Billie Joe Armstrong Sings Italian Song “Amico” for ‘No Fun Hump Day’
Shortly after we all began self-isolating due to COVID-19, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong kicked off his No Fun Mondays cover series, each song freshly recorded from his home studio. Now, just two days after getting his cover of “War Stories” by The Starjets, Billie Joe is back with a special ‘No Fun Hump Day’ offering. He really went above and beyond this time: Billie’s new cover is of “Amico” by the Italian singer and actor, Don Backy. And yes, Billie Joe sings it in Italian! While he’s not fluent in the language, he does have Italian heritage from his great-great-grandparents, who immigrated from the town of Viggiano. In June 2018, Billie Joe received honorary citizenship of Viggiano.
Don Backy’s original 1960s recording of “Amico” already had energy, filled out with brass horns and a fun atmosphere. Billie Joe’s cover is decidedly more pop punk, updating the song to a new genre and a new era. Over guitars, bass, and drums, Billie croons the Italian lyrics. We at Hidden Jams don’t speak Italian, but compared to Don Backy’s version, Billie Joe’s pronunciation sounds pretty on-point to our ears. It’s a wonderful song and great cover; we’ll certainly keep listening to “Amico”!
Billie Joe’s new cover of “Amico” also comes with an accompanying music video. Much of it works as a lyric video, with the words being painted before our eyes. The rest of the music video shows footage of Green Day performing on a small stage
Watch the music video for Billie Joe’s “Amico” cover below:
“Amico” is our first No Fun Hump Day cover. We’re not sure if we’ll get more of these on future Wednesdays, but we’d be happy if we do.
So far, No Fun Mondays has given us covers of “I Think We’re Alone Now,” “You Can’t Put Your Arms Around A Memory,” “Manic Monday” featuring Susanna Hoffs, “Corpus Christi,” “That Thing You Do!,” and “War Stories.”
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
This summer, Green Day is supposed to embark on the Hella Mega Tour, co-headlining with Fall Out Boy and Weezer.
COVID-19 has forced them to postpone their spring 2020 dates in Europe; they’ll be pushed back to 2021. Asian dates have also been cancelled due to Coronavirus, and are being rescheduled for 2021 as well.
While a lot is still very uncertain, the Hella Mega Tour is set to take the three bands to North America this summer, starting in Seattle on July 17th and finishing in Philadelphia on August 29th. In November, the tour will go to Australia and New Zealand.
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 “Amico” – sung in Italian! – 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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