Most of guest vocalists on Slash's just-released album of blues and soul covers, Orgy of the Damned, they look like a who's who of hard rock: Paul Rodgers, Steven Tyler, Billy Gibbons, Iggy Pop. There's also Demi Lovato, the rock-loving pop star, giving a powerful rendition of the Temptations' “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.”
“That was so left-field for everyone involved, because they're from the pop world,” Slash said Rolling rock earlier this week. “But I had this very distinct idea in my mind about her voice delivering that lyric and the emotional content of that story. I know her background. She's had her mistakes in her life, and we've known each other for a while, so I called her and asked her about it. It turns out that this song really meant a lot to her. … I think it will be a huge surprise to people who are familiar with her other stuff.”
The recording, released as a music video on Friday, features Slash working the talk box on his guitar and playing a wah-wah-wah (that's extra wah) solo, sinking new depths of soul into the song. But the clip also shows Lovato's tension as she reads the lyrics about the meaning of an absent father and finding her own meaning with lines like, “And when he died, all he left us was alone.” Her voice even rises to the same pitch as Slash's guitar for the final solo.
“Slash is a legendary talent and a friend I've known for years, so I was excited to work with him again on his project,” Lovato, who previously collaborated with Slash on The “rock version” of her song, “Sorry Not Sorry”, he said in a statement. “He brought such an amazing energy when we were in the studio and reimagining this iconic song together was effortless and fun. He had such a clear vision for the song and I'm grateful that he wanted to honor my story. I'm so proud of what we've created!”
Slash previously released videos for his cover of Howlin' Wolf's “Killing Floor,” featuring AC/DC's Brian Johnson on vocals and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler on harmonica and screams, and Fleetwood Mac's “Oh Well” with Chris Stapleton.
It is also noteworthy his cover of “Awful Dream” by Lightnin' Hopkins, which finds him playing acoustic guitar alongside Iggy Pop, who even meows a little here and there. “The funny thing about it was, at the time, I had no idea where that was coming from,” Slash said Rolling rock from Pop's mewling, which was meant to evoke Hopkins' harmonica. “I looked around and then I looked ahead and there it was.”
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