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Queens of the Stone Age Cover Arctic Monkeys’ ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?’

queens of the stone age, arctic monkeys, bbc radio 1 live lounge

Queens of the Stone Age dropped by the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge today (September 5) to play an acoustic cover of the Arctic Monkeys’ recent smooth-talking single “Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High?” Donning a sharp pair of hangover-hiding sunglasses, SPIN cover star Josh Homme sang a soft-spoken-word version of the track, turning lead Monkey Alex Turner’s drunken strut into a gentle prowl.

Back in June, the …Like Clockwork kings recorded their own rendition of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” at the Live Lounge. Their effort was admirable — Homme rapped a few bars while rocking salt and pepper shakers — but all in all, the above performance better suits QOTSA. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, considering the bands’ shared history: Turner sang back-up vocals on the Queens’ “If I Had a Tail,” while Homme lent his voice to two cuts off the Monkeys’ upcoming album AM.

Queens of the Stone Age will play London’s iTunes Festival tomorrow and their entire set will be live-streamed through the iTunes Store and the official iTunes Festival London 2013 app. Arctic Monkeys are on deck to play the 30-night showcase on September 9, exactly one day before their latest full-length arrives in the U.S. Fans can stream all of AM right now through iTunes.