AC/DC’s Brian Johnson to Guest on Sting’s next Album

Brian Johnson and Sting. Photo: Matt Becker/Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 /Weatherman90 at en.wikipedia (Johnson). Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic/ isuperwang on Flickr (Sting)

At age 61, Sting still has a few surprises left up his sleeve. AC/DC screamer Brian Johnson is appearing on the former Police frontman’s new album, The Last Ship, his first all-original LP in 10 years.

As Ultimate Classic Rock reports, the exact nature of Johnson’s collaboration is still unclear, but a publicist confirmed his involvement in the project. The Last Ship is the soundtrack to a Broadway musical about the decline of the English shipbuilding industry in the 1980s. The LP will be out this September, and after a preview performance for potential producers and investors, the stage show could hit the Great White Way in 2014.

Sting Plans New Album for September Release

Sting has been working on the musical for almost three years, and it is based on his experiences growing up near the Swan Hunters Shipyard in Wallsend, England. The 12-song album is his first since 2003’s Sacred Love and will come with multiple expanded versions and bonus tracks.

Meanwhile, AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams revealed that bandmates Angus Young and Malcolm Young are working on new songs for the group, but no timetable has been set for a follow-up to their 2008 album Black Ice.