Keith Richards admits sometimes he ''despises'' Sir Mick Jagger.

The Rolling Stones guitarist has opened up about the love/hate relationship he has with the band's singer, which was famously tested in 2010, when he wrote in his autobiography his bandmate has a small penis.

Keith told Esquire magazine: ''You've got two very volatile guys who've been through a whole lot of stuff in their life and still somehow manage. Sometimes I despise the man, others, I love that man so much. It's like your brother. I never had one, so he's my brother. That's the way it is, bless his heart.''

Mick is keen to point out while their relationship may be brotherly, it is not like a marriage, saying: ''People say the stupidest things and that's one of the dumbest because it's completely different from being married when you work with someone. I work with Keith and I've known him for a long time.''

The band - which also includes Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts - are playing their '50 and Counting' shows to commemorate 50 years of being a band, and have recently released a new compilation, 'GRRR!', which includes two new tracks, which Keith says are two of the quickest they have ever got together.

He said: ''We banged out a couple of tracks in the autumn in Paris, 'Doom and Gloom' and 'One More Shot'.

''I don't think the Stones have ever cut a track so fast. It was like three takes and - boom! We were like looking at each other and going, 'Got anything else?'''