1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,439 Speaker 1: Too Much Information is a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: Hello everyone, and welcome to Too Much Information, the show 3 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: that brings you the secret histories and little known fascinating 4 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:17,639 Speaker 1: facts behind your favorite TV shows, movies, music, and more. 5 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: We are your wizards of Wikipedia. My name is Jordan 6 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: run Tug and I'm Alexago Low hanging fruit. That one, 7 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: but it's got the job done. Yeah, Yeah, that was okay, 8 00:00:28,360 --> 00:00:31,000 Speaker 1: And today we're going to discuss what I'm okay with 9 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: Saying is one of my favorite songs of the nineties. 10 00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:35,599 Speaker 1: I can't even call it a guilty pleasure. I genuinely 11 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:38,840 Speaker 1: think it's a good song. I'm talking about You Get 12 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: What You Give by New Radicals, a track that takes 13 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: the save the world earnestness of you two and mixes 14 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: it with the soaring piano pop sensibilities of Todd Rundgren. 15 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: It came out in which was kind of a weird 16 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: transitional period for music, sort of the calm before the 17 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: teen pop storm. Electronic beats were beginning to seriously compete 18 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:01,800 Speaker 1: with guitar ours as a dominant sound on the radio, 19 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:04,399 Speaker 1: and new metal was ascending from the depths of Hell 20 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: and Yet amidst all this you get this well crafted, 21 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: optimistic pop song that took shots of consumerism, the commodification 22 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: of art and celebrity culture. And unlike today, when artists 23 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: are more or less expected to have a political stance 24 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: and stand for something, it was unusual at this particular 25 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: moment for a song as unabashedly poppy as this one 26 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 1: to be used as a soapbox. In addition to always 27 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 1: loving this song, I was always fascinated by the fact 28 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: that New Radicals vanished soon after its release. That added 29 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: an element of mystery to it for me, like where 30 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,679 Speaker 1: did this group go? And I've always heard these stories 31 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: about the main guy behind the group, Greg Alexander, as 32 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: being this lost like Brian Wilson type figure who played 33 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: all the instruments himself and had this tremendous gift for melody, 34 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: but decided it wasn't worth dealing with all the houses 35 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 1: of fame, which to me gave him this vaguely heroic 36 00:01:54,400 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: yet also tragic quality. I don't know, I love my 37 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: reclusive pop geniuses. Well, you know, I've ever really cotton, 38 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 1: as they say to people who abandon the stage for 39 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,239 Speaker 1: a lifetime in the studio, which I just think is 40 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: kind of uniquely part of being a musician in the 41 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,480 Speaker 1: twenty one century because to me, being in the studio 42 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 1: means spending money that you don't have um and so 43 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:20,640 Speaker 1: it always makes me like a little nervous. It's not 44 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: like a fund like you talk you Paul Simon used 45 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 1: to go into the studio without anything written and just 46 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:28,839 Speaker 1: be like, well, what can we pull together? People did that, Yeah, 47 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: And it's like now, if you're in a band, and 48 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,239 Speaker 1: I've been in many, you get one day to track 49 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: basic tracks, and that you better been rehearsed, because if 50 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 1: you're up these takes, you're on the clock and you 51 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: are literally burning money. Then you can get into the 52 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 1: hassle of doing vocals and overdubs and all that. And 53 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: so it's I don't find the studio to be like 54 00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,960 Speaker 1: a particularly calming environment. The stage is, though, you know, 55 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: and I just don't what it was. Two points about that, 56 00:02:57,240 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: I think, I mean in the XTC and Paul Simon, 57 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: we're both you know, studio only entities. Back in the 58 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 1: eighties when stuff was selling, and you know, the other 59 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 1: big group probably the most famous example of the Beatles 60 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: and the sixties another time when records were selling, but 61 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:14,399 Speaker 1: also I think probably at least for the Beatles, maybe 62 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 1: a little bit of Paul Simon, it was just more 63 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: of like a hassle thing to like, especially for the Beatles, 64 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:21,959 Speaker 1: where you couldn't reproduce the kind of music I wanted 65 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,359 Speaker 1: to make on the stage anyway, plus the fact that 66 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 1: you didn't want to get assassined in some cases, right, yeah, no, 67 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: I mean that's totally fair. But then I just yeah, 68 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: there's some people who are like, well, the studio is 69 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:36,760 Speaker 1: my instrument. I'm like, okay, I'm sure there is, but like, 70 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: I don't know, man, The like last thing that I 71 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: hold sacred in rock and roll is like a good 72 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 1: rock and roll show where things seem a little bit 73 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: out of control and a little bit dangerous, and like 74 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: I don't really subscribe to the whole rock and rule 75 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: as primal theater thing, but like the best rock shows 76 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: feel like that, and there's nothing like that full stop. 77 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: So you know, I think that's actually really underscores a 78 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: difference between what you and I appreciate of music, because 79 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: I mean, I love you know, Brian Wilson's Pet Sounds 80 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,839 Speaker 1: is one of my all time favorite albums. Uh all 81 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: the Phil Specter stuff. I mean, regardless of what you 82 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: say about him as a human being. I love all 83 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 1: that like studio construction stuff. Oh, I mean I love it. 84 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: Like when I started getting into better studios and learning 85 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: more about it, I really do love it. I love 86 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: the like the creative panning that you can do in 87 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: a studio space. And now that we're up to a 88 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: Dolby at most like eight channel mixing, you can just 89 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,240 Speaker 1: really create these immersive physical worlds out of music. And 90 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: I'm not slamming the studio. I'm just saying or saying 91 00:04:42,200 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: that I don't respect it. I just it's a money 92 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: pit for me. But I just, yeah, I don't know, man, 93 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:51,039 Speaker 1: there's maybe it's just because I got hit with punk 94 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: rock just at the right time as a teenager. But 95 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: I'm just like, Nope, bands go out on stage and 96 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: bands play, and that's what bands do. I don't know, 97 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: and that's the only way bands get to make money 98 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: these days. Your streaming sales aren't gonna make up the 99 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 1: cost of your studio. You've got better get on the road. Well, 100 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:09,760 Speaker 1: this is a funny moment to mention this, but today, 101 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:11,920 Speaker 1: the very day we're taping this, you've released a new 102 00:05:11,960 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: album too on band check it out, everybody stop. Um, yes, 103 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 1: yes I did, and uh if we can leverage the 104 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 1: podcast community, it's alex Hegel dot band camp dot com 105 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:28,159 Speaker 1: and it is uh is practically easy listening music. It's 106 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: just like gentle fingerpicked guitar with a lot of effects 107 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: on it. So I hope people enjoy it. Jordan's do 108 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 1: you have any other points about Greg before we jump 109 00:05:38,480 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 1: in here? Yeah. The more I learned about this guy, 110 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:45,279 Speaker 1: Greg Alexander the kind of the mastermind behind New Radicals, 111 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: the more impressed I became with him. Using pseudonyms, he 112 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:51,000 Speaker 1: pens some huge songs in the wake of the New 113 00:05:51,080 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: Radicals disintegration. Music critics Stephen Thomas Erlewine described them as 114 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 1: quote the catchiest, smartest professional mainstream pop songwriter of the 115 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 1: only two thousand's and as we go on, well you'll 116 00:06:03,279 --> 00:06:07,160 Speaker 1: hear we understand why bold statement though? Yeah? Right, Uh 117 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:09,679 Speaker 1: so I'm excited to talk more about him. Get ready 118 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 1: to learn about what other Gargantelan hits he wrote behind 119 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:17,040 Speaker 1: the scenes his famous non feud with Marilyn Manson, although 120 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:20,480 Speaker 1: Marilyn Manson threatened to crack his head open like a watermelon, anyway, 121 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,599 Speaker 1: why he's earned huge props from everyone from Joni Mitchell 122 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 1: to Bonno and Iced Tea, his re emergence for Joe 123 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: Biden's presidential inauguration, and just how he ripped a part 124 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:34,479 Speaker 1: of Mall Food Court for that iconic music video. So 125 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:37,120 Speaker 1: here is everything you never knew about. You Get what 126 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 1: You give by New Radicals. Greg Alexander was something of 127 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 1: a pop prodigy, the voice and face of New Radicals. 128 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 1: Was born in Gross Point, Michigan. He was raised as 129 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: Jehovah's witness. Um, just like Prince Prince wasn't raised as 130 00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: Jehovah's witness. Prince converted after doing it war with Sly 131 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: and the Family Stone bassist Larry Graham's solo project, Graham 132 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 1: Central Station. The guy whom at the slap bass right, Yes, 133 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 1: good base knowledge, Um, I did play it in Your's True. 134 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: Alexander was inspired as a kid by the Jackson Five 135 00:07:18,440 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 1: and especially Prince. He snuck into the R rated Purple 136 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: Rain movie as a tween and describes it as a 137 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 1: major turning point in his life. He later told the 138 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 1: Hollywood reporters Scott Feinberg, Let's go crazy, knocked me over 139 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: my head. But when I heard the beautiful ones, it 140 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: was all over. It's a good one to lose your 141 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,080 Speaker 1: dearly beloved. At that point, I knew I was going 142 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: to be running away to California, which is so cute. 143 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:48,600 Speaker 1: Good for him, we love that because Gosh, Darnett the 144 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: kid had a dream. He bought his first guitar as 145 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: a twelve year old and played in various bands. In 146 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:57,119 Speaker 1: he played a Battle of the band's compete against future 147 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie guitarist shred metal country extraordinaire 148 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 1: John Five. I just want to say, I find it 149 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: really incredible that he faced off against the future Marilyn 150 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: Manson guitarists, considering the will happen with famous incident while 151 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: non incident with Marilyn Manson and the lyrics to his 152 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 1: so I also feel um confident that John five blew 153 00:08:19,560 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: him out of the demn water may not in song, well, 154 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:28,120 Speaker 1: they were like four, I think John five. I love 155 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: John Five. He's such a nerd. What an incredible musician. Anyway, 156 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 1: But as a teen, Alexander had purchased a four track 157 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: recorder and started making demos in his bedroom. The Sounds 158 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: of Detroit nearby, which had this tremendously potent blend of punk, 159 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 1: R and B and rock, had a marked impact on 160 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 1: his early songs. He would later say the spirit of 161 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: Detroit radio was powerful. It's such a segregated town, like 162 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: legal apartheid, to the point where you can feel the 163 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: soul and pain and spirit in the faces. He would 164 00:08:56,960 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 1: take his demos to school and play them for his classmates, 165 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:02,720 Speaker 1: but in an effort to get honest feedback, he wouldn't 166 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 1: even tell them that he was the one who had 167 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:07,719 Speaker 1: written them, which has anyone anyone who's tried to all 168 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,840 Speaker 1: this pull this on someone one of their loved ones, 169 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:14,839 Speaker 1: can be a dicey proposition. Yeah you don't You don't 170 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:18,199 Speaker 1: really want to hear what they actually think. He told 171 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:22,120 Speaker 1: Rolling Stones Andy Greene that this was part of his 172 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 1: quote elusive search for the songs that make people happy, 173 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: sad or better yet both at the same time, which 174 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:33,040 Speaker 1: is a brilliant description of you get what you get. Um. 175 00:09:33,120 --> 00:09:36,200 Speaker 1: By sixteen, he's actually out in l A under the 176 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 1: cover guys of visiting his aunt who lived out here, 177 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: but he would later admitted to think of it as 178 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:45,680 Speaker 1: a covert research and development trip, and it apparently was 179 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: very fruitful because he said he literally snuck into the 180 00:09:48,720 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: Grammys where he saw all of my heroes and everything 181 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: seemed within reach. Again, this is from Scott Feinberg's piece 182 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:59,320 Speaker 1: in The Hollywood Reporter. A lot of sneaking in the story, 183 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:03,880 Speaker 1: specially considering he's six. The Purple Rain stuck into the Grammys. 184 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: So yeah, he's five. Must be a very very crafty 185 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: man at that height to be able to make subterfuge 186 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:16,040 Speaker 1: a cornerstone of his approach to music. I always sort 187 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 1: of saw him as like Billy Corgan's like sweet twin. 188 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 1: Like they the bald, extremely tall, very pale. It's like 189 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:27,280 Speaker 1: the Simpsons episode where he was the good twin who 190 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: was locked in the attic and he finally got out. 191 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: Billy Corgan has been the evil one hall along. Um. Yeah. 192 00:10:33,520 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: And so he returns home and just kind of casually 193 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: divulges to his parents I'm running away to California this 194 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 1: summer to be a rock star, and his dad says, well, 195 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:44,679 Speaker 1: make sure you're back home in September for school if 196 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 1: it hasn't come together with that charming Michigan uh pragmatism. 197 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 1: But he did pull it together, actually, he took his 198 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 1: bedroom demos and at the age of just sixteen, charmed 199 00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 1: music mogul Jimmy Iovine into giving him a contract with 200 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 1: A and M Records. He's a tough guy to please. 201 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 1: That's pretty amazing man. He left at sixteen and was 202 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 1: signed at sixteen. That's wild. How's that making? It makes 203 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: me feel like Jordan's um and uh? But he was sixteen. 204 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 1: Because he was sixteen, he was under age. He wasn't 205 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 1: allowed to sign the contract, but he was given a 206 00:11:21,559 --> 00:11:24,080 Speaker 1: sort of allowance by A and M for the next 207 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:25,680 Speaker 1: two years while he hung out on the beach and 208 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:28,320 Speaker 1: just wrote songs all day. How does that make you feel, 209 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 1: alex We call that pulling a Kate bush um. But 210 00:11:35,720 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: in case you get what you give, didn't give it away. 211 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 1: Greg had an idealist streak a mile wide, and it's 212 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:44,040 Speaker 1: one that remains to this day. Once again, in the 213 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 1: th HR piece, Scott Feinberg asked him the seemingly innocuous question, 214 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 1: what sort of future did you envision for yourself while 215 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,720 Speaker 1: waiting to turn eighteen and begin your professional life? And Greg, 216 00:11:53,720 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: Alexander the sweet boy, begins to tear up. That's a 217 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 1: sad question. He says, before adding that he believed at 218 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 1: the time that a song and a sentiment would be 219 00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:05,680 Speaker 1: able to right the wrongs of the world and make 220 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: people actually love each other. Oh you sweet summer child. 221 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:14,280 Speaker 1: But his optimism would be destroyed or at least severely damaged, 222 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: by the business side of the music industry. Would Hunters 223 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: Thompson say about the music industry, It seems like a 224 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: good time to bring this quote up. I don't know 225 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 1: if I know. Oh, you don't know that one. It's 226 00:12:23,080 --> 00:12:27,440 Speaker 1: tremendous um Hunter Thompson famously said of the music industry 227 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 1: that it is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long, 228 00:12:30,400 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 1: plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good 229 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 1: men die like dogs. There's also a negative side. What 230 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:42,679 Speaker 1: pieces that from? I don't remember. I just found it. 231 00:12:42,679 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 1: It's probably something in the assorted papers from like the 232 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: Great Shark Hunt or the concert papers. But Greg would 233 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:52,319 Speaker 1: find out the shallowness of the trench. His first two 234 00:12:52,320 --> 00:12:56,839 Speaker 1: records flopped. He released his debut Michigan Rain in nine, 235 00:12:57,120 --> 00:12:59,720 Speaker 1: which became a minor hit in Italy. For some reason, 236 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: maybe they confused it with the Bruce Hornsby song Mandolin rain, 237 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:07,360 Speaker 1: So maybe maybe I don't just just spitball in here. 238 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: There's no bad ideas and brainstorming Ran November Ran, it's 239 00:13:11,880 --> 00:13:15,000 Speaker 1: my favorite rain songs. The Italians are just like, it's 240 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 1: got rain on it must be a hit. Um, but 241 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:21,120 Speaker 1: didn't make a splash State Side, and so we switched labels, 242 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 1: signed to Epic and released a second album in Toxic Fornication, 243 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: which is second to The Red Hallet Chili Pepper's Californication 244 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:33,960 Speaker 1: as one of the worst album title puns of all time. 245 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 1: In Toxic Fornication information toxic. That's a triple That's a 246 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:44,400 Speaker 1: triple word score. That's definitely going to get you a 247 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 1: lot of points. And so it's it's only two. It's 248 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 1: intoxicating and fornicating. But I don't know where the fornic 249 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 1: where the where the where the Asian comes from? Maybe vacation, 250 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 1: I don't know, Jamie, Jamie. Can we get Greg to 251 00:13:57,559 --> 00:14:00,200 Speaker 1: grant us he's once in a decade interviews, We can 252 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: ask him about that. Um. Greg later said that that 253 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:07,559 Speaker 1: record was barely promoted since this was the height of grunge, 254 00:14:07,600 --> 00:14:10,200 Speaker 1: and he quote refused to look like Eddie Vetter, probably 255 00:14:10,240 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 1: because he was bald. The album showcases his penchant for 256 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:18,320 Speaker 1: mischievously inflammatory lyrics, specifically on the song The Truth, which 257 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:22,240 Speaker 1: includes the line here it comes here, it comes here, 258 00:14:22,280 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 1: it comes Are you ready? Here comes the Lawsuit Baby, 259 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 1: which is a pre chorus to the chorus of him 260 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 1: covering slow Ride by fog Hat, which is a dangerous move. 261 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:39,840 Speaker 1: Do you remember that thing with recently with car Seat Headrest, 262 00:14:39,880 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: where he um interpolated a car's song into one of 263 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: his records and cost his label like an enormous amount 264 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 1: of money because he hadn't cleared it. And rick O 265 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 1: Ka six either his estate or when he was still alive, 266 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:56,080 Speaker 1: like went after them for and they had to destroy 267 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 1: like every pressing of vinyl that this thing had already 268 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:01,960 Speaker 1: been printed on. Yeah. I think it was like a 269 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: five figure loss because they had to get rid of 270 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:06,359 Speaker 1: all the physical media that had it on that. Wow, 271 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 1: it's like the situation with Alba and uh, you know 272 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: we did it for Dancing Queenn oh k MFDM yes yes, yes, 273 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:19,760 Speaker 1: yes yeah man music industry, Yeah exactly, that's the moral 274 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: of that story. Um. And after these two failed albums, 275 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,720 Speaker 1: he relocated to New York, where he bust in the 276 00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:28,960 Speaker 1: East Village, Tompkins Square Park. I wonder if he meant 277 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 1: some of the Jeff Buckley. Jeff Buckley, Yeah, I was 278 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: thinking of all the I was thinking of all the 279 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:37,640 Speaker 1: punk rockers on from like c Squat, who would have 280 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:40,360 Speaker 1: been hanging out there. And there in lies the difference 281 00:15:40,360 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 1: between exactly you go to Jeff Buckley, I go to 282 00:15:43,200 --> 00:15:45,760 Speaker 1: crust punks. He also co wrote the song here Comes 283 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 1: My Baby for Belinda Carlisle of the Go Goes On 284 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 1: album Real, which is a bit of an early taste 285 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 1: of his prolific career later in his life as a 286 00:15:55,480 --> 00:16:00,120 Speaker 1: songwriter for other artists. And this relatively big score or 287 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 1: getting a co write on a blend the Carlisle song 288 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: and bolded him to keep working on material for himself. 289 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: And this is what sowed the seeds for the New 290 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,840 Speaker 1: Radicals project. It was always designed to be a vehicle 291 00:16:10,880 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: for himself, with no permanent lineup in place. It was 292 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: just gonna be like revolving door of players, not unlike 293 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 1: John Lennon's plastic on no band. And speaking of my 294 00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:24,479 Speaker 1: beloved Beatles, the longtime guitarist in Paul McCartney's band, Rusty Anderson, 295 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 1: plays guitar on You Get What You Give? He was 296 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 1: a new radical Did you know? I did not. At 297 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 1: the time, he was in a band called Edna Swap, 298 00:16:31,960 --> 00:16:34,520 Speaker 1: which after a that I'm not familiar with. But Greg 299 00:16:34,520 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 1: Alexander would later admit that it was mostly a case 300 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 1: of pulling in favors with people who played with him 301 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,600 Speaker 1: in the past. He'd later say, Oh, yeah, Greg's down 302 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: on his luck. Let's go play on his demo for 303 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:46,040 Speaker 1: the hell of it. We'll have a good laugh, have 304 00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:47,800 Speaker 1: a couple of beers and maybe smoke a j or 305 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 1: whatever him talking to the Hollywood Reporter back in the nineties, 306 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: he talked to Rolling Stone about his Unorthodox band, saying 307 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: it's very open. If someone's drunk mom comes on stage, 308 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: it wants to play Congress with us, that's a possibility. 309 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 1: So it's a very free form thing. I feel like 310 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,480 Speaker 1: that's a reference to Um. Do you ever hear what 311 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: Markis Smith said about The Fall? No? Actually, I do 312 00:17:09,160 --> 00:17:11,680 Speaker 1: wonder if it's a there's a reference to The Fall 313 00:17:11,760 --> 00:17:14,040 Speaker 1: because The Fall they were postpunk band fronted by a 314 00:17:14,040 --> 00:17:17,399 Speaker 1: guy named Marky Smith who was a notorious crank, and 315 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:20,199 Speaker 1: he fired everyone in the band for decades. They're they're 316 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:23,760 Speaker 1: like previous band member list on Wikipedia is like seventies. 317 00:17:24,600 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 1: And he famous quote about it was I am the Fall. 318 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:31,520 Speaker 1: If it's me and your granny on bongos, it's still 319 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:36,720 Speaker 1: the Fall. I have to wonder if Greg Alexander knew 320 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:40,440 Speaker 1: that and made a reference Son King of him. Yeah, 321 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:44,639 Speaker 1: the state, it's me um. The only constant member of 322 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:49,280 Speaker 1: this loose collective was keyboard player and percussionist Danielle Brice Boix. 323 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:51,359 Speaker 1: I think that's how you say her name, bries Bo. 324 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 1: I'm gonna just call it Danielle because there's a good 325 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 1: chance I'm getting that name wrong. But she's a really 326 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:58,400 Speaker 1: interesting person. She got her start as a child star, 327 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:01,520 Speaker 1: appearing as the character of Stephanie Mills on the later 328 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: seasons of All in the Family and the show's spinoff, 329 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 1: Archie Bunker's Place, for which you are in a Golden 330 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:09,960 Speaker 1: Globe nomination. So Yes. The guitarist and you Get what 331 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 1: you give plays in Paul McCartney's band and has for 332 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 1: over twenty years now, and a keyboardist on the track 333 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 1: was on All in the Family Incredible, We're really we're 334 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 1: building up a world here. Plus she was in the 335 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:25,200 Speaker 1: original Broadway production of Annie, and you can hear her 336 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:28,680 Speaker 1: sing on Jay Z's Hard Knock Life Ghetto Anthem because 337 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 1: he sampled her performance so really interesting. Person tripped my 338 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:34,399 Speaker 1: mom into letting me buy that jay Z record because 339 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:36,680 Speaker 1: I was like, yeah, his whole thing is just like, 340 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:46,159 Speaker 1: you know, sampling Broadway. Sorry, mom um. So this is 341 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:48,359 Speaker 1: more than enough for most of us to rest on 342 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 1: our laurels for the rest of our lives. But not Danielle. 343 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:54,640 Speaker 1: She pursued a career in music after her child star days, 344 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: both under her own name and also performing with Greg 345 00:18:57,119 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: Alexander and his early solo albums. Like we mentioned, she 346 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 1: co wrote the Chostar, Bedding Fields Unwritten and Pocket Full 347 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:06,159 Speaker 1: of Sunshine, and later appeared as a singer in the 348 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:08,919 Speaker 1: Oscar winning Jack Nicholson Helen Hunt movie As Good As 349 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 1: It Gets, one of my favorite movies, and she also 350 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:14,920 Speaker 1: played on you Get What You Give, so huge props there. 351 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:18,640 Speaker 1: That's a hell of a resume. Uh. Greg Alexander's less 352 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:22,159 Speaker 1: than positive experiences on his prior albums actually had a 353 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:24,439 Speaker 1: liberating effect when it came to put in together this 354 00:19:24,520 --> 00:19:26,959 Speaker 1: batch of new radical songs that would surface on their 355 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:30,400 Speaker 1: one and only album, Maybe You've Been Brainwashed too, As 356 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:33,720 Speaker 1: he told the Hollywood Reporter. He said he was quote 357 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:36,800 Speaker 1: used to making records that never got heard and basically 358 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,679 Speaker 1: decided to stop trying to make music that might be successful, 359 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: which I find weird considering how catchy you get what 360 00:19:42,640 --> 00:19:45,480 Speaker 1: you give is. But whenever. Uh. Instead, he said, he 361 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:47,919 Speaker 1: quote ripped up the few rules that applied to my 362 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:51,159 Speaker 1: first two records, and Maybe You've Been Brainwashed two was 363 00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:54,199 Speaker 1: produced basically solo, he said. I wanted it to be 364 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:56,639 Speaker 1: different from every other band. That's why I produced the 365 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: album myself. I didn't want any other producer to come 366 00:19:59,320 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 1: in and make it sound I'm like some other band. Um. 367 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:06,200 Speaker 1: Just side note, I always got the impression, just before 368 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:09,560 Speaker 1: researching this that Greg Alexander was sort of an unpleasant 369 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:12,879 Speaker 1: control freak. And this is purely because of two pieces 370 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:14,879 Speaker 1: of information that I had about this guy, one of 371 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:18,360 Speaker 1: which was grossly inaccurate. One I'd mistakenly believe that he'd 372 00:20:18,359 --> 00:20:22,120 Speaker 1: played every instrument on the song himself, which is not true. Uh. 373 00:20:22,200 --> 00:20:24,560 Speaker 1: Combine this with the fact that he walked away from fame. 374 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,280 Speaker 1: I just assumed that he was a very my Way 375 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:29,680 Speaker 1: or the Highway type of guy. And he just couldn't, 376 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: you know, handle the collaborations necessary for the music industry. 377 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 1: But apparently none of this was the case. I am 378 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:38,720 Speaker 1: very wrong. Upon reading up on him for this episode, 379 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:42,040 Speaker 1: he seems quite lovely. That's actually the word he uses 380 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 1: to describe people that he admires and interviews lovely, which 381 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:49,159 Speaker 1: I also find lovely. First of all, he truly turned 382 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: his back on celebrity bs, as we'll touch on later 383 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:57,120 Speaker 1: once New Radicals ended. He didn't give a major interview 384 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 1: until talking to the Hollywood Reporter. So it's fifteen years 385 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 1: he didn't give a substantial sit down interview. Good for him. 386 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:06,640 Speaker 1: So that's part of the reason why Yeah, right, like 387 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: he really he meant it when he this is no like, 388 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:10,919 Speaker 1: oh yeah, we'll do a reunion tour later for a 389 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:12,919 Speaker 1: bunch of money. He really meant it. He stuck to 390 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 1: his guns. Um. And that's also why I keep leaning 391 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,239 Speaker 1: on that Hollywood Reporter piece so much, because there's not 392 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,119 Speaker 1: a lot out there but that and a profile in 393 00:21:21,200 --> 00:21:23,960 Speaker 1: Billboard a few years later by Stephen J. Horowitz paint 394 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 1: a portrait of an insanely sweet guy. Case in point, 395 00:21:28,440 --> 00:21:30,880 Speaker 1: he brings an umbrella for the journalist just in case 396 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:32,960 Speaker 1: he doesn't have one because it's a rainy day. When 397 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:35,920 Speaker 1: it turns out the journalists came prepared, Greg Alexander leaves 398 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 1: the umbrella in the park in case anyone else should 399 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:40,480 Speaker 1: get caught in the rain. That's so cute. I just 400 00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 1: find that really sweet. Um. He also apparently carries around 401 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:45,640 Speaker 1: the wad of twenty dollar bills so we can tip 402 00:21:45,640 --> 00:21:48,720 Speaker 1: wait staff and porters and anyone who even goes slightly 403 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 1: out of their way for him. I don't know, I 404 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 1: just find this very sweet. Yeah. Um. In the Billboard piece, 405 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:57,920 Speaker 1: Horowitz writes quote at every turn, he describes the people 406 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 1: he admires as lovely. He had is the sort of 407 00:22:00,680 --> 00:22:04,600 Speaker 1: egoist familiarity of someone who doesn't care for fame. I 408 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:06,119 Speaker 1: don't know, I just wanted to share that he seems 409 00:22:06,119 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: like a genuinely nice guy. Um right, yeah. I mean 410 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:14,159 Speaker 1: our last episode on music was about guns and roses, 411 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 1: so yeah, this is what called this one of the 412 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:20,720 Speaker 1: palate cleanser. This is pretty far from AXL Rose slash. 413 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:24,719 Speaker 1: From what I've heard, is very nice. Anyway, Greg shopped 414 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 1: around his demos and he caught the attention of a 415 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 1: guy named Michael Rosenblatt, who is the guy who signed Madonna. 416 00:22:32,080 --> 00:22:34,199 Speaker 1: So this guy knew a good thing when he heard it. 417 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,840 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure that the album Maybe You've Been Brainwashed two, 418 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,159 Speaker 1: it was mastered straight from the demo cassette, so he 419 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 1: basically had it fully formed, which is pretty impressive. That 420 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:47,120 Speaker 1: was what they did with Boston's debut record. He recorded 421 00:22:47,160 --> 00:22:50,240 Speaker 1: it all in his basement and uh. When he was signed, 422 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:53,280 Speaker 1: they were like, okay, well you gotta performance, and you 423 00:22:53,280 --> 00:22:55,080 Speaker 1: gotta do it in a regular studio now, and he 424 00:22:55,160 --> 00:22:59,440 Speaker 1: was like no, So they brought a mobile recording truck 425 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:03,439 Speaker 1: to his Boston apartment. So he just retracked the record 426 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 1: in the basement, running cables out to a mobile board 427 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:09,600 Speaker 1: to get the masters, all while lying to the label 428 00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 1: through an intermediary that he was in fact working in 429 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:16,159 Speaker 1: a real studio. So he just re recorded all the 430 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:19,360 Speaker 1: demos in his own studio, uh, and then sent them 431 00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 1: off to the label. Good for him, didn't you interview him? 432 00:23:21,840 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 1: I sure did. Yeah, that's what I'm reading from his 433 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 1: the interview I did with him. Yeah, he was he 434 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 1: was fine, big into vegetarianism and roller skating. H Yeah, yeah, 435 00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:39,439 Speaker 1: so there you go. But I just want to stress 436 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:43,800 Speaker 1: that it is extremely unusual for the musician to get 437 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:47,760 Speaker 1: a second chance at a label deal. Greg Alexander got 438 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:50,399 Speaker 1: three at this point. He had his first album on 439 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 1: A and M second on Epic, both flopped, and that 440 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: was getting another chance for this new Radicals project. I 441 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:58,760 Speaker 1: just think that's amazing. He was just that good. So 442 00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:01,199 Speaker 1: the clear stand out on this album in progress is 443 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 1: you Get what You Give, which was initially just a 444 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,880 Speaker 1: writing exercise that he set for himself with a goal 445 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 1: of each line in the lyrics topping the one that 446 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:12,440 Speaker 1: came before it. It was co written with a guy 447 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 1: named Rick Knowles, who, despite me not recognizing his name 448 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:21,400 Speaker 1: with my intense granular knowledge of the music industry, this 449 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: man had his hands and everything and I know not 450 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: a not a matchstick of knowledge about him. Nobles has 451 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:31,320 Speaker 1: co written and co produced over ninety hit singles, and 452 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 1: his songs have sold on over two d and fifty 453 00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:39,960 Speaker 1: million albums. Wow. That includes Summertime Sadness by Lona del Rey, 454 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:43,720 Speaker 1: great song White Flag by Dido, Standing Still by Jewel, 455 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:46,520 Speaker 1: the Power of Goodbye, Maven Donna, Heaven is a Place 456 00:24:46,560 --> 00:24:49,920 Speaker 1: on Earth by Belinda Carlisle, Great song Uh and sinks 457 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: thinking of you parentheses, I drive myself crazy, um but 458 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:56,960 Speaker 1: despite that, co write most of the lines of a 459 00:24:57,000 --> 00:25:00,840 Speaker 1: personal meaning to Greg four am we ran Miracle Mile, 460 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:04,760 Speaker 1: referencing is his time living around l A's Miracle Mile area. 461 00:25:05,040 --> 00:25:07,280 Speaker 1: We're flat broke, but hey, we do it in style 462 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 1: is a reference to his lost years when he briefly 463 00:25:10,119 --> 00:25:12,760 Speaker 1: dropped out of the music industry to sleep on friends couches. 464 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: In fact, the whole chorus of don't give up You've 465 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 1: got the music in you could easily be seen as 466 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:21,880 Speaker 1: an encouragement to himself after the years of rejection or 467 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:25,280 Speaker 1: at least tepid responses he was getting in the music industry. 468 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,720 Speaker 1: In her amazing history of the song for the A 469 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:31,280 Speaker 1: V Club, Annie Zeleski writes, on one level, you get 470 00:25:31,280 --> 00:25:33,960 Speaker 1: what you give almost feels like Alexander's pep talk to 471 00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:37,639 Speaker 1: himself to continue on his creative path. The song's lyrics 472 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:40,080 Speaker 1: remind dreamers who feel down on their luck that they're 473 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:43,960 Speaker 1: special and capable even if they're broken desperate. Don't let 474 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,200 Speaker 1: go You've got the music in you, and encourages them 475 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 1: to hang on despite bleak times. The beginning hints as 476 00:25:50,520 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 1: stifling religious forces and youthful abandon later. There's a plea 477 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:57,400 Speaker 1: to strive for substance, as well as no oblique reference 478 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:01,200 Speaker 1: to romantic solidarity. Even the recurring phrase we only get 479 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:04,480 Speaker 1: what we give is deceptively simple, it hints it deeper 480 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 1: philosophical and spiritual conversations about the impact a person's life 481 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:12,320 Speaker 1: has in the world. Um, you put it out there 482 00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:15,199 Speaker 1: that this is believed to be the first song to 483 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:18,760 Speaker 1: include the word friend of me, which I did slew thing. 484 00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:21,919 Speaker 1: The word friend of me apparently dates back to a 485 00:26:22,080 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty three article by a guy named Walter Winchell, 486 00:26:27,520 --> 00:26:30,280 Speaker 1: who is the He was a gossip reporter for the 487 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 1: Nevada State Journal, And Um, I thought this was suspect 488 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 1: for a while until I learned that the Oxford English 489 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,120 Speaker 1: Dictionary uses it in their definition of the word friend 490 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:43,400 Speaker 1: of me. So, folks, if you wonder where it came from, 491 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 1: it came from a Nevada gossip columnist. That's funny that 492 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:49,919 Speaker 1: was in Nevada because he was like a big I 493 00:26:49,960 --> 00:26:52,280 Speaker 1: forget I think he was. I think he was based 494 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:54,399 Speaker 1: in New York for a while. I think I think 495 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:57,640 Speaker 1: he and Ed Sullivan. Ed Sullivan got a start as 496 00:26:57,640 --> 00:27:02,040 Speaker 1: like an entertainment columnists a columnists basically, and they hated 497 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:03,919 Speaker 1: each other. So then Ed ran them out of New 498 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:08,080 Speaker 1: York and he landed in Nevada, just like Meyer Landsky. 499 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:14,399 Speaker 1: As you meditate on that, we'll be right back with 500 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:31,639 Speaker 1: more too much information after these messages the politics. If 501 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:35,359 Speaker 1: you get what you give naive or apprecient, Jordan's your thoughts? 502 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 1: Um Well, of course, the first thing I think about 503 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:43,199 Speaker 1: is the end of the song, the most famous or 504 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 1: infamous part of the song, the spoken words kind of 505 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:50,320 Speaker 1: almost pseudo rappish part at the end um most certainly 506 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:52,960 Speaker 1: a product of the period when rap rock was on 507 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:55,320 Speaker 1: the rise. I guess you could say this was Greg 508 00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 1: Alexander's soapbox moment as he takes a stand against corporate 509 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:01,600 Speaker 1: America and the commodity ptation of art. We all know 510 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:03,760 Speaker 1: the words, but here's a quick refresher. Do you want 511 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:05,199 Speaker 1: to do? You want to do this? I can't do 512 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: the rap. I didn't brush up on it. I think 513 00:28:07,560 --> 00:28:10,480 Speaker 1: you're gonna have to do it. I'll just speak it. Then. 514 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: You love when I speak rap lyrics? Anyway, I sayn't. 515 00:28:12,960 --> 00:28:16,440 Speaker 1: I can't really call this rap, but health insurance rip off, 516 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:21,359 Speaker 1: lying f d A, big bankers, buying fake computer crashes, 517 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 1: dining cloning while they're multiplying fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson, 518 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:30,520 Speaker 1: Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson, you're all fakes. Run to 519 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:33,720 Speaker 1: your mansions, come around, We'll kick your ass in. I 520 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 1: do remember how he recites that last line. He's like, well, 521 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 1: kick you I thought it was as is plural. I 522 00:28:40,000 --> 00:28:43,360 Speaker 1: didn't know that until So let's start with the first 523 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 1: part first. It may be hard to believe, but these 524 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 1: words were actually some of those pointedly political lyrics that 525 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:51,520 Speaker 1: have found their way into a pop song and quite 526 00:28:51,560 --> 00:28:55,120 Speaker 1: some time. As Greg told the Hollywood Reporter, quote, my 527 00:28:55,240 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 1: favorite writers and artists had a human politics aspect to 528 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:01,640 Speaker 1: their work, and that was something that drove me. I felt, 529 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:03,680 Speaker 1: perhaps too early on, that it was going to be 530 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:06,080 Speaker 1: a challenge to get even a portion of that sentiment 531 00:29:06,160 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 1: across in the song. As an experiment on you get 532 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:10,959 Speaker 1: what you give I had, but at the time was 533 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:13,720 Speaker 1: one of the more political lyrics in a long, long, 534 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:16,480 Speaker 1: long time, to the point where some of the people 535 00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 1: I was working with were horrified in a pop song. 536 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:22,480 Speaker 1: I was going after health insurance companies and corruption. The 537 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 1: food and drug administration and the hypocrisy of the war 538 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:29,120 Speaker 1: on drugs, big bankers in Wall Street. To allude to 539 00:29:29,120 --> 00:29:31,560 Speaker 1: all that stuff in a pop song was in retrospect 540 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 1: a naively crazy proposition. That quote is from but back 541 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 1: when he was younger and still had his boxing gloves on. 542 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 1: He gave this quote to journalist Stewart Berman about the 543 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,760 Speaker 1: apathy that had seeked into the music industry, said, rock 544 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 1: and rolls recreating the same vague a political crap as 545 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 1: a Coca Cola commercial. I'm censoring this. I'm sorry. Uh, 546 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 1: what do these people have to say about the real world? 547 00:29:57,840 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 1: The whole nineties alternative rock thing was such a letdown. 548 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 1: It was all about, oh well, whatever, never mind. Rock 549 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 1: and roll is supposed to be a voice against oppression, 550 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 1: not an apathetic grunt. But this mentality was not without 551 00:30:10,840 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 1: its critics. At the time of its release, Rolling Stone 552 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:16,680 Speaker 1: writer Alison Stewart called you get what You give quote 553 00:30:16,680 --> 00:30:20,800 Speaker 1: a rant against consumerism, health insurance companies, and soulless rock stars, 554 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: to which Alexander responded by saying, it's a snapshot of 555 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:26,440 Speaker 1: our times. If people want to drive a car into 556 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 1: me for it, that's their prerogative. That was a precition 557 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:32,560 Speaker 1: given the some of the people were doing to the 558 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 1: Black Lives Matters activists. Wow, yeah, that was a quote 559 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:40,959 Speaker 1: from Believe. Well. You know, I take issue with this 560 00:30:41,000 --> 00:30:44,080 Speaker 1: whole thing about being like it's so political, like Rage 561 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:47,480 Speaker 1: against the Machine. We're still an operating concerned at this point, 562 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:50,320 Speaker 1: that band was getting videos on MTV that had like 563 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:54,400 Speaker 1: Leonard Peltier in the American Indian Movement and a Mumia 564 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:58,760 Speaker 1: Abu Jamal and you know, Stolen Land, Like they were 565 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:02,560 Speaker 1: some of the most subverse of political acts because they, 566 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:05,800 Speaker 1: as we've learned from the current tide of conservatives getting 567 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:08,400 Speaker 1: red asked when they discover that the band that they 568 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 1: like that plays in heavy minor pentatonic box riffs when 569 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:17,760 Speaker 1: they finally discovered their leftist band. I mean, I personally 570 00:31:18,160 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 1: would not have gotten half of what I know about 571 00:31:22,800 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 1: this country's blood soaked past if I hadn't have gotten 572 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:30,400 Speaker 1: those Rage Against the Machine records. Right, they're not a 573 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:33,200 Speaker 1: pop band. They're not a pop band, so I think 574 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:35,000 Speaker 1: that's the main thing. I mean, the band's name is 575 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:38,960 Speaker 1: Rage against the Machine. Their album cover has the monk 576 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 1: setting himself ablaze and protests of yeah, but they were 577 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:46,960 Speaker 1: also on the airwaves. They weren't like they were Yeah, 578 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:49,240 Speaker 1: but I think you I would argue that you get 579 00:31:49,240 --> 00:31:52,560 Speaker 1: what you give was more mainstream and reached more purple 580 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 1: at the time, rage against the machine, and I think 581 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 1: being able to slip those messages. John let And had 582 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: a quote about Imagine, which I mean, for whatever is 583 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:06,600 Speaker 1: Worth is one of my least favorite John Lennon songs. 584 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:09,680 Speaker 1: Um He said, you know, I spent so much of 585 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:15,160 Speaker 1: the late sixties doing these really obtuse, angry difficult to 586 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:19,840 Speaker 1: listen to songs that you know, had these really heavy 587 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:22,800 Speaker 1: handed messages for for peace in the anti war movement, 588 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:26,680 Speaker 1: and it wasn't really getting through to the most amount 589 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:29,600 Speaker 1: of people that they could. So with Imagine, it was 590 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:31,840 Speaker 1: putting a little honey in there to make it more 591 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:35,520 Speaker 1: palatable to sneak that message in there. And I think, 592 00:32:35,880 --> 00:32:38,800 Speaker 1: you know, and this may be more of a philosophical 593 00:32:38,800 --> 00:32:42,400 Speaker 1: difference between you and I, even I think there is 594 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:46,440 Speaker 1: an element of you know, one could call it selling 595 00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:50,960 Speaker 1: out for trying to catch mainstream trends. Another person could 596 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:54,360 Speaker 1: say you're arguably being more subversive by trying to sneak 597 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:57,040 Speaker 1: in messaging that gets in under the radar and the 598 00:32:57,040 --> 00:32:59,240 Speaker 1: people that would try to stop such my thing about 599 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:01,720 Speaker 1: rage against thee where people would be like they were 600 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:04,120 Speaker 1: like d I y punk rock bands in Britain who 601 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:07,120 Speaker 1: have been doing the same for years and they're not 602 00:33:07,240 --> 00:33:11,160 Speaker 1: signed with Sony, And you know, it's arguably because they 603 00:33:11,160 --> 00:33:13,120 Speaker 1: had that level of exposure and they were at that 604 00:33:13,240 --> 00:33:16,200 Speaker 1: level of mainstream saturation, they were able to reach a 605 00:33:16,240 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 1: lot more people with that message. So yeah, I mean, 606 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:22,080 Speaker 1: I you know, I don't hearing those words now about 607 00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:23,719 Speaker 1: the f d A and Alton Strength. I mean, it 608 00:33:23,720 --> 00:33:27,080 Speaker 1: all feels pretty sort of vague, but still, I mean 609 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:28,600 Speaker 1: I think it was more of a kind of the 610 00:33:28,640 --> 00:33:31,760 Speaker 1: thing that for its time in a song that just 611 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:34,960 Speaker 1: even sonically sounded like that. I mean, look at the 612 00:33:34,960 --> 00:33:37,400 Speaker 1: album cover. I mean you can trast the Redge against 613 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:40,600 Speaker 1: the Machine cover with the monk with the maybe you've 614 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:43,080 Speaker 1: been brandwashed to cover looks like a sketcher's act. I 615 00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:46,240 Speaker 1: mean it's like, right, you know, this guy in a 616 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:49,120 Speaker 1: bucket hat or whatever. And we'll touch on this later. 617 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:52,240 Speaker 1: Despite the flak that he may have gotten at the 618 00:33:52,240 --> 00:33:55,560 Speaker 1: time for including these vaguely political concerns at the end 619 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:57,720 Speaker 1: of the song. I'd say that helped the song age well, 620 00:33:58,240 --> 00:34:01,640 Speaker 1: because now in this day and age, you get crucified 621 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:04,720 Speaker 1: as an artist for not using your platform to take 622 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:06,120 Speaker 1: a stand for something. You know what I haven't heard 623 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:07,800 Speaker 1: about in a while that was like a hot button 624 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:11,000 Speaker 1: thing for the nineties was cloning. Now it's all about 625 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:14,440 Speaker 1: like lab grown meat right and impossible burners. But remember, 626 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:17,640 Speaker 1: like everybody was real up in arms about Dolly the Sheep. 627 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:20,680 Speaker 1: I don't remember people being up in arms. I always 628 00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:24,279 Speaker 1: remember people being like, oh, wow, that's that's weird. Wow, 629 00:34:25,080 --> 00:34:28,160 Speaker 1: So Greg Alexander had that sheep in his razor sharp 630 00:34:28,239 --> 00:34:30,960 Speaker 1: cross hairs. I mean I grew up forty five minutes 631 00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:34,160 Speaker 1: from m I t oh, are you a clone? Are you? 632 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:39,840 Speaker 1: Am I doing? Is? It's like this moment where you're like, 633 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:42,440 Speaker 1: I guess more, Philip K. Dick, You're like questioning your 634 00:34:42,440 --> 00:34:45,399 Speaker 1: own identity. You like Jordan's looks down and and can 635 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:47,600 Speaker 1: subtly see like a bar code and codd in his 636 00:34:47,680 --> 00:34:53,120 Speaker 1: skin and fluorescent ink. He's like, no. Um. On the 637 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:55,160 Speaker 1: plus side, that means we don't have to feed you 638 00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:57,279 Speaker 1: as much and we can just have you cranking these 639 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:59,799 Speaker 1: out again. Well yeah, I say, hot. Why do you 640 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:02,840 Speaker 1: think I respond to all your tweets and texts at 641 00:35:02,920 --> 00:35:06,400 Speaker 1: all hours? All right, and now we must come to 642 00:35:06,760 --> 00:35:09,680 Speaker 1: the true meat of the song, which is this man, 643 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:12,600 Speaker 1: this willowy man threatening to I guess he's not willowy, 644 00:35:12,600 --> 00:35:16,439 Speaker 1: he's thin, but this gentle Michigan boy threatening the then 645 00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:19,719 Speaker 1: boogeyman of rock. You know, you take pot shots at 646 00:35:19,719 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 1: the f d A and the big banks and sheep cloning. 647 00:35:22,640 --> 00:35:24,839 Speaker 1: That's all well and good. But then the line about 648 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:29,640 Speaker 1: Courtney Love, Marilyn Manson and other various pop cultural figures. 649 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:32,960 Speaker 1: He claimed that that was a joke to offset the 650 00:35:33,000 --> 00:35:35,640 Speaker 1: heaviness of the real issues he's sang about in the 651 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:37,920 Speaker 1: priorate lines. Yeah, the whole rap part at the end, 652 00:35:37,960 --> 00:35:40,480 Speaker 1: there's eight lines. The first four all about the FDA 653 00:35:40,560 --> 00:35:44,080 Speaker 1: and health insurance, and then the last four are Courtney Love, 654 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:48,400 Speaker 1: Beck and hats and Marilyn Manson. And so he basically 655 00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:50,759 Speaker 1: did that because he wanted to raise concerns about real 656 00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:53,640 Speaker 1: things and then toss in some lines about celebrity drama 657 00:35:53,719 --> 00:35:57,600 Speaker 1: as an experiment to see which the media would focus 658 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:01,359 Speaker 1: on the big picture issues or the celebrity disses. And uh, 659 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:05,000 Speaker 1: I know, let you Sweet Summer Child. Greg as two 660 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:07,600 Speaker 1: guys who have spent over a decade working in in 661 00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:10,640 Speaker 1: that sphere. I can tell you which one the industry 662 00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:14,080 Speaker 1: was going to focus on right away. Greg has frequently 663 00:36:14,080 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 1: spoken over the years about how these fame focused lines 664 00:36:17,520 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 1: took precedence over the real issues, saying to notice that 665 00:36:21,560 --> 00:36:25,080 Speaker 1: everybody focused on the so called celebrity bashing lyric instead 666 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:27,719 Speaker 1: of this lyric that was talking about the powers that 667 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:30,560 Speaker 1: be that are holding everybody down. That was something that 668 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:33,719 Speaker 1: I was kind of disillusioned by. Moreover, he claimed that 669 00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:35,480 Speaker 1: he had no issues with any of the artists he 670 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:38,520 Speaker 1: name checked and subsequently threatened to beat their asses in. 671 00:36:39,360 --> 00:36:41,640 Speaker 1: But um, you know, we like to call this the 672 00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:47,560 Speaker 1: find out phase of the experiment. UM. Marilyn Manson Um 673 00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:51,719 Speaker 1: probably then at the height of his powers, really um 674 00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:56,760 Speaker 1: in terms of monopolizing airplay. Uh said to Kurt Loder, 675 00:36:58,280 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 1: I'm giving an open invitation into the singer of the 676 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:04,560 Speaker 1: New Radicals because he's all strange and spiritual, and he 677 00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:07,160 Speaker 1: challenged me in one of his songs. A lot of 678 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:09,600 Speaker 1: people would say, you know, don't give him the attention, 679 00:37:09,640 --> 00:37:12,080 Speaker 1: because that's what he wants. But I think I'll crack 680 00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:16,880 Speaker 1: his skull open if I see him, and pretty unambiguous 681 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:20,400 Speaker 1: Manson probably would. He was doing what on God? But 682 00:37:20,560 --> 00:37:23,520 Speaker 1: what could he? Yeah? I mean maybe, dude is he's 683 00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:26,040 Speaker 1: doing like more cocaine than God. And he's also a 684 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:31,000 Speaker 1: tall dude. But he was very Spiti's gangly gangly. Yeah yeah, yeah, 685 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:33,279 Speaker 1: that's we just turned into like an m m A 686 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:36,080 Speaker 1: style podcast of like, well, you know, Manson's got that 687 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:38,840 Speaker 1: really long reach. He could probably just keep Greg Alexander 688 00:37:38,840 --> 00:37:40,680 Speaker 1: at bay with a couple of well placed jabs. But 689 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:43,360 Speaker 1: I think Alexander might have him and wait, what do 690 00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:45,080 Speaker 1: you think? Yeah? But Manson also got one of his 691 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:49,840 Speaker 1: ribs removes extra flexible. Yeah, gosh, I could not. I 692 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:52,320 Speaker 1: could see this one going either ways. What about you, 693 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 1: Joe Rogan, Jamie, could we get Joe Rogan online to 694 00:37:56,520 --> 00:37:58,480 Speaker 1: talk about whether or not Marilyn Manson or the guy 695 00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:01,319 Speaker 1: from New Radicals would win a fight? Thanks. Manson then 696 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:03,840 Speaker 1: added that he's not mad. He said he'd kick my ass. 697 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:05,920 Speaker 1: I just don't want to be used in the same 698 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:10,759 Speaker 1: sentence with Courtney Love. Um, it's been lost to the 699 00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:13,479 Speaker 1: midst of time whether or not the two actually squared off, 700 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:19,320 Speaker 1: but there's an interesting coda involving Manson's one time girlfriend 701 00:38:19,360 --> 00:38:24,000 Speaker 1: and alleged sexual assault victim, Evan rachel Wood, one of 702 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:28,320 Speaker 1: at current count sixteen people who have come forward accusing 703 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:33,920 Speaker 1: Manson of sexual assault and far worse. In August, she 704 00:38:34,040 --> 00:38:36,480 Speaker 1: performed a cover of You Get What You Give in 705 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:39,080 Speaker 1: l A at the Bourbon Room as a middle finger 706 00:38:39,120 --> 00:38:43,600 Speaker 1: to Manson um and apparently this was her response to 707 00:38:43,760 --> 00:38:47,680 Speaker 1: Kanye including Manson at his release party for his album. 708 00:38:47,760 --> 00:38:51,920 Speaker 1: Donda and Evan posted the song on Instagram with the 709 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:54,520 Speaker 1: caption from my fellow survivors who got slapped in the 710 00:38:54,560 --> 00:38:58,000 Speaker 1: face this week, I love you, don't give up. But 711 00:38:58,440 --> 00:39:01,480 Speaker 1: back to Greg, He thankfully kissed and made up with 712 00:39:01,520 --> 00:39:03,319 Speaker 1: several of the people he name checked at the end 713 00:39:03,320 --> 00:39:06,520 Speaker 1: of the song, apparently running into Beck by chance at 714 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:10,320 Speaker 1: the supermarket. In an interview, Beck said he came running 715 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:12,840 Speaker 1: up to me so apologetic and saying, I hope you 716 00:39:12,840 --> 00:39:15,520 Speaker 1: weren't offended. It wasn't supposed to be personal. I was 717 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:19,120 Speaker 1: kind of pleased because he's a big guy. Beck is 718 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:22,280 Speaker 1: a slight man. Greg Alexander is six ft five. Funny. 719 00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:25,719 Speaker 1: Funnily enough, Greg Alexander would actually later collaborate with the 720 00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:29,120 Speaker 1: band Hanson, thus finishing out the line of that lyrics 721 00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:31,920 Speaker 1: and drummer Zach Hanson later called him, you know, a 722 00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:34,880 Speaker 1: bit of a character, but a cool guy. But we 723 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:37,360 Speaker 1: can't talk about you get what you give without discussing 724 00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:40,759 Speaker 1: the iconic music video On the short list of my 725 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:43,840 Speaker 1: favorite videos from the nineties have to say Greg Alexander 726 00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:46,000 Speaker 1: and a bunch of youths run a muck through a mall, 727 00:39:46,160 --> 00:39:49,400 Speaker 1: perfectly illustrating the anti corporate message of the song. He 728 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:51,200 Speaker 1: says he chose a mall as the setting for the 729 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:54,080 Speaker 1: video because he sees it as a metaphor for society, 730 00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:59,319 Speaker 1: a fake, controlled environment engineered to encourage spending. However, I 731 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:02,040 Speaker 1: find it in truesting not trying to take any shots here, 732 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:03,680 Speaker 1: that the director of the video, a guy by the 733 00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:07,759 Speaker 1: name of Evan Bernard, has directed a ton of commercials 734 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:14,920 Speaker 1: for MasterCard, McDonald's, Nikes, you know, big corporations, but he 735 00:40:14,960 --> 00:40:17,800 Speaker 1: also directed videos for the Beastie Boys and was mentioned 736 00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:19,960 Speaker 1: in the Beastie Boys top ten hit Get It Together 737 00:40:20,080 --> 00:40:22,920 Speaker 1: with the lyrics drive the Lane. Like I was Evan Bernard. 738 00:40:23,719 --> 00:40:26,360 Speaker 1: I was unable to find out if he actually played basketball, 739 00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:29,560 Speaker 1: but he did. Maybe he did a video a commercial 740 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:31,439 Speaker 1: for the w n b A, so maybe he's got 741 00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:34,920 Speaker 1: some secret moves on the court. I don't know. Maybe 742 00:40:35,239 --> 00:40:38,200 Speaker 1: part of me does appreciate somebody doing well playing gigs 743 00:40:38,280 --> 00:40:40,319 Speaker 1: for corporations and taking that money and then to do 744 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:44,000 Speaker 1: it for like, you know, Tibet fundraise videos and stuff 745 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:46,319 Speaker 1: like that for the Beastie Boys. He also did the 746 00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:50,040 Speaker 1: seldom seen clip for Army by Ben Folds five, one 747 00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:52,879 Speaker 1: of my favorite ben fold songs. So over on the whole, 748 00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:56,279 Speaker 1: i'd say, Evan Bernard, you've done good. The video was 749 00:40:56,320 --> 00:40:59,120 Speaker 1: filmed over the course of a day at the Staten 750 00:40:59,160 --> 00:41:03,040 Speaker 1: Island Mall. Uh, Greg Alexander and the New Radicals Drama 751 00:41:03,080 --> 00:41:04,959 Speaker 1: were the only real members of the band in the video. 752 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:07,759 Speaker 1: The rest are hired actors. I very nearly made a 753 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:09,520 Speaker 1: field trip out there once I found that it was 754 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:12,319 Speaker 1: out in Staten Island, which is kind of hard to 755 00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:16,720 Speaker 1: get to from. I wouldn't recommend it. Kind of a schlep. 756 00:41:17,000 --> 00:41:19,720 Speaker 1: Do you want me to tell the David Johansson story? 757 00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:24,040 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, Like a year into my tenure of People Magazine, 758 00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:27,320 Speaker 1: I got a press release that David Johansson, who is 759 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:29,520 Speaker 1: the lead singer of the New York Dolls, was going 760 00:41:29,560 --> 00:41:32,480 Speaker 1: to be playing the Carlisle, the very famous hotel on 761 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:36,160 Speaker 1: the Upper West Side where Woody Allen playss like weekly 762 00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:40,520 Speaker 1: set of traditional New Orleans jazz, and but he would 763 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:43,879 Speaker 1: be doing it as buster Point Dexter, who famously had 764 00:41:44,120 --> 00:41:46,319 Speaker 1: one of the most annoying hits of all time with 765 00:41:46,440 --> 00:41:49,440 Speaker 1: the song Hot Hot Hot, that you have heard at 766 00:41:49,480 --> 00:41:54,200 Speaker 1: every wedding in the world. David Johansson's incredible musical encyclopedia. 767 00:41:54,400 --> 00:41:58,440 Speaker 1: He knows like the entire history of American blues, but 768 00:41:58,480 --> 00:42:01,680 Speaker 1: he also has like calyps Oh and Roombah and like 769 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:05,440 Speaker 1: actually knows all of those songs very well, and like 770 00:42:05,520 --> 00:42:08,040 Speaker 1: English music hall as well, and which is why it's 771 00:42:08,080 --> 00:42:09,759 Speaker 1: so funny to me that that song hit for him. 772 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:12,600 Speaker 1: But whatever. I go to interview him, and uh, he 773 00:42:12,800 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 1: is polite but so sour. I was like, because that 774 00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:21,040 Speaker 1: episode of No Reservations has him at like a teaky 775 00:42:21,120 --> 00:42:23,440 Speaker 1: bar with Anthony Bourdain and I asked him about it. 776 00:42:23,520 --> 00:42:25,480 Speaker 1: He was like, the producers took me there. I don't 777 00:42:25,480 --> 00:42:28,760 Speaker 1: know that place, and I was like, you're from Staten Island. 778 00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:31,160 Speaker 1: You're like probably the one of the biggest New York 779 00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:34,880 Speaker 1: rock icons who lives in Stafford, Staten Island, like, what 780 00:42:34,920 --> 00:42:37,360 Speaker 1: do you like about Staten Island? This is there's long 781 00:42:37,440 --> 00:42:40,879 Speaker 1: dry pause on the line. He goes, well, I hear 782 00:42:40,920 --> 00:42:48,359 Speaker 1: the fairies nice and I recovered from that one, and 783 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:50,880 Speaker 1: then uh, and then he goes, yeah, I mean, you know, 784 00:42:50,920 --> 00:42:54,120 Speaker 1: we've got lovely beaches and the some of the biggest 785 00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:57,839 Speaker 1: think tanks in the country are are located here. And 786 00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:01,680 Speaker 1: in my idiocy, I went really and he there's there's 787 00:43:01,719 --> 00:43:08,520 Speaker 1: a withering pause online. He goes, no, but he gave 788 00:43:08,520 --> 00:43:10,360 Speaker 1: a tremendous love you at the New York Dolls and 789 00:43:10,440 --> 00:43:12,960 Speaker 1: People magazine. That's that's tremendous. It was a great It 790 00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:14,319 Speaker 1: was a great I mean I it was a great 791 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:16,680 Speaker 1: show with the Carlisle. He told one of my favorite 792 00:43:16,719 --> 00:43:19,320 Speaker 1: jokes that I started stealing in for for our shows, 793 00:43:19,360 --> 00:43:21,520 Speaker 1: which was the doctor told me to keep it to 794 00:43:21,560 --> 00:43:23,759 Speaker 1: one drink a day. So and they hold up in 795 00:43:23,840 --> 00:43:30,640 Speaker 1: your drink and say, this one is from um. Anyway. 796 00:43:31,680 --> 00:43:34,239 Speaker 1: I love the people that we've snuck into. People I 797 00:43:34,239 --> 00:43:35,920 Speaker 1: remember like, yeah, I mean I got the woman I 798 00:43:36,280 --> 00:43:40,480 Speaker 1: snuck in a full length, exhaustively researched profile of the 799 00:43:40,520 --> 00:43:44,040 Speaker 1: woman from Covin, like the band that had a like 800 00:43:44,120 --> 00:43:47,560 Speaker 1: satanic panic record. Her name is Jinks. I got John 801 00:43:47,680 --> 00:43:53,600 Speaker 1: kale In Yeah. For the Velvet Underground Staput. We did 802 00:43:53,600 --> 00:43:58,400 Speaker 1: some ridiculous Liam Gallagher disappointing. I think the headline on 803 00:43:58,440 --> 00:44:01,160 Speaker 1: that was a disappointingly polite interview with Liam Galland my 804 00:44:01,160 --> 00:44:03,920 Speaker 1: favorite was probably actually I did this thing. There's this 805 00:44:04,080 --> 00:44:07,160 Speaker 1: band that I like called Matt mos Um out of Baltimore. 806 00:44:07,520 --> 00:44:10,040 Speaker 1: Ye yeah, And I got a press release that their 807 00:44:10,080 --> 00:44:12,920 Speaker 1: new album was going to be conducted or was going 808 00:44:12,960 --> 00:44:15,480 Speaker 1: to be made from sounds that they sampled from their 809 00:44:15,480 --> 00:44:18,759 Speaker 1: washing machine. And I knew the publicist and I like 810 00:44:18,840 --> 00:44:20,960 Speaker 1: the publicist, so I wrote like a quick little thing 811 00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:25,160 Speaker 1: about new band putting out our band putting out record 812 00:44:25,360 --> 00:44:28,480 Speaker 1: entirely composed of sounds from their washing machine, and it 813 00:44:28,640 --> 00:44:31,719 Speaker 1: like blew up, and they got invited onto like the 814 00:44:31,800 --> 00:44:34,719 Speaker 1: Today Show, and it was like their publicists wrote me 815 00:44:34,719 --> 00:44:36,799 Speaker 1: back and was like, this is the most exposure they've 816 00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:39,439 Speaker 1: had in their entire career. I was like, oh, I'm 817 00:44:39,480 --> 00:44:42,840 Speaker 1: really really happy I was able to do that for them. 818 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:48,239 Speaker 1: Um yeah. I reviewed Ramstein's Proud of that. I don't 819 00:44:48,280 --> 00:44:50,000 Speaker 1: even know where were we on topic? I have no 820 00:44:50,040 --> 00:44:52,799 Speaker 1: idea where we are now. But I didn't make the 821 00:44:52,840 --> 00:44:55,560 Speaker 1: track to stat mild because I learned that the whole 822 00:44:55,600 --> 00:44:58,480 Speaker 1: atrium area of the mall has changed. The fountain has 823 00:44:58,520 --> 00:45:01,080 Speaker 1: been paved over, the food core it's been moved, and 824 00:45:01,120 --> 00:45:02,960 Speaker 1: the elevator with the light bulbs in it that he 825 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:05,520 Speaker 1: sings it is no longer in use. So major bummer 826 00:45:05,560 --> 00:45:08,080 Speaker 1: all around. But any fans in the New York metro 827 00:45:08,160 --> 00:45:11,000 Speaker 1: area want to make a pilgrimage to the Staten Island Mall, 828 00:45:11,400 --> 00:45:14,720 Speaker 1: please get in touch. Maybe we'll make a day of it. Yeah, pass, 829 00:45:16,280 --> 00:45:21,319 Speaker 1: that's a that's a Patreon tier. That's right. Yeah, I've 830 00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:23,440 Speaker 1: got a I've got a two thousand nine VW beetle 831 00:45:23,480 --> 00:45:30,200 Speaker 1: I can fit three, So there we go. Anyway. The 832 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:33,640 Speaker 1: album Maybe You've Been Brainwashed two was released on October six. 833 00:45:35,560 --> 00:45:38,319 Speaker 1: Uh It's title, I've read is believed to be a 834 00:45:38,320 --> 00:45:42,680 Speaker 1: nod there was Jehovah witness upbringing and lapsed faith. Um 835 00:45:42,719 --> 00:45:46,120 Speaker 1: not totally sure. I've never seen him speak about that directly, 836 00:45:46,200 --> 00:45:48,960 Speaker 1: but it's an interesting theory. The album only peaked at 837 00:45:49,000 --> 00:45:50,880 Speaker 1: number forty one in the US, but it went on 838 00:45:50,920 --> 00:45:54,200 Speaker 1: to go platinum, selling a million copies, and most of 839 00:45:54,239 --> 00:45:55,919 Speaker 1: this was on the strength of you get what you give, 840 00:45:56,000 --> 00:45:57,759 Speaker 1: but there were some other good moments as well. On 841 00:45:57,800 --> 00:46:02,160 Speaker 1: the record. It's really stylistic. We varied, and Greg Alexander's 842 00:46:02,200 --> 00:46:04,919 Speaker 1: described the sound of the record to Rolling Stone as 843 00:46:05,040 --> 00:46:08,600 Speaker 1: quote what happens when you have eight thousand messages flying 844 00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:11,719 Speaker 1: through your heads at once? And the title track maybe 845 00:46:11,760 --> 00:46:15,000 Speaker 1: You've Been Brainwashed Two features drums from the XTC song 846 00:46:15,120 --> 00:46:18,360 Speaker 1: All of a Sudden from their English Settlement album, and 847 00:46:18,400 --> 00:46:21,839 Speaker 1: according to XTC songwriter Andy Partridge, the sample was used 848 00:46:21,880 --> 00:46:26,920 Speaker 1: without permission. Another one of these stories, and XTC and 849 00:46:26,960 --> 00:46:30,080 Speaker 1: their record company received seventy thousand pounds or about a 850 00:46:30,160 --> 00:46:34,120 Speaker 1: hundred thousand dollars in compensation for its use. Um. Do 851 00:46:34,200 --> 00:46:36,759 Speaker 1: I ever tell you about how I discovered XTC is 852 00:46:36,800 --> 00:46:41,760 Speaker 1: a real embarrassing rookie move. I was interviewing Dave Grohl 853 00:46:41,840 --> 00:46:44,399 Speaker 1: for a record store day a bunch of years ago, 854 00:46:44,920 --> 00:46:47,080 Speaker 1: and like I was trying to like, he's a big 855 00:46:47,120 --> 00:46:49,799 Speaker 1: Odyssey and Oracle by the Zombies fan, and so I 856 00:46:49,880 --> 00:46:52,000 Speaker 1: was nerding out with him about that and just other 857 00:46:52,040 --> 00:46:55,279 Speaker 1: stuff that we found at record stores. And I've never 858 00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:58,040 Speaker 1: heard of XTC, which I now know is a very 859 00:46:58,040 --> 00:47:01,040 Speaker 1: well known band, and he him dropped them and it 860 00:47:01,120 --> 00:47:02,560 Speaker 1: was very clear I had no idea what he was 861 00:47:02,600 --> 00:47:04,560 Speaker 1: thinking about. And he's like, oh man, I've never heard 862 00:47:04,600 --> 00:47:06,879 Speaker 1: extc um. I mean, he was cute about it, but 863 00:47:07,160 --> 00:47:10,080 Speaker 1: I still like it's inhibited my ability to enjoy XTC 864 00:47:10,239 --> 00:47:12,399 Speaker 1: to this day because I just think of this look 865 00:47:12,400 --> 00:47:15,600 Speaker 1: of disappointment in Dave Girl's face when I just blanked 866 00:47:15,640 --> 00:47:22,080 Speaker 1: him on it. So anyway, but yeah, XTC uh Andy Partridge, 867 00:47:22,360 --> 00:47:26,280 Speaker 1: I assume filed some kind of suit against New radicals 868 00:47:26,280 --> 00:47:27,920 Speaker 1: that's on the lower end of the mid to late 869 00:47:28,000 --> 00:47:32,480 Speaker 1: nineties unauthorized sample lawsuit scale. If Bitter Sweet Symphony is 870 00:47:32,520 --> 00:47:35,240 Speaker 1: the highest, and they have to turn over literally everything 871 00:47:35,280 --> 00:47:38,839 Speaker 1: they made from that song. I think, yes, I think 872 00:47:38,880 --> 00:47:41,759 Speaker 1: that that eventually got overturned a couple of years ago, 873 00:47:41,840 --> 00:47:44,400 Speaker 1: so they got some money back. I don't think they 874 00:47:44,440 --> 00:47:46,120 Speaker 1: got money back, but I think now the rights are 875 00:47:46,120 --> 00:47:48,759 Speaker 1: reverted to him. I oh, good, good for them. I 876 00:47:48,880 --> 00:47:51,680 Speaker 1: love but now that now that it makes like what 877 00:47:51,840 --> 00:47:54,520 Speaker 1: like grand the Year or whatever, probably would have been 878 00:47:54,560 --> 00:47:59,080 Speaker 1: helpful before the rise of the streamers. Huh, well love 879 00:47:59,160 --> 00:48:02,960 Speaker 1: being a musician. Uh. The single Jordan tell us about 880 00:48:02,960 --> 00:48:05,920 Speaker 1: the single release. Yes, the single you Get What You 881 00:48:05,960 --> 00:48:08,560 Speaker 1: Give was released a few weeks after the album in November, 882 00:48:09,560 --> 00:48:11,560 Speaker 1: and Greg had high hopes for it at the time. 883 00:48:11,600 --> 00:48:14,360 Speaker 1: He told Billboard upon its release, I enjoyed watching it 884 00:48:14,480 --> 00:48:17,520 Speaker 1: climb up the chart. I'm ready to be carted around 885 00:48:17,560 --> 00:48:19,880 Speaker 1: like a piece of meat. You have to cut a 886 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:22,320 Speaker 1: deal with the machine and be thrown to the wolves. 887 00:48:23,360 --> 00:48:25,600 Speaker 1: This is where the narrative voice comes in. He would 888 00:48:25,600 --> 00:48:29,160 Speaker 1: come to regret the sentiment as he retired from the 889 00:48:29,200 --> 00:48:33,120 Speaker 1: music industry for years, but still it really caught him 890 00:48:33,160 --> 00:48:35,800 Speaker 1: off guard when the song actually caught on. He tells 891 00:48:35,840 --> 00:48:38,680 Speaker 1: the story of walking down Sunset Boulevards shortly after the 892 00:48:38,680 --> 00:48:41,200 Speaker 1: song's released and hearing it blasting out of a car 893 00:48:41,280 --> 00:48:44,760 Speaker 1: that drove past him, and his initial reaction wasn't joy, 894 00:48:44,880 --> 00:48:48,520 Speaker 1: but hey, someone stole my demo tape. And then a 895 00:48:48,520 --> 00:48:51,399 Speaker 1: few minutes later another car came by blasting the song, 896 00:48:51,880 --> 00:48:54,080 Speaker 1: and instead of like putting it all together, like oh yeah, 897 00:48:54,120 --> 00:48:56,400 Speaker 1: it's the songs out and it's being played on the radio, 898 00:48:56,560 --> 00:48:59,000 Speaker 1: he thought, oh my god, how did all these people 899 00:48:59,080 --> 00:49:03,520 Speaker 1: get my demo to ape? Sweet Sweet Boy? The song 900 00:49:03,680 --> 00:49:06,560 Speaker 1: ultimately topped the charts in Canada and New Zealand, and 901 00:49:06,680 --> 00:49:09,359 Speaker 1: was a top five smash in the UK, only hit 902 00:49:09,520 --> 00:49:12,480 Speaker 1: number thirty six on the Billboard Hot One, which surprised 903 00:49:12,520 --> 00:49:16,920 Speaker 1: me given its influence. The album was very well received 904 00:49:16,920 --> 00:49:20,799 Speaker 1: by the critics. Robert Chris Gout, who hates Everything by 905 00:49:20,840 --> 00:49:23,799 Speaker 1: My Record, gave it an a The outlet known as 906 00:49:23,800 --> 00:49:26,240 Speaker 1: The Daily Record had a really interesting take. They wrote, 907 00:49:26,280 --> 00:49:29,560 Speaker 1: this anthem sounds like the water Boys at their best 908 00:49:29,840 --> 00:49:33,560 Speaker 1: and has meaningful lyrics. It may sound like Bruce Springsteen, 909 00:49:34,080 --> 00:49:37,520 Speaker 1: but that's no bad thing. This upbeat anthem will be 910 00:49:37,560 --> 00:49:40,239 Speaker 1: played in all the good bars of the land when 911 00:49:40,360 --> 00:49:42,680 Speaker 1: is being compared to Bruce a By, But the water 912 00:49:42,719 --> 00:49:45,640 Speaker 1: Boys ripped two, so that's cool. And then the praises 913 00:49:45,760 --> 00:49:49,200 Speaker 1: the plot it's started rolling in from on high Holland. 914 00:49:49,200 --> 00:49:52,120 Speaker 1: Oates teamed up with Todd Rundgren to cover the second 915 00:49:52,160 --> 00:49:54,960 Speaker 1: single from the album, Someday Will Know, and the record 916 00:49:55,000 --> 00:49:58,879 Speaker 1: also got praise from George Michael and Prince Apparently, which 917 00:49:58,880 --> 00:50:01,440 Speaker 1: is must have been a lovely circle moment there for 918 00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:09,040 Speaker 1: old Greg because he used to cover live. Um, it's 919 00:50:09,080 --> 00:50:11,680 Speaker 1: better than that Will Smith song where he's like We're 920 00:50:11,680 --> 00:50:17,200 Speaker 1: gonna party like his n hold up it is God. 921 00:50:17,239 --> 00:50:19,960 Speaker 1: He hate Will Smith Um but you Get what You 922 00:50:20,000 --> 00:50:22,520 Speaker 1: Give in particular, earned more than its fair share of 923 00:50:22,560 --> 00:50:25,799 Speaker 1: shoutouts from the musical elite. In two thousands six Iced 924 00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:28,680 Speaker 1: Tea was asked on Late Night with Conan O'Brien about 925 00:50:28,719 --> 00:50:31,480 Speaker 1: what he's heard besides rap music in the last few 926 00:50:31,600 --> 00:50:34,440 Speaker 1: years that really grabbed him, and his only reply was 927 00:50:34,560 --> 00:50:38,800 Speaker 1: you get what you give. Ten years later, seven years 928 00:50:38,800 --> 00:50:41,120 Speaker 1: of music I had been made at that point and 929 00:50:41,200 --> 00:50:44,800 Speaker 1: that was still an interview with Time You Two. Guitarist 930 00:50:44,920 --> 00:50:48,160 Speaker 1: The Edge cited you get what you give, gentleman the 931 00:50:48,239 --> 00:50:51,920 Speaker 1: Edge and gentleman the Edge with that hat that he 932 00:50:51,960 --> 00:50:55,360 Speaker 1: hasn't taken off in thirty years um as one of 933 00:50:55,440 --> 00:50:59,600 Speaker 1: the songs that he's most jealous of not writing. Take 934 00:50:59,640 --> 00:51:02,600 Speaker 1: this with a grain of salt, because Wonder Wall was 935 00:51:02,640 --> 00:51:04,920 Speaker 1: the other song, and he said he's jealous of not 936 00:51:05,000 --> 00:51:08,759 Speaker 1: writing that's a great tune. Edge said of you Get 937 00:51:08,760 --> 00:51:10,719 Speaker 1: what you Give, I really would love to have written that. 938 00:51:10,840 --> 00:51:14,080 Speaker 1: Great spirit, great energy. He was making appearance in two 939 00:51:14,080 --> 00:51:17,400 Speaker 1: thousand fifteen with Bono on the Awards Chatter podcast for 940 00:51:17,520 --> 00:51:19,719 Speaker 1: th HR and he said, when I first heard that 941 00:51:19,760 --> 00:51:21,920 Speaker 1: on the radio, we were in the studio working on something, 942 00:51:21,960 --> 00:51:24,560 Speaker 1: and I was like, what I promptly went and wrote 943 00:51:24,600 --> 00:51:27,480 Speaker 1: a song that I thought was mildly influenced by that tune, 944 00:51:27,800 --> 00:51:29,680 Speaker 1: and it turned out that like within an hour of 945 00:51:29,719 --> 00:51:32,279 Speaker 1: playing it, everyone was going, what are you doing? That's 946 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:34,560 Speaker 1: the same as the New Radicals. So it never saw 947 00:51:34,600 --> 00:51:39,560 Speaker 1: the light of day. Bono added of Alexander, Yeah, stunning songwriter, 948 00:51:39,760 --> 00:51:43,319 Speaker 1: stunning songwriter, He's amazing. And Greg, who must be said 949 00:51:43,360 --> 00:51:46,840 Speaker 1: sounds very Bono like with the falsetto oz that he 950 00:51:46,880 --> 00:51:49,520 Speaker 1: puts in this song, was very appreciative of the praise, 951 00:51:49,840 --> 00:51:53,000 Speaker 1: telling Billboard, Wow, it's like being complimented by the Beatles, 952 00:51:53,160 --> 00:51:57,640 Speaker 1: to which I say, narrator voice, it was not Um 953 00:51:57,880 --> 00:52:00,840 Speaker 1: spotlight on Joni Mitchell. I'll tell you my Bonno story. 954 00:52:01,560 --> 00:52:05,040 Speaker 1: This is just like this whole episode. It is gonna 955 00:52:05,080 --> 00:52:09,319 Speaker 1: get padded out by our or our anecdotes are. This 956 00:52:09,360 --> 00:52:13,440 Speaker 1: case is the second hand anecdote. UM family member was 957 00:52:13,640 --> 00:52:16,600 Speaker 1: in Ireland on some business lunch and one of her 958 00:52:16,640 --> 00:52:20,440 Speaker 1: colleagues looked across the restaurant and saw Bono eating lunch 959 00:52:20,600 --> 00:52:24,800 Speaker 1: with a friend, and this woman just completely melt down. 960 00:52:25,000 --> 00:52:27,200 Speaker 1: She is just a Bonno super fan be like if 961 00:52:27,239 --> 00:52:29,920 Speaker 1: I saw Palmercartney across the room, like you could no 962 00:52:30,000 --> 00:52:33,520 Speaker 1: longer have business discussions, could no longer eat, could could 963 00:52:33,520 --> 00:52:36,000 Speaker 1: barely breathe. I me, and she's just completely freaking out, 964 00:52:36,600 --> 00:52:40,359 Speaker 1: and you know, all business talk is tabled while they're 965 00:52:40,360 --> 00:52:43,480 Speaker 1: just like talking about Bono across the room. Basically, Bonna 966 00:52:43,520 --> 00:52:45,279 Speaker 1: gets up and goes to the bathroom, and this woman 967 00:52:45,360 --> 00:52:47,839 Speaker 1: runs over and speaks to his friend and said, look, 968 00:52:48,040 --> 00:52:50,680 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I never do this, this is embarrassing. Bono 969 00:52:50,880 --> 00:52:53,520 Speaker 1: is everything to me. I don't want to disturb you anymore. 970 00:52:53,560 --> 00:52:56,399 Speaker 1: They already have. I'm really sorry, but could you ask 971 00:52:56,520 --> 00:52:59,680 Speaker 1: him to just sign a menu, a napkin, anything? It 972 00:52:59,680 --> 00:53:02,840 Speaker 1: would just mean the world to me and Bono's friends like, well, 973 00:53:03,560 --> 00:53:06,040 Speaker 1: you know, I can't make him do anything. You know, 974 00:53:06,080 --> 00:53:09,520 Speaker 1: he's Bonno, no no, I totally totally understand. I'll try, 975 00:53:09,560 --> 00:53:11,600 Speaker 1: I'll try. Thank you, Thank you so much. She runs 976 00:53:11,600 --> 00:53:14,359 Speaker 1: back to her table. Bonno leaves the bathroom, sits back 977 00:53:14,400 --> 00:53:17,719 Speaker 1: down with his friend. Everybody finishes launch. Bono and his 978 00:53:17,800 --> 00:53:19,880 Speaker 1: friend get up to leave. A waiter comes over to 979 00:53:19,920 --> 00:53:22,800 Speaker 1: this woman's table and drops this napkin that's been signed 980 00:53:22,800 --> 00:53:25,759 Speaker 1: by Bono in her lap, and she's just overjoyed, like 981 00:53:25,880 --> 00:53:28,879 Speaker 1: you know, tears a welling up, She's thrilled. They asked 982 00:53:28,920 --> 00:53:31,160 Speaker 1: for the check, and the waiter said, oh no, don't worry. 983 00:53:31,200 --> 00:53:33,920 Speaker 1: He's been taken care of. And Mr Springsteen says, have 984 00:53:34,000 --> 00:53:37,640 Speaker 1: a wonderful day. Bono's friend was Bruce Springsteen, and she 985 00:53:37,719 --> 00:53:39,799 Speaker 1: was so she had her Bonno glasses on so much 986 00:53:39,840 --> 00:53:41,440 Speaker 1: that she didn't even realize that she was talking to 987 00:53:41,440 --> 00:53:44,160 Speaker 1: Bruce Springsteen the whole time, which I'm sure Bruce loved. 988 00:53:46,840 --> 00:53:52,160 Speaker 1: And we're going to take a quick break, but we'll 989 00:53:52,160 --> 00:53:54,680 Speaker 1: be right back with more too much information and just 990 00:53:54,760 --> 00:54:09,200 Speaker 1: a moment. And now, as thoughts inevitably drift towards, we 991 00:54:09,280 --> 00:54:12,920 Speaker 1: must speak of Joni Mitchell. She really liked the song uh, 992 00:54:12,960 --> 00:54:16,080 Speaker 1: and has said so really. I said as much publicly 993 00:54:16,200 --> 00:54:18,959 Speaker 1: several times over the years. In two thousand Jonie called 994 00:54:18,960 --> 00:54:21,280 Speaker 1: it the only song I have liked in a long time, 995 00:54:21,640 --> 00:54:24,840 Speaker 1: and referred to Greg Alexander as my kind of punky 996 00:54:24,960 --> 00:54:29,520 Speaker 1: white boy. Joni has got some problematic thoughts on race, 997 00:54:29,600 --> 00:54:32,520 Speaker 1: but well, I'm gloss over that. Two years later, in 998 00:54:32,560 --> 00:54:35,440 Speaker 1: two thousand two, she told Rolling Stone the only thing 999 00:54:35,480 --> 00:54:37,840 Speaker 1: I heard in many years that I thought had greatness 1000 00:54:37,840 --> 00:54:40,399 Speaker 1: in it was the New Radicals. I loved that song 1001 00:54:40,560 --> 00:54:42,799 Speaker 1: you Get what You Give. It was a big hit, 1002 00:54:43,040 --> 00:54:45,160 Speaker 1: and I said, where did they go? It turns out 1003 00:54:45,160 --> 00:54:47,839 Speaker 1: the guy quit. I thought, good for him. I knew 1004 00:54:47,840 --> 00:54:50,080 Speaker 1: he was my kind of guy. And then in the 1005 00:54:50,120 --> 00:54:53,400 Speaker 1: liner notes to her two thousand four compilation Artist's Choice, 1006 00:54:53,719 --> 00:54:57,000 Speaker 1: she praised the song again for rising above the swamp 1007 00:54:57,080 --> 00:55:01,040 Speaker 1: of Mick music like a flower of hope. So that's 1008 00:55:01,080 --> 00:55:03,760 Speaker 1: that's good and you know, Greg's and good company because 1009 00:55:04,040 --> 00:55:07,040 Speaker 1: in a interview with Cameron Crowe, she said the only 1010 00:55:07,040 --> 00:55:09,640 Speaker 1: current Ish people that she was listening to were the 1011 00:55:09,840 --> 00:55:16,480 Speaker 1: semi obscure R and B singer Leela James and baby Face. Wow, 1012 00:55:16,560 --> 00:55:20,960 Speaker 1: that's awesome. So the new Radicals are starting to take off. 1013 00:55:21,400 --> 00:55:24,920 Speaker 1: But in a story we have heard dozens hundreds of 1014 00:55:24,920 --> 00:55:28,920 Speaker 1: times before, Greg Anderson learned that feeding the music industry 1015 00:55:28,920 --> 00:55:32,160 Speaker 1: beast is not always a good time. He was exhausted 1016 00:55:32,200 --> 00:55:34,759 Speaker 1: from all the promotional duties. The interview is the DJ 1017 00:55:34,880 --> 00:55:37,400 Speaker 1: glad handing um all the things that you have to 1018 00:55:37,400 --> 00:55:39,759 Speaker 1: do as a musician that really don't have to do 1019 00:55:39,880 --> 00:55:42,600 Speaker 1: with music. High goal as a musician. I'm sure you 1020 00:55:42,600 --> 00:55:44,080 Speaker 1: have a lot to say about this. I know you. 1021 00:55:44,920 --> 00:55:47,319 Speaker 1: I can start. You literally wrote a song about this 1022 00:55:47,400 --> 00:55:50,000 Speaker 1: topic that I played with you in your band. Yeah, 1023 00:55:50,080 --> 00:55:54,560 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm tempted to say, like, when you're making 1024 00:55:54,600 --> 00:55:58,120 Speaker 1: actual money, it's part of the job. I'm sure it sucks, 1025 00:55:58,160 --> 00:56:01,680 Speaker 1: but like, if you had a platinum selling single out, 1026 00:56:01,840 --> 00:56:04,960 Speaker 1: suck it up and do the interviews you punk, Like 1027 00:56:05,480 --> 00:56:07,719 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, yes, I wrote a song about it, but 1028 00:56:08,000 --> 00:56:10,160 Speaker 1: also I make no money, Like I'm sure he had 1029 00:56:10,160 --> 00:56:12,680 Speaker 1: a manager, dude. To be a musician today is to 1030 00:56:12,840 --> 00:56:15,960 Speaker 1: like run your entire shop by yourself until you get 1031 00:56:16,000 --> 00:56:17,480 Speaker 1: to a certain level, Like you have to be your 1032 00:56:17,480 --> 00:56:18,960 Speaker 1: own book or you have to be at your own 1033 00:56:19,239 --> 00:56:22,120 Speaker 1: social media person. You have to be your own engineer. 1034 00:56:22,280 --> 00:56:25,280 Speaker 1: You finance your own records, you drive the van yourself. 1035 00:56:25,320 --> 00:56:28,440 Speaker 1: So I agree with what he's saying in theory, but 1036 00:56:28,560 --> 00:56:31,240 Speaker 1: also at the level he was operating at, I don't 1037 00:56:31,239 --> 00:56:34,160 Speaker 1: necessarily think he has caused to like gripe whatever. People 1038 00:56:34,160 --> 00:56:36,440 Speaker 1: can gripe about whatever they want, but like, you have 1039 00:56:36,480 --> 00:56:39,520 Speaker 1: a platinum selling single out, dude, Like, yeah, you're gonna 1040 00:56:39,520 --> 00:56:43,080 Speaker 1: have to do some radio promos. Suck it up. Sorry, 1041 00:56:43,440 --> 00:56:46,080 Speaker 1: you were signed at sixteen, like the trials of your 1042 00:56:46,080 --> 00:56:50,200 Speaker 1: life as a musician are minor. Well, I mean he 1043 00:56:50,239 --> 00:56:52,800 Speaker 1: did also he was also grinding it out from age 1044 00:56:52,840 --> 00:56:59,120 Speaker 1: sixteen to age seven, ever didn't have any success busking 1045 00:56:59,160 --> 00:57:05,839 Speaker 1: in Lapark, Oh. Signed at sixteen. Let me let me 1046 00:57:06,000 --> 00:57:10,080 Speaker 1: do the building one of the most iconic record executive 1047 00:57:10,080 --> 00:57:12,400 Speaker 1: of all time. Let me just wipe my tears with 1048 00:57:12,480 --> 00:57:17,720 Speaker 1: my unsold t shirts from our old band did anyone 1049 00:57:17,760 --> 00:57:19,880 Speaker 1: from this generation just does not get sympathy for me. 1050 00:57:19,960 --> 00:57:23,600 Speaker 1: I'm sorry. If you were a musician before Napster and 1051 00:57:23,680 --> 00:57:26,720 Speaker 1: particularly before Spotify and Pandora, like, I'm sorry you don't 1052 00:57:26,720 --> 00:57:29,320 Speaker 1: get sympathy from me. You have no you. You mothers 1053 00:57:29,400 --> 00:57:35,280 Speaker 1: have no idea what it's like out here anyway, I guess. 1054 00:57:35,400 --> 00:57:38,120 Speaker 1: Greg said a personal love was having the tape station 1055 00:57:38,160 --> 00:57:41,040 Speaker 1: breaks for an l A Area radio station saying stuff 1056 00:57:41,080 --> 00:57:43,160 Speaker 1: like this is Greg from the New Radicals, and you're 1057 00:57:43,160 --> 00:57:46,200 Speaker 1: hanging with the party pig. It was like a little 1058 00:57:46,200 --> 00:57:53,360 Speaker 1: flower compromising his art. Pig, I no, I'm done. You 1059 00:57:53,480 --> 00:57:58,240 Speaker 1: got more. In the Hollywood Reporter piece, he said that 1060 00:57:58,280 --> 00:58:01,520 Speaker 1: the party pig incident was quote a metaphor for all 1061 00:58:01,600 --> 00:58:03,680 Speaker 1: the sort of stuff that artists to this day have 1062 00:58:03,840 --> 00:58:06,000 Speaker 1: to do, and as bad as it seems back then, 1063 00:58:06,160 --> 00:58:09,280 Speaker 1: is multiplied a thousand times, So, he admits it it 1064 00:58:09,320 --> 00:58:11,720 Speaker 1: seems like a sad trade off for artists. It's the 1065 00:58:11,760 --> 00:58:13,560 Speaker 1: deal with the devil. If you want your work to 1066 00:58:13,600 --> 00:58:16,520 Speaker 1: be seen. It's unfortunately not just about the work, and 1067 00:58:16,560 --> 00:58:19,240 Speaker 1: when it becomes less about the art than the art suffers. 1068 00:58:19,320 --> 00:58:22,120 Speaker 1: I simply missed feeling like an artist every day and 1069 00:58:22,200 --> 00:58:24,840 Speaker 1: being able to write songs every day and not feel 1070 00:58:24,880 --> 00:58:27,720 Speaker 1: like my time was being controlled and managed to answer 1071 00:58:27,800 --> 00:58:33,680 Speaker 1: to corporate shareholders. I think that's a pretty yeah. Exactly. Moreover, 1072 00:58:33,720 --> 00:58:36,919 Speaker 1: he added, I missed my old life, which I think 1073 00:58:37,160 --> 00:58:40,200 Speaker 1: you know that alone is enough. Okay, like walk away 1074 00:58:40,240 --> 00:58:42,040 Speaker 1: if you want. That's I think there's That's kind of 1075 00:58:42,040 --> 00:58:45,960 Speaker 1: an unmpeachable sentiment. And the other important thing to remember 1076 00:58:45,960 --> 00:58:48,920 Speaker 1: is that by like I said earlier, he'd been around 1077 00:58:48,920 --> 00:58:51,840 Speaker 1: in the music industry for twelve years and was already 1078 00:58:51,920 --> 00:58:53,720 Speaker 1: just sort of done with it. In his own words, 1079 00:58:53,720 --> 00:58:57,480 Speaker 1: he was quote ready to retire, and so that's what 1080 00:58:57,560 --> 00:59:01,000 Speaker 1: he did. In the summer of Just weeks after filming 1081 00:59:01,000 --> 00:59:03,920 Speaker 1: a video for the band's second single, Someday Will Know, 1082 00:59:04,600 --> 00:59:08,160 Speaker 1: Greg Alexander released a statement on July twelve, saying that 1083 00:59:08,200 --> 00:59:11,520 Speaker 1: the group Quote will no longer be a recording, promoting 1084 00:59:11,600 --> 00:59:14,920 Speaker 1: or performing entity. He announced that he wanted to focus 1085 00:59:14,920 --> 00:59:17,960 Speaker 1: on his own production company and writing songs for other artists, 1086 00:59:18,120 --> 00:59:19,880 Speaker 1: and he went on to say, I'm going to be 1087 00:59:19,920 --> 00:59:23,000 Speaker 1: turning thirty next year, and I realized that traveling and 1088 00:59:23,000 --> 00:59:25,640 Speaker 1: getting three hours of sleep in a different hotel every night, 1089 00:59:25,880 --> 00:59:28,400 Speaker 1: and having to do hanging and schmoozing with radio and 1090 00:59:28,440 --> 00:59:31,720 Speaker 1: retail people is definitely not for me. Over the last 1091 00:59:31,760 --> 00:59:34,680 Speaker 1: several months, I've lost interest in fronting a one hit wonder. 1092 00:59:34,760 --> 00:59:36,800 Speaker 1: Those are his words. To the point that I was 1093 00:59:36,840 --> 00:59:40,160 Speaker 1: wearing a hat while performing so that people wouldn't see 1094 00:59:40,200 --> 00:59:44,920 Speaker 1: my lack of enthusiasm. Yes, the famous bucket hat masked 1095 00:59:44,960 --> 00:59:48,200 Speaker 1: and intersa I both love and he slashed his top, 1096 00:59:48,200 --> 00:59:50,680 Speaker 1: hat masked his stage fright. Moral of the story is 1097 00:59:50,720 --> 00:59:53,080 Speaker 1: you see somebody wearing a hat on stage there the 1098 00:59:53,120 --> 00:59:57,840 Speaker 1: wild card, give him a hug, do a wellness check. Yeah, exactly, 1099 00:59:58,960 --> 01:00:03,560 Speaker 1: gay and Jami REQUI must be in tremendous pain. The 1100 01:00:03,640 --> 01:00:09,600 Speaker 1: bigger the hat, the heavier the load you carry. Um. 1101 01:00:09,680 --> 01:00:12,000 Speaker 1: He basically said that he had played the part of 1102 01:00:12,000 --> 01:00:14,120 Speaker 1: the pop star, and it did, but he set out 1103 01:00:14,120 --> 01:00:16,440 Speaker 1: to do. He told MTV dot Com it was an 1104 01:00:16,520 --> 01:00:19,480 Speaker 1: experience playing the artist, but I accomplished all my goals 1105 01:00:19,520 --> 01:00:21,360 Speaker 1: with this record, and now I'm ready to move on 1106 01:00:21,440 --> 01:00:24,120 Speaker 1: and make the next step in my career. And true 1107 01:00:24,160 --> 01:00:26,280 Speaker 1: to his word, like we said, he stopped doing press 1108 01:00:26,360 --> 01:00:28,800 Speaker 1: until that two thousand fourteen the interview for The Hollywood 1109 01:00:28,840 --> 01:00:34,400 Speaker 1: Reporter and immersed himself in songwriting and production. And while 1110 01:00:34,400 --> 01:00:37,960 Speaker 1: we're here, let's do a little sidebar lightning round on 1111 01:00:38,120 --> 01:00:41,840 Speaker 1: bands that broke up after one really great album show 1112 01:00:41,960 --> 01:00:44,640 Speaker 1: go ahead, just bang them out, not necessarily hits, but 1113 01:00:45,440 --> 01:00:49,880 Speaker 1: account five Psychotic Reaction in nineteen sixty six. We're going chronologically. 1114 01:00:49,960 --> 01:00:52,640 Speaker 1: That's a great Nuggets track right there. That's how I 1115 01:00:52,720 --> 01:00:55,800 Speaker 1: learned that song. The United States of America, a weird 1116 01:00:55,920 --> 01:01:00,120 Speaker 1: kind of psychedelicy group from their self titled record, is 1117 01:01:00,120 --> 01:01:03,240 Speaker 1: a classic blind faith of course, although we should say 1118 01:01:03,520 --> 01:01:06,320 Speaker 1: all the supergroup types of stuff kind of I don't 1119 01:01:06,320 --> 01:01:10,080 Speaker 1: really Okay, Yeah, how do we feel about Derek and 1120 01:01:10,120 --> 01:01:12,440 Speaker 1: the Domino's Layla. That's the one on only album aside 1121 01:01:12,440 --> 01:01:15,520 Speaker 1: from their live album from seventy three. They could get 1122 01:01:15,560 --> 01:01:18,920 Speaker 1: Grandfather Dan, but it's another supergroup. Yeah, okay. The Modern 1123 01:01:19,000 --> 01:01:22,280 Speaker 1: Lover's debut in nineteen seventy six is their only real album, 1124 01:01:22,360 --> 01:01:24,960 Speaker 1: though they did have other demos and version stuff come 1125 01:01:25,000 --> 01:01:28,000 Speaker 1: out after sex Pistols. Never Mind the Bullocks. That's the 1126 01:01:28,120 --> 01:01:32,479 Speaker 1: quintessential example of this trope. The one undone um rock 1127 01:01:32,520 --> 01:01:35,919 Speaker 1: pile Seconds of Pleasure with Nick Lowe. I guess that's 1128 01:01:36,000 --> 01:01:39,919 Speaker 1: kind of kind of a supergroup. Sure. Uh, Joseph Kay 1129 01:01:40,000 --> 01:01:43,400 Speaker 1: is the only fun in Town Night one Minor Threats 1130 01:01:43,440 --> 01:01:46,520 Speaker 1: out of Step in nineteen they had released They released 1131 01:01:46,560 --> 01:01:51,400 Speaker 1: an EP after that, but yeah, whatever, Right of Spring 1132 01:01:51,480 --> 01:01:54,200 Speaker 1: self titled record in six I'm just impressive. You got 1133 01:01:54,280 --> 01:01:57,480 Speaker 1: these DC hardcore bands in here right now? I do 1134 01:01:57,560 --> 01:02:01,240 Speaker 1: I do my research. The Law self titled record in 1135 01:02:01,320 --> 01:02:04,040 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety. It's a one with there She Goes and 1136 01:02:04,280 --> 01:02:07,200 Speaker 1: uh Timeless Melody. It's a great song too. I think 1137 01:02:07,240 --> 01:02:10,280 Speaker 1: Temple of the Dogs self title record. I think this 1138 01:02:10,320 --> 01:02:13,280 Speaker 1: is also an age case because that was convened as 1139 01:02:13,320 --> 01:02:15,960 Speaker 1: a special project as an all star band to pay 1140 01:02:16,000 --> 01:02:19,760 Speaker 1: tribute to Uh Andrew Wood. Chris Cornell put that together 1141 01:02:20,040 --> 01:02:22,360 Speaker 1: Andrew Wood and singer A Mother Loved Bone and another 1142 01:02:22,400 --> 01:02:27,720 Speaker 1: band called Malfunction Function No disrespect to the dead. But 1143 01:02:27,760 --> 01:02:31,320 Speaker 1: those are truly awful band names. But it does have 1144 01:02:31,440 --> 01:02:34,360 Speaker 1: my favorite grunge one hit Wonder on their Baby Been 1145 01:02:34,720 --> 01:02:40,640 Speaker 1: Hunger Strike Numa one Hunger. Yeah, Yeah, I'm you. I 1146 01:02:40,680 --> 01:02:44,280 Speaker 1: interviewed Chris Cornell and I asked him about potential of 1147 01:02:45,200 --> 01:02:47,240 Speaker 1: I was asked I should say to ask him about 1148 01:02:47,240 --> 01:02:51,680 Speaker 1: the potential of tuple of Dog reuniting. Yeah, he seems sad. 1149 01:02:51,800 --> 01:02:54,520 Speaker 1: He shot it down pro quickly. Yeah, poor guy. That 1150 01:02:54,600 --> 01:02:56,320 Speaker 1: one hit me a lot harder than I thought it 1151 01:02:56,320 --> 01:02:58,520 Speaker 1: would because I was just like this dude seemed like 1152 01:02:58,520 --> 01:03:00,960 Speaker 1: he on top of the world, just like the best voice, 1153 01:03:02,040 --> 01:03:08,640 Speaker 1: handsome aging well like what bummer I watched that version 1154 01:03:08,680 --> 01:03:11,400 Speaker 1: of Nothing compares to you that he's sang and just 1155 01:03:11,480 --> 01:03:16,240 Speaker 1: like whaped. Anyway, that's enough about Chris corn Now. I 1156 01:03:16,280 --> 01:03:18,040 Speaker 1: paid tribute to him in his grave when I was 1157 01:03:18,040 --> 01:03:20,479 Speaker 1: in l A a a couple of weeks ago, the Hollywood Forever. 1158 01:03:21,120 --> 01:03:24,840 Speaker 1: Good m what else you got? Oh? I hate following 1159 01:03:24,920 --> 01:03:28,800 Speaker 1: up Chris Cornell with Box Car Racers self titled record 1160 01:03:28,840 --> 01:03:34,040 Speaker 1: in two. I mean unless some of those songs in 1161 01:03:34,080 --> 01:03:36,880 Speaker 1: my high school bands. Yeah, and finally, let's end with 1162 01:03:36,920 --> 01:03:39,640 Speaker 1: the Postal Service with give up in two thousand three. 1163 01:03:39,760 --> 01:03:43,240 Speaker 1: Bam fine. Nothing to say about the postal service anyway. 1164 01:03:44,840 --> 01:03:50,360 Speaker 1: Moving on um the aftermath. After disbanding the New Radicals, 1165 01:03:50,520 --> 01:03:54,200 Speaker 1: Greg Alexander found himself at a crossroads. Haven't used that 1166 01:03:54,200 --> 01:03:57,600 Speaker 1: one in a while. He England and settled in Nodding Hill, 1167 01:03:58,080 --> 01:04:00,360 Speaker 1: and at one point he recalls living with the rock 1168 01:04:00,360 --> 01:04:03,360 Speaker 1: revivalist The Darkness. I would give a pound of my 1169 01:04:03,440 --> 01:04:07,080 Speaker 1: flesh to hear the atrocious collaborations that came out of 1170 01:04:07,080 --> 01:04:11,360 Speaker 1: that living arrangement. He started getting calls from music industry 1171 01:04:11,600 --> 01:04:16,320 Speaker 1: heavy hitters, namely Lucian Grange, the Harry Potter villain named 1172 01:04:16,480 --> 01:04:21,000 Speaker 1: CEO of Universal Music, who Greg refers to his uncle Lucien, 1173 01:04:21,960 --> 01:04:24,120 Speaker 1: who gave him an open invite to write for umg 1174 01:04:24,280 --> 01:04:27,320 Speaker 1: artists under pseudonyms of his own. Choosing it basically gave 1175 01:04:27,400 --> 01:04:29,080 Speaker 1: him a chance to do what he used to do 1176 01:04:29,120 --> 01:04:31,560 Speaker 1: as a boy, which was playing his demos for friends 1177 01:04:31,600 --> 01:04:33,840 Speaker 1: without telling them he was the one who wrote them. 1178 01:04:33,880 --> 01:04:36,200 Speaker 1: He said, I wanted people to either like or not 1179 01:04:36,320 --> 01:04:39,480 Speaker 1: like a song on its own volition, of their own 1180 01:04:39,520 --> 01:04:42,520 Speaker 1: volition whatever. It gave me something to do, and it 1181 01:04:42,560 --> 01:04:44,680 Speaker 1: gave me a feeling that my music was being heard 1182 01:04:44,760 --> 01:04:47,400 Speaker 1: in my absence of being the person out there doing 1183 01:04:47,440 --> 01:04:50,720 Speaker 1: the dog and pony show. Teaming with his ex New 1184 01:04:50,840 --> 01:04:55,560 Speaker 1: Radicals cohorts like Rick Knowles and Danielle Brisboa, he wrote 1185 01:04:55,600 --> 01:04:58,880 Speaker 1: songs for hosts of British artists Ronan Keating got Life 1186 01:04:58,920 --> 01:05:00,840 Speaker 1: as a roller Coaster, which was a song Greg had 1187 01:05:00,880 --> 01:05:03,400 Speaker 1: originally written for the New Radicals follow up record that 1188 01:05:03,440 --> 01:05:05,760 Speaker 1: went to number one in the UK. He also wrote 1189 01:05:05,760 --> 01:05:08,479 Speaker 1: one of Jordan's favorite dance tracks, Murder on the Dance Floor, 1190 01:05:08,520 --> 01:05:12,760 Speaker 1: for Sophie Ellis beck Store that hit number two in England. 1191 01:05:13,440 --> 01:05:16,600 Speaker 1: Scottish rock band Texas took a song called Inner Smile 1192 01:05:16,760 --> 01:05:19,800 Speaker 1: to number six in the UK, and Greg even got 1193 01:05:19,800 --> 01:05:23,440 Speaker 1: to work with Rod Stewart on I Can't Deny It, 1194 01:05:23,520 --> 01:05:26,200 Speaker 1: a track from his top ten album Human. He also 1195 01:05:26,240 --> 01:05:29,600 Speaker 1: wrote four songs on Enricky Iglesia's two thousand three albums 1196 01:05:29,640 --> 01:05:34,600 Speaker 1: seven did he write hero I don't think so, Jam 1197 01:05:34,640 --> 01:05:36,600 Speaker 1: please tell me more. I'm surprised to hear you say that. 1198 01:05:36,800 --> 01:05:42,000 Speaker 1: Well the video with my Brunette Love Jennifer Love Hewitt. 1199 01:05:42,160 --> 01:05:46,240 Speaker 1: That did a lot for me. Um and then he 1200 01:05:46,320 --> 01:05:49,600 Speaker 1: lent his services to Melanie c former Spice Girl Melanie 1201 01:05:49,640 --> 01:05:52,959 Speaker 1: c for her single on the Horizon, and he also 1202 01:05:53,040 --> 01:05:55,400 Speaker 1: we mentioned you worked with Hansen, but also you mentioned 1203 01:05:55,560 --> 01:06:01,080 Speaker 1: indie rock OTTs rock Revivalists. Also Rand's the Kaiser Chiefs. 1204 01:06:02,080 --> 01:06:06,520 Speaker 1: How about that? And then somehow through this morass, Clive 1205 01:06:06,600 --> 01:06:10,760 Speaker 1: Davis comes calling. And when Clive calls, baby, you pick 1206 01:06:10,840 --> 01:06:13,800 Speaker 1: up the phone. Greg initially thought that Clive was calling 1207 01:06:13,840 --> 01:06:18,600 Speaker 1: to yell at him, which he might have. Clive doesn't yell, 1208 01:06:18,640 --> 01:06:22,960 Speaker 1: he doesn't have to. It's true. Clive had famously smoshed 1209 01:06:23,080 --> 01:06:28,000 Speaker 1: together a contemporary songwriters modern artists to revitalize the career 1210 01:06:28,000 --> 01:06:32,680 Speaker 1: of Santana with Supernatural, which hogged all of the Grammys, 1211 01:06:32,840 --> 01:06:38,720 Speaker 1: foisted Santana's endless guitar catterwalling onto a new unsuspecting generation, 1212 01:06:38,840 --> 01:06:45,400 Speaker 1: and gave us the undyinging meme of Smooth, a song 1213 01:06:45,480 --> 01:06:51,520 Speaker 1: I have come to loathe so so deeply. It's so good, 1214 01:06:51,680 --> 01:06:57,720 Speaker 1: Come on, it's not anyway. Now he's working to follow 1215 01:06:57,800 --> 01:07:00,240 Speaker 1: up to that, and he wanted a song. Greg, working 1216 01:07:00,280 --> 01:07:02,480 Speaker 1: under a fake name, teamed with Rick Knowles to write 1217 01:07:02,480 --> 01:07:06,120 Speaker 1: the song The Game of Love. That's a great. An 1218 01:07:06,120 --> 01:07:08,800 Speaker 1: early version was demoed by Macy Gray, and her version 1219 01:07:08,800 --> 01:07:12,000 Speaker 1: remains unreleased, and then Tina Turner took a stab at 1220 01:07:12,040 --> 01:07:15,800 Speaker 1: it and her rendition is included on Santana's Greatest Hits. 1221 01:07:15,800 --> 01:07:17,720 Speaker 1: So if you want to hear Tina Turner sing a 1222 01:07:17,800 --> 01:07:21,880 Speaker 1: song written by the New Radicals guy and completely slathered 1223 01:07:22,080 --> 01:07:27,760 Speaker 1: in old guy guitar, baby, that's your song. Um. He 1224 01:07:27,960 --> 01:07:31,160 Speaker 1: also has a demo of this song, and you can 1225 01:07:31,200 --> 01:07:33,080 Speaker 1: here on YouTube and you can really hear how it's 1226 01:07:33,080 --> 01:07:35,280 Speaker 1: related to you. You get what you give, and it 1227 01:07:35,360 --> 01:07:38,080 Speaker 1: also opens with a drumbeat that sounds very much like 1228 01:07:38,200 --> 01:07:41,720 Speaker 1: Raspberry Beret. The constant through lining Greg Alexander's career has 1229 01:07:41,760 --> 01:07:48,920 Speaker 1: been Prince, Uh, did you listen to it? But I 1230 01:07:49,000 --> 01:07:51,680 Speaker 1: but I said you did and it was very sweet 1231 01:07:52,400 --> 01:07:57,840 Speaker 1: and I opted to ignore it. Stewart Vermin Stewart Vermin 1232 01:07:57,960 --> 01:08:00,200 Speaker 1: in his I can tell I hurt you here and 1233 01:08:00,240 --> 01:08:03,120 Speaker 1: I feel bad about that, um, but I don't care 1234 01:08:03,320 --> 01:08:07,680 Speaker 1: about Gregg Alexander. Stuart Berman, in his stereogum piece, has 1235 01:08:07,680 --> 01:08:11,360 Speaker 1: an incredibly beautiful, almost hunting description that links the game 1236 01:08:11,360 --> 01:08:15,120 Speaker 1: of love to you get what you gig give. In 1237 01:08:15,120 --> 01:08:17,519 Speaker 1: this music industry, you certainly don't get what you gig, 1238 01:08:20,600 --> 01:08:23,559 Speaker 1: underscoring the melancholy of a pop genius who benched himself. 1239 01:08:24,240 --> 01:08:27,120 Speaker 1: Uh this is Berman's writing. The Game of Love includes 1240 01:08:27,160 --> 01:08:30,559 Speaker 1: a familiar as sending falsetto flourish, remarkably similar to the 1241 01:08:30,600 --> 01:08:32,720 Speaker 1: one heard near the end of You Get what You Give, 1242 01:08:33,000 --> 01:08:36,000 Speaker 1: like a mysterious bread crumb clue left behind by someone 1243 01:08:36,040 --> 01:08:38,240 Speaker 1: who doesn't want to be found. But if there's a 1244 01:08:38,240 --> 01:08:41,559 Speaker 1: cruel irony to hearing an anti consumerist anthem getting stripped 1245 01:08:41,560 --> 01:08:44,560 Speaker 1: for spare parts that get repackaged into an adult contemporary 1246 01:08:44,600 --> 01:08:47,720 Speaker 1: pop song, it's an outcome that Alexander all but anticipated 1247 01:08:47,800 --> 01:08:50,960 Speaker 1: himself end quote. The song was a smash, winning the 1248 01:08:51,040 --> 01:08:53,800 Speaker 1: Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals in two 1249 01:08:53,800 --> 01:08:56,960 Speaker 1: thousand three, but Alexander began to feel the same sense 1250 01:08:57,000 --> 01:08:59,640 Speaker 1: of dissatisfaction and frustration with the music industry that he 1251 01:08:59,720 --> 01:09:02,120 Speaker 1: did at the height of his New Radicals fame. He 1252 01:09:02,240 --> 01:09:05,599 Speaker 1: felt that the business was morphing and becoming even more corporate, 1253 01:09:05,880 --> 01:09:08,519 Speaker 1: and semi retired for the third time in his career. 1254 01:09:08,640 --> 01:09:11,000 Speaker 1: Although he was open to working with any artist who 1255 01:09:11,080 --> 01:09:14,599 Speaker 1: called him which was I guess laudable, he retreated from 1256 01:09:14,600 --> 01:09:17,479 Speaker 1: the spotlight called him enough that if somebody like bugged 1257 01:09:17,520 --> 01:09:20,599 Speaker 1: me Okay, that was my metric for deciding how badly 1258 01:09:20,640 --> 01:09:22,559 Speaker 1: did they want me to? Like, go do this. It's 1259 01:09:22,600 --> 01:09:25,920 Speaker 1: good to have standards, um. His only emergence was to 1260 01:09:25,960 --> 01:09:28,800 Speaker 1: attend a handful of industry galas at galas in hopes 1261 01:09:28,800 --> 01:09:31,519 Speaker 1: of meeting his heroes. He said, quote, the reason even 1262 01:09:31,600 --> 01:09:33,559 Speaker 1: one third of me has a foot in the door 1263 01:09:33,760 --> 01:09:36,920 Speaker 1: is the thrill of meeting Smokey Robinson or something like that, 1264 01:09:36,960 --> 01:09:40,000 Speaker 1: which I would I would agree with um. For years 1265 01:09:40,000 --> 01:09:42,320 Speaker 1: he lived between Europe, New York and l A and 1266 01:09:42,400 --> 01:09:46,480 Speaker 1: advocated for charitable causes like clean water projects, poverty alleviation, 1267 01:09:46,600 --> 01:09:49,519 Speaker 1: and the Robin Hood Tax to promote the taxation of 1268 01:09:49,520 --> 01:09:53,400 Speaker 1: offshore accounts. And then his career jumps up to a 1269 01:09:53,439 --> 01:09:56,840 Speaker 1: new level. Yes, he was coaxed out of retirement yet 1270 01:09:56,880 --> 01:10:01,519 Speaker 1: again to work on John carney mantic drama Begin Again, 1271 01:10:02,000 --> 01:10:06,640 Speaker 1: starring Kira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, and Adam Levine. Bono was 1272 01:10:06,680 --> 01:10:08,880 Speaker 1: actually the one who passed Greg's number to the director 1273 01:10:08,960 --> 01:10:10,760 Speaker 1: because he thought he might be a good fit to 1274 01:10:10,800 --> 01:10:14,320 Speaker 1: contribute songs to the soundtrack, and he thought right. The 1275 01:10:14,360 --> 01:10:17,519 Speaker 1: movie resonated with Greg because it examined the downside of 1276 01:10:17,560 --> 01:10:20,200 Speaker 1: the record business and The story follows a couple who 1277 01:10:20,200 --> 01:10:23,360 Speaker 1: grew apart after Adam Levine's character becomes a pop star. 1278 01:10:23,800 --> 01:10:25,960 Speaker 1: Greg said, there was a disillusionment of a lot of 1279 01:10:25,960 --> 01:10:29,240 Speaker 1: superficial aspects of the music business. I thought it had 1280 01:10:29,280 --> 01:10:31,800 Speaker 1: something very meaningful to say about it. So he teamed 1281 01:10:31,840 --> 01:10:35,240 Speaker 1: up with his longtime colleagues Danielle Brisbois and composer Nick 1282 01:10:35,400 --> 01:10:39,759 Speaker 1: Lashley to write several songs for the movie, including Lost Stars, 1283 01:10:39,800 --> 01:10:42,960 Speaker 1: which was performed by Adam Levine and Kira Knightley. He said, 1284 01:10:43,040 --> 01:10:45,920 Speaker 1: quote hopefully the lyrics infused the script with the notion 1285 01:10:45,960 --> 01:10:48,960 Speaker 1: that we're all lost stars. I'm a lost star in 1286 01:10:49,000 --> 01:10:52,280 Speaker 1: some respects because maybe I walked away from my larger 1287 01:10:52,439 --> 01:10:56,080 Speaker 1: true destiny if I had had seven albums out by now. 1288 01:10:56,160 --> 01:10:59,599 Speaker 1: So that's interesting and interesting bit of self reflection. Lost 1289 01:10:59,640 --> 01:11:02,559 Speaker 1: Stars earned him an OSCAR nomination for Best Original Song 1290 01:11:02,640 --> 01:11:05,880 Speaker 1: at the Academy Awards, but it lost to the Bond 1291 01:11:06,040 --> 01:11:09,599 Speaker 1: Song for Specter by Sam Smith The Writings on the Wall, 1292 01:11:10,280 --> 01:11:13,240 Speaker 1: But it got Greg back in the limelight slightly. He 1293 01:11:13,400 --> 01:11:16,439 Speaker 1: did the aforementioned interview for The Hollywood Reporter during the 1294 01:11:16,479 --> 01:11:19,120 Speaker 1: press run out for the Oscars. Like I said, as 1295 01:11:19,160 --> 01:11:23,120 Speaker 1: for a substantial one s, and he also performed publicly 1296 01:11:23,200 --> 01:11:27,599 Speaker 1: for the first time in fifteen years at Hollywood Music 1297 01:11:27,640 --> 01:11:31,639 Speaker 1: in Media Awards, where he's sang Lost Stars. This sets 1298 01:11:31,720 --> 01:11:34,760 Speaker 1: the stage, in part for the New Radicals one off 1299 01:11:34,760 --> 01:11:39,639 Speaker 1: reunion for Joe Biden's inauguration at January. Why did this happen? 1300 01:11:39,720 --> 01:11:43,320 Speaker 1: You ask? Well? Funnily enough, Greg Alexander's ties to the 1301 01:11:43,320 --> 01:11:47,720 Speaker 1: Biden administration date back to his predecessor. In two thousand nine, 1302 01:11:47,720 --> 01:11:49,800 Speaker 1: he was part of a musical collective called The Not 1303 01:11:49,960 --> 01:11:53,600 Speaker 1: So Silent Majority, which put together a song called Obama 1304 01:11:53,760 --> 01:11:57,759 Speaker 1: Rock around the time of Obama's inauguration. But the ties 1305 01:11:57,800 --> 01:12:01,080 Speaker 1: go even deeper for the Biden family. You Get What 1306 01:12:01,120 --> 01:12:03,680 Speaker 1: You Give is a favorite of President Biden's late son, Bo, 1307 01:12:04,040 --> 01:12:06,719 Speaker 1: who used it as a rallying cry during his terminal 1308 01:12:06,720 --> 01:12:11,439 Speaker 1: battle with Glioblastoma. In Biden's autobiography, promised me Dad, he 1309 01:12:11,479 --> 01:12:14,759 Speaker 1: wrote quote During breakfast, Bow would often make me listen, 1310 01:12:14,960 --> 01:12:17,439 Speaker 1: Make me listen. That's a very telling choice of words, 1311 01:12:17,760 --> 01:12:20,040 Speaker 1: make me listen to what I thought was his theme song, 1312 01:12:20,160 --> 01:12:22,800 Speaker 1: You Get What You Give by the New Radicals. Even 1313 01:12:22,800 --> 01:12:25,080 Speaker 1: though Bow never stopped fighting and his will to live 1314 01:12:25,200 --> 01:12:27,439 Speaker 1: was stronger than most. I think he knew that this 1315 01:12:27,520 --> 01:12:30,160 Speaker 1: day would come. The words to the song are this 1316 01:12:30,200 --> 01:12:33,839 Speaker 1: whole damn world can fall apart, You'll be okay, follow 1317 01:12:33,880 --> 01:12:38,040 Speaker 1: your heart. Bow died in and at his funeral, his 1318 01:12:38,120 --> 01:12:41,439 Speaker 1: sister recited the lyrics of the song and her eulogy 1319 01:12:42,040 --> 01:12:46,040 Speaker 1: in a slightly less touching connection with the song. Vice 1320 01:12:46,040 --> 01:12:50,040 Speaker 1: President Kamala Harris's husband, Doug am Hoff, also used the 1321 01:12:50,080 --> 01:12:53,519 Speaker 1: song during the campaign rallies as his walk on theme, 1322 01:12:54,080 --> 01:12:58,320 Speaker 1: not as meaningful um. After learning all this, Greg Alexander 1323 01:12:58,360 --> 01:13:01,840 Speaker 1: promised Biden that if he won election, he'd sing the 1324 01:13:01,920 --> 01:13:04,840 Speaker 1: song at his inauguration, and he ultimately made good on 1325 01:13:04,920 --> 01:13:09,920 Speaker 1: this offer. Yes, January one an unforgettable day, Lady Gaga 1326 01:13:09,960 --> 01:13:12,840 Speaker 1: saying the national anthem, Jennifer Lopez saying this land is 1327 01:13:12,880 --> 01:13:16,200 Speaker 1: your land, interpolating let's get loud into a moment that 1328 01:13:16,200 --> 01:13:19,400 Speaker 1: I'm sure terrified a good number of white boomers. Plus. 1329 01:13:19,400 --> 01:13:21,639 Speaker 1: There is a special hosted by Tom Hanks that featured 1330 01:13:21,640 --> 01:13:26,880 Speaker 1: performances from Bruce Springsteen, The Foo Fighters, John Legend, Justin, Timberlake, Demilovado, 1331 01:13:26,960 --> 01:13:29,960 Speaker 1: and bon Jovi, but all eyes were on the New 1332 01:13:30,080 --> 01:13:34,080 Speaker 1: Radicals making their return to the stage to sing their 1333 01:13:34,160 --> 01:13:38,439 Speaker 1: song for the first time in twenty two years or so. 1334 01:13:38,600 --> 01:13:42,280 Speaker 1: That's what they'd have you believe, because to get the 1335 01:13:42,360 --> 01:13:46,599 Speaker 1: Jonathan Frank's thing, it's a fiction. We made it all up, 1336 01:13:47,560 --> 01:13:51,240 Speaker 1: you rube. First of all, the New Radicals barely counted 1337 01:13:51,280 --> 01:13:53,639 Speaker 1: as a band, so there really wasn't this whole reuniting 1338 01:13:53,680 --> 01:13:56,360 Speaker 1: the classic line up. The two of them were the band, 1339 01:13:56,920 --> 01:14:01,320 Speaker 1: and so due to COVID related restrict actions um the 1340 01:14:01,400 --> 01:14:04,839 Speaker 1: two of Danielle and Greg Alexander were accompanied by musicians 1341 01:14:04,880 --> 01:14:08,080 Speaker 1: from the Philadelphia area rather than anyone else from the 1342 01:14:08,120 --> 01:14:10,960 Speaker 1: band's original lineup. And also, he had sung a version 1343 01:14:10,960 --> 01:14:14,639 Speaker 1: of the song at the Los Angeles Italia Film Festival 1344 01:14:14,640 --> 01:14:19,200 Speaker 1: at Gramman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood in February, maybe because 1345 01:14:19,200 --> 01:14:25,000 Speaker 1: he had those hits in Italy, whatever, albeit acapella because 1346 01:14:25,040 --> 01:14:28,640 Speaker 1: the volume on the guitar mic was turned off. I 1347 01:14:28,640 --> 01:14:30,280 Speaker 1: don't know if that counts, but for the sake of 1348 01:14:30,280 --> 01:14:32,800 Speaker 1: the argument, let's give it to the inauguration. Prior to 1349 01:14:32,840 --> 01:14:35,599 Speaker 1: the performance, Greg said, we pledged, if Joe one, we'd 1350 01:14:35,600 --> 01:14:37,880 Speaker 1: get together and play our little song, both in memory 1351 01:14:37,920 --> 01:14:40,559 Speaker 1: and in honor of our new president's patriot son bow 1352 01:14:40,920 --> 01:14:42,760 Speaker 1: and also with the prayer of Joe being able to 1353 01:14:42,800 --> 01:14:46,439 Speaker 1: bring our country together again with compassion, honesty, and justice 1354 01:14:46,479 --> 01:14:50,080 Speaker 1: for change. This performance, he hoped, was a tiniest beacon 1355 01:14:50,120 --> 01:14:52,880 Speaker 1: of light in such a dark time. American knows in 1356 01:14:52,960 --> 01:14:55,960 Speaker 1: its heart that things will get bright again. That's the 1357 01:14:56,000 --> 01:14:58,479 Speaker 1: message of the song. The world is going to pull through. 1358 01:14:58,680 --> 01:15:02,000 Speaker 1: The performances intercut with stage of Biden supporters displaying messages 1359 01:15:02,040 --> 01:15:05,360 Speaker 1: of hope. Uh, there's not really, though, quite enough of 1360 01:15:05,400 --> 01:15:09,600 Speaker 1: the musical performance, and Greg Alexander agreed asked the executive 1361 01:15:09,640 --> 01:15:12,000 Speaker 1: producer of the inauguration if they could cut the other 1362 01:15:12,040 --> 01:15:15,719 Speaker 1: footage so as not to disappoint anyone turning in expecting 1363 01:15:15,760 --> 01:15:19,480 Speaker 1: to see just the performance, at which point she humorously 1364 01:15:19,560 --> 01:15:22,880 Speaker 1: reminded him, Greg, this is the presidential inauguration, not a 1365 01:15:22,880 --> 01:15:26,759 Speaker 1: New Radicals video, which is yeah, that's a pretty withering 1366 01:15:26,800 --> 01:15:28,519 Speaker 1: put down. But I want to tell you what did 1367 01:15:28,560 --> 01:15:31,760 Speaker 1: disappoint me. They cut the bridge, but the rap. They cut, 1368 01:15:31,800 --> 01:15:34,560 Speaker 1: the cut the wrap bridge, the Marilyn Manson beck and 1369 01:15:34,600 --> 01:15:37,439 Speaker 1: has the references were gone. Cigar chomping executive is back 1370 01:15:37,479 --> 01:15:41,360 Speaker 1: there going. You don't haven't cut the rap, He says, 1371 01:15:41,400 --> 01:15:43,360 Speaker 1: it was only because he had four minutes to perform, 1372 01:15:43,400 --> 01:15:45,640 Speaker 1: and it was cut for length. But I don't know. 1373 01:15:45,640 --> 01:15:47,200 Speaker 1: I think it would have been so amazing to shout 1374 01:15:47,240 --> 01:15:50,120 Speaker 1: out the political issues with the banks, the FDA and clothing, 1375 01:15:50,200 --> 01:15:56,479 Speaker 1: all of which have been festering since middle of the inauguration. Yeah, 1376 01:15:56,800 --> 01:15:59,719 Speaker 1: but sadly it was cut for time. But now Jordan's 1377 01:16:00,040 --> 01:16:03,800 Speaker 1: shared on everyone's lips. Will we get another new Radicals 1378 01:16:03,840 --> 01:16:07,720 Speaker 1: album or seven to ten of them? In fact? Yet? 1379 01:16:07,880 --> 01:16:10,519 Speaker 1: You know what, quite possibly, though, we might have to 1380 01:16:10,560 --> 01:16:14,200 Speaker 1: wait for Greg Alexander to die. Uh No, don't get 1381 01:16:14,280 --> 01:16:18,360 Speaker 1: ideas anyways, it's very salnd Or esque. Greg Alexander says 1382 01:16:18,360 --> 01:16:22,320 Speaker 1: that he's recorded and mastered somewhere between seven to ten 1383 01:16:22,439 --> 01:16:25,320 Speaker 1: full length follow ups to Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too, 1384 01:16:25,640 --> 01:16:28,600 Speaker 1: but unfortunately we'll probably never get to hear them. He 1385 01:16:28,720 --> 01:16:32,240 Speaker 1: quotes the poet Laureate sting music is its own reward, 1386 01:16:32,479 --> 01:16:35,519 Speaker 1: before adding in that context, it's been its own reward 1387 01:16:35,600 --> 01:16:38,360 Speaker 1: for me. I still scheme sometimes about the idea of 1388 01:16:38,400 --> 01:16:41,240 Speaker 1: maybe putting records out. Maybe after I die, I'll put 1389 01:16:41,280 --> 01:16:44,479 Speaker 1: them out. Every year told Rolling Stone that he said 1390 01:16:44,600 --> 01:16:48,080 Speaker 1: countless offers from labels promising him quote small fortunes to 1391 01:16:48,120 --> 01:16:51,719 Speaker 1: get New Radicals back together, but he never legitimately considered 1392 01:16:51,720 --> 01:16:54,200 Speaker 1: doing it, and you know what, it's probably for the 1393 01:16:54,200 --> 01:16:56,640 Speaker 1: best City didn't. In a great piece he wrote for 1394 01:16:56,720 --> 01:16:59,880 Speaker 1: g Q, the journalist al Shipley writes, by breaking up 1395 01:17:00,000 --> 01:17:03,680 Speaker 1: and almost immediately hitting it big New Radicals save themselves 1396 01:17:03,840 --> 01:17:06,799 Speaker 1: the perhaps inevitable fate of struggling to produce a follow 1397 01:17:06,880 --> 01:17:09,000 Speaker 1: up and getting dropped from their label. Like so many 1398 01:17:09,040 --> 01:17:12,080 Speaker 1: of their contemporaries. They never jumped at opportunities to play 1399 01:17:12,120 --> 01:17:14,679 Speaker 1: on cruise ships with Sugar Ray or tweet their way 1400 01:17:14,720 --> 01:17:18,920 Speaker 1: back into relevance like Eves City, and as we touched 1401 01:17:18,920 --> 01:17:21,840 Speaker 1: on earlier, the same political concerns that alienated some of 1402 01:17:21,880 --> 01:17:25,759 Speaker 1: Greg Alexander's contemporaries arguably added to the song's shelf life. 1403 01:17:26,240 --> 01:17:28,719 Speaker 1: In his piece for Stereogum that we Keep quoting, Stuart 1404 01:17:28,760 --> 01:17:35,040 Speaker 1: Berman writes, quote the album's key concerns financial insecurity, environmental degradation, 1405 01:17:35,240 --> 01:17:39,040 Speaker 1: media addiction, corporate dominance, and especially top of mind for 1406 01:17:39,080 --> 01:17:43,120 Speaker 1: a lapse, Jehovah's witness, like Alexander's spiritual emptiness, have only 1407 01:17:43,160 --> 01:17:46,760 Speaker 1: become more oppressive in the intervening years. It's easy to 1408 01:17:46,800 --> 01:17:49,360 Speaker 1: look back at the late nineties is a more innocent time, 1409 01:17:49,520 --> 01:17:52,840 Speaker 1: a pre nine eleven era where geopolitical turmoil didn't feel 1410 01:17:52,880 --> 01:17:56,120 Speaker 1: so viscerally omnipresent in the everyday lives of most North 1411 01:17:56,160 --> 01:18:00,960 Speaker 1: Americans and social media didn't exist to amplifier anxieties. In retrospect, 1412 01:18:01,200 --> 01:18:04,680 Speaker 1: maybe you've been brainwashed. Two's proto woke prognostications, where the 1413 01:18:04,720 --> 01:18:08,360 Speaker 1: original Twitter news alerts really interrupting the happiest days of 1414 01:18:08,360 --> 01:18:11,479 Speaker 1: our lives to inform us we're all to them. That's 1415 01:18:11,479 --> 01:18:15,880 Speaker 1: a great, great insight. But in the end, most importantly, 1416 01:18:16,320 --> 01:18:17,639 Speaker 1: you get what you give us. Still a great song, 1417 01:18:18,240 --> 01:18:22,520 Speaker 1: and that's arguably what matters most. Alexander continue to advocate 1418 01:18:22,560 --> 01:18:24,759 Speaker 1: for the power of music, and interview with Rolling Stone, 1419 01:18:24,800 --> 01:18:27,280 Speaker 1: recently saying, at the end of the day, people hear 1420 01:18:27,320 --> 01:18:29,720 Speaker 1: you on the radio on the drive home after they 1421 01:18:29,800 --> 01:18:32,240 Speaker 1: just got their heart broke, and they have a feel 1422 01:18:32,320 --> 01:18:35,840 Speaker 1: fear song maybe and that's what really matters. Yeah. I 1423 01:18:35,960 --> 01:18:39,840 Speaker 1: like this song. I think it's as inspiring and um, 1424 01:18:40,240 --> 01:18:42,439 Speaker 1: the thing I don't like about it is the rap 1425 01:18:42,479 --> 01:18:44,880 Speaker 1: as the Bridge. I just think it's so you like 1426 01:18:45,000 --> 01:18:49,240 Speaker 1: the Biden version released the Biden the Biden Edit. Yeah, No, 1427 01:18:49,360 --> 01:18:51,320 Speaker 1: I like this song. I think it's it's a great 1428 01:18:51,360 --> 01:18:53,600 Speaker 1: thing to tell people. Don't give up. You've got the 1429 01:18:53,680 --> 01:18:55,880 Speaker 1: music in you. And it's not just named at musicians. 1430 01:18:55,920 --> 01:18:59,680 Speaker 1: Like everybody's got a reason. Everybody's got some kind of 1431 01:18:59,760 --> 01:19:02,400 Speaker 1: music in them that they should be letting out. It's 1432 01:19:02,400 --> 01:19:05,840 Speaker 1: a good thing to hear. And uh, I support anyone 1433 01:19:05,920 --> 01:19:10,240 Speaker 1: with an unending amount of scorn for the record industry. 1434 01:19:10,439 --> 01:19:13,719 Speaker 1: So good on you. Greg Alexander come on the show 1435 01:19:13,760 --> 01:19:18,759 Speaker 1: and I don't know, walk us through more sordid stories 1436 01:19:19,040 --> 01:19:23,000 Speaker 1: of your time in the trenches. Anyway, Thanks folks for listening. 1437 01:19:23,040 --> 01:19:25,760 Speaker 1: This has been too much information. I'm Alex Hegel and 1438 01:19:25,800 --> 01:19:33,120 Speaker 1: I'm Jordan runt Talk. We'll catch you next time. Too 1439 01:19:33,200 --> 01:19:35,800 Speaker 1: Much Information was a production of I Heart Radio. The 1440 01:19:35,800 --> 01:19:38,960 Speaker 1: show's executive producers are Noel Brown and Jordan Runt Talk. 1441 01:19:39,120 --> 01:19:42,360 Speaker 1: The supervising producer is Mike John's. The show was researched, 1442 01:19:42,479 --> 01:19:45,160 Speaker 1: written and hosted by Jordan Runt Talk and Alex Hegel, 1443 01:19:45,479 --> 01:19:47,840 Speaker 1: with original music by Seth apple Bomb on the Ghost 1444 01:19:47,880 --> 01:19:50,839 Speaker 1: Funk Orchestra. If you like what you heard, please subscribe 1445 01:19:50,840 --> 01:19:53,040 Speaker 1: and leave us a review. For more podcasts and I 1446 01:19:53,120 --> 01:19:56,160 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app. Apple Podcast 1447 01:19:56,439 --> 01:20:00,800 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows can tax 1448 01:20:01,040 --> 01:20:06,280 Speaker 1: at Jack Langan sat back past