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The Tom Petty Project

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This is the weekly podcast that digs into the entire Tom Petty catalog song by song, album by album and includes conversations with musicians, fans, and people connected with Tom along the way. Follow me on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomPettyProject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject (This podcast is in no way affiliated with the Tom Petty estate.) Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Location:

United States

Description:

This is the weekly podcast that digs into the entire Tom Petty catalog song by song, album by album and includes conversations with musicians, fans, and people connected with Tom along the way. Follow me on social media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomPettyProject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject (This podcast is in no way affiliated with the Tom Petty estate.) Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Language:

English


Episodes
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I Don't Wanna Fight

6/18/2025
It’s interesting that Mike has never dusted this one off with the Dirty Knobs and I think this goes back to him talking about how difficult a period this was and given the circumstances around its conception you can see why it might be ground he wouldn’t want to revisit. The song was a mainstay on the Echo tour however and in "Spotlight on a Heartbreaker" series, which appeared on the official website many years ago and saw fans email questions in for one of the band to answer, Mike was asked “What is your favourite song to perform live and why”, His response? “This tour I liked "I Don't Wanna Fight" 'cause I got to be king!” Song : https://youtu.be/_Lf7eM9qCTc Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:23:01

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Billy the Kid

6/11/2025
OK, let’s get into the song! In Conversations with Tom Petty, Tom tells author Paul Zollo “I wrote that on the drive to the studio in Bugs’ truck. My trusty roadie Bugs was driving me to work—and I got this idea for this song, “Billy The Kid.” I pulled out a pad as we were going over Topanga Canyon with all those curves, so I was really writing on the edge of the paper, and back and forth in the truck. And I wrote it all out on the way to work, and I had the tune in my head.” Any songwriter will tell you that it’s massively exciting when that thunderbolt of inspiration hits and words or music come at you all at once. In this case, Tom had the words flowing and the tune only in his head, rather than it coming from sitting around noodling on the guitar and then framing in lyrics later. It’s especially gratifying to hear for me because that’s almost always how I write; a specific line or chorus and then some basic melody. Song : https://youtu.be/WHVywrWjjrQ Live from the Fonda - 2013: https://tinyurl.com/26yv2c2f Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:24:35

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Nic Apostoleris talks Echo

5/28/2025
Today’s episode is a very focused conversation I had with my pal and previous guest Nic Apostoleries. When we chatted way back in 2022, Nic told me that when I reached Echo, that he’d love to come onto the show and talk about it. We dive specifically into the lyrics on this season’s album and speculate on possible meanings to specific songs and overall moods and intent that album may hold. As a professional in the mental health field, Nic is always very careful to present his opinions as just that, but they’re very thoughtful, very well considered and articulated opinions and it was an absolute joy to spend a couple of hours in Nic’s company again! Even though he didn’t want to focus on his music, do go check out the links in the episode notes if you do want to check out Nic’s music. It’s personal, passionate, and I love it, so maybe you’ll love it too! NOTE: There is one curse-word in the episode, when I quote the poet, Phillip Larkin. Nic's latest release can be found here, please do go support him! https://nicapostoleris.bandcamp.com/album/loved-ones Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:01:45:17

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Won't Last Long

5/21/2025
I’d said in the closing to last week’s episode that I get a strong connection between this song and the Jeff Lynne era of Tom’s work. So, close your eyes, listen to the first four bars, and imagine coming out of Too Good to Be True and into this song. It feels as natural a transition as anything in the catalogue to me. I think it’s partially the blend of those two acoustic guitars panned left and right sitting underneath that crunchy electric part from Mike. The tempo, bounce, and feel of this just screams Into the Great Wide Open era to me. Song: https://youtu.be/2_JOAHA2tpk Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:23:46

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Echo

5/14/2025
This is a very grown up song and as we discussed on Wildflowers, it’s a song that wouldn’t resonate as much with a person in their teens or early twenties as it would with someone who has lived and lost. You need that weight of experience to truly feel the bone-weariness that Tom projects at times and the hesitant accusations he ends with. It’s a collage of emotions and narrative dissonance that perfectly fleshes out what a broken relationship feels like even when a new, healthy one is coming into focus. Song: https://youtu.be/OjC1Idf9w_4 Live at the Fillmore '99: https://tinyurl.com/2wtkm3jd This episode is dedicated to the memory of Margaret "Cookie" Donnelly Obituary. You can read her full obituary here: https://tinyurl.com/28dr58p7 Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:27:00

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Accused of Love

5/7/2025
In Conversations with Tom Petty, author Paul Zollo tells Tom that he finds the song has “kind of a British, early Beatles sound” to which to Tom replies “Yeah. It’s funny how you see these influences go round and round, because I was thinking of Don Everly, that sort of melody. But it does have a mid-Sixties British sound. And he was obviously influencing them.” Paul then observes “Like one of those old songs, it’s very short—under three minutes.” and Tom tells him “Yeah. It’s great when you can get it all in, in that amount of time” Song: https://youtu.be/cu9-BjUAvNY Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:23:38

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Swingin'

4/30/2025
Lyrically, we get this short story, in typical Tom fashion where he’s just giving us the outlines and parts of a narrative. We start out standing by the highway in boots and silver spurs. And we end on the interstate across the Georgia line, which is maybe a teeny nod back to Tweeter and the Monkey Man. In fact, here’s an idea, maybe the protagonist of this song is actually Jan! I can imagine her heading south after the fiasco in Jersey, but it sounds like she found trouble again in Nevada and headed back east! It’s an incredible lyric to come up with on the spot, as I say and it’s obviously gone on to be a lesser known single that is adored by Pettyheads. It’s a song that lends itself well to themes of not going down without a fight while at the same time depicting a somewhat desperate character who is going down anyway! Fabulous writing. Or in this case, ad-libbing! Song: https://youtu.be/ew6Cg6pUApE Official Video: https://youtu.be/I4vJM4L2D2U Links mentioned: Red Hot Chili Peppers - A Face In The Crowd (Live) : https://youtu.be/qD37E7rtxbs Sammy Davis Jr drums : https://youtu.be/i3FqyPeUaDE Refugee (album version) : https://youtu.be/YbWDV72oQlo?t=50 Refugee (live version, 2012) : https://youtu.be/2sW4msX2q_E?t=114 Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:24:03

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Lonesome Sundown

4/25/2025
I love the line “She’s a sweet young thing. Brings me dreams in a box she made for me”. That’s a very Petty-esque little piece of imagery that he throws in early to add to the very dreamy quality of the piece. In Conversations with Tom Petty, Tom tells author Paul Zollo that “The words changed several times in that song. But I finally got it to where I liked it. I think I worked on that one a lot more than any of the others.” And where we were talking about Free Girl Now sounding much more spontaneous lyrically, this one does have that quality of being a more considered lyric. I don’t think many people would come up with “Brings me dreams in a box she made for me” off the cuff. If you want to listen to the track before listening to the episode, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/-IIX0nGyfyA You can find my appearance on the Booked on Rock podcast here: https://youtu.be/Gkea4Xc_2uQ You can find Megan Volpert's wonderful book, "Why Alanis Morissette Matters" here: https://utpress.utexas.edu/9781477330876/ Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:18:05

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Free Girl Now

4/16/2025
The song is a powerful push back against an abusive relationship on behalf of the woman Tom loved. The way the lyrics are organized, with the verses describing the abuse in the past tense and the uplifting chorus being in the present tense really drives home that idea that “No longer will you be a slave. No longer will you have to crawl”. It’s a celebration of liberation and freedom that is specific to a personal situation but again has that anthemic universality that would make a stadium full of people who might not know its origins sing along in full-throated support! If you want to listen to the song before you listen to the episode, you can find it here : https://youtu.be/vxfQun7sfok And if you want to hear the live version from the Fillmore in '99, you can find that here : https://youtu.be/1p7e5MgqkcI Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:22:19

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Counting on You

4/9/2025
Sonically, you could definitely hear this one sitting happily on Mojo. But I also sometimes feel that this is the most Wildflowers-sounding of all the songs on Echo. If you found out that it was another of the songs that hadn’t been included on that album, it wouldn’t really surprise you. In Conversations With Tom Petty, the only thing that Tom tells author Paul Zollo about this song is that “That’s great. That should have been a single. I don’t know why they didn’t put that out as a single”. If you want to listen to the song before you listen to the episode, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/eA7YT103Ocw Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:21:13

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Room at the Top

4/2/2025
I, along with I’m sure many of you Pettyheads, consider this one of Tom’s finest works. It’s an absolute masterpiece in songwriting, lyrical precision, and arrangement. As Tom tells Paul Zollo, “It was a great example of The Heartbreakers at work. On my own I would have never arrived at that arrangement of the song. But they really took it somewhere that I would have never got to by myself.” The mixture of light and shade the contrast of hope and despondency, of cynicism and vulnerability make this track a powerhouse of pure emotion. It’s one of those where every single note is placed to perfection, every musical decision supports the construction and delivery of the song and the sum of its incredible parts gels into this perfect five minutes of music that moves me as much today as it did the first time I listened to it! If you want to listen to the song before you listen to the episode, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/nQFCF9KESic And make sure you check out Richard Hearn's brilliant website Paragraph Planet here: https://www.paragraphplanet.com Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:22:24

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The Same Sad Echo

3/27/2025
Like Songs and Music for She’s The One, somewhere around half of the songs on Echo were never played live. Tom tells Paul Zollo “I was kind of glad to get to another place after Echo. I was kind of glad to get somewhere else. I don’t know why, but I kind of felt like we came back into the sun after that.” And this idea of a darkness hovering over this period in Tom’s life definitely permeates through elements of this record. Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:10:52

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Songs and Music from She's The One (with John Paulsen)

3/19/2025
After a little bit of a false start, John and Kevin settle into a fun chat about soundtrack composition, how Ed Burn managed to lock in Wildflowers era-Tom Petty to be his musical director, why Tom took over the project wholesale and why this may just be the most underappreciated album in Tom's catalogue! Do we need two versions of two different songs? What about the covers? Tune in to find out! Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:01:01:12

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Airport

3/12/2025
Airport is a tight little bundle of keyboard virtuosity from Benmont Tench with a lazy, groove-soaked accompaniment from Howie Epstein and Chris Trujillo in the rhythm section. This piece may be completely unique in the catalogue in two different, very interesting ways. First of all, I’m pretty sure that Tom didn’t play on it. Second, given the melodic contributions would almost certainly have come spontaneously from the mind and fingers of Benmont Tench, it’s really curious to me that he isn’t at least co-credited on this one! If you want to check out the song ahead of the episode, you can find the official video here: https://youtu.be/P5RbW82PVqs If you want to check out Benmont Tench's fantastic new album, The Melancholy Season, you can find that here : https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kRJEygrs-WJ4ZzS39uwMLTJSUGArR8qDo Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:20:10

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Hung Up and Overdue

3/5/2025
It's curious that the two songs that reference California were both left off the final Wildflowers release; perhaps Tom being self-conscious about being too prescriptive and direct in that vein. Hung Up and Overdue has a very simple, very direct lyric which sits atop a wonderful arrangement and doesn’t need to do too much of the heavy lifting. It’s almost like Mike’s more reserved guitar part. We do get a little shine and sparkle in a couple of places, but its part of the ensemble rather than taking a starring role. If you want to check out the song ahead of the episode, you can find it here : https://youtu.be/bSl9ykaiNvw Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:22:04

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Walls (No. 3)

2/26/2025
I don’t think I’ve ever hidden or tried to hide the fact that Walls is one of my very favourite Tom Petty compositions. I think it’s essentially a perfect song. And this version is, as I say, an exercise in showing how to simplify and condense an arrangement to be as tight as you can make it without losing an ounce of its beauty. Long time listeners will know that when I wrote one of my ten questions; which version of Walls do you prefer, I was astounded to find that most people picked Circus. And I’ve since talked about the fact that I definitely listen to that one way more than I ever did before I started the podcast, but I have to tell you, I think No 3 is still ever so slightly ahead of Circus for me. The harmonica solo and the really raw, stripped down arrangement still carries an emotional weight that the big, bold, multi-layered approach on Circus doesn’t achieve. If you want to check out the song ahead of the episode, you can find it here : https://youtu.be/UHksHuZd_gw You can find the Circus version here : https://youtu.be/_aoEIA38kTQ The PBS live is here : https://youtu.be/zJl0pe-DWy8 And the Fillmore 97 live version is here : https://youtu.be/gX65I6FnR0s Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:19:05

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Hope on Board

2/19/2025
I would love to know if an extended version of this arrangement exists anywhere on the cutting room floor. I know that there was only one violinist, Lili Haydn, who I’m hoping to have on the podcast as it happens, and two cellists, Gerri Stutyak and Michael Severens. But I think if you kept building this into a full orchestral string arrangement with some timpani or other percussion added, it could have been a pretty amazing piece of music in its own right. As it stands, it’s an absolutely perfect piece of music for this portion of the movie and shows that had Tom decided he wanted to score more movies, he would have been perfectly capable of doing so. Note: There is some profanity in the movie clip that is included in this episode. If you want to check out the song ahead of the episode, you can find it here: To listen to the song, go here: https://youtu.be/uk5pFlnfDZU Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:18:20

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Bad Monkey + Petty Country

2/14/2025
John and I got together to discuss the Petty Country and Bad Monkey Soundtrack releases and built a 16 track playlist that gives you a good idea of what to expect from each disc. We discussed what makes a good cover version, which contemporay artists are doing the best job of interpereting Tom's work and we also talk about covers not on either album that are worth checking out! You can find our final playlist here: https://tinyurl.com/55fyfw6t Our additional list of covers not on these two albums here: https://tinyurl.com/5h7n2a2w And if you want to check out John's "Petty Scattered, Smothered, & Covered" playlist, you can find that here: https://tinyurl.com/2k3pc883 The song at the end of the episode is used by kind permission of Cyberattack and can be found here: https://youtu.be/EINdLqmcYH0 Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:01:17:25

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California

2/12/2025
There’s a quality to this song that I’ve only really experienced once before. It makes me homesick for a place I’ve never lived in. The other time this has happened to me was, coincidentally, also California. If any of you are Van Halen fans or even just rock n roll fans with an interest in the Pasadena scene in the 70s, you have to read the superb book Van Halen Rising. Easily the best rock biog I’ve ever read, written by an exceptional journalist and author and a wildly knowledgeable rock historian, Greg Renoff. Rather than being a gratuitous look at the excess of the hedonistic rock n roll lifestyle, Greg very deliberately builds a picture of Pasadena in the 70s in which the band was born and grew into the world famous act they became. Well, this song, in two minutes and thirty eight seconds leaves me with that strange sense of nostalgia and affection for a place that doesn’t shape any part of my life. You almost get that sense of promise and opportunity that California held for the early settlers seeping through the words and music that Tom delivers. If you want to check out the song ahead of the episode, you can find it here: To listen to the Fillmore 97 version go here: hhttps://youtu.be/nhnDaykQls8 If you want to watch Jack's video for Room at the Top, you'll find it here : https://youtu.be/uF9hyogNurU And if you're interested in checking out Greg's book, you can find previews of it here : https://tinyurl.com/mr26nxzy Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:22:58

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Supernatural Radio

2/5/2025
This one begins with piano as the main melodic focus, with Benmont Tench playing a lounge player style lick over top of a sumptuously dark and foreboding rhythm section. The drums are dry and present and Howie Epstein’s bass guitar adds the bottom end colour to a scene that feels like a dimly lit hotel bar. If you want to check out the song ahead of the episode, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/P8qB--d6q3A To listen to the Fillmore 97 version go here: https://tinyurl.com/23fuush8 Check out Ian and Michael's brilliant podcast, Lord of Adders Black, here : https://goodpods.com/podcasts/lord-of-adders-black-413109 You can find Scott Haskin's new Deep Purple show, Smoke on the Podcast, here : https://goodpods.com/podcasts/smoke-on-the-podcast-627907 And if you want to read that awful Independent review, check that out here : https://tinyurl.com/yxdwwb4a Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise. A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography". Producer: Kevin Brown Executive Producer: Paul Roberts Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Duration:00:20:09