The collaboration has proven to be an inspired one as well, as McCartney had the chance to flex his guitar playing muscle, delivering a memorable and distinctive bass line for “Bit My Head Off.” Richards spoke about his friendship with McCartney and how easy he finds playing with him.

Further elaborating on the guest spot with The Telegraph, Richards said, “Paul happened to be in town…And we couldn’t keep him away, bless his heart. And hey, if you can get one of the Beatles on your track, you know, you do it. Paul’s a very amiable cat to play with; we’ve been great friends forever.”

The Rolling Stones guitar virtuoso also said the late John Lennon and George Harrison would have slotted into the Stones rather easily. “I don’t think John Lennon would have had much problem fitting into the Stones, or George, if you can imagine that sort of thing happening. We were the same generation, and we all loved the same music. When we first heard The Beatles, we were relieved that there was some other band in England on the same track that we were on. And within a few months, that track was the main track.”

The Rolling Stones continue to experience amazing success, well into the band’s 6th decade. Hackney Diamonds has thus far proven to be another critical and commercial success for the band. The Beatles, for their part, recently announced that they will be releasing their final song “Now And Then” in November.

The tour will feature Tony Moore, a brief one time Iron Maiden keyboardist, and his one man show Awake. Speaking on the upcoming tour and the inclusion of Moore, Harris said, “We’re all excited to announce an extensive tour of the UK in January, kicking off with a special warm-up show at the Cart and Horses in London. Tony Moore’s Awake – one man show – will be our very special guest for the tour. Tony was, of course, in Iron Maiden back in 1977 so it is great to have him on the bill. 2024 will also see us make our third appearance on The Monsters Of Rock Cruise in March. We can’t wait to see you all out on the road!”

British Lion has its origins dating back to 2012, when Harris assembled a band to perform live shows while he embarked on what was supposed to be a much toned down solo project. The bassist wished to explore a more hard rock oriented sound which would allow him to play mush smaller venues and feature a mix of bass styles.

After mentoring a group of musicians in the 1990s, including vocalist Richard Taylor, guitarists David Hawkins and Grahame Leslie and drummer Simon Dawson, Harris decided to incorporate them into his solo effort, although the band was designated a backing band for Harris. This quickly changed however, with Harris forming a completely new band called British Lion after Harris’ debut album of the same name.

Harking back to a time when Harris and Iron Maiden played small venues, pubs, clubs and theatres, the band usually becomes active once Iron Maiden tours come to a conclusion and Harris can nostalgically indulge in the smaller scene circuit, playing venues such as The Furnace in Liverpool and Old Fire Station in Bournemouth.

British Lion tour tickets can be purchased here.

British Lion UK Tour:

04/01/2024 – Cart and Horses – London
05/01 – Craufurd Arms – Milton Keynes
06/01 – Nightrain – Bradford
07/01 – Furnace – Liverpool
09/01 – Lemon Tree – Aberdeen
10/01 – Liquid Rooms – Edinburgh
12/01 – Brickyard – Carlisle
13/01 – Arts Centre – Colchester
14/01 – Ballroom – Margate
16/01 – Redhouse Cymru – Merthyr Tydfil
17/01 – Cheese and Grain – Frome
18/01 – Old Fire Station – Bournemouth
20/01 – Strings Bar and Venue – Isle Of Wight
21/01 – Leo’s Red Lion – Gravesend
22/01 – Chinnerys – Southend
23/01 – Black Box – Hastings