Johnny Depp is teaming up with close pal Jeff Beck on the forthcoming album, ’18’.
The Hollywood actor has been on the road performing with the legendary musician and celebrating the result of his defamation trial against his ex-wife Amber Heard, which saw him awarded $15 million in damages.
Depp and Beck have been friends since 2016, and the album has been in the making since 2019.
It includes “Depp originals along with a wide range of covers that touches 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 creativity. We would joke about how we felt 18 again, so that just became the album title too.”
At the duo’s shows, they have been performing their rendition of John Lennon classic ‘Isolation’, which is included on the digital and CD version of the LP.
The 13-tracker includes Depp’s original track, ‘This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr’, which he sought approval of the estate of late Austrian-born American actress Hedy Lamarr before releasing, and is out now.
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.
“That song is one of the reasons I asked him to make an album with me.”
The other Depp original is ‘Sad Mother*****’ Parade’.
Hollywood Vampires rocker Depp remarked: “It’s an extraordinary honour to play and write music with Jeff, one of the true greats and someone I am now privileged enough to call my brother.”
Beck hopes the album will make people take the ‘Chocolat’ star “seriously as a musician”.
The 77-year-old guitar god added: “I haven’t had another creative partner like him for ages.
“He was a major force on this record. I just hope people will take him seriously as a musician because it’s a hard thing 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 version 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 launched a European tour, with 59-year-old Depp as special guest, which will conclude on July 25 at L’Olympia in Paris.
Away from his Hollywood career, Depp is known for his band The Hollywood Vampires, with Alice Cooper and Aerosmith’s Joe Perry.
Beck played guitar on their track ‘Welcome To Bushwackers’ from their 2019 LP ‘Rise’.
’18’ tracklist:
1. ‘Midnight Walker’ (Davy Spillane cover)
2. ‘Death And Resurrection Show’ (Killing Joke cover)
3. ‘Time’ (Dennis Wilson cover)
4. ‘Sad Mother*****’ Parade’ (Johnny Depp original)
5. ‘Don’t Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)’ (Beach Boys cover)
6. ‘This Is A Song For Miss Hedy Lamarr’ (Johnny Depp original)
7. ‘Caroline, No’ (Beach Boys cover)
8. ‘Ooo Baby Baby’ (The Miracles cover)
9. ‘What’s Going On’ (Marvin Gaye cover)
10. ‘Venus In Furs’ (The Velvet Underground cover)
11. ‘Let It Be Me’ (The Everly Brothers cover)
12. ‘Stars’ (Janis Ian cover)
13. ‘Isolation’ (John Lennon cover)