Slash reveals how he got AC/DC legend on new album
The announcement of Slash’s upcoming album, Orgy Of The Damned, came along with a powerful lead single. On his cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘Killing Floor’, the Guns N’ Roses guitarist enlisted Steven Tyler on harmonica and managed to get AC/DC’s Brian Johnson to sing backing vocals.
Relegating the iconic voice of some of rock’s biggest hits to backing vocals, or even getting Johnson involved at all, is an impressive move, even for Slash. As AC/DC announce their comeback and major tour, Johnson appears to be a busy man. However, Slash has revealed how he made the collaboration happen.
In conversation with Audacy’s Check In, Slash said, “I had the song, and I was trying to think who would be great to do it. And Brian came to mind.” As both musicians lead the way as frontrunners in the 1980s rock scene, they’re long-term friends by now, letting Slash lean in for a favour.
“And I’ve known Brian for a pretty long time now. And he just has that great kind of grit to his voice. And I called him up and it turns out that he’s a huge fuckin’ Howlin’ Wolf protégé,” he explained.
The guitarist might also have revealed a secret about a possible upcoming project from Johnson. “He was telling me that he’s doing something at present where he’s putting together sort of a blues-orchestra thing,” he continued. “Don’t quote me on that, but something to that [effect]. Anyway, and so he was excited to do that particular song anyway.”
Slash believes that the key to a great collaboration is mutual excitement. Johnson seemed to meet him on that level with the guitarist adding, “That’s the key thing that you’re looking for, is that when you call any of these great artists up, and you have a cover song that you want to attack and if they would be willing to participate, that the song speaks to them, that it has meaning to them too, not just me. And that’s how it was with Brian. He was, like, ‘Oh, fucking great. Yeah, let’s do this.’”
Brian Johnson isn’t the only big name to feature on the upcoming album. Along with Steven Tyler, names like Iggy Pop, Chris Stapleton, Demi Lovato, Gary Clark Jr and more are set to step in for a collaboration in celebration of the blues genre.