Beatles megastar Paul McCartney seems to be going through a roster of new artistes of late — Rihanna and Kanye West for the songs FourFiveSeconds and Only One respectively — and the Lady Gaga-Tony Bennett album Cheek To Cheek, which also won a Grammy. While collaborations are par for the course among musicians, it is interesting when those of really varied styles collaborate. Here’s a look at some odd-but-successful pairings.Paul McCartney and Lady Gaga - You read that right. Lady Gaga recently shared a photo online of McCartney and her in the studio, with a caption saying that they are ‘working on one of Paul’s many secret projects.’ Known to be a man of extremely wide musical talents (he’s even made a non-mainstream record with producer Youth under the pseudonym ‘The Fireman’) fans of both artistes will no doubt be interested to see what transpires. Incidentally, Lady Gaga too has done something ‘different’ with Tony Bennett.
Aerosmith and Run DMC - No list of unlikely musical collaborations can be complete without mention of the legendary song Walk This Way. When it was covered by Run-D.M.C featuring Steven Tyler and Joe Perry in 1986, it gave rock band Aerosmith new life, transforming them from a washed-out group to a musically with-it outfit that was prepared for the future. The video featured both bands in a room divided by a wall. They demolish the wall as the song progresses. The song was also the first ever hip-hop song to feature in the US mainstream charts.
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett - Jazz veteran Bennett and pop star Gaga released an album together called Cheek To Cheek last year consisting of jazz standards by legends George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and Irving Berlin, among others. This also helped Gaga’s fans and musical lovers in general realise that she wasn’t just only about pop music. Incidentally, the duo had previously recorded The Lady Is A Tramp a few years before this album.
David Lynch and Danger Mouse - Written by Sparklehorse (Mark Linkous) and Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) in 2010, the album was something of a collector’s item. It featured a wide range of guest singers ranging from Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips to Iggy Pop and Scott Spillane of Neutral Milk Hotel. There were several formats of the album and filmmaker David Lynch put together a 100-page image booklet meant to complement the music and also sang.
Alicia Keys and Jack White - Their song featured in 2008’s Quantum Of Solace and was probably that movie soundtrack’s most unusual pairing. Their respective musical styles (rock and R&B) are very different. And yet, Another Way To Die, with its slightly ominous feel, worked.
Thom Yorke and Flea Yorke of Radiohead has a side project called Atoms For Peace. And he had announced to the foreign press that the bassist would be Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers). Fitting, as they are two stellar musicians.
