The music world was left reeling when Robert Smith, the Cure's iconic frontman, revealed that he initially turned down an offer to collaborate with rock legends The Rolling Stones. But, as we all know, you can't keep a good man down – and in this case, a brilliant collaboration was born. Smith will feature on two tracks from their highly-anticipated album 'Foreign Tongues', released on July 10.
Smith's involvement is no surprise to fans of his work with The Cure, but the circumstances surrounding it are pure rock 'n' roll magic. In an exclusive interview on the Stones' podcast 'Speaking In Tongues', Smith dished out the juicy details behind his time in the studio with Mick Jagger and co.
It all began when producer Andrew Watt – a long-time online friend of Smith's – invited him to visit Metropolis Studios in Chiswick. Initially, Smith was hesitant to disrupt the recording process, opting instead to grab a pint in the bar. However, an assistant convinced Mick Jagger that it would be great for Smith to join them, and so he walked into the control room to find Jagger still belting out vocals – talk about a masterclass.
As the evening wore on, Jagger continued to play tracks and seek Smith's opinions. After a few drinks, the unthinkable happened: "Do you fancy doing something on the album?" asked Jagger. Smith was caught off guard, responding with a firm "No thanks" – but then had a change of heart. He plugged in his guitar and helped shape two unforgettable tracks.
Smith's contributions to 'Divine Intervention' and 'Never Wanna Lose You' have been hailed as a triumph by fans and critics alike. Even Mick Jagger was effusive in his praise, describing Smith's guitar work as an "indie lick" in a separate interview – and we can't wait to hear the whole album.