The Rolling Stones have returned to their humble beginnings with a new blues album entitled 'Blue & Lonesome'. The 12-track record released this week includes covers of Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Little Johnny Taylor, Lightnin' Slim, Jimmy Reed, Eddie Taylor, Magic Sam and Willie Dixon. 

The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones bring back the blues

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood might be known as some of the greatest rock legends in the world, but their sound is very much cemented in the world of blues. The band have spent five years putting together this ode to their passion, though it took only three days to record in the studio because they were trying to keep a live flow with no overdubs whatsoever.

'Blue & Lonesome' marks the Stones' first studio album in eleven years, following 2005's 'A Bigger Bang'. Since then their only releases have been live albums, box sets and compilations. The album was recorded at British Grove Studios in London, and produced by The Glimmer Twins and Don Was, who described the album as 'manifest testament to the purity of their love for making music'.

'The blues is, for the Stones, the fountainhead of everything they do', Don added. Touring musicians Darryl Jones, Chuck Leavell and Matt Clifford joined them in the studio and guitarist Eric Clapton even made a guest appearance on the album, popping in from the studio next door where he was recording his latest album 'I Still Do'. He lent his string skills to the Little Johnny Taylor number 'Everybody Knows About My Good Thing' and Willie Dixon's 'I Can't Quit You Baby', while session percussionist Jim Keltner also stepped in to help on Lightnin' Slim's 'Hoo Doo Blues'.

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The Rolling Stones are sadly not on the road at the moment, but their interactive exhibition - entitled simply ' Exhibitionism' - continues to run at Industria in New York City until March 2017.

'Blue & Lonesome' was released today (December 2nd 2016) through Interscope Records.