Did the Stones Consider ‘Hackney Diamonds’ as a Double Album?

No, the Rolling Stones never seriously planned Hackney Diamonds as a double album or a deluxe mega-release. They had around 30 songs in the vault from the sessions, but from the start Mick Jagger and Keith Richards agreed to keep it lean—12 tracks, no filler. Jagger told Rolling Stone they wanted a “tight, punchy” record, not a sprawling statement.

That said, they did release a deluxe edition—but it adds a second disc of live tracks from their 2022 European tour, not extra new material. The only unreleased song added was the Muddy Waters cover “Rolling Stone Blues,” which closes the standard album anyway. A full double album of new songs was never on the table, though Richards hinted that leftover material could surface on a future project.