The Rolling Stones and The Beatles have had a perceived rivalry since the '60s, but Keith Richards thinks John Lennon and George Harrison would've fit well in the Stones' lineup.

“I don’t think John Lennon would have had much problem fitting into the Stones, or George, if you can imagine that sort of thing happening,” the guitarist admitted during an interview with The Telegraph. “We were the same generation, and we all loved the same music. When we first heard The Beatles, we were relieved that there was some other band in England on the same track that we were on. And within a few months, that track was the main track.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Richards spoke about Paul McCartney playing bass on "Bite Your Head Off" — a track featured on their upcoming album Hackney Diamonds. “Paul happened to be in town…And we couldn’t keep him away, bless his heart," he said. “And hey, if you can get one of the Beatles on your track, you know, you do it.”

“Paul’s a very amiable cat to play with; we’ve been great friends forever,” Richards added endearingly. Hackney Diamonds is the Stones' first album of new material in nearly 20 years and first since drummer Charlie Watts' death. Last week, Ronnie Wood confirmed that Watts recorded drums for "Live By The Sword" and "Mess It Up" before passing away in 2021.

Hackney Diamonds is slated for an October 20 release.

Jeffrey T. Mason