‘Live by the Sword’: How the Rolling Stones reunited Bill Wyman for one last song with Charlie Watts

The Rolling Stones had already recorded Charlie Watts’ drum parts for Hackney Diamonds before his death in 2021. When they later decided to include “Live by the Sword”—a leftover from the Voodoo Lounge sessions—they realized the track needed a bassist who could lock in with Charlie’s original feel. Producer Andrew Watt suggested calling Bill Wyman, who hadn’t played on a Stones record since 1993.

Wyman agreed immediately. He flew to London, sat in the same studio as Charlie’s recorded drums, and laid down his part in one take. The result is the only Stones song to feature both Watts and Wyman since Voodoo Lounge—a quiet, final lineup moment that closes a circle spanning six decades.