ALSO THIS MONTH

STONED AGAIN

A deluxe reissue of The Rolling Stones’ 1973 album Goats Head Soup will include a song the band recorded with Jimmy Page in October 1974. Scarlet is thought to be named after Page’s daughter and features “layered guitar textures” from the Zeppelin man. The reissue is out on 4 September.

MAYER GOES DOWN A GEAR

John Mayer has revealed he’s not as caught up in the gear side of the creative process as he used to be. “I used to buy a lot of guitars and I moved my sort of fun from the gear to what it is I want to write,” he explained in an online chat with jazz drummer Eric Harland, moderated by New York’s GSI Studios’ producer and engineer Josh Giunta. “I’m trying to put all the energy into the writing because it’s really easy to get stuck on the ‘stuff’,” Mayer confessed.

“I kind of issued myself a challenge couple months ago,” he continued, “just write it on the acoustic guitar. If you’re going to demo it, no tricks: under-record everything, don’t produce everything… Everything has to work on the acoustic guitar. That’s the calculator. It has to work on it.”

ALL CHANGE AT MARTIN

Chris Martin IV is to step down as CEO of Martin Guitar in July 2021. He will remain chairman of the board and his family will retain the ownership of the company based in Nazareth, Pennsylvania. “I’ve spent over 40 years in my family business and what a ride it’s been,” said Martin. “Now I’ve reached the point where it’s time for me to move into the role of executive chairman.” Jacqueline Renner, president of Martin Guitar, has also announced plans to step down from her role in October 2021. The company is now looking to recruit a new CEO-president that can “embrace and augment [Martin’s] unique culture”.

STARR-Y EYED MCCARTNEY

As Paul McCartney’s 1997 album Flaming Pie is reissued – featuring Beautiful Night, his reunion track with Ringo Starr – Macca has revealed that he still gets emotional reminiscing about their history.

“When I wasn’t on the mic, in the solo breaks and stuff, I really made a point of turning round and watching this guy drum,” McCartney told the Press Association about the times he’s shared the stage with Starr since The Beatles’ split. “And I’m thinking, my God, you know the memories across this 10-yard gap here, him on the drums and me on the bass, the lifetime that’s going on here. So, you know, it’s a sort of magic. And he and I, these days, get quite emotional about it, because we should. We ought to. It’s a bloody emotional thing, the years. If nothing else.”