Behind The Song: Classic Rock Chronicles

Latest Episodes:

The midas touch of Pat Benatar and “We Belong” Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

When Pat Benatar’s Tropico album was released in 1984, she was on top of the world: an established superstar talent with a string of chart-toppers, and she and her husband and musical partner Neil Giraldo were about to become first-time parents. The biggest hit from the album, “We Belong,” would become a worldwide smash, extending her golden streak on the charts. It’s a love song that was actually written by two Los Angeles musicians who were struggling to make it at the time, and its success became a windfall for them that they didn’t see coming. Get into the story in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast.

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The Rolling Stones’ hit song that almost never happened Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

By 1981, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were barely talking, having differing opinions on the direction of The Rolling Stones. Making new music together seemed out of the question, but they were booked on a world tour, and needed an album to tour behind. That’s when engineer Chris Kimsey stepped in to save the day, poring over forgotten outtakes from the band’s previous sessions to cobble together what would become the Tattoo You album. The lead track, “Start Me Up,” was the biggest surprise to Keith Richards, who had written it as a reggae song but never liked what he heard when it was recorded. But, Kimsey found a diamond in the rough: when Richards and Charlie Watts briefly went into the rockin’ version we fans have come to know in one of those forgotten sessions. That outtake, after a little polishing, became one of the biggest hits of the Stones’ career, and it’s a miracle it was ever found to begin with. Get into the story in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast.

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John Lennon’s message of peace at Christmas Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

He was the first former Beatle to release a Christmas single after the band broke up, and he found a way to make a Christmas song carry a message of peace and unity without being overly saccharine. But then again, he was John Lennon. Get into the story of how his and Yoko Ono’s 1971 single “Happy XMas (War Is Over)” arrived just in time for Christmas in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast.

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The mystery of Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl” Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

Neil Young’s second solo album, 1969’s Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, marked the first time he made an album with Crazy Horse as his backing band. Created in a rush of musical output from Young, concurrent with his work with Crosby, Stills, and Nash, it set the stage for the type of sound Young wanted to make as a solo artist: stripped back, without any fancy studio-created bells and whistles. Three of the songs on that album were written while Young had a fever from the flu, and one of them, “Cinnamon Girl,” led to Young earning the nickname “The Godfather of Grunge” decades later when bands like Nirvana embraced the the innovative way he downtuned his guitar. But who is the subject of this gritty, hypnotic tune? Find out in this episode of Behind The Song.

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How “Devil Inside” helped make INXS rock gods Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

By the time INXS released their sixth album, 1987’s Kick, the band were perched on the edge of international superstardom, a gig that the late Michael Hutchence seemed born for. Kick turned out to be their biggest success, but it was rejected at first by their US label. It may not have come out at all if it weren’t for a devilishly clever plan put into place by their wily manager. Dig in to the story of how this album overcame a major hurdle and made this band of brothers and friends into one of the biggest acts of the late 1980’s, in this episode of Behind The Song.

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How Bachman Turner Overdrive’s inside joke became a hit song Sep 20, 2023

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By the time Bachman Turner Overdrive were ready to record their third album, Not Fragile, Randy Bachman had sent demo tapes to almost two dozen record labels, all met with rejection letters. Finally, a twist of fate led to inking a contract with Mercury Records…but they were told they were one song short of “that magic element” the label thought they needed for the album. In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, find out how “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” was begrudgingly added to the track listing and became a number one smash for B.T.O. even though Randy Bachman had intended for the song to be nothing more than a brotherly inside joke!

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The awesome story of Temple Of The Dog's "Hunger Strike" Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

Temple Of The Dog’s short-lived status as a Seattle rock supergroup got its start as a tribute project for the late Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone, and ended up yielding one self-titled album that became a platinum seller. The idea to record songs for Wood, who died of an overdose at age 24, was the late Chris Cornell of Soundgarden’s way of coping with the grief of losing his friend, and the band he recruited as the songs became a full album included not only fellow Seattle musicians who would go on to form Pearl Jam, but a then-unknown singer who had flown up from San Diego, Eddie Vedder. Unpack the touching history of this classic tune in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast.

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Blondie’s hit song inspired by a stalker Aug 09, 2023

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“One Way Or Another” by Blondie is based on an experience frontwoman Debbie Harry had with a stalker ex-boyfriend. In an incredible turnabout of power, the song ended up being one of the major hits on the band’s commercial breakthrough album, Parallel Lines. It’s an inspirational tale about making something positive out of a very negative experience. Find out more in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast.

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How Paul McCartney landed the title theme for a James Bond film Jul 19, 2023

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“Live And Let Die” marked some important firsts for the James Bond film franchise. It was the first 007 film to star Roger Moore as James Bond, and when it came to the music, it had a little help from some key players with Beatles pedigrees. Paul McCartney’s title theme was the first rock song ever for a Bond film, and the entire score was created by producer Sir George Martin, the fifth Beatle. Find out how it all came together in this episode of the Behind The Song podcast.

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How Eddie Money’s Rock and Roll Dream Came True Jun 28, 2023

Show notes

Eddie Money seemed to burst onto the national music scene fully formed when his self-titled debut album was released in 1977 and “Two Tickets To Paradise” climbed up the charts, but he had already traveled a long and unlikely road to get there. His journey begins in a New York City police family, quitting the force himself to travel to California, where he realized his dream to become a rock star with the help of legendary promoter Bill Graham. Let’s unpack the incredible journey of this cop-turned-rock’n’roller in this episode of Behind The Song.

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