Rod Stewart admits his music has 'gone stale' as he opens up on real reason for Jools Holland collaboration

Rod Stewart admits his music has 'gone stale' as he opens up on real reason for Jools Holland collaboration

Rod Stewart previews new song Pennies from Heaven

Olivia Ann Gantzer

By Olivia Ann Gantzer


Published: 20/02/2024

- 09:16

Updated: 20/06/2024

- 15:31

The Maggie May rocker is releasing a new swing album

Sir Rod Stewart and Jools Holland have recently collaborated on a new album, Swing, taking Stewart’s impressive album figure up to 32.

The veteran musicians worked together for the new project, and Stewart, 79, has explained why the two decided to embark on the project together, admitting his solo music had “gone stale”.


Speaking about his new record, the Scot explained: “I’d already started making a swing album, but it didn’t turn out how I wanted it. It was more Frank Sinatra than it was Louis Prima, let’s say…

“Nothing wrong with Frank at all, he’s the greatest. But the arrangements were very, very polite.”

Speaking to Radio Times, Stewart reflected on an initial project in Los Angeles, adding: “I could see while I was there [in the studio] the guys reading the music. And that’s not how I wanted it.

“It’s OK to read the music. But it was stale, and it was white, to be quite honest with you. So I said to myself: now, who can I turn to?

Rod Stewart

The singer talked about the reason behind his Jools Holland collaboration

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“And the Right Honourable Jools Holland OBE came up. And Jools will take it from there…”

The iconic pair’s 13-track album included re-makes of some favourite classics such as Frankie and Johnny and Lullaby Of Broadway.

Stewart has teased fans over the project with previews, posting on his social media about the new album. His supporters were recently touched by a post he dedicated to his wife, Penny Lancaster.

A video showed Stewart preparing to sing as he stated: “Next up is a very well-known one, Pennies from Heaven. Here we go, Pennies from Heaven… because she is!”

Rod Stewart

The singer talked about his new album, Swing

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He captioned the clip: “Valentine's Day is just around the corner...and it's raining Pennies from Heaven.”

Lancaster, 52, replied in the comments with a love heart emoji to her other half.

Fans beamed over the song and the sweet gesture to Lancaster as they took to the comments section of the Instagram clip.

The singer-songwriter has also been vocal lately about political events, recently hitting out at former Prime Minster Boris Johnson.

Jools Holland

Stewart has collaborated with Holland and explained why he was joined by the musician

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He also labelled US president Joe Biden as "too old" in the same interview with RT as he turned his attention to politics.

When asked if it was time for a new third party in the UK, he responded: "Yes. Without a doubt. We’re screaming for a third party.

"This is what America wants, too. You’ve only got Trump again over there."

He went on to add: "Biden is too old to defend himself."

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