Dave Grohl, Karen O, Beck Cover Randy Newman: Watch
Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin have released the eighth instalment in this year’s Hanukkah Sessions series, covering Randy Newman’s I Love LA – which they retitled We Love LA – alongside all of the special guests the pair have been joined by thus far: Judd Apatow, Pink, Inara George, Grohl’s daughter Violet, Beck, Karen O and Tenacious D.
Returning last week for its third annual series, this year’s Hanukkah Sessions was the first that Grohl and Kurstin recorded live in concert: on 5 December, they performed a secret show to 250 fans in Los Angeles, with all of the profits earned from ticket sales going to the Anti-Defamation League. The Foo Fighters leader and the legendary producer played nine songs in total, ending their main set with the star-studded rendition of We Love LA..
A note accompanying the release of the cover reads, “Merry Christmukkah! Our nondenominational gift to you on this convergence of holiday cheer for the Jews and the goyim is Randy Newman’s classic I Love LA — sung by Dave Grohl!”
Coinciding with Hanukkah itself, this year’s series began on 18 December with their rendition of ‘Spinning Wheel’ by Blood, Sweat & Tears (featuring comedian/director Judd Apatow). It was chased up with their take on Get This Party Started by Pink (featuring Pink herself), followed by The Things We Do For Love by 10cc (with Kurstin’s The Bird And The Bee bandmate Inara George).
From there, they delivered covers of At Seventeen by Janis Ian (featuring Grohl’s daughter Violet), E-Pro by Beck (with Beck himself), Heads Will Roll by Yeah Yeah Yeahs (with Karen O) and The Spirit Of Radio by Rush (with both members of Tenacious D, Jack Black and Kyle Glass).
The 2022 edition of Hanukkah Sessions will come to an end tomorrow (27 December), when Grohl and Kurstin release their cover of David Lee Roth‘s Just A Gigolo, again featuring Beck.