In anticipation of his debut solo album, Flea has performed his cover of Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You” on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.
The legendary Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist took to the stage with a full orchestra and live band to perform his unique reimagining of the track from Frank Ocean’s 2012 album, Channel Orange. Armed with both his signature bass and a trumpet, the cover comes from his debut solo album, Honora, which is set to be released on March 27th.
As Flea explained when he first released the cover, his love for the original runs deep.
“When that record came out, it really blew me away. I listened to it ten million times,” he said at the time.
It was something I just couldn’t stop listening to. I loved it so much and still do. Just one of those real watershed moment records for me. ‘Thinkin Bout You’ is one of the many great songs on that record, and I thought it would be fun to play on trumpet.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Flea appearance without a bit of chaos. The bassist made his entrance with a handstand before sitting down with host Jimmy Fallon to chat about the new album and his lifelong love for jazz.
“I was in love with [the trumpet],” he explained, recounting how he started playing as a kid. “I wanted to be Dizzy Gillespie when I grew up. I met Dizzy Gillespie when I was a kid. He hugged me into his suit. I still remember the smell of his cologne, his nice suit, and his kindness with me. Trumpet was my first instrument.”
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He told Fallon that while the bass took over in high school, the trumpet was “always alive in my head and my heart.” He eventually committed to playing it every day a few years ago, a process that led directly to the creation of Honora.
“It wasn’t really about a means to an end. It was just the process, the learning process. And I’m so happy that I had the opportunity to do it.”
