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Jul 05, 2019 The Bird and the Bee By Christopher Roberts

The Bird and the Bee (aka Inara George and Greg Kurstin) are releasing a new covers album, Interpreting the Masters Volume 2: A Tribute to Van Halen, that features covers of 10 songs (11 if you get the vinyl version) of the 1980s rock band. Now they have shared another track from the album, a cover of Van Halen’s 1984 hit “Hot For Teacher.” They have flipped the gender of the teacher and he is voiced by special guest Beck. Considering the video for the original featured the teacher stripping down to a bikini and strutting on school desks, that was probably a wise move. Check out The Bird and the Bee’s version below, followed by Van Halen’s original, the album’s tracklist, and the band’s upcoming tour dates.

In 2010 they also released another covers album, Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates. Previously they shared two other tracks from Interpreting the Masters Volume 2: A Tribute to Van Halen: “Ain’t Talking ‘Bout Love” and “Panama.”

Beck, who has collaborated with Kurtstin before, had this to say about the track in a press release: “The Bird and the Bee bring unforeseen angles to the Van Halen song book. Makes sense because, like Eddie Van Halen, Greg is a kind of musical wunderkind in his own right and Inara’s vocals bring a cool counterpart to Diamond Dave’s pyrotechnics. Making a cameo on their version of ‘Hot for Teacher’ felt like an extension of the kind of riffing and fooling around we do in the studio on a normal session.”

Interpreting the Masters Volume 2: A Tribute to Van Halen Tracklist:

1. Runnin’ With The Devil
2. Panama
3. Hot For Teacher
4. Eruption
5. Jump
6. Ain’t Talking ‘Bout Love
7. Jamie’s Cryin’
8. Unchained
9. You Really Got Me
10. Diamond Dave
11. Everybody Wants Some (Vinyl Only)

The Bird and the Bee Tour Dates:

08/02/19 - Los Angeles, CA @ John Anson Ford Theater #
08/11/19 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club *
08/12/19 - Chicago, IL @ Sleeping Village *
08/13/19 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern *
08/14/19 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre *
08/15/19 - Providence, RI @ Columbus Theatre *
08/16/19 - Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live *
08/17/19 - Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere *
08/20/19 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle *
08/21/19 - Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5 *
08/22/19 - Birmingham, AL @ The Saturn *
08/24/19 - Dallas, TX @ Trees *
08/25/19 - Austin, TX @ Parish *
08/28/19 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom *
08/29/19 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah *
08/30/19 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop * ^

# = featuring Dave Grohl on drums and Justin Meldal-Johnsen on bass
* = support from Samantha Sidley and Alex Lilly
^ = additional support from DJ Aaron Exelson

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