1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: Welcome to five hundred Greatest Songs, a podcast based on 2 00:00:02,880 --> 00:00:09,239 Speaker 1: Rolling Stones hugely popular, influential, and sometimes controversialist. I'm Britney Spanos. 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 2: And I'm Rob Sheffield. We're here to shed light on 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 2: the greatest songs ever made and discover what makes them 5 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 2: so great. This week, we're diving into an absolute classic, 6 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 2: Mister Bright's side by The Killers. What a song, so good. 7 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: It comes in at number three seventy eight on the 8 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,120 Speaker 1: five hundred Greatest Songs of All Time list. I love 9 00:00:28,160 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: this song, I love this Another album, pop Us was 10 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:33,959 Speaker 1: the first album I ever bought. It is a favorite. 11 00:00:34,080 --> 00:00:36,080 Speaker 1: I just absolutely adore The Killers. 12 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 2: The first album you ever bought, YEP, and it was. 13 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 1: I've still listened to it all the time. It's a 14 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: perfect album. 15 00:00:42,159 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 2: Actually, it's a perfect album. It's really one of the 16 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 2: perfect albums from that era. 17 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean just kind of that like New Waves shund. 18 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,040 Speaker 1: I mean, I think especially this time, I was listening 19 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: to so much emo and pop punk and it just 20 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: felt so, I know, so much cooler. 21 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, really amazing. The first single comes out, somebody told 22 00:01:03,640 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 2: me just phenomenal song. It's funny now to think that 23 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 2: that was the lead single from an album where mister 24 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 2: Bright's eide was just sitting there, but somebody told me 25 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 2: was the first time I guess anybody heard The Killers, 26 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 2: And that song was such a statement of purpose. It 27 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 2: had like you said, it had that emo sound, but 28 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 2: this whole level of disco gloss. It was really the 29 00:01:26,800 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 2: quintessential example of two great tastes that taste great together. 30 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, like i'd heard Maps, of course, and like it 31 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: hadn't heard like the Strokes really and like a lot 32 00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 1: of the other bands from that New York era and 33 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: like that sort of post punk. So I kind of 34 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 1: like didn't have so much of that knowledge of this 35 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 1: like other scene that was happening, and so I was 36 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: just like the Killers are, like they just like invented something. 37 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 2: It's funny how the Killers, being from Las Vegas very 38 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 2: much so, were embraced as a New York band at 39 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 2: the time. They were big in New York before they 40 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 2: were big anywhere else. They were playing clubs and bars 41 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 2: and they were absolutely so amazing as a live band, 42 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 2: and so they were thought of as honorary locals even 43 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 2: though they weren't even from here. They really epitomize that 44 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 2: sort of rare because that kind of soundcraft, like the 45 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 2: Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Strokes, they figured out how 46 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,919 Speaker 2: to do that with the disco beat and completely invented 47 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 2: something new. 48 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, And they felt so much in between those two 49 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: sort of popular rock scenes of that time, which was 50 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 1: that sort of post punk sound with like the emo 51 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: pop punk that was also emerging, you know, thinking of 52 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 1: just like the presentation of the Killers in a lot 53 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,640 Speaker 1: of ways and that sort of coming up from with 54 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: another Vegas bandpack of the disco they always just felt 55 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 1: so like intertwined with that presentation of this kind of 56 00:02:43,320 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: guyliner sort of glam essence of them. It just felt 57 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: so like kind of a part of They felt sort 58 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,079 Speaker 1: of in between those two worlds almost. 59 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, they really did. They were a combination of so 60 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 2: many different things. And it's while the out Hot Fuss, Yeah, 61 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 2: I mean, an album filled with bangers, an album filled 62 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 2: with potential hits. Every song that wasn't a hit on 63 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 2: that album still feels like it should have been. Yeah, 64 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:11,680 Speaker 2: somebody told me it was such a great song in itself. 65 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 2: Mister Bright's side, on a totally different level, it totally 66 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 2: makes sense that that's the one that's that's become the 67 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 2: mega canonical killer song. 68 00:03:19,320 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 1: Absolutely perfect song, like great sing along song, had an 69 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:24,519 Speaker 1: amazing video. I mean, I think sort of the early 70 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: two thousand songs we talked about are so intertwined with 71 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,399 Speaker 1: their videos because it was so such off the time 72 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:31,000 Speaker 1: and such of the way that so many people were 73 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:32,680 Speaker 1: hearing these songs for the first time, or the way 74 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: they were blowing up. But I mean, just that kind 75 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: of like weird kind of Marie Antoinette Sophia Coppola style 76 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:42,640 Speaker 1: one of the thirty videos, and Eric Roberts in it 77 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: as a as an antagonist in it. You know, it's 78 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: just kind of like a great sort of visual presentation 79 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: of them that was so unique and so different from 80 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: what a lot of other bands were doing at the time. 81 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:55,000 Speaker 1: On top of it, this like incredibly kind of like 82 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: sparkly synth with like this like perfect kind of sing 83 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: along scream along chorus and also verse that was also 84 00:04:01,440 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: scream alonga bale and just yeah, everything about that song 85 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: is just immediately stuck in your head for the rest 86 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: of your life and you can never get rid of it. 87 00:04:08,160 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 2: Absolutely, it's forever coming out of that cage. That song 88 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 2: has never been in its cage mister Brightside such an 89 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:17,160 Speaker 2: audacious pop song. Yea from the beginning the quote of 90 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:21,799 Speaker 2: David Bowie not derivative, but very clear and very witty 91 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 2: in itself, and of course works even if you aren't 92 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 2: a big fan of that particular David Bowie era. Queen 93 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:30,599 Speaker 2: Bitch is the song that was the kind of thing 94 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 2: where hearing mister bright'siye for the first time, I was 95 00:04:32,640 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 2: laughing out loud that how blatant that quote was and 96 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 2: yet used so beautifully. The you know, calling a cab 97 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 2: and everything about that song. It's so filled with individual details, 98 00:04:44,279 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 2: and it's funny that it's, as you said, ultimate sing 99 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 2: a long song, but it really is filled with so 100 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 2: many tiny details that become just absolute permanent part in 101 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 2: the memory. 102 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, one of the most iconic opening lines 103 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 1: coming out in my cage and I've been doing just fine. 104 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: Like I feel like that's like just like from It's incredible, 105 00:05:03,520 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 1: like how immediately sort of ingrained into culture. Every part 106 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: of this song would be. Like it's almost strange because 107 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 1: I don't think like I could have ever imagined that 108 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: I would be hearing the song at like sports games, 109 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 1: you know, for the rest of my life. Or like 110 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:19,479 Speaker 1: any like other sort of random places like it just 111 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,600 Speaker 1: felt so of that time, and I'm sure the band 112 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: obviously is very like can't believe all the places the 113 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: song has gone, but yeah, I mean it's just like 114 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:31,520 Speaker 1: one of the most immediately kind of catchy rock moments 115 00:05:31,560 --> 00:05:35,479 Speaker 1: of this era, and just like that sort of like perfect, perfect, 116 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: perfect chorus that exists on there. And Brandon Flowers very 117 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: like Britishism, sort of like delivery of everything. 118 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 2: Of everything, of everything, best English accent in Las Vegas. 119 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: And does he does David Bowie on this one, and 120 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 1: Sam Sound is his Bruce album and he kind of 121 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:54,600 Speaker 1: was like sort of testing out the waters on I'm 122 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 1: kind of those evoking those heroes. 123 00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:00,719 Speaker 2: Of his the Mister Brightside, very Bowie song, a very 124 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,919 Speaker 2: Deuranduran song, that kind of aesthetic, but particularly the idea 125 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 2: of it being a rock song, a rock band song 126 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 2: that would also work on a total pop level, and 127 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 2: so much of that is just that perfect sort of 128 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 2: disco propulsion that it has. It was really a song 129 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 2: designed to make rock girls dance, which at the time 130 00:06:19,400 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 2: before The Killers was something that had been neglected a 131 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:25,160 Speaker 2: bit in rock the rock bands of the early two 132 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:28,359 Speaker 2: thousands were not concerned so much with making girls dance, 133 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 2: whereas mister Bright's side was that from the beginning. 134 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I mean just like the sort of like 135 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: bodily reaction you could still have is still experience people 136 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: having whenever the song comes on anywhere, I mean, any 137 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 1: sort of wedding that you're at, It's like the song 138 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:46,680 Speaker 1: will likely play by the end of the night, especially 139 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:49,279 Speaker 1: any millennial wedding you're at, the song will definitely play 140 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:50,839 Speaker 1: by the end of the night. And sort of the 141 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:53,279 Speaker 1: reaction that everyone has is just like one of my 142 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:56,040 Speaker 1: favorite things that this is just like an immediate kind 143 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:57,679 Speaker 1: of excitement and thrill. 144 00:06:57,720 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 2: I always have to hang around for it was only 145 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,880 Speaker 2: a kiss. It was only a kiss. That second, it 146 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:06,159 Speaker 2: was only a kiss. Such a brilliant, brilliant move, so 147 00:07:06,200 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 2: many brilliant details in this song. 148 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, and I mean, just like the way that the 149 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:12,680 Speaker 1: Killers have developed since then, I mean, with the Bruce 150 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: mentioned that I had brought up earlier with Sam's sound, 151 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:16,000 Speaker 1: kind of seen the way that they sort of developed 152 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: their music, Like, what is your sort of take on 153 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: how how the Killers have moved since mister Bryce sie 154 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: what they did in the album's following Hot Fuss and 155 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 1: sort of changed their own kind of musical development over that. 156 00:07:26,680 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 2: Hot Fuss is so perfect. Also, Day and Age is 157 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 2: also a perfect album, but those two really loom large. Yeah, 158 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 2: Hot Fuss for a debut album. I remember when we 159 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 2: did the list of Rolling Stone five hundred albums of 160 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 2: all Time. Yeah, that Hot Fuss was high on your 161 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 2: list as an all time album, and it really is 162 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 2: in terms of a debut album that really has a 163 00:07:46,920 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 2: fully developed sound and a fully developed esthetic. It's well, 164 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 2: that a bit of a one off for that, but 165 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 2: that's an album where every single song I think my favorite, 166 00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 2: My favorite has always been all these things that I've done. 167 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, that one is very very high on my Killer's 168 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: song ranking list. I'm a big fan of that one, 169 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: and believe me, Natalie is another favorite from that album. 170 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 2: Unbelievable. Yeah, well it's will that one of my favorite 171 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 2: songs from the Killers from that era didn't even make 172 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 2: the album is very scandalous when the Hot Fuss came out, 173 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 2: that it didn't have glamorous indie rock and roll, which 174 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,680 Speaker 2: was such a highlight of their live show at that point. 175 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 2: A song that is the Killers that they're at their 176 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 2: most brilliant. Yeah, take my twist with a shout might 177 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:33,720 Speaker 2: be my favorite lyric in any of their songs. 178 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, like you mentioned, kind of this album does feel 179 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 1: like so much of a wane off, But I feel 180 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 1: like that like discoe post punk dance sound that they've 181 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,200 Speaker 1: sort of really i mean perfected on this album. Kind 182 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: of when they've returned to it over the years, you 183 00:08:45,880 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: can kind of see the way that they It's like 184 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: it's sort of hard for them to shake in a 185 00:08:49,040 --> 00:08:50,880 Speaker 1: lot of ways. I feel like it's like on Day 186 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: and Age especially and later songs, like it's still such 187 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:55,840 Speaker 1: an ingrained part of who they are and still my 188 00:08:55,880 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 1: favorite thing they'd done in terms of how they've seen 189 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: themselves as a band or like been fully realized as 190 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:01,559 Speaker 1: a band. 191 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:04,040 Speaker 2: There's sort of that tension between their Anglo side and 192 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,880 Speaker 2: their American side. The Anglo side really takes over on 193 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,320 Speaker 2: Hot Fuss for sure, as well as Day and Age, 194 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 2: which is that's a whole journey in itself. But it's 195 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:16,760 Speaker 2: amazing also that Hot Fuss, despite very much being a 196 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 2: band from the deepest, most iconic of American Western areas, 197 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 2: being very much like an album of its place. It 198 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 2: was so huge in the UK. Heard it constantly in 199 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:31,640 Speaker 2: Ireland that summer for something that was so plainly an 200 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 2: American band coming on, very very English. Yeah, and the 201 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 2: Killers very much part of that just by doing it 202 00:09:39,480 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 2: so well. 203 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean it almost feels like it's kind of 204 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:46,199 Speaker 1: the Wonderwall Mister Brightside exchange, you know, like I feel 205 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: like Wonderwall I hear constantly here of course, And like 206 00:09:49,880 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: the amount of times I heard mister Brightside in London 207 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 1: was like obscene. It's just like hearing it everywhere, just 208 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:57,679 Speaker 1: like every like pub, every single place. I was just 209 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: like hearing mister Bryceide Costa in the last like two years, 210 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 1: you know, in the same way that I feel like, 211 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:05,000 Speaker 1: you know, there's always someone covering Wonderwall or playing Wonderwall 212 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: here somewhere. 213 00:10:06,040 --> 00:10:08,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, it must have been wild for you, as a 214 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 2: lifelong fan of that song to have it pop up 215 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:13,680 Speaker 2: in public places all the time, which it does. What 216 00:10:13,760 --> 00:10:15,640 Speaker 2: do you think it is about mister Brightside that makes 217 00:10:15,679 --> 00:10:17,720 Speaker 2: it a song? It's always going to pop up in 218 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:21,440 Speaker 2: public places, whether in the US or in the UK. 219 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 1: That opening kind of like sparkly synth sound is like 220 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 1: almost like a siren, like it's like immediately the minute 221 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 1: you hear it is like a Pavlovian effect that it 222 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 1: has on everyone's brains, and even just the way, like 223 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: I feel like that very specific way that Brandon Flowers 224 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,599 Speaker 1: sings everything, that very kind of like British sort of 225 00:10:39,640 --> 00:10:42,839 Speaker 1: like new wave delivery of the song, which is in 226 00:10:42,880 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: retrospect over like the course of their career, very unusual 227 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:48,640 Speaker 1: for him, and like the sort of intonation of it 228 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 1: where he's almost like like talk singing it is just 229 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: like so easily imitatable, Like it's like something that you 230 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:58,079 Speaker 1: like want to sort of imitate and try out and 231 00:10:58,240 --> 00:10:59,840 Speaker 1: do for yourself. And I feel like that sort of 232 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,400 Speaker 1: made that song so big in the moment, and obviously 233 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: all the lyrics and kind of just like the simplicity 234 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: of it just kind of became just so woven into 235 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: our own pop music consciousness. But yeah, I mean, it's 236 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 1: just like there are some songs that are just so 237 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 1: perfect for screaming along in a crowded place, and this 238 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 1: was immediately one of them. And it's crazy like just 239 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,560 Speaker 1: from this era, the number of songs that became that 240 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:28,000 Speaker 1: way or that just were written maybe not even with 241 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:30,520 Speaker 1: that in mind, but just have become that part of 242 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 1: culture examination Army and hey A we had talked about 243 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:35,920 Speaker 1: in the Beyonce episode, But just like this sort of 244 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:39,079 Speaker 1: like two thousand and three sort of blockbuster Ye're just 245 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: leading up to this. It's wild to think of those 246 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:45,200 Speaker 1: songs that are so unique and so weird, even just 247 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:47,280 Speaker 1: not even just for those artists, but just in the 248 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: context of pop music at that time. Mister Brightside being 249 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: like that, and just the way that they became such 250 00:11:52,600 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 1: like those groups sing along songs in a lot of ways, 251 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:58,079 Speaker 1: is so fascinating. It's so weird to me. But I 252 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:01,080 Speaker 1: think it's because those songs were so so strange, both 253 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 1: for the artists and for those eras. I think is 254 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: what kind of allowed them to become bigger than the 255 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 1: year they were released. And mister Bright's Side is so 256 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:11,920 Speaker 1: much bigger than the year that was released. It it 257 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:14,560 Speaker 1: feels very two thousand and four, but it's also not, 258 00:12:15,120 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 1: which is like so strange, Like I think it's kind 259 00:12:17,640 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: of crazy twenty years on to I feel like maybe 260 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: ten years ago I would have been like, oh, this 261 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 1: is such a two thousand and four song, and now 262 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: I'm like, actually no, It just kind of feels like 263 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 1: a timeless like it's not just like this timeless classic 264 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 1: and it's become so much bigger than that era or 265 00:12:30,320 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 1: that nostalgia that's around it. 266 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 2: Really brilliant point about that era and how many universal 267 00:12:36,200 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 2: songs that never feel old came out of that moment. Yeah, 268 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 2: another one like obviously like Toxic from two thousand and four, 269 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 2: the Britney song that I guess it was on an 270 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:47,480 Speaker 2: album in two thousand and three, but it was very 271 00:12:47,520 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 2: early two thousand and four when it was a hit, 272 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 2: And it seems like that was a song that you 273 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:56,320 Speaker 2: knew instantly liked these songs that you've mentioned that these 274 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:57,400 Speaker 2: were permanent songs. 275 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, and all of them have really iconic opening, Like 276 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: I'm responding to it faster than I'm realizing when I 277 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:06,480 Speaker 1: hear that like opening since so. 278 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 2: It really is, like you said, Pavlovian. Yeah, another band 279 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 2: from this era that I think of his so linked 280 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:16,840 Speaker 2: to the Killers in so many ways. Franz Ferdinand, who 281 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 2: had their perfect debut album, not their last perfect album. 282 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 2: Franz Ferdinand made three perfect albums in the two thousands. 283 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 2: But take Me Out another song, Yeah, that is universal, 284 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 2: another song designed to make rock girls dance and another 285 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:34,199 Speaker 2: song with a very intense opening that power strung. 286 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:37,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, I feel like that like era of like dance 287 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 1: rock music was just so perfect, Like it was just 288 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:43,839 Speaker 1: so much fun, just like really really kind of lighthearted 289 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:46,040 Speaker 1: and weird, and like I was listening to the song 290 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:48,840 Speaker 1: do You Want To from their second album, and that 291 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:52,600 Speaker 1: was a song that I just like forgot how immediately catchy. 292 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:55,839 Speaker 1: It was, again not even like the big hit by them, 293 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 1: but also still kind of just like super catchy from 294 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 1: this era of just like this like super light hearted 295 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:02,840 Speaker 1: kind of dance rock music that I really love. And 296 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: obviously the Killers kind of being sort of the forefront 297 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 1: of that and of that sort of movement in pop music, 298 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 1: I think allowed a lot of weirder rock bands to 299 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: have a. 300 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:16,840 Speaker 2: Moment absolutely to be fun and like you said, to 301 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 2: be very dance oriented after a time when that was 302 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 2: really lacking in popular rock music. It's funny that the 303 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:26,840 Speaker 2: Killers from Las Vegas Franz Ferdinand from Scotland were both 304 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:30,240 Speaker 2: so tied in with this New York rock explosion and 305 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 2: Meet Me in the Bathroom Lucy Goodman's History of that era. 306 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 2: Those are both very prominent bands, even though neither one 307 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:38,400 Speaker 2: was from New York, but they were both responding really 308 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 2: directly to what was coming out of New York with 309 00:14:40,520 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 2: the Strokes in the aas. 310 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:44,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, and made it even more pop, made it even 311 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 1: more you know again for the girls who want to dance. Yeah, 312 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 1: I mean everything about Hot Fuss like it is so dancing. 313 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 1: I think a part of what appealed to me too, 314 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: just like that kind of darkness to the entire album too, 315 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:00,760 Speaker 1: that like New Wavy kind of joy division order type 316 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: of like influence that is, you know, so big on 317 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 1: Brandon Flowers and not on the Killers at this time. Of course, 318 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: they have a great cover of Transmission that I was 319 00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 1: really really obsessed with, and you know there is that 320 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:13,480 Speaker 1: sort of that bright kind of danciness and still that 321 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: sort of like underlying kind of post punk New Wavy 322 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:20,480 Speaker 1: like post wave kind of darkness that they lean into 323 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:21,520 Speaker 1: on parts of the album. 324 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:25,720 Speaker 2: Definitely there's that combination obviously, like you said, emo influencers, 325 00:15:25,760 --> 00:15:26,480 Speaker 2: I guess. 326 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 1: Like mister Bryceiye is an emo song that was like 327 00:15:28,640 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 1: a very very emo song about jealousy, and you know 328 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:34,920 Speaker 1: it's the very again sort of that feeling of them 329 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:38,680 Speaker 1: being in between these two rock scenes that were blowing 330 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 1: up at the same time and both. You know, I 331 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: feel like the emo and pop punk was very much 332 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:45,520 Speaker 1: for sort of the teenagers at the time, and you know, 333 00:15:45,640 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: the kind of like post punk movement was for a 334 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 1: little bit of like an older sort of listener, And like, 335 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:52,040 Speaker 1: I think that they were sort of like in between 336 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,400 Speaker 1: where they can kind of appeal to both sides of 337 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 1: that and in a lot of ways totally. 338 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 2: I read about The Killers that summer in Rolling Stone. 339 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 2: It was their first America an interview. Yeah, and I 340 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:04,440 Speaker 2: love something Brandon said that it was great to look 341 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:07,040 Speaker 2: out at a crowd and see people dancing instead of 342 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 2: elbowing each other. It's funny that they think of late 343 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 2: nineties early two thousands rock, especially with the emphasis on 344 00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 2: metal type stuff, that it was very much designed for 345 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,800 Speaker 2: elbowing each other and you know, crowding in for room. 346 00:16:20,960 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 2: The change was really kind of amazing to see. 347 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, I feel like it feels so intertwined to me 348 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:30,280 Speaker 1: because that Panka Diisco album came out two thousand and five, 349 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: so it was around the same time. Obviously, you know, 350 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 1: a couple of their singles were already blowing up, and 351 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:37,680 Speaker 1: the Vegas connection. I feel like esthetically they were so similar, 352 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:41,760 Speaker 1: so they always felt like so obviously not in that scene, 353 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:43,640 Speaker 1: Like they weren't a fuel by ram and band. They 354 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: weren't like, you know, performing with these bands. But because 355 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 1: of the lyrical nature of the song and a lot 356 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 1: of the presentation that was so similar to a lot 357 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 1: of the emo bands at that. 358 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 2: Time, Clearly Hot Fuss is an album made by band 359 00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:59,240 Speaker 2: that really wants arenas. Yeah, which is funny because that 360 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 2: was they were come out of a scene where that 361 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:05,080 Speaker 2: wasn't something a band was even supposed to admit that 362 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 2: they were even curious about. Yeah, this was at the 363 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 2: time when the Strokes were still refusing to do encores. 364 00:17:12,560 --> 00:17:14,160 Speaker 2: It's part of it because it was two show biz. 365 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,399 Speaker 2: It was a time when the resistance to show biz, 366 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:22,440 Speaker 2: even with very crowd pleasing, very outreach, very pop oriented bands. Yeah, 367 00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:25,119 Speaker 2: And it was so wild to hear a song like 368 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:28,120 Speaker 2: all these things that I've done and has the moment 369 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 2: where it stops and it's I got sold, but I'm 370 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 2: not a soldier. And it was wild to hear them 371 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,720 Speaker 2: play that song in a bar but very different thing. 372 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:39,480 Speaker 2: You hear it on the album and you think this 373 00:17:39,640 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 2: is so designed for Arenas. This band wants the Arenas. 374 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I mean, listening to it now, it's kind 375 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:49,840 Speaker 1: of amazing to realize how ambitious the entire record is. 376 00:17:50,160 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 1: This was their debut album. I think it was so 377 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 1: much that kind of like charisma of Brandon, just like 378 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: the way it was just like, you know, just like 379 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:59,439 Speaker 1: the weirdness of the song, the delivery, the kind of 380 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,840 Speaker 1: you know, it was retro, but it wasn't. Just that 381 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 1: kind of combination of things was like, this is the 382 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 1: only band that could pull that off. 383 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:10,639 Speaker 2: Absolutely so true. You're so right, and it's so well 384 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 2: that so many bands tried that. When The Killers came 385 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 2: out and they had really cracked the code of how 386 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 2: to do this very dance oriented rock music, that we 387 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:23,880 Speaker 2: were flooded, although I would choose to say blessed with 388 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 2: so many bands that wanted to be The Killers, well 389 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:29,639 Speaker 2: that they spawned rock imitators, like a band I happened 390 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:33,439 Speaker 2: to love, The Bravery. Yeah, they sounded so much like 391 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 2: a Killer's tribute band with an honest mistake, which I 392 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:41,600 Speaker 2: totally love a song about post nine to eleven panic 393 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,679 Speaker 2: terror sex as it was called at the time. But 394 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 2: it's wild that you know, they had this really a 395 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 2: few that turned very very nasty, very fast. 396 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 1: I didn't even realize they had a feud. Yeah, No, 397 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 1: I think there's definitely like a direct line from the 398 00:18:55,119 --> 00:18:59,439 Speaker 1: Killers and like Brandon Flowers as like rock heart Throb 399 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 1: to sort of like that Tumbler era that would come 400 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:05,520 Speaker 1: like a few years later of like very steeped in 401 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:09,840 Speaker 1: like eighties new wave, like a deep deep joy division 402 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,159 Speaker 1: sort of like nostalgia and like kind of like that 403 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:16,880 Speaker 1: that would happen that were like it was like goth light, 404 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 1: you know, and like new wave light of all that. 405 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: Like I feel like The Killers were very influential on 406 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: a lot of that because I think that that opened 407 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,359 Speaker 1: up a lot of doors for a lot of young 408 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: listeners who would later get on Tumblr and you know, 409 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,239 Speaker 1: post a bunch of pictures of like David Bowie and 410 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 1: like just like a bunch of you know, like eighties 411 00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:37,160 Speaker 1: new wave boys and stuff. 412 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 2: When I read about them in Rolling Stone and that summer, 413 00:19:41,359 --> 00:19:44,399 Speaker 2: and Brandon said something that he wanted it to be 414 00:19:44,440 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 2: a real life Ziggy Stardust, like the band Ziggy Startist 415 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 2: and the Spiders from Mars, not the band that made 416 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:53,400 Speaker 2: the album, but the band that Bowie is singing about 417 00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:55,360 Speaker 2: the fictional band on that album. Oh wow, that they 418 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:57,280 Speaker 2: wanted to be a real life version of that. Yeah, 419 00:19:57,280 --> 00:19:58,440 Speaker 2: which makes so much sense. 420 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:01,480 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, that makes like that makes the picture of 421 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 1: hop Us even clearer to me. Up next we have 422 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:09,440 Speaker 1: mister Brightsize's engineer and mixer, Mark Needham. We are joined 423 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:12,239 Speaker 1: now by engineer and mixer Mark Needham. Thank you so 424 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 1: much for joining us today, talk about mister bright Side. 425 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 3: Thanks sure, thanks for having me out A legend, legend, 426 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 3: thank you so legend in my own mind. 427 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 1: So you were just coming from working on with Fleetwood 428 00:20:24,880 --> 00:20:26,160 Speaker 1: Mac when you got. 429 00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:28,080 Speaker 3: The call to I was in the middle of a 430 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:30,359 Speaker 3: couple of different fleet I was on about two or 431 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 3: three Fleetwood Mac things. But yeah, my partner, I was 432 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 3: my attorney in San Francisco, and I had we had 433 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:40,119 Speaker 3: a studio. We developed a few artists. We wanted to 434 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:43,680 Speaker 3: find three bands, make demos or album for all of them, 435 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 3: and shop them and sign them. 436 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 2: It was fun. 437 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 3: We got we found the three bands that we loved 438 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 3: and got all of them signed. 439 00:20:50,520 --> 00:20:52,760 Speaker 1: And what was your first impression of the Killers? 440 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 3: We'd flown out to see them live. They were playing 441 00:20:55,080 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 3: it a little. They played a little club in a 442 00:20:57,280 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 3: strip mall in Las Vegas. So, you know, I love 443 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:02,920 Speaker 3: the band. They were super cool guys. They were they 444 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 3: were so young. I mean, I look back at the 445 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:07,359 Speaker 3: pictures now, they were so young and so kind of 446 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:11,080 Speaker 3: shy and and all, you know, just so happy and 447 00:21:11,119 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 3: thrilled to be in the recording studio. So it was 448 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:17,960 Speaker 3: it was fun. On mister Bright's side, it was you know, 449 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:20,879 Speaker 3: it was two or three takes. I just did some 450 00:21:21,040 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 3: editing and I kicked the band out for a little 451 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 3: bit and just kind of made that distorted intro and 452 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 3: did a really quick mix, and that's what ended up 453 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:34,240 Speaker 3: being put out. I tried. I actually tried to remix 454 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:37,479 Speaker 3: the song at least five times, but you know I 455 00:21:37,560 --> 00:21:41,679 Speaker 3: usually do. Really I've worked really fast and sometimes you 456 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,640 Speaker 3: just get the vibe just sounds right. 457 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:48,560 Speaker 2: You know, as we were talking about, it's a ubiquitous song. 458 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 2: It's a song that you hear everywhere, a wedding standard. 459 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:54,359 Speaker 3: That's yeah, that's why I was. I was so amazed, 460 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,520 Speaker 3: like that wouldn't be the song I'd picked to play 461 00:21:56,520 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 3: at my wedding, but you. 462 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:01,840 Speaker 2: Know, in such a distinctive sound that it had a 463 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:05,760 Speaker 2: real rock presence, but also a real dance propulsion. 464 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 3: That whole album is pretty sparse. There's not like a 465 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 3: ton of tracks on a couple of the songs that 466 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 3: have where we added the choir on the stuff that 467 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:16,320 Speaker 3: are filled out more, but a lot of them are 468 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 3: pretty minimalistic. But it's just the drums and bass are 469 00:22:20,040 --> 00:22:22,639 Speaker 3: so busy, and then there's sort of the floaty guitar 470 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 3: and then the keyboard line that comes in now and 471 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 3: then you know, But other than that, there's not really 472 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 3: a lot on there. But it allows the drums and 473 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 3: bass to be so present. That's what I think adds that, 474 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:36,000 Speaker 3: that dancy and the bass, especially with that it there's 475 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 3: a lot of distortion on the bass, so that kind 476 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,400 Speaker 3: of makes it feel a little bit like that rock 477 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,680 Speaker 3: guitar thing going. But the rhythm section is so big. 478 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:47,320 Speaker 3: I think that's what adds that, that dancy feel. 479 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:51,479 Speaker 2: Wow. And when they played it live, sort of when 480 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 2: you were first hearing it, did you have a sense 481 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:55,000 Speaker 2: that that was already there? 482 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:57,679 Speaker 3: I mean not in the way the record blew up. 483 00:22:57,720 --> 00:22:59,240 Speaker 3: I mean the first time we saw them, there was 484 00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:02,480 Speaker 3: a they played it that it was just a little club. 485 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:04,480 Speaker 3: It held maybe two or three hundred people. It was 486 00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,920 Speaker 3: in a little strip mall right across from the hard 487 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 3: Rock Hotel. After we finished the album, we shopped it 488 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:15,919 Speaker 3: in the US for at least a year, and to 489 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 3: respond from all the labels like, yeah, no, this isn't 490 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 3: this is not really good, this is not happening where. 491 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 3: But until that always makes you kind of you start 492 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:28,359 Speaker 3: to doubt, you know, you start to doubt the validity 493 00:23:28,359 --> 00:23:31,359 Speaker 3: of the of your choices a little bit. But in 494 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:33,879 Speaker 3: the end it worked out the way it was supposed to. 495 00:23:34,119 --> 00:23:38,080 Speaker 3: You know, it's started in the UK and then came back. 496 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:42,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you brought up something earlier about the distorted 497 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:43,959 Speaker 1: intro that's on the song, and Rob and I were 498 00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 1: kind of talking about all the elements of the song 499 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:48,880 Speaker 1: that sort of stick out to us but also may 500 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:51,800 Speaker 1: have been part of what made the song so iconic 501 00:23:51,920 --> 00:23:54,760 Speaker 1: and so memorable and so ingrained in all of our 502 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:57,639 Speaker 1: musical memories. And that intro for me, is something that like, 503 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:00,879 Speaker 1: the minute I hear it, I'm like immediately, oh, probably good. 504 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 3: Yeah. 505 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:04,040 Speaker 1: I'm curious if there are any other moments in a 506 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 1: song that like are maybe little maybe easter eggs of 507 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:08,720 Speaker 1: how you mix the song that you that really stand 508 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 1: out to you. 509 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:12,239 Speaker 3: I work really fast, and I don't really think. I 510 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 3: don't like to think about, well, I mean I should 511 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:17,080 Speaker 3: use this compressor, if you know, I do what I hear. 512 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 3: And on that I said, well, let's start with the drum. 513 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 3: I think I had the drums panned hard to the 514 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:25,800 Speaker 3: side and distorted the bottom cut out, and well, let's 515 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 3: do that. It just felt like the thing to do. 516 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:30,640 Speaker 3: And I mean I literally came together in maybe thirty 517 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 3: minutes or the whole thing, and well, you know, we 518 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:36,919 Speaker 3: came up with that that slap delay sound, which was 519 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:39,359 Speaker 3: I didn't really have any outboard gear when I mixed that, 520 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:42,159 Speaker 3: and it was just the basic set of plugins that 521 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 3: come with pro tools, so we used that. There was 522 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 3: the green echo farm when you first open it up, 523 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:51,880 Speaker 3: that the very first delay had kind of distorted, it 524 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:55,040 Speaker 3: had distortion that's built in on it, and just added 525 00:24:55,280 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 3: like eighty with an eighty six millisecond slap and it's like, oh, 526 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:01,879 Speaker 3: let's sounds pretty good. I guess that that sounds like 527 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,399 Speaker 3: the vocal show. You know. Things were just kind of 528 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 3: fell together really quickly for me on that song. And 529 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 3: I had a weird digital limitter that I is Drammer 530 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 3: Digital Limited. That's the only time I've ever actually used 531 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 3: that thing. I retired after I did that song, but 532 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:23,439 Speaker 3: it had like a crush distortion feature on the holding. 533 00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:25,760 Speaker 3: You could kind of really kick the level really loud 534 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,919 Speaker 3: and kind of crush the whole mix. And I definitely 535 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:30,920 Speaker 3: had it for a month or so and I started 536 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:34,840 Speaker 3: experimenting with kind of overdriving the whole thing and found 537 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:38,560 Speaker 3: a sweet spot for that. And literally after that record 538 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 3: came out and that was starting to be popular, I 539 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:42,640 Speaker 3: just took that thing out of my rack and retired. 540 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:45,120 Speaker 3: And I did it. I did that at one time. 541 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:46,679 Speaker 3: That's it going to do it again. 542 00:25:47,040 --> 00:25:49,639 Speaker 1: And you mentioned how it was taking some time to 543 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:52,679 Speaker 1: shop around the Killers and chop around this album, and 544 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 1: I mean, given the way that the song blew up, 545 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 1: I mean the entire album blew up, do you feel 546 00:25:57,000 --> 00:25:59,160 Speaker 1: shocking that so many people like were able to finally 547 00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 1: gravitate towards this band after working so hard to even 548 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:03,679 Speaker 1: get a label to sign. 549 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,720 Speaker 3: Well, yeah, I mean again, after the the year of 550 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 3: us kicking it around and everybody turned it down. You know, 551 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:14,280 Speaker 3: literally the only label we could find in the world 552 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:17,440 Speaker 3: that would sign it was just a Little Lizard King, 553 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:20,240 Speaker 3: which was a really small label in London. You know, 554 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:23,399 Speaker 3: at that point when that was the only thing that happened, 555 00:26:23,400 --> 00:26:24,879 Speaker 3: we're just kind of like, well, this is going to 556 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:28,600 Speaker 3: be like a little indie release and the underground thing. 557 00:26:28,960 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 3: But Jane and Lowe really picked Radio One became a 558 00:26:33,880 --> 00:26:36,720 Speaker 3: was he became a huge fan, like overnight on this 559 00:26:36,840 --> 00:26:40,520 Speaker 3: song and just played the heck out of it, and 560 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 3: you know it, literally a month or so later it's 561 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:47,600 Speaker 3: number one in the UK, and then that changed the 562 00:26:47,640 --> 00:26:51,000 Speaker 3: whole the whole scope of everything for the U. For 563 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:53,840 Speaker 3: the international release, everybody. 564 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:55,480 Speaker 2: No, no, we'd love that. 565 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:58,920 Speaker 3: BRK, you idiot. That was you know, that was kind 566 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 3: of you know, everybody was interested in the band and 567 00:27:01,119 --> 00:27:02,480 Speaker 3: loved it at that point. 568 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 2: So it's hard to imagine people hearing the album and 569 00:27:05,880 --> 00:27:08,399 Speaker 2: passing on it. It's so funny that there was a 570 00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:10,120 Speaker 2: year of that that seems really. 571 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 3: It was pretty much to finished album. We started taking 572 00:27:13,359 --> 00:27:15,959 Speaker 3: it out. There was one an R guy in the 573 00:27:16,080 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 3: US that actually made an offer on it. He made 574 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 3: an offer. I was going to give him all three 575 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 3: bands with the album's done for eighty thousand dollars and 576 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:29,640 Speaker 3: his boss turned it down. Well, so we didn't get 577 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 3: one offer in the US well from one A and 578 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,480 Speaker 3: R guy that the hand of the label shot that 579 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 3: down too. It also could have been they were right 580 00:27:37,800 --> 00:27:40,520 Speaker 3: and the band played some clubs in the UK and 581 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 3: that was yet. But it's a hard choices to make, 582 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 3: so I don't fallow people for not liking it. Everybody's 583 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 3: opinion changed once they saw how kids reacted to it, 584 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:52,240 Speaker 3: you know, then they were able to get on board, 585 00:27:52,280 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 3: and having a major label be part of it was 586 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:58,040 Speaker 3: able to take it make it a worldwide phenomena. 587 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you brought an original of Mister Brightside or 588 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:02,640 Speaker 1: is it? Yeah? 589 00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:06,119 Speaker 3: Yeah, this is the very first, the very first single 590 00:28:06,119 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 3: that was released on Lizard King. It's a little it 591 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 3: was a little white vinyl. Yeah, it just went from 592 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:17,160 Speaker 3: here to it just went diamond. 593 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:19,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean with the album turning twenty this year, 594 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 1: I know the Killers are going on tour to celebrate that. 595 00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:26,439 Speaker 1: I mean, this album's longevity and Mister Brightside's longevity has 596 00:28:26,560 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 1: you know, surpassagably anything that you could have imagined that 597 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 1: the band could have imagined that Robin I, as early 598 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 1: fans of the band could have imagined. 599 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 3: I mean, being on the charts. I mean it's in 600 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:40,240 Speaker 3: the UK the longest it you know, just been on 601 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:43,160 Speaker 3: the charts longer than any other song in history. It's 602 00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 3: like really like longer than the Beatles. 603 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 2: Come on. 604 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:51,480 Speaker 3: That's but I'm so proud of the band that that's 605 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:54,040 Speaker 3: the case. I mean, it's it's hard to believe when 606 00:28:54,040 --> 00:28:56,080 Speaker 3: you think of all the great songs that have come 607 00:28:56,120 --> 00:28:58,680 Speaker 3: out of the UK. Yeah, it's hard to believe it's 608 00:28:58,720 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 3: twenty years. 609 00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: Well, it's been an excellent twenty years, made better by 610 00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 1: mister Brekeside for sure. 611 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 2: Absolutely hard to imagine the last twenty years. 612 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:09,520 Speaker 3: Make sure ll lies a little break right. 613 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:12,840 Speaker 2: Thank you so much, Thank you, Yeah, thanks so much, 614 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 2: my pleasure. 615 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:17,080 Speaker 1: Yeah cool. Thanks so much for listening to Rolling Stone's 616 00:29:17,080 --> 00:29:20,239 Speaker 1: five hundred Greatest Songs. This podcast is brought to you 617 00:29:20,240 --> 00:29:24,440 Speaker 1: by Rolling Stone and iHeartMedia. Written hosted by me Britney. 618 00:29:24,120 --> 00:29:26,320 Speaker 2: Spanos and Rob Sheffield. 619 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:30,320 Speaker 1: Executive produced by Jason Fine, Alex Dale and Christian Horde, 620 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:34,160 Speaker 1: and produced by Jesse Cannon, with music supervision by Eric Zeiler. 621 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:35,840 Speaker 1: Thanks for watching and thanks for listening.