Johnny Depp teams up with close friend Jeff Beck on the upcoming album, ’18’.
The Hollywood actor was on the road to perform with the legendary musician and celebrate the outcome of his defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard, which won him $15 million in damages.
Depp and Beck have been friends since 2016 and the album has been in the works since 2019.
It includes “Depp originals as well as a wide range of covers that touch on everything from Celtic and Motown to The Beach Boys and Killing Joke”.
Beck said in a statement: “When Johnny and I started playing together, it really ignited our youthful spirit and our creativity. We were joking about how we felt like 18 again, so it became the title of the album too.”
During the duo shows, they performed their rendition of John Lennon’s classic “Isolation”, which is included on the digital and CD version of the LP.
The 13 tracks include Depp’s original track, “This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr”, which he sought approval from the estate of the late Austrian-born American actress Hedy Lamarr before releasing, and which is now available.
Depp asked Beck to play lead guitar on the ode to the “Dishonored Lady” star, and the rest is history.
Becks said: “I was blown away by it.
“This song is one of the reasons I asked him to do an album with me.”
Depp’s other original is ‘Sad Mother*****’ Parade’.
Depp, the Hollywood Vampires rocker, said: “It’s an amazing honor to play and write music with Jeff, one of the real greats and someone I now have the privilege of. ‘call my brother.’
Beck hopes the album will inspire people to take the ‘Chocolate’ star “seriously as a musician.”
The 77-year-old guitar god added, “I haven’t had another creative partner like him in ages.
“He was a major force on this record. I just hope people take him seriously as a musician because it’s hard for some people to accept that Johnny Depp can sing rock and roll.”
“18” will be available on CD and digitally, with a 180-gram black vinyl release on September 30. The cover features an illustration of Beck and Depp when they were both 18 and is drawn and designed by Beck’s wife, Sandra.
Beck has kicked off a European tour, with Depp, 59, as special guest, which will end on July 25 at L’Olympia in Paris.
Away from his Hollywood career, Depp is known for his band The Hollywood Vampires, featuring Alice Cooper and Aerosmith’s Joe Perry.
Beck played guitar on their track ‘Welcome To Bushwackers’ from their 2019 LP ‘Rise’.
List of ’18’ tracks:
1. “Midnight Walker” (Davy Spillane cover)
2. ‘Death And Resurrection Show’ (Killing Joke cover)
3. ‘Time’ (Dennis Wilson cover)
4. ‘Sad Mother*****’ Parade’ (Original Johnny Depp)
5. ‘Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)’ (Beach Boys cover)
6. “This is a song for Miss Hedy Lamarr” (original by Johnny Depp)
7. ‘Caroline, no (Beach Boys cover)
8. ‘Ooo Baby Baby’ (Miracles cover)
9. “What’s Going On” (Marvin Gaye cover)
10. ‘Venus In Furs’ (The Velvet Underground cover)
11. “Let It Be Me” (Everly Brothers cover)
12. ‘Stars’ (Janis Ian cover)
13. ‘Isolation’ (cover by John Lennon)