Demi Lovato Dives Deeper Into Rock With Slash on Temptations’ ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone’ Cover
Most of the guest singers on Slash’s just-released album of blues and soul covers, Orgy of the Damned, seem 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 who gives a powerhouse performance of the Temptations’ “Papa Was a Rolling Stone.”
“That was so left-field for everybody involved, because she’s from the pop world,” Slash told Rolling Stone earlier this week. “But I had this very distinct idea in my mind of her voice delivering that lyric and the emotional content of that story. I know her background. She’s had her share of missteps in life, and we’ve known each other for a little while, so I called her up and I asked her about it. It turns out that that song really meant a lot to her. … I think it will be a huge surprise to people that are familiar with her other stuff.”
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The recording, which came out as a music video on Friday, shows Slash working the talk box with his guitar and playing a wah-wah-wah solo (that’s extra wah), plumbing new depths of soul in the song. But the clip also shows Lovato’s intensity as she reads the lyrics about making sense of an absent father and finding her own meaning in words like, “And when he died, all he left us was alone.” Her voice even climbs to the same height as Slash’s guitar for the final solo.
“Slash is a legendary talent and friend I’ve known for years, so I was thrilled to collaborate with him again for his project,” Lovato, who previously worked with Slash on the “rock version” of her song, “Sorry Not Sorry,” 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 created!”
Slash previously released videos for his rendition of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor,” which features 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.
Also notable is his rendition of Lightnin’ Hopkins’ “Awful Dream,” which finds him playing acoustic guitar next to Iggy Pop, who even meows a little here and there. “The funny thing about that was that at the time, I had no idea where that was coming from,” Slash told Rolling Stone of Pop’s mewling, which was meant to evoke Hopkins’ harmonica. “I looked around me and then I looked in front of me and it was him.”
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