Ron Wood revealed that the ongoing pandemic has put the new Rolling Stones album on the shelf — or as he calls it — the “hob.” NME quoted the “newest” member of the band — who joined up 45-years-ago this summer — as saying, “There’s some lovely music on the hob, y'know, it’s on the back burner. We’re bringing it towards the front of the hob now, but gradually. The thing is, we can’t all get together at the moment to do it, but I’ve been working on music. I’ve got a couple of albums ready to go as well. Everything is, y'know, life is on hold.”

Wood went on to say, “I’m looking forward to the day when I can be playing again. . . Please don’t say (it’ll be) a few years, I want to be out this time next year, for sure. We’re not holding our breath, otherwise we’d have collapsed. But we are happily carrying on day by day. . . chores, and enjoying our families.”

Although Ron Wood first started recording with the Stones as far back as late-1973 and touring with them in '75, it took until 1992 for him to actually become a full partner in the Rolling Stones organization, and until then was paid as a salaried employee: “Well, after an apprenticeship of 17 years, it just went by like that. Although it wasn't a labeled apprenticeship, I felt that out of respect I would seep in by osmosis into the Stones' world.”

Ron Wood told us that at this point — with nearly 60 years of classic songs and dozens of tours under their belt — the Stones are clearly sailing in uncharted waters: “We notice that we're cutting new ground, y'know, in that no bunch of guys have ever stuck together this long in the rock n' roll field.”

AUDIO: RON WOOD ON THE ROLLING STONES’ LONGEVITY
AUDIO: RON WOOD ON BECOMING A FULL MEMBER OF THE ROLLING STONES