The Rolling Stones Throw Back to Legendary 1977 Concert at Toronto's El Mocambo For Rollout of New Album 'Foreign Tongues'
One of the new songs “Rough & Twisted” was secretly released on vinyl on Record Store Day (April 18) under the Cockroaches alias, referencing their secret Toronto show as The Cockroaches in 1977.
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are back, and there’s a Toronto connection behind their latest rollout.
Today (May 5), the British rock legends announced their forthcoming album Foreign Tongues, set for release on July 10, via an album trailer uploaded to YouTube.
Along with the trailer, the band released two new singles. “In the Stars” is a bright rock cut featuring smooth “ooh” riffs and guitar melodies that merge with Mick Jagger’s signature vocals, while “Rough & Twisted” is a grittier, bluesy cut. Although both tracks are new to streaming, "Rough & Twisted" has quietly been out to the public for a few weeks now.
The single was released in a limited run of 1,000 vinyl records under the artist name The Cockroaches and sold at record shops on Record Store Day 2026 (April 18).
The Stones famously used the same alias to promote a secret show at the historic El Mocambo venue in Toronto on March 4, 1977. It was billed as an April Wine show with the Cockroaches as openers, but the Canadian band ended up opening before the Rolling Stones revealed their true identity and played the headlining set. It's still one of the most famous concerts ever played in Toronto, the stuff of local lore.
El Mocambo only holds 300 people, making for an extremely intimate show from one of the world’s biggest bands. The stint was recorded and released as a live album titled El Mocambo 1977 in 2022, almost fifty years later.
A promotional website for the Cockroaches was put up ahead of the new album Foreign Tongues, where the live album’s artwork appears as a poster on the wall. Clicking and flipping the Cockroaches vinyl on the site reveals the coordinates of the three Canadian record stores where the limited record was sold: Sonic Boom in Toronto, Neptune Records in Vancouver and Le Noise Records in Longueuil, Quebec.
Foreign Tongues is the band’s 25th studio album and its first in three years since Hackney Diamonds (2023). It will include 14 tracks and feature fellow rock legends such as Beatles superstar Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood, Robert Smith of The Cure and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Check out both new singles below.
- The Rolling Stones’ Six-Decade Career: Looking Through Their Past, Darkly ›
- The Rolling Stones Tease ‘Foreign Tongues’ Project ›
- The Rolling Stones' New Album Inspired By Their Legendary Toronto Shows at El Mocambo in 1977 | Billboard Canada ›
- The Rolling Stones Roll On With ‘Foreign Tongues’: Stream It Now | Billboard Canada ›
