagship magazine programme, the One Show featured Sir Mick Jagger interviewed by the legendary Lauren Laverne who chatted about the new album recorded in West London at Chiswick’s Metropolis Studios.
Ealing Broadway also got a mention as Mick recalled some of the bands first regular gigs held on a ‘naff’ Tuesday night. Those gigs later progressed to a more successful Saturday night residency.
Today, visitors to Ealing Broadway station (on their way to Ealing Blues Festival) will still have a challenge identifying the famous steps that housed those formative Rolling Stones gigs.
Nothing much has changed although live music is starting to thrive in parks, neighbourhoods & a few local venues.
Go find the full Interview with Sir Mick Jagger Interviewed by Lauren Laverne here at minute: 1.22.
On Thursday 20th November, Ealing Picturehouse greeted Ronnie Wood of The Rolling Stones and Woody Woodmansey (Drummer with David Bowie) for a special preview screening of the Nicky Hopkins Film – The Session Man.
Nicky Hopkins was born on 24th February 1944 in Perivale (now part of Borough of Ealing) and began playing piano from the age 3, eventually attending classes at the Royal Academy of Music. His classical training later merged with a love of the blues which was then permeating into many of his West London musical contemporaries.
Nicky’s first, early forays into Rock & Pop included a stint with Screaming Lord Sutch & The Savages (a set-up still celebrated by the likes of Jack White) & the Cyril Davies All Stars. Nicky’s abilities went centre stage with the recording of Country Line Special, the Cyril Davies classic that is etched onto the memories of many including Ray Davies (The Kinks) and Pete Townshend (The Who) (go find his Suburban Steps To Rockland interview)
Later collaborations included work with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks & The Who (to name but a few). The Session Man film clearly illustrates the sonic links between tracks such as Country Line Special, Revolution & Sympathy for the Devil.
Ronnie Wood & Woody Woodmansey (right) & John Wood (left) (producer of Session Man Film)
The movie succinctly illustrates Nicky’s unique ability to lift a composition with his playing on Jealous Guy (John Lennon) & Monkey Man (The Rolling Stones) and Angie (The Rolling Stones) – (For example)
Pic: Nicky Hopkins 1980’s calling card. Courtesy of ‘And on Piano’ – Nicky Hopkins’ – The book by Julian DawsonRonnie Wood & The A-Z of Ealing Rock Music
It is gratifying to see that, thanks to the efforts of documentary filmmakers, Nicky Hopkins, was formally inducted into the prestigious ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame’ in the USA, joining his fellow Ealing contemporaries Dusty Springfield and Ealing Club founder, Alexis Korner. Nicky’s pal Ronnie Wood, his bandmate on the seminal album, Truth, by the Jeff Beck Group, is of course a West London local, an Ealing Club veteran & Ealing Art School alumni and also a fellow Rock ‘n’ Roll hall of famer, a double inductee gaining honours in 1989 with the Rolling Stones and in 2012 with The Faces.
Today, music aplenty can still be found in surrounding streets, parks & churches while the soundtrack of the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s & 90’s continues to reverberate to new generations though a myriad of films & streaming platform productions.
There is a growing consensus in West London that curating past music & film contributions can strengthen opportunity for the present/ future cultural opportunity.
That said, there are so many West London music stories still to be celebrated & understood by a wider public. Plenty of ideas are to be found in the A-Z of Ealing Rock that should now be available at all local libraries.
Who’s Next?
The Ealing Club CIC are hosting The Ben Waters Band on the 8th February 2026. BUY TICKETS HERE
Legendary, BBC London DJ Gary Crowley recently visited the iconic steps that kick-started the London Rhythm & Blues boom back in 1962.
It was this location that helped bring together the Rolling Stones, as recalled by Keith Richards during his induction of Alexis Korner to the US Rock Hall of Fame in October 2024. Find more on that here.
Gary Crowley’s Saturday show can be found here. On Sunday 21 September he’ll be interviewing Glasgow pop pioneers, The Bluebells in an evening show at The Exchange opposite Twickenham Station…..Gary Crowley Presents an evening with the Bluebells
Alas, The Bluebells never played the Ealing Club but we did manage to host violinist Bobby Valentino alongside Phil Odgers [16 March 2019 @ Questors Theatre, Ealing]. Bluebells fans will be very aware of Bobby’s contribution to the single Young At Heart…
Anyway, the Ealing Club isn’t always about the blues heritage…and the music continues.
LIVE MUSIC CONTINUES IN 2025!
Next up on 5th September we have special, impromptu gig from David Graham & The Eskimo Brothers + Ben Waters & Ian Jennings. Support also from the amazing Leoni Kennedy who proved her worth at Ealing Blues Festival 2025. Tickets & sign up to the Ealing Club mailing list here: https://www.ealingclub.com
