Indecipherable mumblings of psychedelic philosophers — Footage documents the meeting of two visionary minds: Hunter S. Thompson and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards.

“I have a sense of history that you don’t,” explains the godfather of gonzo, Hunter S. Thompson. “And so does Keith.”

With his notorious drug-fuelled daily writing routine and well-documented psychedelic antics, there are few people on the planet more qualified than Thompson to interview Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards – a man with a strong claim to having ingested more narcotics than anyone else on the planet during the latter half of the Twentieth Century.

Spotting the chance to unite two towering philosophers of altered states and chroniclers of the psychedelic experience, the pair were brought together in an Aspen, Colorado hotel by ABC in 1993.

Thompson and Richards get straight to the big questions: “Talking about the next world, you know what I mean?” Richards drools. “It’s like, what are we looking for? Promotion, demotion and why do we, you know… We’re here living this life. What’s all the speculation about the next one? It will either be there or it won’t.”

To which Thompson responds: “There a lot of people out there who’ve seen you play for them, who would consider you were already in the next world.”

In the ten-minute clip, the surprisingly-lucid-yet-barely-comprehensible pair go on to discuss the reincarnation of J. Edgar Hoover (he would return as “a fart,” Keith says), The Beatles, the Hell’s Angels, drugs (of course), the Stones’ troubling Altamont incident and blood transfusions.

So, go ahead and give it a watch. You might just learn something – if you can decipher the mumbling…

Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Latest on Huck

Meet the shop cats of Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan district
Culture

Meet the shop cats of Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan district

Feline good — Traditionally adopted to keep away rats from expensive produce, the feline guardians have become part of the central neighbourhood’s fabric. Erica’s online series captures the local celebrities.

Written by: Isaac Muk

How trans rights activism and sex workers’ solidarity emerged in the ’70s and ’80s
Activism

How trans rights activism and sex workers’ solidarity emerged in the ’70s and ’80s

Shoulder to Shoulder — In this extract from writer Jake Hall’s new book, which deep dives into the history of queer activism and coalition, they explore how anti-TERF and anti-SWERF campaigning developed from the same cloth.

Written by: Jake Hall

A behind the scenes look at the atomic wedgie community
Culture

A behind the scenes look at the atomic wedgie community

Stretched out — Benjamin Fredrickson’s new project and photobook ‘Wedgies’ queers a time-old bullying act by exploring its erotic, extreme potential.

Written by: Isaac Muk

“Welcome to the Useless Class”: Ewan Morrison in conversation with Irvine Welsh
Culture

“Welcome to the Useless Class”: Ewan Morrison in conversation with Irvine Welsh

For Emma — Ahead of the Scottish author’s new novel, he sat down with Irvine Welsh for an in-depth discussion of its dystopic themes, and the upcoming AI “tsunami”.

Written by: Irvine Welsh

“Struggle helps people come together”: Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
Music

“Struggle helps people come together”: Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory

Huck’s February interview — To hear more about the release of the indie darling’s first collaborative album, we caught up with her and Devra Hoff to hear about the record, motherhood in music and why the ’80s are back,

Written by: Isaac Muk

Nxdia: “Poems became an escape for me”
Music

Nxdia: “Poems became an escape for me”

What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s Egyptian-British alt-pop shapeshifter Nxdia.

Written by: Nxdia

Sign up to our newsletter

Issue 81: The more than a game issue

Buy it now