NEW YORK (Billboard) - The Strokes have recorded a cover of Marvin Gaye's "Mercy Mercy Me" with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Queens Of The Stone Age's Josh Homme, sources told Billboard.com. The track is slated as the B-side for the "You Only Live Once" single and is expected for a mid-July release.
Homme joins the Strokes' Fabrizio Moretti on drums on the track, while Vedder and Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas share vocals. (A band spokesman could not confirm details.)
The Strokes have become fast friends with Vedder of late: the artists teamed up for a performance of the Strokes' "Juicebox" last month at Rolling Stone's 1,000th issue party in New York, and the Strokes were seen rocking out at two of Pearl Jam's recent Big Apple shows.
As for the "You Only Live Once" video, it was shot in late April in Los Angeles by director Sam Bayer, famed for Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Clips from the shoot posted on the Strokes' Web site (http://www.thestrokes.com) show Casablancas submerged up to his neck in filthy water.
The Strokes are in the midst of a summer international tour and will perform Saturday in Mountain View, Calif., as part of radio station Live 105's BFD festival. Franz Ferdinand, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, AFI, Wolfmother and Echo & the Bunnymen are also on the bill.
Reuters/Billboard