Billie Joe Armstrong Reminds Us “That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll” in New Cover
Not long after the COVID-19 quarantines began, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong kicked off his No Fun Mondays cover series, each song freshly recorded from his home studio. Following last week’s “Not That Way Anymore,” our latest cover is of “That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll,” originally by Eric Carmen. Billie Joe shared:
Welcome to another No Fun Monday. Today’s song is “That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Eric Carmen who was also in The Raspberries. However the first time I heard this song was by teen heartthrob Shaun Cassidy. My sisters would dance around the house to this one!
It’s a light and upbeat song set against a prominent drumbeat with handclaps adding to the tone. And indeed, it sounds great for dancing!
Along with the new cover, Billie shared a “That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll” music video. The whole video is animated, with artwork by a Green Day named Izabele. She originally drew the picture of Billie and his wife Adrienne in 2017. Those two animated figures appear against a black and white backdrop – ranging from polka dots to spirals to city scapes – throughout the video. The video also added Billie’s guitar, Blue, making it look more like a performance.
Watch Billie Joe’s “Not That Way” music video below:
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!,” “War Stories,” “Kids In America,” “Not That Way Anymore,” and now “That’s Rock ‘n’ Roll.” We also got the bonus Italian language cover of “Amico” three weeks ago.
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 three 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.
In early April, Billie Joe 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
Around now, Green Day was 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.
Now it looks like the North American tour is being postponed. New dates have not yet been announced.
However, the November tour to Australia and New Zealand is still on… for now.
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’s Rock ‘n’ Roll,” 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 (postponed) 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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