Zak Starkey teases new charity album featuring all-star cast
In a case of rock music collaboration of colossal proportion, Zak Starkey has shared a cryptic post on social media, teasing the release of a full-length charity album alongside a range of legendary figures. According to Starkey, the idea for the record came about through a collaboration with Guns ‘N’ Roses, during a performance in Rio de Janeiro.
The son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, Starkey has followed in his father’s footsteps to become a notable rock and roll drummer in his own right, first learning his craft from Keith Moon. Over the years, he has worked with the likes of Oasis, Johnny Marr, and The Lightning Seeds. Most famously, the drummer has also been performing with iconic mod rockers The Who since 1996. Unsurprisingly, Starkey seems to have amassed a pretty impressive address book.
In a post to social media this week, Starkey excitedly revealed some of the details of an upcoming project. According to Starkey, The Who and Guns ‘N’ Roses have decided to collaborate on a cover of the T.Rex classic ‘Children of the Revolution’, after performing on the same bill at Rock In Rio. The drummer did not share the exact details, but the two bands did perform on the same bill at the festival back in 2017, so it is likely that this project has been in the works for some time.
Writing on Instagram, The Who drummer said, “My dad played drums in LA (while I fudged the bass) then in Rio [Duff McKagan] cut [bass]. A couple of weeks after the tour we cut guitars in NYC with Slash”. Adding to the star quality of the track, Starkey went on to reveal that Elton John would play piano on the track, and Axl Rose would take on the vocals of Marc Bolan.
Featuring such an intensely talented line-up, the track sounds like the ultimate dream of rock fans. According to Starkey, the effort is pretty good, sharing, “Axl killed it – amazing vocals,” before adding: “He’s mixing [the] track now I believe (hope)”.
It’s unclear when this cover of ‘Children of the Revolution’ will be released to the public. As Starkey explained, though, the record will be auctioned off in the aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust once it is finished. Even more excitingly, the song will reportedly form only one track in a full-length charity album, apparently featuring “More than one Beatle, a Smith, a Pretender, an Ashcroft, an Iggy, and many more”.
Starkey did not reveal any more specific details about the album other than the fact that Starkey himself will produce it alongside his wife, Sshh Liguz. Given his previous work, it is fair to assume that it will feature at least Johnny Marr, The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft, and his father, Ringo Starr, along with many other legendary figures within the music industry.
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