What Was Mick Jagger Swaying To?

Charlie Watts’ death hits hard on many levels. As a Stones fan, it’s sort of the end of at least an era within that band, because he was the only drummer that ever recorded with them. He was such a significant part of their sound, and an underrated part of their sound.

In a band where the spotlight would go to especially Mick and Keith, a lot of people truly didn’t understand how valuable he was. Charlie has always been the driving force behind the band. He could kick these songs and make them swing, make them swagger, still make them have that attitude, that pocket. Seeing him do that, way deep into his seventies, has been such a life-affirming thing. [Metallica are] a good 20, 25 years behind, but it’s given me a lot of faith in the possibilities of what it can continue to be — music, concerts, connecting to fans, connecting to each other as a band. Of course, there are a couple of incredible jazz drummers who played into their eighties, but there’s been nobody above Charlie in the rock & roll pyramid in terms of being out there and doing it.

I was looking at a couple of the clips from the last show in Miami and, even seeing Mick Jagger up there swaying . . . What is he swaying to? He’s swaying to Charlie Watts’ drumming. People sit there and go, “Yeah, I’m dancing along with Mick Jagger.” No, you’re dancing along with Charlie Watts in the same way Mick Jagger’s dancing along to Charlie Watts’ drumming. So Mick Jagger wouldn’t have those moves if it wasn’t for Charlie Watts’ drumming. It starts and ends there.

— AS TOLD TO KORY GROW