Spinal Tap’s Derek Smalls Reveals More Details About Upcoming Solo Album
Earlier this year, drumming legends Chad Smith, Dave Grohl and Jim Keltner gathered together in the studio, with Smith teasing that they were working on a Derek Smalls solo album. Now, in a new Harry Shearer (aka Derek Smalls) interview with GQ about the ongoing legal battle between Spinal Tap's members and Vivendi/Studiocanal over allegedly unpaid back royalties, more details about the album have been revealed.
According to the piece, Smalls has also snagged such rock legends as Steely Dan's Donald Fagen, Peter Frampton and guitar great Steve Vai to appear on the disc. Fagen sings the bridge on a song called "Memo to Willie," which is "a little ditty about erectile dysfunction." Smalls also reveals that there are tracks called "MRI" and "It Don't Get Old" that describe the decaying pleasures of life on the road.
The album reportedly has the tentative title Smalls Change and is expected to be released later this year. Shearer also plans to revive his Smalls persona for a tour to support the album once it does come out. The disc will be the first Spinal Tap-related project since 2009's Back From the Dead album.
In Smith's tweet earlier this year featuring the three drummers, not only did he mention Smalls, but he also tagged CJ Vanston, who has been the band's producer and musical director on past albums. Stay tuned for more details as they are revealed.
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