The Rolling Stones have quietly unveiled the new song ‘Rough And Twisted’, issued under the alias The Cockroaches as a limited vinyl release that has triggered strong fan reaction around the world.
by Paul Cashmere
The Rolling Stones have introduced new music in one of the most unconventional ways of their career, quietly issuing the track ‘Rough And Twisted’ under the pseudonym The Cockroaches via an extremely limited white-label vinyl pressing distributed through select independent record stores.
The new song’s lyrics also feature the expected next album title ‘Foreign Tongues’. “Why don’t you teach me/Teach me all those foreign tongues”.
The release surfaced over the weekend with only a few hundred copies believed to exist. Each participating store reportedly received just a handful of copies, with some locations carrying as few as one. Within hours the single had sold out, immediately appearing on resale sites for hundreds of dollars and igniting a wave of discussion among fans eager to hear the first preview of the band’s next era.
The appearance of ‘Rough And Twisted’ arrives as anticipation builds for the next project from The Rolling Stones following the 2023 album Hackney Diamonds. The new song is widely believed to be an early glimpse of material recorded during those sessions.
For fans who managed to hear the track through leaked audio or the rare vinyl itself, the reaction to the music has largely been positive. Listeners describe the recording as a raw electric blues performance that recalls the band’s early roots in Chicago blues and rhythm and blues traditions. Several fans noted the loose band interplay and gritty guitar sound that evokes the Stones’ late-1960s recordings.
Hear the song here until you can’t …
Here's the full version of The Rolling Stones' new song "Rough and Twisted"
What do you think? 🎸 pic.twitter.com/Q26L3PaJHx
— 🎸 Rock History 🎸 (@historyrock_) April 11, 2026
The track also appears to feature longtime Stones touring drummer Steve Jordan behind the kit. Jordan stepped into the role following the death of original drummer Charlie Watts in 2021 and has been the group’s primary drummer in recent years.
While the musical reaction has been broadly enthusiastic, the method of release has divided fans.
Many listeners reported travelling long distances to record shops only to find that the store had received a single copy. Others said they were unable to hear the track at all because the band had not yet made it available on streaming platforms. A number of fans expressed disappointment that the campaign created expectations of a larger announcement such as a tour or album launch.
The rarity of the vinyl has also triggered an immediate collector market. Within hours of the release copies were being listed online for prices approaching US$1,000, a development that some fans say benefits resellers rather than the band’s audience.
Not everyone views the strategy negatively. Some fans argue the campaign successfully generated excitement around a new Rolling Stones release and revived the kind of record shop culture that once surrounded new music launches. The limited pressing also mirrors promotional tactics used decades earlier when artists would test new songs through rare pressings or fan club exclusives.
Historically, The Rolling Stones have frequently experimented with unconventional release strategies. Early in their career the band issued special pressings for radio and fan clubs, while limited promotional discs were also used during the era surrounding the landmark album Exile On Main St.. The Cockroaches alias itself also nods to the band’s long-standing sense of humour about their own longevity.
The musical style of ‘Rough And Twisted’ aligns with the blues traditions that shaped the Stones’ catalogue from the beginning. Songs such as those on Exile On Main St. and later blues-based recordings on Blue & Lonesome demonstrate the band’s enduring connection to American blues music.
The 2023 ‘Hackney Diamonds’ album ended with the blues track ‘Rolling Stone Blues’. ‘If ‘Rough and Twisted’ opens the upcoming ‘Foreign Tongues’ album the two albums will have an incredible hand-over. Mind you, we are no closer to knowing details of the impending ‘Foreign Tongues’ album, its tracklisting, a confirmed title or a release date. Also the prior knowledge of the new Jagger/Richards song ‘Mr Charm’, registered recently for publishing, still remains a mystery.
This unconventional release reflects a wider industry trend toward scarcity marketing. Limited physical releases, particularly vinyl pressings, have become an increasingly common way for artists to create urgency and engagement around new music. In an era where most recordings are immediately available worldwide through streaming services, scarcity can transform a new release into an event. However, this particulate campaign so fans seems like an expensive way of rewarding few and pissing off many.
For the Stones’ audience, the response suggests both the loyalty and the expectations surrounding one of rock’s most enduring bands. Many listeners described themselves as lifelong fans who remain eager for new material even six decades after the group first emerged in London’s blues clubs.
The Cockroaches single may ultimately prove to be only the opening move in a broader campaign. Reports circulating among fans suggest the track could be the opening song on an upcoming album, with a more conventional lead single and full announcement expected in the coming months.
For now, ‘Rough And Twisted’ has succeeded in doing one thing the Rolling Stones have always excelled at, creating conversation. Whether heard through a rare vinyl pressing or a fleeting online recording, the song has reminded fans that new Stones music still has the power to command global attention.
The Rolling Stones aka The Cockroaches
Rough and TwistedWhy don’t you drive me
Down that rough and twisted road
Why don’t you guide me
‘Cause I don’t know which way to goPromise to take me
To where the water glows
Somewhere, somewhere down in Puerto Rico
Where the tide just ebbs and flowsFlash me all your jewelry, poetry, and friends
Promise me a dance like Nijinsky
Nothing, nothing, nothing but a false pretenceAll you feed me was just rancid rice and bones
All I drank was muddy water
As lonely as the saxophoneWhy don’t you take me
To where I wanna go
To Natchez, Mississippi, Sicily and RomeYou just took me to a flyblown town
In the back of nowhere
Smell was acrid and toxic
Couldn’t breathe the airThe only club was called Conspiracy
They didn’t like me much
What they wanted was tyranny
And all that crazy, crazy fucked up stuffWhy don’t you drive me
Take me where you wanna goWhy don’t you take me
Down this rough and twisted roadWhy don’t you teach me
Teach me all those foreign tonguesWhy don’t you take me
‘Cause I’m deaf and blind and dumbDrive me
Drive me
Where I wanna go
Drive me
Take me where I wanna
Take me where I wanna go
The Rolling Stones have a long tradition of original blues songs.
“Midnight Rambler”: Cited as “as close to genuine blues the Rolling Stones ever got,” this song captures a sense of dread and menace.
“Ventilator Blues”: A “strikingly malevolent” blues track with a rare co-writing credit for Mick Taylor, recorded in the basement of Keith Richards’ French villa.
“No Expectations”: Features a memorable acoustic slide performance by Brian Jones and is noted for its “desperately lonesome” feel.
“I Got the Blues”: A soul-inflected blues original from the Sticky Fingers album.
“Black Limousine”: A grit-filled blues-rocker from the Tattoo You era.
“The Spider and the Fly”: An early Jagger/Richards blues track famously revisited on the live album Stripped.
“Back of My Hand”: A deep, traditional-style blues original from 2005’s A Bigger Bang.
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