Professor of Rock

What is it about Mondays that seems to bring everyone down? It’s as if that day casts a shadow over us all, shifting the mood of the universe for a full 24 hours. With that in mind, one of the most talented, yet volatile bands of the Rock Era, the Mamas and the Papas, created Monday Monday, a song that unintentionally summed up their brief but brilliant run and gifted us with a break-taking classic. Monday Monday was written in 20 minutes and nobody in the band liked it. Especial singer Denny Doherty... Some even hated it with a passion so imagine their surprise with it hit #1. Then everyone wanted to know what the song was really about. Well as it was not even the writer, John Phillips had a freaking clue what it was about…decades later it turns out the song was an eerie prediction for what would happen to the band. When Michelle Phillips and Mama Cass Elliot and Denny and John fractured.The story is NEXT… on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up… The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony was so mesmerizing, so ear-catching that it hypnotized an entire generation… It was on its way to becoming one of the greatest songs of its time, and yet the song's singer and writer Richard Ashcroft didn’t make a single solitary cent from it. In fact, Bittersweet Symphony basically ruined his young career and stunted The Verve's surge to the top of the charts. And it was all thanks to an obscure sample from a 1965 rock song by the Rolling Stones. Ashcroft had to give away 100% of his royalties and credit two songwriters who had nothing to do with the song’s composition… It was a brutal coup contrived by a true musical mob boss... And one of the most outrageous injustices in music history. Filled with cutthroat contracts and shady characters, today’s episode will have you rooting for the underdog to win back what was rightfully his. Find out if he does… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next, the story of the the most upbeat hit song ever Windy by The Association. IT’S ALMOST unfair how infectious and addicting this classic hit and yet at the same time it might be the most confusing song ever. It was written about a guy… and his name is the main hook of the song. But it’s not a name anyone would EVER associate with a guy so when today’s The Association recorded it, they changed the gender of the guy to a girl. But again the name repeated in the song would never be associated with a a girl or a guy or a human. But it became a smash #1 hit… This band would have a slew of hits over a couple of years, including 3 big #1 hits that are three of the most-played songs in history. Problem is nobody under the age of 40 remembers these guys and they may have had the best vocal harmonies of their time, right there with the Beatles and the Beach Boys. We have an interview with the band coming up next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For decades, Mazzy Star has walked the line between obscurity and popularity… between camouflage and captivating the masses. Originating in LA’s Paisley Underground scene in the 80s, within a decade they were all over the radio dial thanks to their iconic sleeper hit Fade Into You. This “accidental anthem” was never meant to be anything special. In fact, Mazzy Star's Hope Sandoval and David Roback had no aspirations for commercial success. For them, it was all about the inner world of their music. They could care less if anyone else liked it. But the problem was that a lot of people did. So to shed the spotlight they intentionally vanished… calling it quits and fading into the background. But even without any promotion on their part, Fade Into You track refuses to die. And over the past few decades it has become a pop culture mainstay. To the point where it may be one of the most overused songs in film and television. Get the story… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The alleged feud between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young has long been a topic of fascination for Rock fans and pop culture enthusiasts. What began as a lyrical exchange in the early '70s soon spiraled into a highly publicized, and often misunderstood rivalry. When Neil Young critiqued Lynyrd Skynyrd's heritage, their home state, and their people, it sparked an immediate response from them in one of the most famous anthems of the 70s, Sweet Home Alabama. They were fighting their rivalry in the lyrics of their songs…This back-and-forth between the two iconic acts was perceived by many as a deep-seated feud, but was it really as contentious as it seemed?? Let’s get into the story behind this supposed conflict and uncover the truth behind the music and the myths that have surrounded it for decades…It’s coming up NEXT… on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Queen's Don't Stop Me Now is about the most fun-loving, let-it-all-go without-a-care in the world track in rock history. But it was not a hit when it first came out in the 70s… In fact, it didn’t even make the top 80 songs of the week that it peaked. But decades later Don't Stop Me Now is bigger than any hit that came out that year and has almost 4 billion streams, making it one of the biggest hits of the entire decade... and yet beneath this happy-go-lucky song is a very dark and sinister underbelly. Even key members of Queen were uncomfortable with it. And in hindsight, peeling back the layers on this one, you get some foreboding insight into the tragic death of Freddie Mercury, one of rock’s greatest frontmen. So, brace yourself, because today we’re are on a collision course between rock and roll fantasy and a cold dose of reality… with a song that was a total chart failure when it came out but is now one of the biggest songs ever. NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Last Train to Clarksville by The Monkees is a song with a secret message. One that never would have gotten airplay if the music industry knew what this squeaky clean band was putting out. And though it seems pretty obvious in hindsight, not everyone got what Last Train was really about. The song’s controversial message was camouflaged by a jangly, upbeat sound and performed by a band that had been manufactured in a lab. The Monkees didn’t write any of their own music, at least not at first. Later though they would fight the power for a chance to write and record their own music. Today, we’re pulling back the curtain on a protest song disguised as a happy-go-lucky singalong that came to be when its writer Bobby Hart heard a Beatles song and misheard the lyric. When he figured out he’d been singing it wrong he turned his misheard lyrics into a #1 smash. And coming up in an in-depth interview, Hart will tell you the whole story. You’re not going to want to miss this one. The story’s coming up… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next… Toto is currently the biggest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snub this side of Boston. Especially since between the guitarist Steve Lukather and some of his bandmates in a roundabout way, they’ve sold over 500 million records, they’ve swept the Grammys... and even gave the middle finger to Rolling Stone when the snobbish magazine wanted to put them on their cover because they were the most popular band in music... even though the rag had ripped on their music for years. Up next, an interview with 2 of the principals from the original lineup on their biggest record Toto IV including the morning Steve Lukather hung up on the #1 artist in the world, who was calling to have him play on his album. But Lukather thought he was being pranked by his buddies. Stay tuned for an interview from Toto, the band that has been called "technically" the greatest collection of musicians on the planet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, an interview with singer-songwriter Derek Holt who got axed from the Climax Blues Band for writing a huge hit. It’s pretty hard to believe but Derek wrote "I Love You", a song that became one of the biggest hits of 1980. And his band members hated it so much… they resented it so much that they basically forced him out of the band and, in one of the strangest stories I’ve heard in an interview, the Climax Blues Band NEVER performed the song live in America. But in one of the coolest redemption stories I’ve ever heard, decades later Derek Holt finally got to sing the song in concert… at a karaoke bar…but there’s a cool twist. Listen to this cool interview to find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up... John Denver is the last musical icon you'd associate with a violent tirade, with his golly-gee looks and squeaky-clean persona. But even John had a temper that could flare up unexpectedly. His famous marriage went through a series of separations and unimaginable ups and devastating lows… It was such an enduring relationship that he wrote what many feel is the GOAT OF LOVE SONGS called Annie's Song. It's one of the most magical and poignant songs of the time. But in the end, Annie's Song couldn’t save the marriage… It ended in a brutal divorce that got so bad at one point this boy scout took a chainsaw to their king-size bed… It’s a sad story, an inspiring story, and one that’s about as real as real life can get…NEXT on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.