The mischievous rocker declared he was ready to give up music in 2011, just months before the band planned to get back together for a 50th anniversary tour, and he has now confessed he made up the retirement story to stir the rest of the rockers into action.

He tells British newspaper The Guardian, "There was no sign of the Stones coming out of hibernation. So I threw out that statement, it was only once that I said it, just to see the reaction it got, really just to punch the Stones in the back of the head. Oh, I'll use every ploy... Funnily enough, within a few months, the Stones want to get back on the road again! Yeah, disguised as a 50-year anniversary (tour)! So it did its kick. I mean, I really hate to tell lies, but that was one of them."