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Join lifelong Billy Joel fans, Michael and Jack, as they take deep dives in to Billy’s history, songs, albums, tours, band members and more.
Episodes
Tuesday Mar 14, 2023
Tuesday Mar 14, 2023
This year, Billy Joel is embarking on his first co-headlining tour since 2009. And, the Glass Houses Podcast was there on opening night.
Billed as “Two Icons, One Night,” the Billy Joel / Stevie Nicks tour kicked off on March 10, 2023 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Prior to the show, fans were curious about the show order, setlists, and whether each artist would make a guest appearance during the other’s performance.
In this episode, we’ll answer all those questions, give our thoughts on the show, and more.
Join us as we dig deep into opening night of Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks’ Two Icons, One Stage tour.
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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com
Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:
- Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
- Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T
Support the podcast:
- Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
- Venmo: @MGrosvenor
Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing
Tuesday Feb 28, 2023
Tuesday Feb 28, 2023
Just because a song is pressed to vinyl doesn't mean it's set in cement. Any band playing the same song live for years or even decades is bound to stray from the original arrangement.
Billy Joel is no exception. And, given his dissatisfaction with his earliest records, it's no surprise that some of his oldest songs have seen significant revisions over the years.
In this episode, we're tracking the stylistic shifts for two of Billy's older, fan favorite songs: “Everybody Loves You Now” and “Say Goodbye to Hollywood.” We're comparing the original versions to subsequent live performances from the 70s through the latest Madison Square Garden shows.
These songs had more versions on official releases than perhaps any other in the catalog. They are also on plenty of bootlegs and were played by more iterations of Billy's band than most others.
We knew to expect a few well-known changes to each song over more than 40 years of performances. But, we were surprised to discover just how many shifts, tweaks, and returns to form our close listens revealed.
Join us as we dig deep into the evolutions of two classic Billy Joel songs.
"Everybody Loves You Now" playlist
"Say Goodbye To Hollywood" playlist
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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com
Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:
- Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
- Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T
Support the podcast:
- Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
- Venmo: @MGrosvenor
Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing
Tuesday Feb 14, 2023
Tuesday Feb 14, 2023
Here at Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast, we’re not just Billy Joel fans. We’re also fans of other podcasts.
Since setting up shop in early 2020, we’ve connected with other podcasters with shows about music. Some of them have had us on as guests, and now we’re happy to return the favor.
For our second roundtable episode, we’re speaking with three podcasters who are also Billy Joel fans. They’re Stephanie Myers from Stephanie & Stephanie Talk Tunes, Bob Nebel of Tales From the Corners, and Brian Colburn of Playlist Wars, and who recently launched his new podcast, My Weekly Mixtape.
Join us as we dig deep not only into the music and our memories of Billy Joel, but also the craft of podcasting.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE EXTENDED ROUNDTABLE CONVERSATION
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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com
Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:
- Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
- Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T
Support the podcast:
- Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
- Venmo: @MGrosvenor
Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing
Tuesday Jan 31, 2023
Tuesday Jan 31, 2023
1989 was a high water mark for Billy Joel’s career. He released another chart-topping album, Storm Front, and its number-one hit “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”
That single also found a home in history classrooms around the United States - a feat fitting for someone who once aspired to be a teacher.
But the events that preceded its fall release foreshadowed the chorus of the title track from Billy’s 11th studio album. Specifically, the line, “There’s a Storm Front coming.”
The year started quietly, with Billy slowly returning to the limelight in broadcast news features, master classes, and guest spots aimed toward children around his daughter’s age.
But before Storm Front’s release, Billy would discover a betrayal that would shake up his inner circle and could potentially leave him bankrupt.
Join us as we dig deep into the high tides and murky waters of Billy Joel in 1989.
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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com
Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:
- Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
- Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T
Support the podcast:
- Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
- Venmo: @MGrosvenor
Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
Tuesday Jan 17, 2023
Billy’s return to touring in 2006 included a stop at one of the oldest arenas in the world. The concert was captured for posterity with a beautifully-shot, full-length video available for free online.
On July 31, 2006, Billy and the band, minus a key member, played outdoors at the Coliseum in Rome. It was many fans’ first glimpse at the lineup he’d keep for the next 17 years and running, more or less. And, what a place to see him: performing just steps away from the centuries-old landmark.
While Crystal Taliefero wasn’t at this show, longtime members Tommy Byrnes, Mark Rivera, David Rosenthal, and Andy Cichon were there. So were relative newcomers Carl Fischer on horns and Chuck Burgi, who was on his first tour as Billy’s new drummer.
The show is available on YouTube with a soundboard mix that highlights the band almost more than Billy himself. While it’s a great document of the new band starting out, listeners can also key into the harmonies, background parts, and delicate orchestrated parts that make Billy’s music shine.
Join us as we deep into Billy Joel Live in Rome, 2006.
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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com
Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:
- Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
- Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T
Support the podcast:
- Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
- Venmo: @MGrosvenor
Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing
Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
Tuesday Jan 03, 2023
The Nylon Curtain turned 40 last September, and we can’t help but take one last look at it as we start the new year.
Back in September, we did our album spotlight where we discussed the history and making of the album along with our track-by-track commentary. This time, we’re speaking with two people who helped make the album into the classic we all know today.
Our guests for this episode are Larry Franke and Bradsahw Leigh. Both were engineers at A&R Recording where Billy worked with Phil Ramone to produce his string of hit albums from the late 70s through the mid-80s.
Larry and Brad were involved with many of those records. And, for this episode, they’re taking us through what it was like creating Billy Joel’s most sonically ambitious album.
You’ll hear about the studio tricks they used for sound effects, how they used analog effects well before today’s digital plugins, and how the band and studio crew went about fulfilling Billy’s goal of making an album inspired by the Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper’s.
With track-by-track commentary, stories from the sessions, and deep dives into the recording technology of the day, it’s the closest you can get to being a fly on the wall of the live room and mixing booth back in 1982.
Join us for another look behind The Nylon Curtain.
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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com
Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:
- Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
- Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T
Support the podcast:
- Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
- Venmo: @MGrosvenor
Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing
Tuesday Dec 20, 2022
Tuesday Dec 20, 2022
Sometimes the best part of a big meal is the leftovers. There’s nothing like taking a little bit of everything from the night before, heating it up, and settling in for a second round. And, for the second year in a row, just in time for the holidays, that's what we’re doing here at Glass Houses.
This is our second Odds and Ends episode, where we take pieces of conversations from the year that got left on the cutting room floor. We hear so many great stories from the people we interview that we can’t fit them all into each episode.
This year, we’ve got two dishes of second helpings. The first is from our interview with Steve Cohen, Billy’s longtime lighting director, and Jon Small, who’s been involved with Billy since the late 60s. They’ll share stories of how they began working with Billy, including some never-before-heard stories from their youth.
Next is a sneak peek of our upcoming episode about The Nylon Curtain. Here, engineer Bradshaw Leigh talks about reconstructing the album for an ATMOS enhanced audio mix this year. He also gives a few behind-the-scenes stories from his time at A&R Recording with Billy and Phil Ramone. And, you’ll hear his thoughts on the music business back then and what it’s like now.
So throw on your sweatpants, uncork that half-empty bottle of wine, and settle in for a helping of odds and ends from some of our favorite interviews of 2022.
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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com
Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:
- Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
- Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T
Support the podcast:
- Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
- Venmo: @MGrosvenor
Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
Tuesday Dec 06, 2022
There are more than just musicians behind a great-sounding album. No matter how well they play, or how good the songs are, it doesn’t mean much if the recording doesn’t capture them the right way.
And, when it came to many of Billy Joel’s most iconic albums, the person responsible for shaping much of their sound was Jim.
Billy Joel, along with the Lords of 52nd Street and others put some great performances down on tape working with producer Phil Ramone and his crew. And, a crucial member of that team was Jim Boyer.
As an engineer, Jim was responsible for capturing the performances, which were often played by the full band live in the studio. Then, as mixer, he blended all those elements into the great-sounding records we all know today.
After years in the studio with Billy, Paul Simon, and many others, Jim moved into a different part of the music business when he co-founded Double Helix, a CD pressing plant. Then, he returned to mixing – first by doing sound at live music events, and then back to studio recordings.
Jim passed away on June 15, 2022, at the age of 71. But, along with the legacy he left on countless hit records, his legend lives on through the stories his friends remember and the impact he had on their lives.
For this episode, we spoke with Larry Franke and Bradshaw Leigh, two members of Phil Ramone’s production team that worked on several Billy Joel albums, as well as working with many other artists.
They’ll share their memories of Jim as a friend, his work in the studio, his impact on the music industry, and what it was like recording dozens of records in the 1970s and 80s.
Join us as we dig deep into the life and work of Jim Boyer.
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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com
Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:
- Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
- Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T
Support the podcast:
- Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
- Venmo: @MGrosvenor
Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
Tuesday Nov 22, 2022
Did you know there’s a connection between Billy Joel and one of the most popular cartoons of the 1980s?
We didn’t know either until a few weeks ago.
Recently, Michael and I interviewed Larry Franke, who was second engineer on Songs in the Attic and the Nylon Curtain. During the conversation, Larry mentioned that, after working with Billy and Phil Ramone, he worked on the cartoon Thundercats, which ran in syndication from 1985 to 1989.
During the show’s run, that cartoon was about as big a deal to me as Billy Joel - maybe even more (Hey, I was in elementary school).
And, hearing that Larry was an integral part of one of my favorite childhood shows meant I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hear more about it.
We’ll hear Larry’s memories of working with Billy in a few weeks. For my playlist episode this year, however, I’m doing something a little different.
Instead of playing songs I worked on or by artists I really enjoy, I spoke with Larry and Anthony Gioveniello, who was on the production staff and occasionally directed episodes, about how they put together 130 episodes over four years.
If you’re around my age and remember rushing home from school every afternoon to catch the latest adventures on Third Earth, you’ll love this intimate look at how a piece of your childhood was made.
And, even if you’re too young, or too old, or just weren’t into the show, you’ll still enjoy the stories, behind-the-scenes information, and the memories of how important the show was for Larry and Anthony - not only for their careers, but also for the fun they had and the close friends they made during the show’s run.
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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com
Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:
- Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
- Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T
Support the podcast:
- Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
- Venmo: @MGrosvenor
Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
Tuesday Nov 08, 2022
Filmed over two nights in June 1990, Live at Yankee Stadium was a hit on VHS and on cable TV upon its release later that year. But, it’s been overlooked in the decades after, with only a handful of songs available and a production style that quickly felt dated.
But, that’s all changed with a deluxe release in the fall of 2022. Fans got to see a newly-edited version of the film in theaters, complete with footage of an unreleased song. That new cut is now available on Blu-ray with a 2CD set featuring those tracks plus 11 never-before-heard performances from the historic two night stand. The full, 22-song live album is also out as a 3LP vinyl set.
Over the summer, we spoke with director Jon Small and producer Steve Cohen about the making of the original film and the story behind its reimagining. Now, we’re getting the full picture with the official, updated release.
In this episode, we’ll recount our unboxing of the Blu-ray + 2CD package and vinyl edition. Then, we’ll share our comments and observations on each song in the 22-track set.
Join us as we dig deep into the remixed, remastered, and expanded version of Billy Joel: Live At Yankee Stadium.
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Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com
Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:
- Website: http://www.glasshousespod.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/glasshousespod
- Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T
Support the podcast:
- Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod
- Venmo: @MGrosvenor
Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing
