ZZ Top have hinted at an upcoming record made with fellow beardy Rick Rubin. The Texan trio‘s most recent album came out in 2012.
ZZ Top are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. The classic lineup of Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard formed in 1970, signing with London Records and getting to work on their debut album, ZZ Top’s First Album. 14 more studio LPs have followed, with the latest being 2012’s La Futura.
Watch: ZZ Top – I Gotsta Get Paid
That album was made alongside producer Rick Rubin. Now Gibbons, the band’s head honcho, has told the UK’s Daily Express that another Rubin-produced release could be on its way soon.
“I was just on the phone just yesterday with the noted producer Mr Rick Rubin,” said Gibbons. “Rick’s got a few ideas that he threw into the mix. He’s raring to get us back in the room.”
It’s all a bit up in the air at the moment, but Gibbons seems confident they’ll move at speed. “So it’ll be coming up, probably in the next few months I hope. It’s a bit premature for a proper announcement, but it’ll be forthcoming, yeah,” he said.
Rubin’s become a big name in rock, metal and hip hop circles over the last 30-odd years. He’s no stranger to revitalising the careers of classic performers, either. He famously conceived Johnny Cash’s American series, which led to six critically acclaimed albums between 1994’s American Recordings and 2010’s posthumously released, American VI: Ain’t No Grave.
Watch: Johnny Cash – The Mercy Seat
Rubin has also produced late career records for the likes of Santana, Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Slayer and Metallica.
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In other ZZ Top news, a documentary film titled That Little Ol’ Band From Texas came out last year. The film looks back on their 50-year career, combining archival footage, live clips and celebrity interviews. It’ll see digital, DVD and Blu-ray release on February 28, 2020.
