Flea Transforms Frank Ocean’s ‘Thinkin Bout You’ Into Jazz Gem On ‘Tonight Show’

Flea stopped by 30 Rock on Monday to appear on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist sat for an interview and led a performance of Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You” from his soon-to-be-released debut solo album, Honora, which arrives on Nonesuch Records this Friday, March 27.

The long-in-the-making Honora finds Flea playing both bass and his first instrument, the trumpet. He rekindled his love of jazz while making the album. “Thinkin Bout You” is one of four covers on an album that also includes six original compositions.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer took the stage for his chat with Jimmy Fallon by pulling off an impressive handstand. Flea had a bandage on his head and Fallon wasted little time addressing the elephant in the room.

After first telling Jimmy the injury came after a battle with a “gang of thugs,” Flea confessed he made up the story. He admitted the “little nick” on his head was the result of a “bizarre peeing incident.”

The bassist explained he was spinning a track while appearing on Apple Music when nature called. “There were three minutes left in the song and I said, ‘I got to pee,’ so I have three minutes before I introduce the next tune,” Flea said.

“I yell something to someone, running full sprint down the hallway and bam! Smack into a glass door, flat on my back, blood spurting out of my head,” Flea revealed. “I’m laying there going, ‘Oh man, I’ve got to do the Fallon show in a few days … I’ll tell him I got into a fight.” He also spoke about the genesis of Honora, learning to play trumpet as a child and his all-star band.

Flea closed out the episode by performing “Thinkin Bout You” with his band featuring guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Anna Butterss, drummer Deantoni Parks, Honora producer and multi-instrumentalist Josh Johnson and a string section. The “Thinkin Bout You” cover saw Flea move between trumpet and bass as he gave the song from Ocean’s 2012 album Channel Orange a beautiful, jazzy feel.

Watch Flea’s appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon below:

Flea will hit the road in May with his Honora band for a tour in support of the album. The trek includes stops across North America and Europe.