BILLY GIBBONS Discusses ZZ TOP's Next Album, Hints At JEFF BECK Guest Appearance

ZZ TOP is preparing to enter the studio to begin work on its sixteenth studio album. The follow-up to 2012's "La Futura" will reportedly once again be produced by Rick Rubin, who has previously worked with everyone from Adele, Kanye West and Justin Timberlake to METALLICA, AC/DC and Johnny Cash.

Asked in a recent interview with LiveSigning if there is a song that, during the writing and recording process, he thought was going to be a hit, but unfortunately never was, Billy Gibbons said (see video below): "Well, it's funny you should ask. We're getting ready to go back in the studio, and after five decades of attempting to record and complete a song that we started when the band first got together, maybe this go-round we'll have some success. I'll tell you what — this new, revised edition of the book," referring to "Rock + Roll Gearhead", a book about his life, his amazing collection of guitars and the many custom cars and hot rods he has amassed over the years, "this thing has given us some real impetus to get back in the studio and start peeling the onion. That's a good question; it's something to certainly follow up on. I'll tell you what — stay tuned and we'll get back in touch with you when we wrap that one up."

Asked if ZZ TOP will record again with guitar legend Jeff Beck, the vocalist/guitarist replied: "Now there's a guy that not only is still doing it like we'd like to do it, he is inventing things on the guitar that probably wasn't really designed to be done and yet he's doing it. Jeff's a great guy. I had a chance to see him last summer while we were over in London, and we've been in touch ever since. And chances are once we get back in the studio that he's sitting on the ready. So I think we oughta try it."

Gibbons previously said ZZ TOP had enough material left over from "La Futura" sessions to release a companion album. But "the label didn't really want to release a dual disc in this rather topsy-turvy musical landscape, where promoting new material is so challenging," he explained. "So we're sitting on 10 more songs… We have that big ball of wax waiting to roll."

A documentary covering ZZ TOP's 50 years together, "ZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band From Texas", was released on February 28 via Eagle Rock Entertainment on DVD, Blu-ray and digitally. Produced by the award-winning Banger Films ("Super Duper Alice Cooper"; Peabody/international Emmy award-winning Netflix series "Hip-Hop Evolution"),the film originally premiered at a sold-out showing at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood last year and experienced a successful 10-week theatrical run via 150 screens nationally.

Inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, ZZ TOP claims to be the longest-running major rock band with original personnel intact. The Texas trio is still comprised of Gibbons, bassist/vocalist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard.

ZZ TOP's catalog includes 15 studio albums.