Robert Smith’s Reluctant Entry into The Rolling Stones’ “Foreign Tongues”

Producer Andrew Wyatt (named Andrew Watt in another source) invited Cure frontman Robert Smith to Metropolis Studios in Chiswick for a drink with The Rolling Stones. Mick Jagger asked him on the spot to “do something on the album.” Unprepared, Smith declined, saying he was “expecting just to get drunk, really.” He later asked Wyatt to “plug a guitar in,” then recorded guitar, synth and backing vocals for “Divine Intervention.”

Robert Smith turned down working with The Rolling Stones at first: "I wasn’t really prepared for it"

“Foreign Tongues,” the Stones’ 25th studio album, arrives 10 July 2024 on Capitol Records in CD, vinyl, cassette and box-set formats. It features Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood, Chad Smith and a final studio performance by late drummer Charlie Watts. Robert Smith appears on “Divine Intervention.” New singles include “Jealous Lover” and “Rough And Twisted,” released under the alias The Cockroaches.

The Rolling Stones presented two new songs: one of them features Robert Smith

Early 2024 Wyatt contacts Smith. Pre-July he receives a “grab a cold beer” invite. In the studio Jagger’s request is declined; later Smith reconsiders and records. The album releases 10 July 2024.

Robert Smith turned down working with The Rolling Stones at first: "I wasn’t really prepared for it"

Mick Jagger told a New York presentation the collaboration “came about unexpectedly” after meeting Smith in studio. Wyatt (or Watt) said the outreach continued an online dialogue and that Stones had “pretty much done all the tracking” before Smith arrived. Smith later admitted he “wasn’t really prepared” but eventually “plugged a guitar in” after hearing tracks.

Robert Smith turned down working with The Rolling Stones at first: "I wasn’t really prepared for it"

• “And then out of nowhere [Jagger] said, ‘Do you fancy doing something on the album?’” — Robert Smith, The Cure

Robert Smith turned down working with The Rolling Stones at first: "I wasn’t really prepared for it"

• “I wasn’t really prepared for it… I said, ‘No, no thanks, I can’t do that.’” — Robert Smith, The Cure

Robert Smith turned down working with The Rolling Stones at first: "I wasn’t really prepared for it"

• “I went up there expecting just to get drunk, really.” — Robert Smith, The Cure

Robert Smith turned down working with The Rolling Stones at first: "I wasn’t really prepared for it"

• “And then time elapsed and I said to Andrew, ‘Oh, come on then. Let’s plug a guitar in and I’ll have a go at some of the songs.’” — Robert Smith, The Cure

The Rolling Stones presented two new songs: one of them features Robert Smith

• “So I just started playing and, yeah, one thing led to another.” — Robert Smith, The Cure

Robert Smith turned down working with The Rolling Stones at first: "I wasn’t really prepared for it"

Smith’s atmospheric guitar and synth give “Divine Intervention” a darker, cinematic edge that contrasts with the Stones’ classic rock base. The pairing links punk and rock-and-roll histories, showing the band’s openness to diverse textures.

The Rolling Stones presented two new songs: one of them features Robert Smith

The launch included a video for “Jealous Lover” starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Charles Melton. “Divine Intervention” and its short film will stream online, and the album will be supported by tours and media appearances.

The Rolling Stones and Robert Smith join forces on “Divine Intervention”

Source 1 names the producer as Andrew Wyatt; Source 5 lists him as Andrew Watt. Both agree on the invitation’s purpose but differ on the surname, indicating a reporting discrepancy.

Robert Smith turned down working with The Rolling Stones at first: "I wasn’t really prepared for it"