Shane MacGowan, Nick Cave and Johnny Depp team up for Haiti single.

Nick Cave, Johnny Depp and Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie are among those reportedly roped-in for a new charity single led by Shane MacGowan. The Pogues frontman is assembling a gang of pals to record a cover of I Put a Spell On You, raising money for the Haiti earthquake relief.

According to the Sun, MacGowan flew from his home in Ireland to begin recording in London this week. Depp might seem an unlikely collaborator for Cave and Gillespie, but the actor has plenty of experience as a musician – first with his high-school band Kids and more recently with Babybird. For I Put a Spell On You, Depp will reportedly be joined by his partner, the singer and actress Vanessa Paradis.

I Put a Spell On You was one of rock'n'roll's early hits, released by Screamin' Jay Hawkins in 1956. It has since been covered by dozens of artists including Creedence Clearwater Revival, Nina Simone, and Cave's band the Birthday Party.

Although exact details of the project are still unclear at present, press officers for the acts involved have confirmed that the collaboration is happening. Photographer Danny Clifford also confirmed the project. "My mate is organising a charity single to help raise loads of money for Haiti and the people who need it most," he wrote on his blog, explaining that he will be taking photos of the sessions. "There are some very big names involved and one of them is my mate Shane MacGowan, bless him. He is a good sport."

As MacGowan and Cave cover Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Simon Cowell is still hard at work on his own Haiti benefit, recording an all-star version of REM's Everybody Hurts. Susan Boyle, Take That, Robbie Williams, Leona Lewis, Cheryl Cole, Alexandra Burke, Mika, Michael Buble, Joe McElderry, James Morrison, JLS and Rod Stewart will all contribute, with more stars still being added. Recording has mostly taken place at Trevor Horn's Sarm Studios in London.

Hope for Haiti, a download-only album featuring songs from last Friday's international telethon, is currently No 1 in America.

REF: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/jan/28/shane-macgowan-nick-cave