Sting, Bono, Lou Reed and Nick Cave are just a handful of the artists who have lent their voices to 'Rogue's Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys,' due Aug. 22 via Anti-. The double-disc, 43-song set was produced by Hal Willner, working from an idea hatched by director Gore Verbinski and actor Johnny Depp in the midst of shooting 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.'

"I slowly became fascinated by the idea of a contemporary reinterpretation of the sea chantey," Verbinski says. "I imagined the artists that I listen to and respect doing their take on this age-old music: the song of the sea."

Willner wrangled the talent for the project, which also features contributions from Richard Thompson, Bryan Ferry, Lucinda Williams, Rufus Wainwright, Joseph Arthur, Bill Frisell, Jarvis Cocker and actor John C. Reilly. Sessions took place in London, Dublin, New York, Los Angeles and Seattle.

"One day we did eight songs with eight different artists in one day," Willner enthuses. "Two of those artists didn't know they were going to be in the studio that day. I just loved working this way because you wouldn't do that with an artist normally."

Indeed, 17 additional songs were recorded for 'Rogue's Gallery' and will likely see the light of day on a future companion album. "Usually in the past I've always found that the secret weapons on these records are any new artists because you're coming at it without expectations," Willner says.

Here is the track list for 'Rogue's Gallery':

Disc one:
'Cape Cod Girls,' Baby Gramps
'Mingulay Boat Song,' Richard Thompson
'My Son John,' John C. Reilly
'Fire Down Below,' Nick Cave
'Turkish Revelry,' Loudon Wainwright III
'Bully In The Alley,' Three Pruned Men
'The Cruel Ship's Captain,' Bryan Ferry
'Dead Horse,' Robin Holcomb
'Spanish Ladies,' Bill Frisell
'High Barbary,' Joseph Arthur
'Haul Away Joe,' Mark Anthony Thompson
'Dan Dan,' David Thomas
'Blood Red Roses,' Sting
'Sally Brown,' Teddy Thompson
'Lowlands Away,' Rufus Wainwright & Kate McGarrigle
'Baltimore Whores,' Gavin Friday
'Rolling Sea,' Eliza Carthy
'The Mermaid,' Martin Carthy & the UK Group
'Haul On The Bowline,' Bob Neuwirth
'Dying Sailor to His Shipmates,' Bono
'Bonnie Portmore,' Lucinda Williams
'Shenandoah,' Richard Greene & Jack Sh*t
'The Cry Of Man,' Mary Margaret O'Hara

Disc two:
'Boney,' Jack Sh*t
'Good Ship Venus,' Loudon Wainwright III
'Long Time Ago,' White Magic
'Pinery Boy,' Nick Cave
'Lowlands Low,' Bryan Ferry with Antony
'One Spring Morning,' Akron/Family
'Hog Eye Man,' Martin Carthy & family
'The Fiddler/A Drop of Nelson's Blood,' Ricky Jay & Richard Greene
'Caroline and Her Young Sailor Bold,' Andrea Corr
'Fathom The Bowl,' John C. Reilly
'Drunken Sailor,' David Thomas
'Farewell Nancy,' Ed Harcourt
'Hanging Johnny,' Stan Ridgway
'Old Man of The Sea,' Baby Gramps
'Greenland Whale Fisheries,' Van Dyke Parks
'Shallow Brown,' Sting
'The Grey Funnel Line,' Jolie Holland
'A Drop of Nelson's Blood,' Jarvis Cocker
'Leave Her Johnny,' Lou Reed
'Little Boy Billy,' Ralph Steadman