Don Was Talks Next Stones Album and Touring with Warren Haynes
Michael Leonard
02.06.2017
http://www.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/News/en-us/Don-Was.aspxDon Was has been talking with Ultimate Classic Rock about his current projects. For most people, producing the next Rolling Stones album would be enough. But Was is also touring as the bassist for the star-studded 40th anniversary tour of the Band’s The Last Waltz. That band is being led by Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes.
In the interview, Was offers a few insights into his current work. He’s helped make every Rolling Stones album since 1994’s Voodoo Lounge, and says of the ongoing sessions for a new album of Stones originals:
“The energy is —ing great. And [the Stones] are stoked about the response to Blue and Lonesome... It’s them being them. It’s an affirmation of the band being itself. And I think that is having an impact on the sessions, which is great. But I will tell you we’re a ways off yet until we’re done.”
Of playing with Haynes, Michael McDonald and country star Jamey Johnson, Was says he’s not even sure when he became friends with the Gov’t Mule man.
“I’m not even sure. I had met him a couple times years ago. But the first time we really hung out was at the White House when President Obama did a blues show from there. I went with Mick Jagger, and I ended up spending some good time with Warren. Then we ended up putting out the last Gov’t Mule record on Blue Note. I also produced a couple of track on the next Gov’t Mule album that they’re working on and we’ve done a lot of live stuff in the past couple years.”
Of the current Last Waltz 40 Tour, which was soon expanded from a one-off plan, Was says
“If you like Beatles songs, [Paul] McCartney is out there giving you three hours of them, perfect versions. If you like Bob Dylan, he’s out there playing them. If you like the Rolling Stones, they do an amazing three-hour show. But nobody is out there playing songs that the Band made popular. And they are songs that are deeply etched into the zeitgeist. So it was like, ‘Wow, man, people love hearing these songs as much as we love playing them.’ It was a let down after the two nights in New Orleans. Now we knew the songs and we wanted to keep going.”
Was also reveals he’s “almost done” making a new with Gregg Allman at Muscle Shoals, and he’s also producing tracks for Niall Horan from One Direction. Horan plays guitar, usually a Gibson Les Paul Studio and SGs.
Full Don Was interview at Ultimate Classic Rock.