Suspicions that the Rolling Stones might lose the desire to tour were fired up by the band members themselves in the seventies. In 1975, a 27-year-old Mick Jagger declared: "I can't jump around like a 21-year-old anymore, and I'd rather die than sing satisfaction at 45." Statements like these led the German magazine "Musikexpress" to write a story about the upcoming Europatrip in spring 1976 with the headline "The last tour of the Rolling Stones?" and about the possible "last big coup" of the group. The organizers of the performance in Stuttgart's Neckar Stadium recorded the ball: "Industry experts already see the European tour as the end of the glorious Stones era. Should that prove to be true, the audience would witness the great farewell concert of the world's best rhythm and blues band."
When asked how long the Stones would continue to exist, Jagger had already answered: "We don't know that ourselves" And paradoxically a "rock singer over 30" is not: "It depends on how good you are. But of course I don't want to sing rock'n'roll all my life." Then it suddenly looked gloomy, Keith Richards was in jail with one leg for possession of narcotics in Canada. But he got away with probation including two benefit concerts - but the rumours continued to spread. "The end of the Rolling Stones", for example, was conjured up by the German magazine "Rocky", which claimed to have heard of the Canadian public prosecutor's appeal.
False speculation: 1981 saw the start of the next world tour in the USA, and Jagger took the wind out of the sails of all those who called the Unkenrufern that the Stones were now far too old: "Why shouldn't I still be on stage at the age of 50, other artists do the same thing? Richards: "Perhaps we will continue for all eternity." In fact, the band survived their worst crisis when there was a mid/late eighties conflict over the album "Dirty Work" and a Jaggers solo tour where he also played Stones titles with his band. The "mirror" thought the Stones were "clinically dead." But in 1989 the resurrection followed with the album "Steel Wheels" and the following world tour. Since then, relevant questions have only been annoying or amusing.
Richards: "Of course the Stones are old rock boys. That's why this 'Stones company' has a certain Christopher Columbus aspect. We want to find out how far you can take this game and if one day we're going to fall over the edge of the world."
