Billie Joe Armstrong Puts Out “That Thing You Do!” Cover
One month ago, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong kicked off what he calls No Fun Mondays: Each week, he shares a cover of a song, freshly recorded from his home studio. So far, we’ve heard “I Think We’re Alone Now,” “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory,” “Manic Monday” featuring Susanna Hoffs, and “Corpus Christi” (that one come early, on Easter Sunday). Today, No Fun Mondays is back on as scheduled, and we get to hear Billie’s cover of “That Thing You Do!” – a 1996 song written by Adam Schlesinger for the fictional 1960s band The Wonders in the film That Thing You Do! (The single’s background is actually reminiscent of how Billie wrote some Beatles-esque songs for the musical These Paper Bullets! in 2015. We heard some of those with his 2018 side band, The Longshot.)
In the song’s caption, Billie called this a tribute to the late Adam Schlesinger. Adam was best known as the bassist for the band Fountains Of Wayne, but he was in several bands and was a prolific writer and producer. He passed away on April 1, 2020 due to complications from COVID-19.
Despite the tragic loss, the song here is upbeat. Billie Joe’s cover of “That Thing You Do!” captures the 1960s looseness and pep that made the song so convincing in its film. Billie nails his sweet harmonies and the fun handclaps, making it an energetic and nostalgic recording. It’s among our favorite covers he’s done so far during his No Fun Mondays.
The song comes with a simple music video. In a photo slideshow, we see dozens of pictures and video stills from a live show Green Day performed during the trilogy era nearly 8 years ago.
Watch the music video for Billie Joe’s cover of “That Thing You Do!” below:
While most of Billie’s No Fun Mondays covers aren’t available to stream or download, the first one now is! You can stream or download “I Think We’re Alone Now” from your favorite music provider here.
Father Of All… & “Otis Big Guitar Mix” EP
Green Day’s new album Father Of All… just came two months ago. It features the singles “Father Of All…,” “Fire, Ready, Aim,” “Oh Yeah!,” and “Meet Me On The Roof.”
It’s a fun and straightforward record, weaving in elements of Motown along with Green Day’s brand of punk rock. While it’s not their strongest or most ambitious release (see instead American Idiot, 21st Century Breakdown, and the trilogy), it is refreshingly carefree and fast-paced.
Then, surprising fans everywhere, Green Day just put out an EP at the beginning of April. The “Otis Big Guitar Mix” EP features alternate versions of three trilogy songs. Sure, the trilogy came out 8 years ago, but it’s never too late for more goodies from it, right? Hear new mixes of “Lazy Bones,” “Wild One,” and “Oh Love.”
Changing Labels & More Music Possibilities
In a series of interviews last September, Green Day did imply that Father Of All… would be their last album with Warner Records. They’ve been with the major label since the early 1990s, and all of their albums from Dookie onwards have been released by Warner.
Additionally, at the time, the band members also suggested the possibility of them releasing a second album 2020 – possibly on their own label after leaving Warner.
Billie Joe has repeated this idea, including in an interview in February. He stated that he’d written several songs in the previous six months and had several left over from the Father Of All… sessions. However, he did not indicate how they would release new music this year, if they indeed do so. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Now, Billie Joe recently told Kerrang that he’s written another six songs since the quarantines began. We could have a ton of new music ready once the pandemic is over!
Hella Mega Tour
Later this spring, Green Day is supposed to embark on the Hella Mega Tour, co-headlining with Fall Out Boy and Weezer.
Assuming COVID-19 doesn’t derail things, the tour is set to start on May 24th in Moscow, and extends through Europe, culminating in a Dublin show on June 29th. Then the Hella Mega Tour will take the bands to North America, starting in Seattle on July 17th and finishing in Philadelphia on August 29th. In November, the tour will go to Australia and New Zealand.
Asian dates have been cancelled due to Coronavirus, but will hopefully be rescheduled once the illness is under control. Dates in other territories have not been announced.
Tickets for the Hella Mega Tour are on sale now. Be sure to get tickets before it’s too late! Some dates have already sold out, so don’t wait!
Enjoy Billie Joe’s cover of “That Thing You Do,” and be sure to spin Green Day’s recent Father Of All… album and new “Otis Big Guitar Mix” EP. Get ready for more music from Green Day, potentially out this summer, and for their Hella Mega tour with Fall Out Boy and Weezer. Keep checking back here for all the latest Green Day music news.
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