How “One” unified U2
By the time U2 recorded their seventh album, 1991’s Achtung Baby, they were exhausted from nonstop touring, going through personal struggles at home in Ireland, and were at odds with each other about which direction to take musically. So, they headed to Berlin for a fresh start, landing on the day of the German Unification after the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was there that they wrote the song that put them all on the same page as a band again, the timeless “One,” a song about division that actually helped the band transition into a new decade. Get into the whole story in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
15 Mars 202313min
The spellbinding story of “Black Magic Woman”
The late Peter Green was one of the early guitar heroes in England, alongside names like Eric Clapton. He formed Fleetwood Mac in 1967, and their early records during his time leading the band yielded songs that were transcendent, psychedelic, and rooted in the blues music that he loved. Before quitting the band and spending many years afterward battling schizophrenia, he wrote “Black Magic Woman,” a song popularized by Santana when he covered it for his Abraxas album. Get into the whole incredible story in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
22 Feb 202313min
The love song that started it all for Styx
“Lady” was the first of several hit Styx songs that Dennis DeYoung wrote for his longtime wife, Suzanne. It became the first hit song for the band, and it is largely held to be the very first power ballad in rock. Get into the inspiring story in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
8 Feb 202310min
How Joe Walsh’s “In The City” went from Warriors to Eagles
“In The City” is best known as an album cut on 1979’s The Long Run, an album the Eagles cobbled together after many months and on the heels of their epic Hotel California album and tour. But it was first co-written by Joe Walsh for the soundtrack to the cult classic film The Warriors, and it’s his version you hear in the unforgettable end scene. Find out how this song came to be recorded by both Joe Walsh and the Eagles after the film was released in this episode of Behind The Song! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
25 Jan 202313min
Why Van Halen took their time with “Right Now”
"Right Now” by Van Halen is an inspirational song about living in the moment, but it took a long time to come together. Released on 1991’s For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, their third after Sammy Hagar joined as frontman, it was purposefully written without a trace of reference to fast cars, girls, or partying. The video for the song was so ahead of its time - dealing with world issues and cultural hot button topics - that Hagar was afraid that the lyrics he had so painstakingly penned would get lost in the concept, at first. And of course, there’s the incomparable Eddie Van Halen playing piano on “Right Now,” a musical note that has its own backstory. Unpack it all in this episode of Behind The Song! Watch the video episode and subscribe to the Behind The Song Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@behindthesongpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
11 Jan 202311min
When Billy Squier Rocked Christmas on MTV
In 1981, the launch of MTV coincided with the rise of Billy Squier, and the two were a match made in pop culture heaven. The year ended with a singalong performance of his holiday single, “Christmas Is The Time to Say I Love You,” filmed at the MTV studios in New York City and aired as MTV’s first Christmas special. All five original MTV VeeJays were a part of the choir: Mark Goodman, Martha Quinn, Nina Blackwood, Alan Hunter, and the late J.J. Jackson, and the moment captured both the energy of those early MTV true believers and the spirit of the season. In a twist of irony, it was another video released a few years later that got Squier into hot water with his fans! Unwrap the history in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast. Watch the video episode and subscribe to the Behind The Song Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@behindthesongpodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
14 Dec 202211min
How Joan Jett embraced her "Bad Reputation"
“Bad Reputation” is a song Joan Jett wrote while being rejected over and over by people in the music business, after realizing that she herself had gotten a bad reputation simply by being in her scandalously young former band, The Runaways. She and her producer, Kenny Laguna, were turned down so many times by record labels in the US, in fact, that they finally decided to take matters into their own hands to release her debut solo album. Dig into the very rock ‘n roll story of Joan Jett’s rise from LA teen rocker to a platinum-selling member of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast. Watch the video episode and subscribe to the Behind The Song Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@behindthesongpodcast Host: Janda Lane Music Producer: Christian Lane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
30 Nov 202214min
Supertramp’s singalong hit about the ideal gift
“Give A Little Bit,” the opening track on Supertramp’s 1977 album, Even In The Quietest Moments….is a song that appeals to our better angels, with an idealistic message of unity and generosity. Written by Roger Hodgson when he was still a teenager, the song went on to become one of many worldwide hits for the band, has been used to represent charities ranging from UNICEF to The Red Cross, and even ended up being a princess’s favorite song. Take a closer look at this singalong song and its unifying beauty in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast. Watch the video episode and subscribe to the Behind The Song Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@behindthesongpodcast Host: Janda Lane Music Producer: Christian Lane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
16 Nov 20229min
