Pin ups: Bowie lauds 'mystical' Scarlett Johansson

Time for our tri-weekly update on the Scarlett Johansson record, lugs – star collaborator David Bowie has spoken about his input on the actress's album of Tom Waits covers.

Of course we say ‘spoken’, but what we really mean is ‘tapped’, or ‘typed’, Bowie posting a memo on his website revealing his contribution to Anywhere I Lay My Head on backing vocals.

“The songs are great,” says Bowie, who guested on ‘Falling Down’ and ‘Fanning Street’.

“Really good Tom Waits stuff, and Scarlett's performances are mystical and twice cool. She creates a mood that could have been summoned by someone like Margery Latimer or Jeanette Winterson.”

Twice cool? Seems Bowie’s as keen on Johansson as she is on him, the Lost in Translation and Ghost World starlet admitting last week that the first frissons of teenage feeling came while listening to her new cohort’s music.

He, meanwhile, went on to play down his role in the new record, accusing the press of twisting the story to suit their own ends.

“I've seen the press on this and I suppose the record company wanted to spin my involvement a little more than it actually warrants. All I contribute are these oo's and ah's on a couple of tracks.

“David Sitek, the producer, originally asked me to do three songs, but for one of them, ‘I Don't Wanna Grow Up’, I didn't feel I could contribute much to it, so I left it alone.”

If you’re completely confused by all this, by the way, and were as yet unaware of Scarlett Johansson’s forays into gravel-throated cult mimicry, here’s where you should’ve been about five months ago.