The desire to collaborate and perform the works of one’s favorite artists is a common aspiration among musicians. They may want to celebrate the works of those they admire in this way but these wishes can sometimes end up with missed collaborations. One similar situation was revealed by Fall Out Boy’s lead singer, Patrick Stump, back in 2008.
As the story goes, Stump wanted to duet with the actress Scarlett Johansson on her debut album of Tom Waits covers. However, it eventually turned into a disappointment for the rocker when Johansson turned him down. Patrick wrote in a now-deleted message on his website:
“I hear Scarlett Johansson’s putting out a debut album of Tom Waits covers. I’m a fan of Waits, so I started pestering her management about a year or two ago to let me duet with her. She rejected me like I was in high school again with an, ‘Oh no, I hate Fall Out Boy.’ Fair enough, that’s not the first time I’ve heard that this week.”
Stump’s Reaction To Scarlett’s Rejection
Stump continued, sharing his thoughts on the record and the actress:
“PS: I’m not the grudge-holding type. I want to make clear that I don’t know Scarlett personally, and I respect her and her artistry. I liked her a lot in ‘Ghost World’ and ‘Match Point’ among others. I haven’t heard her record, but I hear David Bowie’s on it, which alone is worth the price of admission.”
The vocalist talked about his main disappointment in the last part of his statement:
“And I’m not ‘mad’ at her for not letting me sing on the record. She doesn’t like my band; it’s her record, and she has every right not to let me. I’m just expressing my disappointment at not having an outlet to perform a song by one of my favorite artists.”
Johansson’s Musical Journey And Tom Waits Influence
Johansson’s first album, ‘Anywhere I Lay My Head,’ came out in May 2008, featuring one original track and ten Waits covers. It also includes contributions from Bowie and members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Celebration. When asked how she started listening to Waits in a 2008 conversation with Interview Magazine, the actress explained:
“I first got into Tom Waits when I was, like, 11 or 12. A friend of mine, her dad listened to Tom Waits all the time, so I was introduced to his music pretty young. Then I had a boyfriend in high school who was a huge Tom Waits fan. I guess Tom Waits was always a part of my adolescence. It’s funny how the songs mean something different to me now than they did when I first heard them.”
Collaborations And Projects Following The First Album
‘Anywhere I Lay My Head’ was Scarlett’s debut album, but not her first recording; she had previously recorded with Pete Yorn. Their album ‘Break Up’ was made quickly and received mixed reviews. She also collaborated with Steel Train for ‘Bullet’ in 2010, sang for the documentary ‘Wretches & Jabberers,’ and featured in songs for the films’ Chasing Ice’ and ‘The Jungle Book,’ as well as the ‘Sing’ soundtrack.
Johansson formed a girl group, Singles, with Este Haim and others, releasing ‘Candy,’ but they disbanded due to a legal issue with another band named Single. She worked with Yorn again in 2018 on ‘Apart,’ with a music video for ‘Iguana Bird’ directed by Bonnie Wright.
