Starlet Scarlett Johanson (or ScarJo, as she is affectionately called by the Fug Girls) has cut an album of Tom Waits covers with Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio that is due out on May 20, 2008. The collaboration between Johansson and Bowie started when the two ran into each other at a party a few days before Johansson started recording. According to Rolling Stone, Bowie said he heard that she was working with Sitek. She told him that she indeed was and considered inviting him to visit her in the recording studio. Bowie didn’t stop by during ScarJo’s recording but while she was filming on location in Spain, Sitek called to tell her Bowie had recorded vocals for the tracks “Falling Down” and “Fannin’ Street.”
Other guests on the album include Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on guitar. I’m a little skeptical of the album itself because I’ve heard Johansson sing and while she’s not horrible, she’s not spectacular. Maybe the thinness of her voice is due to the poor sound quality, but I’m still not convinced she’s a great singer. Of course I’m still going to get the album and give myself a chance to like it because Bowie is featured and I kind of like Johansson but also because she apparently has cool taste in music. I mean, an album of Tom Waits covers? That is cool.
The track listing of the upcoming album:
1. “Fawn”
2. “Town With No Cheer”
3. “Falling Down” (feat. David Bowie)
4. “Anywhere I Lay My Head”
5. “Fannin’ Street” (feat. David Bowie)
6. “Song for Jo” (original song)
7. “Green Grass”
8. “I Wish I Was in New Orleans”
9. “I Don’t Want to Grow Up”
10. “No One Knows I’m Gone”
11. “Who Are You?”
Update: Bowie commented on his contribution to ScarJo’s upcoming album on today’s BowieNews. He also essentially said her vocals are pretty cool. As far as recommending artists that I like, he’s got a pretty good track record so I’m looking forward to hearing her sing a bit more now.