Bowie praises Johansson's musical ability

David Bowie has praised Scarlett Johansson's new album of Tom Waits covers Anywhere I Lay My Head.

The '70s icon agreed to provide backing vocals for tracks 'Fannin' Street' and 'Falling Down' after sitting next to the actress at a party.

He wrote on his website: "The songs are great, really good Tom Waits stuff, and Scarlett's performances are mystical and twice cool (sic).

“She creates a mood that could have been summoned by someone like (novelists) Margery Latimer or Jeanette Winterson."

However, he played down his own contribution to the CD, saying: "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."

Johansson recently credited the singer with awakening her sexuality when she was a teenager, telling The Mirror: "I learned I was a sexual being through David Bowie's songs."

Anywhere I Lay My Head will be released on May 20.