Billy Joel A to Z

After our "Rosalinda" episode (not "Rosalinda's Eyes") we spoke about a man named Denny Somach who is the only person who booked and subsequently recorded Billy Joel at a show at the Roxy Theater around Allentown Pennsylvania. Well, we were able to track him down and today he is our guest on Billy Joel A to Z. Denny may own the only known recording of "Rosalinda" on the planet. So there's that. De...

Running on Ice kicks off The Bridge album released on July 9, 1986.   It's a fun strange song that is rarely played, thought of or ever mentioned in Billy Joel circles. Sometimes we refer to it as "Pressure 2" - which is another song that is rarely played, thought of or ever mentioned in Billy Joel circles. Who's running these Billy Joel circles? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva...

Rosalinda's Eyes is the 2nd track on side 2 of Billy's Grammy winning sixth album, 52nd Street, released October 11, 1978. Rosalinda's Eyes completes the Rosalind Joel trilogy of Billy Joel songs about his mother. Why anyone would write three songs about their mother is confusing, but if you're going to, this is a good one that, one would think, would make Mama Joel proud. One can always find thei...

Not to be confused with Rosalinda's Eyes, which is our next podcast, Rosalinda is an unreleased track, circa 1972. It's a very dark song about Billy's mom and how she's now an "Empty Nester". It's not the usual good time like Allentown or Pressure that are depressing but fun, so to liven things up, we talk mostly about the 80/90's show, Empty Nest . You're welcome. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/p...

Root Beer Rag is the 4th song on side one of Billy Joel’s third studio album Streetlife Serenade, which was released October 11, 1974. It is one of three instrumental album tracks on Billy Joel studio albums. Since Marvin Hamlisch's Piano instrumental, The Entertainer from the 1973 Oscar Winning Movie, The Sting was the most popular song in the nation, we think Billy had a sense of jealousy a...

Roberta is the fifth and final song on Side One of Billy Joel’s third studio album entitled Streetlife Serenade, which was released October 11, 1974.  Billy's version of "Pretty Woman". Trying to save a lady of the evening. Starting the R's with an R Rated song. Ooooooooo. Exciting. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi everybody. We've been doing the podcast now for exactly one year -- SO. . . since there are no Q songs in Billy Joel's collection, we thought we would do a show where we could all get together on one Saturday Afternoon and talk some Billy Joel. We were fortunate to get musician Paul Loren to join as well and play some songs live, which really made it feel special. Hopefully you'll enjoy the con...

The big P's Wrap Up Show includes the 1 biggie, Piano Man and the medium hit, Pressure and of course, viewer mail and other nonsense. We also trying to get to the bottom of what happened to Billy during the River of Dreams Tour Pressure song. And speaking of River of Dreams -- unfortunately, it's called The River of Dreams -- so it's NOT next. Ugh. Elon 😡 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...

This episode we speak a little Billy Joel with our friend comedian Mike Vecchione. Mike has appeared on The Tonight Show multiple times, including being the first comic asked back after Covid. But what we didn't realize, is that Mike is a big Billy Joel fan as well. Mike talks to us about growing up Italian and that his workout choice music is Billy Joel. Then, of course, Dave chimes in with his w...

The One After Piano Man -- Pressure was the first single released off of The Nylon Curtain and entered the Billboard Charts on September 25, 1982.  Pressure is a great song and not very often remembered or thought of. The music video is one of the first concept music videos of it's time and was directed by the person that directed the first music video ever played on MTV - all those years ago...

As we completely hit our stride on the Billy Joel A to Z podcast, we discuss another instant classic today in Piano Man. Piano Man is the Piano Man's second song off of the album of the same name and was released as a single one week before the album was released on November 2, 1973. Piano Man was Billy Joel's first major hit and has become his signature song.  In 2015 the Library o...

Today we wrap up yet another letter and the three songs that begin with "O". One superb unreleased track, one throw away and one absolute Billy Joel classic. As we did with our guest, Michael Reidel, we continue the discussion of Billy's Broadway Movin' Out show and how we're not sure if fans of Billy Joel's actually liked it; the worst way to kick off an album with the Russian band "Journalist";...

Michael Riedel is a New York living legend. At one time he could close a Broadway show with one bad review OR keep one running with a rave. But mostly, he just tells it like it is. Michael joins us today to talk about what happened with Billy Joel's Broadway Musical Movin' Out . A fascinating insight into how the show was gossiped to be a disaster and how somehow it ended up nominated for Best Mus...

Another Unreleased Track of Sir Billy Joel’s collection, this one entitled, -- get ready – it’s quite the departure for Billy -- Oyster Bay. An autobiographical song that tells the story of how he is sick of fame and wants to go back to Oyster Bay. Oddly though, at the time of this recording, he wasn't famous yet. How do you like this guy.  😅  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

Another absolute classic today as we discuss Only the Good Die Young . Only the Good Die Young is the sixth song off Billy Joel’s mega sensation fifth studio album, The Stranger . It was released as a single on May 13, 1978 and peaked at number 24 on the billboard charts. This is the first song Billy Joel ever played on his first of four appearances on Saturday Night Live. He missed his...

Uh oh, another song you've never heard of BUT, it's a good one. Only a Man was recorded in between Cold Spring Harbor and Piano Man. Oh it's Beatlesesqe of course, but what Billy Joel song isn't (or so he says)? We think you'll like this song too, and if you don't -- our next episode is Only the Good Die Young and if you don't like that -- you're listening to the wrong podcast 😅 Hosted on Acast....

4 songs that could not be more different in the Billy Joel Universe conclude the letter "N". One that will never be heard of again, one absolutely beautiful instrumental, a moderate hit and an epic classic that could be argued may be one of the best songs EVER written (depending on who you talk to 😉). BUT, most importantly Billy Joel A to Z will exclusively bring you a brand new unreleased track...

Today we get to talk to musician/singer/songwriter AJ Smith. We found AJ because he wrote a beautiful song called, "Billy Joel", which is about a bonding between him and his fiancee over her favorite Billy Joel song. Which one is it? Find out in today's episode. -- Ooooo. Exciting. But besides that song, AJ has so many more songs available and really terrific music videos as well. As we record thi...

Nocturne is a beautiful instrumental song by Billy Joel and the 9th track on the album Cold Spring Harbor released November 1, 1971. You can actually find a bootleg version of this song with lyrics on YouTube and it may be one of the few songs in history where making it instrumental was DEFINATELY the way to go. Yipes! 😉 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Well, we have to cover them all. Nobody Knows But Me is a children's song off of a 1981 Sesame Street related album entitled, In Harmony 2. Billy uses the Little Richard term that has been argued, defines rock and roll - Wop-bop-bop-a-lup-bop-a-lop-bam-boom. BUT, what was the phrase intended to mean and should it be in a children's song? Ooooo -- drama. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m...

No Man’s Land kicks off Billy’s 12th and final album River of Dreams. No Man’s Land was released in December of 1993 but never placed on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. However, No Man's Land does have a special place in history as it was the first song ever played on The Late Show with David Letterman in 1993. Way cool. It also brings us back to simpler time - a time in 1993 when everyone...

New York State of Mind is the fourth and final song off the first side of Turnstiles. The album was released on May 19, 1976. This may be the most covered Billy Joel song of all time. You figure if Barbara Streisand, Frank Sinatra and Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem all think it's great then you've really got something. One of our newspaper rankers has it as Number 1. Who will it be? It's a Bill...

We're so sorry to see the "M"s go. These were the true classics in the Billy Joel catalog; Movin' Out , My Life , Miami 2017 and Dave's favorite for some reason, Money or Love . Also, another awful Paul McCartney cover and of course, everyone's favorite song, The Motorcycle Song. And, as always, listener feedback and a preview of the "N"s. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...

Today we are fortunate enough to talk with Steven Mandel, the producer/engineer for Questlove and The Roots and in that aspect is the musical engineer for The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Steven found us by telling us a few Billy Joel A to Z "easter eggs" to look for that he had placed on The Tonight Show recently so we were really excited to talk to him. We also became fascinated with the fact...

This week's podcast is the awesome song, My Life.   My Life is the third track off Billy Joel’s sixth studio album 52nd Street . Officially released as the first single off of the album on October 28, 1978. The song peaked at Number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Who is the friend who closed the shop, sold a house, and bought a ticket to the west coast that now gives them a stand...