After former Kinks frontman Ray Davies, Lou Reed and others collaborated with Metallica at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary concert in New York City last fall, Davies began plotting to record a new album of Kinks songs re-worked as duets with a few artists he was mingling with backstage. “I might talk to [Metallica] about doing a song,” Davies teased, adding later, “I chatted with Bruce Springsteen at the thing and he’s up for trying it.”
The whole project was up in the air, of course, but we now have confirmation that not only did The Boss record a Kinks cover, but the Killers, Jon Bon Jovi, and Lucinda Williams are also set to contribute duets to the forthcoming album.
NJ.com reports that Springsteen and Davies recorded a new version of 1981 Kinks hit “Better Things” after “about two or three hours” in an NYC studio last month, and fellow Jersey rocker Jon Bon Jovi worked out a new rendition of 1972 single “Celluloid Heroes.”
Davies didn’t leak the songs that Lucinda and the Killers are set to contribute, but perhaps we’ll find out soon, as he hopes to complete the collection by the end of 2010. Here’s hoping someone does “Waterloo Sunset” justice.
**Update: The Killers are no longer confirmed to be working with Davies.