Johnny Depp and Jeff Beck have recorded a re-imagining of the John Lennon song Isolation, and said they hope it helps fans “make sense of the moment”.

The actor, who is also a member of the supergroup The Hollywood Vampires, and The Yardbirds musician have been collaborating for the last few years on new music and the cover is their first single as a duo.

Depp said: “Jeff Beck and I recorded this song Isolation last year, as our take on a beautiful John Lennon tune.

“Lennon’s poetry – ‘We’re afraid of everyone. Afraid of the Sun!’ – seemed to Jeff and me especially profound right now, this song about isolation, fear, and existential risks to our world.

“So we wanted to give it to you, and hope it helps you make sense of the moment or just helps you pass the time as we endure isolation together.”

The song features Depp on vocals, Beck on guitar and his long-time collaborators Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and Rhonda Smith on bass.

Beck said: “Johnny and I have been working on music together for a while now and we recorded this track during our time in the studio last year.

“We weren’t expecting to release it so soon but given all the hard days and true ‘isolation’ that people are going through in these challenging times, we decided now might be the right time to let you all hear it.

“You’ll be hearing more from Johnny and me in a little while but until then we hope you find some comfort and solidarity in our take on this Lennon classic.”

Lennon released Isolation in 1970 and since then it has been covered numerous times, including by Joe Cocker, Marianne Faithfull and Spoon.