Jeff Beck Announces Album-Length Collaboration With Johnny Depp
Jeff Beck took a guest turn on the Hollywood Vampires' Rise album in 2019, sparking a musical partnership with Johnny Depp that's led to a stand-alone project.
They'll release the 13-song collaboration 18 digitally and on CD on July 15, followed by a vinyl edition on Sept. 30.
"When Johnny and I started playing together, it really ignited our youthful spirit and creativity," Beck said in a news release. "We would joke about how we felt 18 again so that just became the album title, too."
Beck and Depp are advancing the LP with a new tune titled "This Is a Song for Miss Hedy Lamarr," which also kicked off the sessions. "I was blown away by it," Beck said. "That song is one of the reasons I asked him to make an album with me." You can check out the song below.
Depp recently joined Beck onstage at Royal Albert Hall in London. They previously released a lockdown-era cover of John Lennon's "Isolation," which now finds a home on 18. Elsewhere, they've included a mix of other Depp originals as well as covers of music by the Beach Boys ("Don’t Talk [Put Your Head on My Shoulder]" and "Caroline, No"), Motown ("What's Going On" and "Ooo Baby Baby") and others.
A complete track listing is below.
"I haven’t had another creative partner like [Depp] for ages," Beck added. "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 'n' roll."
The cover illustration of Beck and Depp as 18-year-olds was drawn by Beck's wife, Sandra.
Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp, '18' Track Listing
“Midnight Walker” (Davy Spillane cover)
“Death and Resurrection Show” (Killing Joke cover)
“Time” (Dennis Wilson cover)
“Sad Motherfuckin’ Parade” (Johnny Depp original)
“Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)” (Beach Boys cover)
“This Is a Song for Miss Hedy Lamarr” (Johnny Depp original)
“Caroline, No” (Beach Boys cover)
“Ooo Baby Baby” (The Miracles cover)
“What’s Going On” (Marvin Gaye cover)
“Venus in Furs” (Velvet Underground cover)
“Let It Be Me” (Everly Brothers cover)
“Stars” (Janis Ian cover)
“Isolation” (John Lennon cover)