AC/DC's Brian Johnson records in Sarasota for 'Killing Floor' song with Slash, Steven Tyler

Three rock stars, including a Sarasota resident, recently collaborated on a song and music video that was partially recorded here.

AC/DC singer and Sarasota resident Brian Johnson appears along with Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash and Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler on harmonica for a rendition of Howlin' Wolf's "Killing Floor," which has been covered by other artists including Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, also serving as the basis for the latter's "The Lemon Song."

The recording with Johnson on lead vocals is the first single off Slash's new album "Orgy of the Damned," set for release May 17, which features the guitarist performing blues classics with guest vocalists that also include Gary Clark Jr., Billy F. Gibbons, Chris Stapleton, Dorothy, Iggy Pop, Paul Rodgers, Demi Lovato, Tash Neal, Chris Robinson and Beth Hart.

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"When Slash asked me to sing on ‘Killing Floor,’ I said yes immediately," Johnson said in a statement. "It was one of the first songs I learned in my very first band, and when he played me the backing track it was a no-brainer, and Steven's harmonica is so bloody hot. I had a ball with Slash in the studio, and I think we did this great old song justice. Rock on.”

Johnson's part of the song was recorded at Sarasota's Burnt Orange Sound Studio, said the studio's chief engineer and owner Matt DeSear. The footage of Johnson in the music video was also filmed at the Sarasota studio by the album's label Gibson Records. While Slash and Tyler's parts were recorded separately, DeSear said Slash and the album's producer Mike Clink both came to Sarasota and were present during Johnson's recording.

DeSear said he'd previously met Johnson when the AC/DC singer was recording guest vocals for the song "Old Friends Don't Come Easy" for the Greg Billings Band's 2016 album "Boom Boom All Night!"

"He remembered me, and he gave me a call a couple months before this all happened," DeSear said. "He's like ‘Matt, my son,’ in his awesome accent, ‘Slash wants me to sing on one of his songs and wants to get that set up.' I’m like, ‘Sure, have Slash’s people call me.’

We set it up, and I wasn’t sure if Slash was going to be here. I was very surprised that he got Mike and Slash to fly out here and produce him here in Sarasota. So thank you to Brian for thinking of me and keeping it local, that's just a huge thanks, and a total honor working with all these guys."

Johnson has also remained busy with AC/DC, the band he made his recording debut with on 1980's "Back in Black," one of the best-selling albums of all time, and reunited with in 2020 after a four-year hiatus due to hearing issues. AC/DC played their first live show in seven years at California music festival Power Trip last year, and earlier this year announced their first tour in eight years.

Email entertainment reporter Jimmy Geurts at jimmy.geurts@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: AC/DC's Brian Johnson records in Sarasota for Slash, Steven Tyler song