David Lee Roth fans should be used to the former Van Halen frontman throwing them curveballs, so perhaps they won’t be too surprised by the latest song he’s premiered on his social media pages. Diamond Dave has debuted his own version of power-pop band Tommy Tutone’s 1981 hit “867-5309/Jenny.”
Videos by American Songwriter
Roth has recorded a faithful cover of the song, which was a No. 4 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for Tommy Tutone.
[RELATED: Drink In Ex-Van Halen Singer David Lee Roth’s Danceable New Solo Tune, “Scotch and Sofa”]
Roth posted his cover under the name “Jenny Jenny (That telephone song).” The tune is accompanied by a video featuring two Styrofoam mannequin heads. One of the mannequin heads resembles Roth and is wearing a headset microphone and wraparound sunglasses. The second head has female features, has bottlecaps for eyes, and is mottled with pink paint.
Roth’s Fans React to His “867-5309/Jenny” Cover
Roth’s new recording inspired a lot of fans to share their opinion about the tune in the comments section of his Instagram page.
“I know I’m supposed to hate this but….it’s pretty cool,” one fan wrote. “Dave ain’t lost nothing, it’s just a different Diamond Dave. I dig it, we’re lucky to have him.”
Another commented, “I need these songs available on cd or vinyl, please, make it happen!”
A third fan wrote, “Traveling back to the 80’s with Dave is a fun trip.”
About Roth’s Recent Recordings
During the last few years, Roth has posted a variety of previously unreleased tracks on his official website and social media pages. He’s also made some of these songs available as digital downloads and via streaming services.
Many of the tracks were originally featured in The Roth Project, an interactive comic book Roth debuted in 2020. The online presentation boasted a soundtrack that included tracks Roth recorded several years earlier in collaboration with current Mötley Crüe guitarist John 5.
In 2022 and 2023, Roth also posted new versions of several Van Halen songs that he recorded with studio musicians.
More About “867-5309/Jenny”
“867-5309/Jenny” appeared on Tommy Tutone’s second album, Tommy Tutone 2. The song was co-written by Jim Keller, the band’s lead guitarist, and Alex Call, who’d been the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter of the Bay Area group Clover.
Drummer John Cowsill, a member of the family band The Cowsills, sang backing vocals and played percussion on the track. In recent years, Cowsill has played drums with The Beach Boys.
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