A lot of our tracks have sounded a lot better than I thought they would because of recording, mixing, and because I probably didn't hear it that way. I'm not a songwriter.
Charlie Watts

For some reason at 12 or 13, I just heard Gerry Milligan and fell in love with that, whatever it was called.
Charlie Watts

I didn't know what the hell Charlie Parker was playing... I just liked the way he played.
Charlie Watts

I don't like drum solos, to be honest with you, but if anybody ever told me he didn't like Buddy Rich I'd right away say go and see him, at least the once.
Charlie Watts

I don't need to hear Bill to go through a song. I need to hear Keith to go through a song. I know Bill will be playing what I'm playing anyway. I need to hear Keith because it's all there: the time, the chord changes, and all the licks you have to follow.
Charlie Watts

I hate leaving home. I love what I do, but I'd love to go home every night.
Charlie Watts

I never had lessons. Used to try to play to records, which I hated doing. Still can't play to them.
Charlie Watts

I saw Al Foster with Miles Davis the other week. It was beautiful. But, the whole thing was, Al Foster played as well as everybody else, but all of them were quite brilliant under Miles Davis' direction.
Charlie Watts

I think it's an awful drink, to be honest with you.
Charlie Watts

I think you get to a point where you watch something just to enjoy it. I don't think it's really done so that you're supposed to feel, Oh, he's the most wonderful drummer. I think the whole lot is what's more enjoyable.
Charlie Watts


I wanted to play drums because I fell in love with the glitter and the lights, but it wasn't about adulation. It was being up there playing.
Charlie Watts

I'm very strict with my packing and have everything in its right place. I never change a rule. I hardly use anything in the hotel room. I wheel my own wardrobe in and that's it.
Charlie Watts

It doesn't really change, actually. I think The Rolling Stones have gotten a lot better. An awful lot better, I think. A lot of people don't, but I think they have, and to me that's gratifying. It's worth it.
Charlie Watts

It's been years and years and years I've been playing the drums, and they're still a challenge. I still enjoy using drumsticks and a snare drum.
Charlie Watts

Mick's not good on his own problems, but he's very good at other people's. He's been wonderful over the years. I don't mean I ring him up every week, but he's fantastic.
Charlie Watts

People say I play real loud. I don't, actually. I'm recorded loud and a lot of that is because we have good engineers. Mick knows what a good drum sound is as well, so that's part of the illusion really. I can't play loud.
Charlie Watts

Rock and roll has probably given more than it's taken.
Charlie Watts

The world of this is a load of crap. You get all these bloody people, so incredibly sycophantic.
Charlie Watts

To be able to play as slow as Al Jackson is almost impossible.
Charlie Watts

Usually I can hear the pianos, the saxophone, and usually I can hear Ronnie. But I really need to listen to Keith and Mick. The rest of the band is sort of an embellishment to that.
Charlie Watts