The Tom Petty Project

Latest Episodes:

Peace in L.A. Mar 06, 2024

Show notes

In March and April of 1992, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were wrapping up the European final leg of their Into The Great Wide Open tour. This leg saw them play dates in Germany, the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Norway, and on April 3rd, they closed out the tour in Malmo, Sweden, playing an extended set of 28 songs to 6000 Swedish fans, closing out with Learning to Fly, Making Some Noise, and then serene lullaby, Alright For Now. Tom couldn’t have anticipated that on his return to Los Angeles, everything was very soon going to be very far from alright.

Today’s episode covers the non-album single released in April 1992 "Peace in L.A.".

You can listen to the song here:https://youtu.be/OT2rb7ac3_4

To hear the "Peace Mix" of the track, you can check out this video: https://youtu.be/fO2ogekTvuA

I referenced the National Geographic documentary, LA 92, in the episode and you can find that here: https://youtu.be/uaotkHlHJwo

Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.

Follow: https://linktr.ee/tompettyproject

Listen: https://pod.link/1580769475

All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com

A special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research.

The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way.

Producer: Kevin Brown

Executive Producers: Paul Roberts, Steve Ursell

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Questions with Peter Nester Feb 28, 2024

Show notes

Today's episode is my ten questions with the brilliant Peter Nester. I usually put these out as bonus episodes in the same week as my chat with that guest, but Pete's answers to these questions were so thorough, considered, and beautifully expounded, that I felt this needed to be a regular release. I guarantee you'll hear which artist he wants to cover which Tom Petty song and go "Oh, damn, yeh I need to hear that!" and our discussion about which is his favourite album was a particular highlight of our conversation for me.

I know for sure that I'll be dragging Pete back onto the podcast at some future point and I know which season I'm shooting for, even though he doesn't!

You can find Pete's fabulous podcast, Honest and Unmerciful: A Record Review Podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/72nyhwx2urnnlT3STZaIBp

And check out a solo acoustic version of Big Love, by Lindsey Buckingham, similar to the one that we were discussing here: https://youtu.be/gEAsArHxUbc

You can also find the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Honestandunmerciful and if you're on Bluesky, you can find that here: https://bsky.app/profile/honest-unmerciful.bsky.social

Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.

Follow: https://linktr.ee/tompettyproject

Listen: https://pod.link/1580769475

All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com

A special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research.

The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way.

Producer: Kevin Brown

Executive Producers: Paul Roberts, Steve Ursell

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Slate Returns Feb 23, 2024

Show notes

This is a special non-Petty episode of the podcast. I haven’t recorded one in ages, but when former guest Jeff Slate reached out to me to ask if I’d be interested in talking to him about his new single which is out now and the album it’s from which will drop in May, it wasn’t a hard sell for me as I'm a fan of both his music and his writing.

We had a great chat about throwaway lyrics, production differences when you bring in outside voices, and recording an album with people in remote locations during a pandemic lockdown. Jeff’s new album features a glittering array of star names, from Dave Stewart to Earl Slick, to Duff McKagan, all the way to OG heartbreaker Ron Blair.

Listen to Jeff's fantastic new single, (Broken) Without You, here: https://youtu.be/1oskIeP_7Y0 and check out his website for merch, dates, and other info here: https://jeffslatehq.com

Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.

Follow: https://linktr.ee/tompettyproject

Listen: https://pod.link/1580769475

All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com

A special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research.

The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way.

Producer: Kevin Brown

Executive Producers: Paul Roberts, Steve Ursell

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Nester Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

I have two words for you: Yogi Berra. But what does the Yankees catcher have to do with my conversation with Pete Nester? Tune in to find out!

Today's episode is a sprawling, hugely enjoyable conversation I had with a fellow music podcaster who I've been listening to for a couple and a half years now. Pete was very supportive of this show right from the getgo and offered me some valuable advice when I was starting up around issues of music usage/rights etc. He's also just a damn fine human being and a great music critic. We talked about a whole host of topics, from the impact of grunge to whether podcasting changes the way you listen to music, to seeing Tom on the Into The Great Wide Open tour. This week it's a long one but I'm positive that you'll enjoy listening to it as much as I had being on one side of this wonderful conversation.

You can find Pete's fabulous podcast, Honest and Unmerciful: A Record Review Podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/72nyhwx2urnnlT3STZaIBp

You can also find the Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/Honestandunmerciful and if you're on Bluesky, you can find that here: https://bsky.app/profile/honest-unmerciful.bsky.social

Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.

Follow: https://linktr.ee/tompettyproject

Listen: https://pod.link/1580769475

All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com

A special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research.

The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way.

Producer: Kevin Brown

Executive Producers: Paul Roberts, Steve Ursell

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Into the Great Wide Open (with John Paulsen) Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

Another long one this season folks! But again there's so much to talk about with this album and we felt we needed to talk about each individual track. John and I had a good discussion about the background to the recording of this album and where this sits in the evolution of Tom's songwriting. We also didn't have a "producer for the day" discussion because we agreed that the album is sequenced pretty much flawlessly.

Do check out www.4for4.com if you're into fantasy football and follow John on Twitter at @4for4_John

Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.

Follow: https://linktr.ee/tompettyproject

Listen: https://pod.link/1580769475

All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com

A special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research.

The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way.

Producer: Kevin Brown

Executive Producers: Paul Roberts, Steve Ursell

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Built To Last Feb 07, 2024

Show notes

The lyrics in Built to Last are unambiguously hopeful and quietly resilience. Perhaps it’s Tom’s last attempt to build a creative buttress around his failing marriage. Perhaps its an equal attempt to put up a wall around a band that had gone through a major friction point and were probably still unsure what direction they would be taking. The lyric feels, in some ways, like a more introspective complement to I Won’t Back Down. The sentiment is the same really, but the perspective and the forcefulness of the emotion is focused inward in this song rather than outward on I Won’t Back Down. That song tells the whole world that they’ll have to fight to beat Tom Petty, this one reassures loved ones of the same. I Won’t Back Down is a warning, We Were Built to Last is a commitment.

Today’s episode covers the final song on side two of "Into The Great Wide Open", "Dark of the Sun".

You can listen to the song here:https://youtu.be/mjJtzjVz8UE

You can watch the live version from the Take the Highway release here: https://youtu.be/GB0TjInoTfs

Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.

Follow: https://linktr.ee/tompettyproject

Listen: https://pod.link/1580769475

All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com

A special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research.

The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way.

Producer: Kevin Brown

Executive Producers: Paul Roberts, Steve Ursell

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Makin' Some Noise Jan 31, 2024

Show notes

I know that, because you’re listening to this podcast that you must love rock n roll music. And when you hear the crackle of a cable being plugged into an amp, or that low buzz from the speaker, there’s just something primal and irresistible that happens to you if you love this type of music. Your whole body responds to it in both a physical and emotional way. It’s not “just” music. It becomes like oxygen for your soul. Makin’ Some Noise just captures that rapturous feeling of delight that we all feel when a groove hits us and the amps blaze that sweet sweet rock n roll onto our synapses via our ear canals.

Today’s episode covers the penultimate song on side two of "Into The Great Wide Open", "Makin' Some Noise".

You can listen to the song here:https://youtu.be/YsbZTStV2kQ

You can watch the live version from the Take the Highway release here: https://youtu.be/oDyDKtRl8S0

Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.

Follow: https://linktr.ee/tompettyproject

Listen: https://pod.link/1580769475

All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com

A special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research.

The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way.

Producer: Kevin Brown

Executive Producers: Paul Roberts, Steve Ursell

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You and I Will Meet Again Jan 24, 2024

Show notes

Another simple song, another catchy hook, another memorable idea that Tom puts into our heads and leaves there as a treat. I’m 100% sold on Into The Great Wide Open these days, where I didn’t listen to it front to back very often before. This song is another little forgotten deep cut that does so much with so little, very economically. The core idea is a fairly profound one but it’s wrapped up in a breezy, light little piece of music. Just marvellous. There’s a ton to love about this song, both lyrically and musically. We get red-winged hawk, we have Mike and Benmont sharing a solo, we have some beautiful harmonies and all sorts of interesting jamming in the outro.

Today’s episode covers the fourth song on side two of "Into The Great Wide Open", "You and I Will Meet Again".

You can listen to the song here:https://youtu.be/8MVZ1en8evE

You can hear a 2018 remaster, included on the American Treasure boxset here: https://youtu.be/hsisif_mBaY

Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.

Follow: https://linktr.ee/tompettyproject

Listen: https://pod.link/1580769475

All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com

A special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research.

The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way.

Producer: Kevin Brown

Executive Producers: Paul Roberts, Steve Ursell

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Questions with Mark Lindsey Jan 10, 2024

Show notes

Today's episode is my ten questions with the amazing Mark Lindsey. As a veteran of over 40 Heartbreakers shows and as a guy who has seen Mudcrutch, Bob Dylan, ELO, and Bob Dylan live, my questions about opening acts, shows Mark would like to see, and Mudcrutch or the Wilburys became all the more interesting. His picks for people to cover Tom Petty songs were also on the money!

Don't forget that Mark runs the Sight and Sound Care charity that provides free vision care, including examinations, contact lenses and glasses to musicians and music industry workers all across the US. So if you want to find out more about Sight and Sound Care and even make a donation, please visit: https://www.sightsoundcare.com

Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.

Follow: https://linktr.ee/tompettyproject

Listen: https://pod.link/1580769475

All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com

A special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research.

The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way.

Producer: Kevin Brown

Executive Producers: Paul Roberts, Steve Ursell

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Out in the Cold Jan 03, 2024

Show notes

In Conversations With Tom Petty, Tom says “I struggled with the lyrics quite a bit. It was one of those things where you struggle and you always wonder if you got everything out of it that you could.” He does go on to say that during a rehearsal for the song he found that he enjoyed the lyrics, but I think the way they’re crafted belies any notion of uncertainty on his part. I love that alternating point of view in the two halves of each verse and then the two halves of this relationship, in someone’s arms and then their hands.

Today’s episode covers the third song on side two of "Into The Great Wide Open", "Out in the Cold'".

You can listen to the song here:https://youtu.be/19Z06genVX8

If you want to hear the live version from the Take the Highway release, you can find that one here: https://youtu.be/JwOluzWdoYQ

Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.

Follow: https://linktr.ee/tompettyproject

Listen: https://pod.link/1580769475

All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com

A special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research.

The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way.

Producer: Kevin Brown

Executive Producers: Paul Roberts, Steve Ursell

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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