Keith Richards and Tom Waits Record ‘Shenandoah’

A new collection of songs of the sea brings together Keith Richards and Tom Waits. Compiled in part by actor Johnny Depp, ‘Son of Rogue’s Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys’ will be released on Feb. 19 and features the two grizzled stars together for a rendition of the traditional folk song, ‘Shenandoah.’

The version here is pure Waits, with a ragged men’s chorus that instantly calls to mind his ‘Innocent When You Dream (Barroom)’ from ‘Franks Wild Years.’ Richards chimes in with a bit of background vocals and some electric guitar towards the end.

This isn’t the first time Waits and Richards has collaborated. Richards played on three songs on Waits’ brilliantly groundbreaking 1985 album, ‘Rain Dogs.’ The duo also co-wrote ‘That Feel,’ which closed out Waits’ 1992 record, ‘Bone Machine.’

In his 2010 autobiography, ‘Life,’ Richards describes Waits as “a one-off lovely guy and one of the most original writers.” In the same book, Waits repays the favor by saying that Richards is “like a frying pan made from one piece of metal. He can heat it up really high and it won’t crack, it just changes color.”

Listen to Keith Richards and Tom Waits Perform ‘Shenandoah’