Richard Ashcroft pays tribute to The Rolling Stones' Charlie Watts

8 September 2021, 17:52 | Updated: 8 September 2021, 17:54

The Verve legend spoke to the Chris Moyles Show this week about his new Acoustic Hymns album and what an honour it was to share the same stage with The Stones drummer.

Richard Ashcroft has paid tribute to Charlie Watts.

Tributes have continued to pour in for The Rolling Stones drummer, who sadly passed away on Tuesday 24 August, aged 80.

Speaking about his time supporting the Stones, Ashcroft recalled: "It was really mind blowing for me to see that cross-generational fan base.

"Whole families. you know, grandad, son, grandson, daughter, granddaughter. All in one group together. That's the power of music and songs and tunes and melodies and performers that are on that level."

He added: "And Rest In Peace Charlie Watts. I'm so happy to have graced the same stage as someone like that. I think when someone like that passes away, you just want to appreciate things now and people who were around".

Richard Ashcroft on his new acoustic album and more

READ MORE: Richard Ashcroft: Bitter Sweet Symphony dispute was the catalyst for Acoustic Hymns album

Ashcroft also revealed that it was his Bitter Sweet Symphony songwriting dispute which actually inspired him to rework the whole of The Verve's Urban Hymns on his upcoming Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1 album.

"What stimulated it was when when The [Rolling] Stones and other people owned the publishing to the song and sometimes early days when I would play it live, I'd go 'OK I'm going to strip it right back now with the acoustic just on my own and show people that there is a real heart to this song.'"

He continued: "So what we did was we got in touch with The Stones' people and said, 'If Rich does this other version and there's no sample in it, can we have a discussion?'

"The great thing was that, that just seemed to accelerate from there into Mick [Jagger] and Keith [Richards] signing over the whole lot for all of it.

"So the catalyst for this album [was] the song and then that opened up the door. This other version of it is bizarrely more Stones-y than the original. Very Stones-y and that's the irony."

Richard Ashcroft's Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1 album is set for release on 29 October 2021.

See Richard Ashcroft's Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1 tracklist:

1. Bittersweet Symphony
2. A Song For The Lovers
3. Sonnet
4. C’mon People (We’re Making It Now)
5. Weeping Willow
6. Lucky Man
7. This Thing Called Life
8. Space & Time
9. Velvet Morning
10. Break The Night With Colour
11. One Day
12. The Drugs Don’t Work

READ MORE - Richard Ashcroft: The Rolling Stones Are An Institution

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