Too old to retire: Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie

Stop and think about this for a moment: the combined ages of the Rolling Stones is 265 years. Mick Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is 67 years old, Keith Richards (18 December 1943) is 66, Charlie Watts (2 June 1941) is 69, and Ronnie Wood (1 June 1947) is 63.

Time to retire? Maybe not.

The Stones' last world tour earned $558 million, but was expected to be the band's last after several concerts were postponed. The European phase of the Bigger Bang tour was delayed in 2006 when Keith Richards had brain surgery, following a fall from a coconut tree.

But speaking at the British launch of his autobiography, Life, Richards told the BBC that the Stones were getting ready to record new songs. "After these many years of working together, we have a lot of unfinished stuff to work on that we had to leave off the last album."

"And knowing Mick, as I do, he's a very prolific writer," Richards added. "I have ideas, too, and we'll put them together in December or January. We're looking forward to working."