Patti Smith Opens Up About ‘Banga,’ Johnny Depp, Amy Winehouse and Romanticizing Self-Destruction
Also Johnny Depp. In fact, in the opening of “Banga,” it’s all Johnny Depp. He’s a friend of mine and he was filming “Rum Diary” [when] I got the idea for [the song] in my head. I told Johnny, “I don’t wanna forget this.” So he recorded me singing — like the first minute, I’m just singing a capella. Then Johnny said he would send it to me so I wouldn’t forget. So I’m waitin’ and waitin’ and he didn’t send it! I said, “Johnny, where’s ‘Banga’?” He said, “Oh, you’ll get it.” And [when] I got it, he’d put drums, guitars, everything [on it]! So the first minute of the song is all me and Johnny Depp. What we did in the recording studio [was] the band listened to Johnny’s track and then came in on the chorus.
Click here to read the whole interview and listen to the song “Banga” here
