Flea Reimagines Frank Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You” as a Cinematic Bass & Trumpet Ballad
As we eagerly await Flea‘s upcoming solo debut, the Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist has given us another sneak peek. “Thinkin Bout You” reimagines Frank Ocean’s 2012 R&B number as an instrumental and orchestral ballad.
Flea alternates the melody between the electric bass and trumpet, while Anna Butterss lays down the groove on an upright bass.
“Channel Orange! When that record came out, it really blew me away,” Flea says. “I listened to it ten million times. 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. Then I went to Nate Wolcott, who plays keyboards on Honora on several tunes. He did that string arrangement for me. He stepped up to the plate and really did something beautiful. I just wanted to get the honest beauty of the melody because it’s a great song.”
“Thinkin Bout You” marks the third single from Flea’s upcoming album Honora, which is due March 27th. It’s open to pre-order now via Nonesuch Records.
Flea will also be taking the music on the road in a solo tour across North America and Europe throughout May. The entire run is already sold out, but see below for his itinerary.
Flea Tour Dates 2026:
| Date | Location | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| May 7 | Thalia Hall | Chicago, IL |
| May 9 | Opera House | Toronto, ON |
| May 10 | Théâtre Beanfield | Montreal, QC |
| May 12 | Webster Hall | New York, NY |
| May 13 | Black Cat | Washington, DC |
| May 16 | Fonda Theater | Los Angeles, CA |
| May 21 | Heimathafen | Berlin, GERMANY |
| May 22 | Paradiso | Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS |
| May 26 | Koko | London, UK |
| May 28 | Alhambra | Paris, FRANCE |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
