Two New Covers of Tom Petty Hits Debut on Apple TV+'s BAD MONKEY Soundtrack

Two new versions of Tom Petty classics—Eddie Vedder’s “Room at the Top” and Larkin Poe’s “Runnin’ Down a Dream”—are available to stream now. The covers, which premiered on SiriusXM’s Tom Petty radio earlier this week, are featured on the official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ comedy series, Bad Monkey, which uniquely consists of music from the extensive Petty catalog. The soundtrack is set for release on October 4 via WaterTower Music with support from The Petty Estate.

“As huge Tom Petty fans, we were honored to be asked to contribute our own version of a Heartbreakers’ classic, ‘Runnin’ Down A Dream,’ to the Bad Monkey soundtrack,” says Larkin Poe. “The lyrics of ‘Runnin’ Down A Dream’ have spoken to the hearts of generations, ours included. We’ve been chasing our own dreams for the last decade and a half and it feels good to belt this song loud!”

“Not only have I been a huge Tom Petty fan forever (every episode of Cougar Town was named after a song), but he is also quintessentially Florida,” executive producer of the series Bill Lawrence says. “Having contemporary bands cover his music is not only a thrill for me, but it adds to the feeling that Florida itself is a character.”

“Bill, Matt and I discussed creating around 10 Tom Petty covers to use throughout the season. In the end, we scored twenty-one brand new, unreleased covers,” Music Supervisor Tony Von Pervieux adds. “Each artist was hand-picked to compliment the vibe of the show but were also favorites of mine that I could hear covering these well-placed Tom Petty songs that we featured throughout the ten episodes. Getting the opportunity to A&R each song and build a Soundtrack with all of them is a DREAM.”

WaterTower Music head Jason Linn shares, “Tom Petty is one of the greatest musicians and songwriters of our generation, with a career-spanning catalog that remains as timeless and apt today as it did years ago. We are honored to again partner with Bill Lawrence on Bad Monkey and to share a corner of that catalog at WaterTower Music with the help of this exceptional roster of artists.”

Based on Carl Hiaasen’s New York Times bestselling novel and enduring cult favorite of the same name, the soundtrack to Bad Monkey finds an impressive roster of acclaimed artists putting their personal touches on some of Petty’s greatest hits under Soundtrack Album Producer and Music Supervisor Von Pervieux. Notable contributors include Sharon Van Etten, Weezer, The War on Drugs, Nathaniel Rateliff, Kurt Vile, Charlotte Lawrence—who also appears as an actress in the series—Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Stephen Marley and many more. See below for a complete track list.

Created by award-winning executive producer and showrunner and long-time Petty fan, Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso, Shrinking), Bad Monkey tells the story of Andrew Yancy (Vaughn), who, after being bounced from the Miami Police Department, becomes a health inspector in the Keys. After stumbling upon a case that begins with a human arm fished up by tourists, he realizes that if he can prove murder, he’ll be back in. He just needs to get past a trove of Floridian oddballs and one bad monkey. Soundtracked to the extensive catalog of Florida’s own Tom Petty, Bad Monkey will begin streaming on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on August 14 followed by new episodes every Wednesday through October 9. Each episode will premiere alongside new Petty singles covered by a curated roster of lauded musicians.

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