Professor of Rock

So all I have to say is FINALLY. Today we hear from Foreigner’s legendary vocal and guitar tandem of Lou Gramm and Mick Jones that set the 70s and 80s ablaze with over a dozen rock standards and some of the biggest albums of their time. And they’ve finally been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. One of the biggest snubs ever. Today they tell us the story of one of their greatest rock songs: Hot Blooded. Foreigner first played it in front of a massive crowd at Cal Jam. They blew up the massive festival and were cheered on to do something unprecedented at a festival. Play an encore, but they had already played all their songs. So they went out and played a new one they had been writing it wasn’t even finished so the singer had to repeat the 1st verse over and over. When it was over the tens of thousands were singing every word… They knew it would be a smash and the rocker was so scorching hot that the guitar solo actually started the legendary guitarist’s amp on fire. The story of the classic Hot Blooded from the 2 principles of this band is next on Professor of Rock. 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.

What a story. Coming up next we have principles John Hall and Lance Hoppen from the 70s band Orleans. These guys lit up radio for a couple of years with 3 big hits including 2 that are still played all the time. But then the group up and vanished… John Hall retired from being a rockstar and went into politics. Today’s classic 70s hit “Still the One” was actually written by a band member’s wife while she was doing the laundry. One story claims she wrote it on an envelope and one says it was a napkin but the band recorded it in about 15 minutes. It became a top 5 smash and conquered pop culture and was released on a record that had one of the strangest album covers of the time. The interview is next on Professor of Rock. 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.

It’s a B-side track turned Top 10 hit, Walk of Life by Dire Straits. And it ended the run of the world’s biggest band in 1985 and 1986. But don’t blame the song. It’s a truly infectious piece of ear candy that deserves all the success it got. No, as it turns out, Dire Straits' frontman, Mark Knopfler, was just a reluctant hit-making machine. He loved the music, but not the fame. And after creating the #1 album Brothers in Arms, with sales of over 30 million copies, he realized it was more than he had bargained for. So at the peak of his career, Mark pulled the plug and walked away. Who does that? Well, you’re about to find out. Today, it’s Dire Straits' Walk of Life and the story of how its success helped bring the world’s most popular band to a grinding halt. You’re not going to want to miss this one. It’s all coming up… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. 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.

It’s the tremendous story of the 1979 song London Calling by the Clash. In the late 70s, the world’s most influential punk band was convinced the world was falling apart, and they needed to do something about it. Fueled by concerns over widespread famine, the environment, drug addiction, police brutality, tidal waves, and nuclear war, the band’s charismatic leader composed the prophetic manifesto London Calling that seems more relevant today than it was when he wrote it in 1979. London is calling to the zombies of death. NEXT…on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up, it's one of the most important interviews I’ve ever done. Right Here Right Now by Jesus Jones has the distinction of conveying a revolutionary message in mere minutes. It says the most in the least amount of words! Frontman and writer Mike Edwards takes us through the inspiration of this all-time 90s classic… a song that has become a hallmark of the ages since it went to the top of the charts decades ago after the Berlin Wall came down and the Cold War ended for a time. It's a story you're not going to want to miss... NEXT on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up… Get ready for a tale of resilience and redemption as we delve into the story of Jet Airliner… a song that was trapped on an unreleased album by Paul Pena, who was thwarted by legal battles and a ruthless manager, who was hell-bent on destroying his career. But hope emerged from an unexpected source when legendary rock star, and "gangster of love" Steve Miller stepped in to breathe new life into the imprisoned track. With expert rearrangement and by changing the lyrics from an angry song to a happy-go-lucky one, Jet Airliner was transformed into a chart-topping sensation across multiple formats. The aerodynamics for one of classic rock’s greatest hits and a classic of the 70s is revealed NEXT on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up, we’re going back to one of our newest shows on Professor of Rock. One that has us digging deep into the catalog of the world’s greatest party band, Kiss! For this episode we’re featuring 5 essential Kiss tracks that together tell their story… including songs about concert car crashes and ROCK VERSUS DISCO. But I’m not telling these stories alone. Today, I’m turning center stage over to this FAMOUS foursome’s iconic guitarist Ace Frehley. And not only is he giving us the inside scoop on these classic songs, but is also telling us which ones he loves and which ones he hates. It’s going to be a lot of fun. So get ready, it’s time to learn from the band who taught us all how to rock… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up… the story behind one of the most amazing, impromptu vocal performances of the Rock Era. Guest vocalist Merry Clayton on the Rolling Stones's Gimme Shelter was so spellbinding it stunned normally nonplussed singer Mick Jagger. Some sources claim that the performance was exerted with so much conviction and power, it actually caused the singer serious harm. It’s an emotional and inspiring episode… Gimme Shelter is such a landmark song that even people who can’t stand the famous yet polarizing band behind it, still love this song. Keith Richards knew the song would be great when he wrote it on his guitar while watching people moving in and out of a rainstorm. And even though it’s one of the Stones's most-played songs ever it was never released as a single. The story is next on Professor of Rock. 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.

RIP Eric Carmen… the iconic artist who sang the lead vocal on several, iconic classics, but he never liked his voice. His dream wasn’t to be a singer… In fact, he was a child prodigy who began his classic training as a violinist and pianist, but that all changed when he saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. Eric Carmen became the frontman for a short-lived, yet highly influential band named Raspberries, composed the smash Go All the Way that was banned by the BBC, and when he embarked on a solo career… his first hit, All By Myself, became his first hit, a timeless, emotional masterpiece. Then… he left the limelight to concentrate on just being a songwriter, but he was convinced to sing someone else’s song for a movie nobody believed in. That song was Hungry Eyes. It would forge his comeback and set up another hit after that… Make Me Lose Control. We pay tribute and tell the story behind three of the greatest hits of this late great, truly gifted artist …NEXT on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up, how a guitar-playing welder & his fishing buddy, gave a lyrical makeover to a cheesy instrumental and transformed it into one of the coolest songs of the '60s - then in a totally different band with the same members ... the singer gave it a rock renovation turning the saxophone solo into guitar classic that lit up classic rock radio with a southern fried twist. I’m talking about Spooky by Classics IV the #3 hit from 1968 and then it was restyled by Atlanta Rhythm Section (ARS) in 1979 and then it became a Halloween standard. The story is next on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up an interview with a hilarious singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop who is revered for his lyricism and style… on a song that became his biggest solo hit: “It Might Be You.” But he didn’t write it, even though he was one of the most prolific writers of his time. But the blockbuster movie Tootsie that made the song its theme wanted Stephen for his amazing voice… He actually got a mention in the opening credits as SUNG BY… “It Might Be You” went to #1 and was nominated for an Oscar, which ironically lost to a song from a film directed by a guy who would hire him to write the theme for his next movie. But this time he had someone else sing it and it got him nominated for an Oscar again…this time as the writer. Then years later it became the go-to karaoke track for people in the Philippines… it actually became one of the most popular songs ever in that country! The story from Stephen Bishop is next on the Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up… It’s one of the most instantly recognizable songs and iconic music videos of the rock era: No Rain by Blind Melon. It instantly blew up radio and MTV. And though this bright and quirky tune will have you singing along from the start... it was hiding a secret sadness. No Rain is much more bitter than sweet. In its time it became so over-hyped that lead singer Shannon Hoon hated singing it. And its success became one in a series of events that led him down a path of personal destruction. So, is this song just a caricature of Blind Melon, a band who had more to say? Or is it one of the most beloved hits of its time? I’ll let you decide... NEXT on the Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up, the story of Chicago’s 70s classic “25 or 6 to 4” a song with a killer guitar riff by Terry Kath, a high-octane vocal by Peter Cetera, and a meaning from the songwriter Robert Lamm that was so rife with controversy it was banned in one of the world’s biggest cities, Singapore. But what is “25 or 6 to 4” really about? There are many theories. But one thing is for sure, it’s a song that continues to get passed on from generation to generation and its back story is one of the most interesting tales of the 70s… Peter Cetera had to record the vocal through clenched teeth because his jaw was wired shut and the songwriter Robert Lamm has changed his story about writing it so many times. So what really happened in a bungalow in the Hollywood Hills that inspired one of rock’s greatest tracks? We’ll take you there… NEXT on Professor of Rock. 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.

So today we’re at it again. You asked for it and now we’re delivering the goods. We’re telling the stories of even more artists who rejected Weird Al Yankovic…the king of musical comedy’s parody requests. Including one musician who was a fan but just couldn’t say yes. Another who decades later still regrets saying “no.” And the story of how one artist single-handedly sabotaged the sales of one of Al’s albums. Call it karma or sweet revenge, but somehow Al always seems to get a little payback in the end… in the nicest way possible. After all, Weird Al is a pretty nice guy. So stick around for 5 Weird Al rejections that will have you questioning the sanity of these artists… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up…. the story of the breakout smash The Sound of Silence by one of the most prolific duos of the Rock Era, Simon and Garfunkel. When The Sound of Silence was first made, it was placed on an album that was floundering. The duo was so distraught by the poor sales of their debut record, that they split up, and resigned to go down a completely new career path. The historic greatness of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel may have never been realized if it hadn’t been for a crafty A&R man who devised a plan to revitalize The Sound of Silence… by remixing and re-releasing it. But he did not reveal his plan to the two artists that he signed to a record deal. Simon and Garfunkel were livid when they heard the song, but they got over it when it went to #1. Later it would be remade by the band DISTURBED! The story of the twist and turns of a true classic, a song 60s years ahead of its time is NEXT on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up…..The legendary Bob Seger and his Silver Bullet Band would play a brutal run of 265 live shows in a horrendous year on the road. And it would all blow up in a would-be brawl between rednecks and hippies at a truck stop spawned by an act of bigotry… Bob Seger was smack dab in the middle of it but turned the experience into one of the most distinctive and heart-stopping vocals in history in the definitive song on the subject of life on the road: Turn the Page. It’s a 70s classic that didn’t take off until Seger released a live version. Then Metallica would cover it in the 90s and blow it up all over again. Get ready for an amazing story…next on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up… an interview with an icon of early rock and roll, Peter Noone. Peter was only 15 years old when he became the singer behind Herman’s Hermits who would go on to garner 18 hits, including 11 that hit the top 10 and several that went to #1. In fact, before Peter had his 18th birthday he and Herman’s Hermits finished ahead of the Beatles on the Billboard year-end survey of top groups. It was on the strength of two big hits that kept his band in the top ten for 6 months! Including today’s song “I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am” which was actually from the year 1910… It caught on because it was so easy to sing and so easy to remember…It’s because the band repeated the same verse three times because they only knew the one verse even though the song had numerous verses…it made “I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am” one of the most famous novelty songs ever… The story is coming up straight from the icon next on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up. Rockstar couple Debbie Harry and Chris Stein from Blondie were sitting on the couch watching Pro Wrestling and in the midst of the action they wrote today’s featured song Rapture in about 10 minutes… It was a silly song about a man from Mars eating cars and people. It actually had very rapid-fire lyrics... even so, Debbie recorded it in just one take. They planned to call the song Coca-Cola, but Coke had some issues with that and there’s the lyric that everyone swore was the singer dropping a crude F-bomb, but the lyrics sheet listed it as finger-popping… Even so, Rapture became the first song of its genre to hit #1. Up next, the amazing story of Blondie and their 80s classic Rapture, the first rap song to hit #1…and it was by a new wave group! Next on Professor of Rock. 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.

It started with an audition… a strange girl named Dolores O’Riordan in a pink tracksuit walked in to try out to be a singer for an indie band that was going nowhere… The Cranberries. She was surrounded by a bunch of guys who laughed at her mockingly. However, this Dolores had a secret weapon… one of the most powerful and recognizable voices of a generation A few minutes later these jokers were picking their jaws up off the floor. She could really sing…. but could she write? This band sent Dolores home with the music to a song they’d written. They wanted to see what this rookie could do. Only thing is… Dolores had never actually written a song before. She came back with a song called Linger. It was filled with infatuation, deception, betrayal, blind devotion… and a tranquility in the delivery that would put them at the top of the charts. Only thing is Linger bombed when it was released. And The Cranberries were afraid their label was gonna drop ‘em, but what happened next would change the fortunes of this band forever…. the story is NEXT on the Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up, it’s the story of fallen frontman Ian Curtis and Joy Division, a band widely considered one of the most important of their era. Ian was tortured soul, but also a musical mastermind who knew his way around dark and poignant lyricism. And his manic stage presence was no less intriguing… as it featured a berserk dance style that left audiences wondering if he was possessed. Ian Curtis’s story, though profoundly fascinating, came to a tragic end too soon. However, his all-too-short career was capped off with an eternal standard of a song: Love Will Tear Us Apart. It’s maybe the most counterintuitive love song ever written. More a Hate Song than a Love Song… Depends on who you ask…Bernard Sumner or Peter Hooky...The subtext of this track is filled with the harrowing happenings of his life: persistent depression, life-threatening seizures, a fragmented marriage, and when viewed posthumously… death. With the help of one of his surviving bandmates Peter Hook, we’re going to unravel the mystery behind one the most tortured songs of all time… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. 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.

The wondrous story of an all-time classic song from the 70s that everyone knows by heart. But the crazy thing is…it was never actually a hit… It’s Heroes by David Bowie. Our story starts in West Berlin in 1977. Two anonymous lovers met in secrecy in front of the Berlin Wall. Above them, armed soldiers in a guard tower scour the scene. What was their secret? Well, legendary artist David Bowie witnessed this and wrote Heroes about this secret… a secret he would keep for decades... in the process of recording his legendary vocal Bowie used a microphone trick that we’ll talk about that conveyed the emotion and magic. Bowie would also say that Heroes was a bitch to sing. He always had to plan out his setlist just right to get the vocal right. The result is a song for the ages NEXT on the Professor of Rock. 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.

Here’s one for ya… Today’s song Venus by Shocking Blue was written in a different language… When it was translated to English, guitarist Robbie van Leeuwen wrote down the opening line incorrectly… However, the singer who recorded it, Mariska Veres spoke only Dutch so she sang the lyric wrong. The typo changed how the word was sung… which became very confusing since the word that was sung hadn’t been used since the 1500s. But nobody caught it until after it was released…It wouldn’t matter… Venus hit #1… In fact, it hit #1 twice… in two different decades…the 70s and the 80s by 2 different bands, Shocking Blue and Bananarama, and would become the only song title in history to hit #1 3 different times… Up next, the incredible back story of this irresistible smash Venus and the skinny behind both #1 hit versions that have dazzled multiple generations of music fans including the hilarious mispronounced lyric! Next on Professor of Rock. 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.

It was only a matter of time, but today’s featured band was going down in flames. One of their album covers even predicted it. And so did one of their songs… Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote That Smell in 1977… It was an eerily prophetic rocker that warned them there would be hell to pay. They posed on their album cover with flames around them! Honestly, no one worked harder than Ronnie Van Zant and the boys of Lynyrd Skynyrd, but the problem was no one partied harder either… and it was nearly to the point of self-destruction. Their trail of carnage included knock-down-drag-out brawls, punched-out teeth, furniture flying out of fifth-story windows, cutting and maiming their guitarist's hands the night before a big show, and one time when the lead singer tried to throw someone out of a plane… mid-flight. I mean come on… that’s pretty insane. Blacklisted from hotels and airlines alike, it all came to a tragic conclusion on October 20, 1977. After that day, this band would never be the same again. The story of two classic hits from their 70s classic album Street Survivors: What’s Your Name and That Smell….Brace yourself, this one’s as crazy as rock and roll gets… The story is coming up… NEXT on Professor of Rock. 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.

It’s a blast from the past from the golden age of rock. Today, we’re going behind the Top 10 songs from this very same week in the year 1979 to find out which one is the biggest Hit all these years later. And as we count them down, we’re bringing you some crazy stories you won’t want to miss… Stories of stalkers, ill-advised f-bombs, ladies of the night, and yes, even spandex… But the question is, which of today’s countdown contenders will ultimately claim the crown? It’s Rock vs. Disco and We’ve got the Doobies, we’ve got Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart … we’ve got Neil Young’s backup singer, and we’ve got the legendary band who matched the Beatles with 6 straight #1 hits… And what are we doing talking about the Karate Kid in a '70s episode? Hey, there’s only one way to find out. I promise you, there’s no other show like this on YouTube. And it’s coming your way… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up, the story of a song that writers Gary Brooker and Keith Reid said was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum the song that would sell 10 million copies and the band name most people had no idea how to say! A Whiter Shade of Pale was Very complex and in the end, the song was over 10 minutes long…it had so many layers and lyrical twists and turns it was like a foreign film…. Problem is this was in a time when radio wouldn’t play songs over 4 minutes long so the band had to figure out how to trim it. This meant leaving two whole verses on the cutting room floor… The song became an instant classic and the de facto hit of one of 1967 the Summer of Love... In fact when Paul McCartney heard it he freaked out. It didn’t sound like anything on radio but would anyone ever hear the full song? Also, could anyone solve or decode this cryptic song… after it went to the top of the charts the world over...on its way to selling 10 million copies the band behind it fractured immediately. would they ever have another hit? It’s the story of a classic that many legends wished they had written... on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up the story behind a song about the trauma the artist endured during his childhood. Mad World by Tears for Fears came from a very dark place. Singer Roland Orzabal felt alienated by the world around him but found no shelter at home because of his abusive parents. Every ounce of emotion he felt went into this 80s classic, but the problem is when he went to record it, he discovered his voice didn’t effectively deliver what he was trying to express. It made him question whether he should even record or finish the song. So he turned to a friend, a fellow musician named Curt Smith who also had a painful childhood and he became the song’s interpreter, the result was something magical. The recording became an international smash from Tear of Fears' debut album The Hurting... It had such an impact, that it was reimagined for the Donnie Darko motion picture soundtrack that attracted a new generation of fans 20 years later When Gary Jules covered it. the story of this unforgettable hit is NEXT on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up next, an interview with both members of one of the greatest groups or duos of the 70s… Loggins and Messina on a song that was charmed from the get-go…. Jim Messina’s dad HATED rock and Roll. He used to yell at his song for playing the loud music. So Messina wrote a song about it. He called it Your Mama Don’t Dance and then put the lyrics: your Daddy Don’t Don’t Rock and Roll. After he Showed it to Kenny Loggins who helped him finish it, the song became an all-time classic… and get this, the song was inspired by the king of rock and roll Elvis, and then the King Elvis Presley covered it. This group was elated when they heard his version that is until he forgot the lyrics! Then in the 80s it was covered again and hit the charts all over again when the hard rock glam metal band Poison did it. Up next an interview with both of these legends on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up an interview with one of the biggest-selling bands of the 70s, America led by Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley and Dan Peek. Here the 2 principals Dewey and Gerry give us the story of a song that became their third consecutive top 10 hit and a radio staple of the early decade, Ventura Highway. The song conjured up imagery of a wondrous and mystical destination, although the group has taken flack for decades for some of the lyrics… including one about flying alligators? or maybe listeners just heard them wrong? One strange lyric was used by Prince a decade later in a song and a record that would blow up… Purple Rain but then America was the first to use it in a pop song… Maybe Prince was listening.! Featuring one of the most creative guitar lines of the time, Ventura Highway is a sonic time machine and will take you back to the carefree 70s in an instant. the interview is next on Professor of Rock. 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.

Up next a story that will shock you. One of rock’s most legendary bands ever... the Doors had a helluva time before they broke out. First of all they almost didn’t get signed. They were highly touted to a label exec who went to see them live and he didn’t get them at all. He didn’t want to sign them. He thought Jim Morrison was just OK. Then they got fired from a standing gig at a prestigious venue for playing a controversial song… then their debut single which everyone knows by heart… Break on Through which has since become one of the most recognizable rock songs ever only went to #126 on the charts…. the band devised a plan… between the band members and their friends they called and flooded radio request lines to get their song to the top of the charts.. See how they finally hit #1 next on Professor of Rock 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.

Coming up… A song that has been hailed as one of the sexiest ever recorded, yet it's also landed on lists for being one of the worst songs of all time. Afternoon Delight by Starland Vocal Band… Love it or hate it, its impact on pop culture is undeniable. Created by a classmate of a former President, Bill Danoff and his future wife Taffy Nivert... it was inspired by the lunch menu at a diner in Washington, D.C. Bill and Taffy are the same couple who wrote John Denver’s hit Take Me Home Country Roads. Afternoon Delight skyrocketed this new band to fame, even scoring them their own TV show featuring a then-unknown comedian named David Letterman. Although we all know Afternoon Delight as a fun and easy singalong, the revered producer Milt Okun and engineer Phil Ramone behind it considered it to be one of the most complex songs they ever worked on Join us as we uncover the fascinating tale behind this unforgettable one-hit wonder of the Rock Era…NEXT…on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up, we’re putting some of the most iconic musicians on trial. and giving you some of the craziest lawsuits in history along with their verdicts… From stolen songs like John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival being sued for sounding too much like himself. …to a tragedy where Ozzie Osbourne was sued due to his song allegedly killing someone. Then Beatle George Harrison was sued for ripping of a song from a decade earlier by an all-girl band named The Chiffons and then during the trial that same girl group would cover his alleged ripped-off song, My Sweet Lord… The one they say he ripped off ??? Then another one where Vanilla Ice, who ripped off the legendary rock group Queen and decided to buy the full copyright to their song because it would be cheaper than the legal fees. You won’t believe some of these… 5 great stories coming up next! 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.

Even though they were branded as the 2nd coming of the Beatles…today’s band wasn’t actually a band at all. The Monkees were the ultimate pretenders… actors assembled to play struggling musicians on TV. But you know what? The struggle was real. Unhappy with faking it, this manufactured band wanted to prove they could play. But their musical supervisor Don Kirshner wouldn’t let ‘em. Davey Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith could sing and they could dance… but they were forbidden to play their own instruments. The tension then got so bad, that Michael Nesmith called their Future #1 hit song crap. I’m A Believer, written by Neil Diamond was the song….Pissing off their producer, Nesmith was actually banned from the studio while it was being recorded. And the conflict wouldn’t end there. He then called their second album “the worst in the history of the world.” It’s the crazy story of how four pretenders went head to head with one of the industry’s biggest hitmakers… But was there any way they could win? Find out … NEXT on the Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up… it started out as a disturbing French song about death... Then it was translated into English and recorded by one of the biggest bands in rock history. The Beach Boys...but then Brian Wilson and his group abandoned the sessions and the song’s producer who was really an unknown at the time decided to record the song… Terry Jacks and his hit Seasons in the Sun…It became one of the biggest hits of the 70s and the best-selling song in Canada’s history.. on its way to sales of 15 million. It was a feel-good song unless one listened to the lyrics very closely or heard the original French version… Up next, the story of a one-hit wonder that is one part happy-go-lucky and one part sad and devastating… NEXT on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up… Legendary female rock star Lita Ford was visiting with her famous manager, Sharon Osborne who happened to be married to arguably the most famous male heavy metal singer in the world Ozzie… These two rockstars started playing pool and before they knew it they were alone as Ozzie’s wife left. So what happened that night? Well, the one thing we know for sure. is that they wrote and recorded a song that would blow up MTV and Set radio on fire. Close My Eyes Forever... in one crazy sleepless night, these two metal icons created a top ten hit that still moves the needle… It’s a song they say came out of a bottle. They were both drunk when they wrote it and admit it was an accident but What else happened that night and how did it translate in the lyrics of this 80s smash and what does it have to do with a life-size stuffed plush gorillas. Find out next on Professor of Rock in our exclusive interview with Lita Ford. As well as the story of her smash hit Kiss Me Deadly Close My Eyes Forever became Ozzie’s biggest hit ever and Lita’s album cover became a favorite of every boy who came of age at that time! 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.

So the other day I tried counting down the all-time greatest rock riffs ever put to vinyl… by anyone… ever.… with a friend. And the crazy thing is, my top 5 picks all pretty much came from the same band! AC/DC! You know I tried to get some other bands in there. But these classic Riffs three were just too good… all of them pure rock and roll dynamite. So not only are we counting them down… we’re also giving their origin stories and some crazy insights what make these anthemic rockers tick. Including one riff that the band said stuck out like a dog’s balls… (Highway to Hell) But then after they recorded the guitar parts on a cassette, the engineer took it home and let his kid play with it, which unraveled the tape… Would the tape be salvaged? Find out next in an epic episode… It’s a hell-raising, triple-threat episode that will have you banging your head and shaking a leg… It’s the top 5 riffs from AC/DC from the dream teams of Bon Scott, Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Brian Johnson! NEXT on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up an interview with a true pioneer of rock and roll, Dave Burgess of The Champs…. He and his band recorded a single that the label was sure would be a hit Called Train to Nowhere. After their recording session as they were getting ready to leave, they realized they needed a B-side… So they started an instrumental jam session on the spot. They called it Tequila. They recorded it in just 1 take and they added the throwaway word Tequila in a silly attempt to cover up some holes in the song according to to engineer Leo Kulka … after all, it was just going to be a B-side… That is until a DJ in Cleveland flipped the A-sided record over and played this Spontaneous B side… a few weeks later it rocketed to #1 for 5 weeks on the Billboard charts making it one of the biggest hits of the year and the first rookie band to have an instrumental debut single hit #1… They also won the first Grammy award! Up next the last remaining member of this the champs, Dave Burgess tells the story on Professor of Rock. 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.

To the world, WEEZER appears to be one of the most happy-go-lucky bands around. Just four nerdy musicians led by Rivers Cuomo rocking out with crunchy guitars and a touch of sweet pop perfection With music that was more fun than a carnival ride. However, that’s not how this band’s lead singer River Cuomo saw himself at all. He thought he was dark and brooding and troubled. So when everybody started laughing and calling his music hilarious, it was a punch to the gut. Dark, funny, whatever you want to call it, this band’s multi-platinum debut the Blue Album is a modern-day standard. It was so good, 15 plus albums later they have never replicated its success. With songs as perfect as Undone-the Sweater Song, Buddy Holly, My Name is Jonas, and Say it Ain’t So, this album was gold! So did they peak right out of the gate? Well, One zealous anti-fan said yes. Sick of so-called subpar albums, this hater offered to pay the band $10 million to go away for good. But was it enough money to break them up? It's a crazy story. Find out what happened… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up, we go back to the making of a song that came from the basement sessions of an artist that originally wanted to work for the CIA. Songwriting couple Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert were traveling to a family reunion when they read a road sign… It said Westernport Maryland but they misread it as West Virginia and so they wrote a song about the road sign… Their error would become an all-time standard. They originally wrote the song with Johnny Cash in mind but they were playing with a rookie by the name of John Denver who wanted to hear some of their newly written songs as both Denver and the songwriting couple were looking for their first hit. They showed him their West Virginia song called Take Me Home Country Roads but it wasn’t quite finished. They finished the song together and then next day when they played it to a small audience, the crowd went nuts… they were even singing along by the end. Take Me Home Country Roads became a 70s classic and It’s been named by legislation as an official song for West Virginia, even though the co-writers and the music icon that made it a huge hit had never been there before!. Let’s travel through the backroads to reach our destination and honor a true American standard…NEXT on Professor of Rock! 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.

Coming up, it’s the story of one of the greatest rock songs of the 80s. Pride in the Name of Love by U2. and it all started with a museum exhibit. U2 was on tour here in America and took in a museum and the song was basically written on the field trip…Then lead singer, Bono convinced a famous producer to put off retirement to work on the track and then it took months to record because the song wasn’t sounding right but U2 had to deliver their record The Unforgettable Fire by a strict deadline so in order to do it they worked 20 hours a day for 2 weeks to finish this masterpiece. Bono and the Edge were going out of their minds. Then they filmed 3 different music videos for the song and the band hated them all. Would this song ever get released? Find out how it did and why Bono changed the famous lyrics decades later! 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.

Coming up, the story of an unlucky artist that bootstrapped from coast to coast trying to get his big break. “Ironically, his breakthrough hit came from a spontaneous outburst that he shouted because he was so embarrassed by his voice so he DISSED on himself as a joke and the diss became a Mantra for a generation. The song transformed the artist from a struggling wanderer into a sensation with its self-deprecating lyrics and wild, erratic energy. We’re gonna kill the headlights and put it in neutral… NEXT on Professor of Rock 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.

How do you top the greatest band of all time? You can’t… The Beatles are the most popular group in history because of their flawless song craft…songs that have been covered more than any artist or band in history, more than a million times…but there was this one time that a gravelly-voiced madman named Joe Cocker did outdo the greatest band ever and he did it by spazzing out on the biggest stage in rock history… at Woodstock! playing a cover of the Beatles' 1967 hit “With a Little Help from My Friends" After his performance people couldn’t stop talking about his insane performance But clear back when the Beatles wrote this song, Ringo who Was chosen to sing the lead vocal was very concerned about one of the lyrics in the song and he refused to sing it unless the band changed it. It’s one of the most misunderstood songs ever from Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band...… the Vice President of the US hated it. Let’s get into the story next on Professor of Rock. 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.

coming up … I actually have a tool that tells me what the most requested song story is from you...our viewers and today we're covering it with an exclusive interview with the songwriter who wrote this 80s classic. It’s Don’t Change by legendary band INXS. Written by the underrated team of lead singer and showstopping frontman Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss. It wasn’t a huge hit when it came out but over time it’s become a powerful anthem that many have covered and it shows this legendary band at their very best. Released in 1983 it would pave the way for the band's huge breakout a few years later Kick where they were arguably the biggest band of the late 80s with a frontman for the ages in Michael Hutchence So here it is. The most requested song from our comments and our viewers on Professor of Rock… 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.

I’m not going to lie, today’s song might hurt a little. That’s because this killer track is like a Kick in the teeth. It’s as hard as nails, and so ferocious you have to crank it up whenever you hear it… and then crank it up some more. SABOTAGE but the Beastie Boys...But this high-octane assault on the ears almost didn’t make it. It sat on the shelf for a year. The band couldn’t think of any lyrics. Turns out, The B-Boys were a little distracted. Their studio had a skate ramp and a basketball court and they were always messing around. Finally, two weeks before their deadline, their producer got so frustrated he YELLED AT them to finish just one song. So in a moment of smart-ass inspiration, Ad Rock spit out a verse about how this producer was stifling their creativity by making them work. Turns out, that was all the Beastie Boys needed to turn what was supposed to be an instrumental track into the iconic hit Sabotage from their classic album Ill Communication. Plus there’s the hilarious music video to talk about as well. That’s a whole other story. We’re gonna break it all down for you with Ad Rock, MCA and Mike D… NEXT on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up, it’s the unbelievable story of 5 artists who passed on collaborating with one of the most iconic musicians of the past four decades. Weird Al Yankovic….Working with this guy was a golden opportunity that only came by his request. With a steady stream of hit albums including Dare to Be Stupid and Even Worse and a catalog of legendary songs, like Eat It, Fat, and Amish Paradise and Smells Like Nirvana and so many unforgettable music videos to go along with them… it was extremely rare for anyone to tell Weird Al Yankovic “no.” But these guys did! Passing up on an opportunity of a lifetime. I mean, the members of Nirvana even estimated they sold an additional million records after agreeing to allow Al to parody their song. So what made these 5 bold musicians so bold as to turn him down? We’ll find out plus we’ll get the story of one artist who agreed to collaborate when Weird Al did Amish Paradise. but flipped out about it after the Al released the parody of his song… Stick around for an intriguing story NEXT on the Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up a wonderful conversation with one of the 70s and 80s great rock frontmen… Dennis DeYoung formerly of Styx about his old band’s signature song. Styx was always the bridesmaids opening for some of the biggest rock acts of the day including Kiss, Aerosmith and Rush but the 70s rock anthem “Come Sail Away" made ‘em kings of the arena… and they sold out their share because of it. Dennis wrote Come Sail Away for the underdog but its tempo change confused listeners as it went from a deceptively slow ballad to an all out rocker! Is it about an alien abduction? Some say it is... Well this song may seem like a fantasy but it’s 100% true… Coming up next we find out what the band’s promo man and guitarist Tommy Shaw did to get radio to play for the song and how it’s haunted geeks across the world who tried to slow dance to this song only to find out it was a fast 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.

Was he a soap star turned rocker? Or a rockstar who just happened to play a doctor on TV? Back in the early 80s, this was a ridiculous debate that the music press couldn’t seem to figure out. But the answer was simple. It didn’t matter. Rick Springfield was a multi-talented performer who was at home both in the studio and behind the camera. And you’ve got to give him credit while living the life of a pop star on two fronts, somehow he managed to write some of the biggest hits of the day. From Jessie’s Girl to Love Is Alright Tonite from Affair of the Heart to today’s featured track Don’t Talk To Strangers, even though many think he's a one hit wonder because of Jessie's Girl, but the reality is he's had 17 hits. Don't Talk to Strangers Is a song he actually wrote in a state of frenzied paranoia. Worried that his girl was cheating on him while he was on the road… in reality he was the one who was being unfaithful. It’s a crazy story. And as an added bonus, we’re giving the story straight from Rick Springfield himself as I had the privilege of interviewing him. It’s all coming up… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up, the story of a song that epitomized the struggles, the triumphs, and the tragedy surrounding the artist that performed its signature interpretation. Piece of My Heart by the great Janis Joplin. In an instant, Janis became the Queen of Rock… Nobody had ever really heard anything quite like it. With her incredible performance, this Showstopping Female Rocker put everyone on notice. And Although her aborted career was fast & furious, Janis is regarded as one of the all-time greatest vocalists. Piece of My Heart was actually a cover song. But Janis re-imagined it in an explosive performance that came after being bullied in school for her acne and told by some adults she would end up in jail or an institution… Instead, Janis set the bar for every rock singer who came after. the story is …next on Professor of Rock. 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.

This the craziest rock and roll story you’ll ever hear….“In 1979, Eagles Hall of Fame guitarist Joe Walsh, announced he was running for President of the United States, with a campaign promise of "free gas for everyone” if he won. His antics became world famous,,, He actually tried to circumcise Eagles singer Don Henley when he was drunk, He Drove a Lincoln town into a hotel swimming pool But, that’s nothing he caused 100s of thousands of dollars of damage when he took a chainsaw to another hotel room and we have the theme song for his failed campaign, "Life’s Been Good” a 70s rock classic which was the autobiography of his legendary hedonism. The crazy story is coming up NEXT on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up an interview with a certified finalist for the heavyweight title of the greatest rock singer in history on a classic rock staple. Paul Rodgers has fronted several rock bands including Free, Bad Company, the Firm, and The Law. Today he tells us the story behind the 70s hard rock hit Feel Like Makin’ Love when he was with Bad Company. Which may be the greatest rock song ever written about about Coitus. He is the only rock singer to have a top ten hit with four different rock and roll bands and that’s not even counting the legendary band he fronted for half a decade, Queen. He fronted Queen many years after their own legendary singer Freddie Mercury passed away and the reason he stepped into his shoes was because this deceased singer may’ve spoken to him from the grave. The story and interview is next on Professor of Rock. 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.

Coming up, it’s a band who owes much of their massive success to a random foreign exchange student. The band Roxette comprised of singer Marie Fredriksson and songwriter Per Gessle were on the rise in their home country of Sweden, but their records had failed to break through in America. However, after this student caught Roxette in concert, he returned home with their latest album Look Sharp! and almost single-handedly broke this band in the States. A DJ played their song The Look and it went straight to #1… for 2 years Roxette Reeled off four #1 hits and two #2’s, and actually you could say they 5 #1s because Dangerous hit #2 on the billboard hot 100 but hit #1 on the cashbox charts. Their other hits were It Must Have Been Love, Listen to Your Heart, Dressed for Success, Joyride, and Fading Like A Flower... they achieved in the space of two years, more than most bands achieve in a lifetime. Today, we’re covering those hits and giving you the inside track on their rise to global stardom. And then we try and figure out what happened after that. Because these guys completely disappeared from the airwaves a short while later. So how does such a successful band vanish into thin air? We’re going to get to the bottom of it… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. 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.