Billy Joel's 10-year monthly residency at Madison Square Garden is now in the past. But its legacy has been preserved for the public to enjoy. In fact, the same can be said for his entire career.   In this last installment of our series covering Billy at the Garden, we sit down for a lengthy interview with Steve Cohen. As Billy's lighting director for 50 years, Cohen also produced the CBS special documenting the 100th residency show.  The special, which aired in April 2024, is currently up for four Emmy awards. A few days after the nominations were announced, Cohen gave us an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at putting the show together - and a hint of what's to come.  We're also exploring the Billy Joel exhibit at the Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame. Currently on display in Stony Brook, NY, it features hundreds of rare items from handwritten sheet music to a Grand piano.  Join us, as we dig deep into what goes into documenting Billy Joel’s historic Madison Square Garden residency, and his career as a whole. ------   Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com   Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media: Website: https://www.glasshousespod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/ Twitter / X: 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 Glass Houses Media, LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The opening strains of Miami 2017 took on a new meaning on July 25, 2024. It was the final show of Billy Joel’s 10-year monthly residency at Madison Square Garden, and the classic opener kicked off the night.  Suddenly, the song’s theme about thousands of people hunkering down to hear these songs for maybe the last time felt almost too real. While this certainly wasn’t Billy’s last show ever, it was the end of an era.  And, we were fortunate enough to be there for it. Michael flew in from the west coast for an extended visit that included a journey to Long Island and our first face-to-face meetings with many friends of the podcast.  The show itself was deceptively low-key. Aside from a few guests, there were no big surprises in the setlist. And there was little ruminating from the man himself about the unprecedented run. Instead, Billy and the band did what they do best: Put on a show that’s more intimate than in any other venue. One that’s become a pilgrimage for some and a ritual for others.  In this episode, we’ll discuss this performance and our recollection from being in the room when it happened. We’ll also discuss our Billy-related travels and meetups that, for us, became a part of the concert experience.  Join us as we dig deep into Billy Joel’s final Madison Square Garden Residency show. ------   Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com   Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media: Website: https://www.glasshousespod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/ Twitter / X: 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 Glass Houses Media, LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2014 was a renaissance for Billy Joel. It’s almost hard to believe, given all the time he’s spent in the spotlight a decade later. But, he’d been relatively quiet in the late aughts and early 2010s. That made the flurry of activity this year all the more surprising.  Billy kicked off his Madison Square Garden residency in January of 2014, which he supported with a number of high-profile media appearances. The unprecedented run earned him plenty of press throughout the year, and his SiriusXM Radio channel debuted that spring. That all occurred alongside his regular touring schedule and other milestones.  In retrospect, the experiment that was the first year of the residency laid the foundation for the next ten years and Billy’s recent resurgence with new music, television specials, and more.  We’ll cover all that and more in this episode. And, we have a number of firsthand accounts of shows this year. Join us, as we dig deep into 2014. ------   Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com   Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media: Website: https://www.glasshousespod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/ Twitter / X: 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 Glass Houses Media, LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They say it’s always darkest before the dawn. If that’s true, then the sun rose for Billy Joel in 1983. That’s not to say things were bleak before then. But the past year or so carried a more somber tone. In 1982, Billy was in a bad motorcycle accident that left his hands severely injured for months. Despite this, he completed, released, and toured behind The Nylon Curtain. That album is arguably his most ambitious, and also his most serious and thematically heavy release.    But, that all turned around the next year. 1983 found Billy Joel jet-setting to private islands, dating supermodels and releasing his ninth studio album, An Innocent Man.  Stylistically, the music harkened back to the 50s and early 60s. And, in contrast to its predecessor, it was one of his biggest sellers, and easily his most light-hearted.    An Innocent Man would go platinum seven times and spawn seven charting singles. In 1984, Billy would tour in support of his blockbuster hit. But, the previous year, he was enjoying life.    In this episode, Michael & Jack are diving deep into 1983. The year that saw an album release, hit singles, heavy-rotation videos, tabloid-pages romance, and more for Billy Joel. ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes, the best way to find out what makes a songwriter special is hearing someone else sing their songs. Listening to how other artists interpret their work brings out aspects of the music that weren’t as obvious before.    That’s what Michael and Jack discovered when they put this episode together. This week, They're diving into versions of Billy Joel songs performed by other people. To do it, we compiled more than two dozen versions of Billy’s music performed by other artists.    For the most part, we stuck to songs that were officially released or performed on television. The styles range from 60s blue-eyed soul to 80s pop, country sensations to punk and indie rockers. The arrangements varied from straight-ahead covers to nearly unrecognizable renditions.  Also featured are 2 Billy covers by drummer Liberty DeVitto's former band The Fun(k) Club that have never before been released!   Join us, as we go through the good, the great, the bad, and the bizarre Billy Joel covers. We’ll talk through these new versions and what we learned about the original performances along the way.   Songs covered include:   Beyonce - Honesty Diana Krall - Just The Way You Are Joan Baez - Goodnight Saigon Ladysmith Black Mambazo - River of Dreams The Hoosiers - We Didn't Start The Fire The Creak - Sleeping With The Television On Sheena Easton - The Entertainer Garth Brooks - Shameless Westlife - Uptown Girl Dolly Parton - Travelin' Prayer Helen Reddy - You're My Home Jennifer Warnes - And So It Goes TexasFrets - Souvenir The Manhattans - Everybody Has A Dream Andy Mientus feat. Jennifer Hudson - Everybody Loves You Now Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Uptown Girl Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Only The Good Die Young Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - The Longest Time Barry White - Just The Way You Are Bayside - Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) Copeland - She's Always A Woman Ronnie Spector and The E Street Band - Say Goodbye To Hollywood Richard Marx - Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway) Peter, Paul & Mary - Summer, Highland Falls Bill Medley - Until The Night The Fun(k) Club - Handball The Fun(k) Club - You May Be Right (Glass Houses Exclusive) The Fun(k) Club - She's Got A Way (Glass Houses Exclusive)     ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1974 saw Billy Joel back in the studio mere months after 1973's Piano Man.  Billy wasn't ready for a new album but pushed his way through to complete Streetlife Serenade which was released October 11, 1974 on Columbia Records.   The album peaked at #35 on the album charts and featured the single "The Entertainer," which is the sole song that has gotten a significant amount of live performances since its release.   Michael & Jack discuss this often forgotten and under documented album and shed some light on some lesser known gems. They also go song by song through the album and discuss each track and their reflections on each.     BILLY JOEL - STREETLIFE SERENADE   One side Streetlife Serenader Los Angelenos The Great Suburban Showdown Root Beer Rag Roberta Another side The Entertainer Last of the Big Time Spenders Weekend Song Souvenir The Mexican Connection   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artists who rose to stardom in the 1970s were the first generation to have that rise documented on TV cameras. Billy Joel was no exception. Michael & Jack comb through as many of Billy's 1970's TV appearances as they could find to share their observations along the way. Watching these in chronological order, you really get the feel with how Billy's stage presence and live band developed throughout the decade. Join us as we discuss all things Billy Joel on TV in the 1970s.   Appearances include:   Old Grey Whistle Test - 1973 Speakeasy - 1974 Don Kirshner's Rock Concert - 1974 Midnight Special - 1975 Mike Douglas Show - 1976 Old Grey Whistle Test - 1978 Beat Club - 1978 Saturday Night Live - 1978 ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The year was 2003 and once again, Billy was at a crossroads. He mounted a shorter Face To Face tour with Elton John before taking one of the longest hiatuses of his career which would stretch into the end of 2005.   Michael & Jack chronicle a year in which saw depression, Billy vocally discussing retiring, and the end end of the professional relationship with the longest tenured band member. But the year wasn't all bad. Billy & Twyla Tharp launched the hugely successful broadway show Movin' Out, had another successful run with Elton John and more. Michael attended 3 shows on that tour which we discuss as well.   Join us as we talk all things Billy Joel in 2003.   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The year was 1987. Billy and the band were well into their tour supporting The Bridge album. An incredible opportunity came along that would change everyone involved's life forever.   Billy Joel and his band became the first American pop act to bring a full-scale touring production to Russia.  While other US artists had played behind the Iron Curtain before, never had the Russians experienced a full on rock show until now.   Join Michael & Jack as they go back to 1987 and discuss this monumental 6 date tour that helped thaw relations between the two nations, and saw musicians and crew alike come away touched by the warmth and kindness they received throughout.    ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1993, Billy Joel began work on what would become his final pop studio album, River of Dreams. What began with he and his live band tracking in a makeshift studio in a boathouse on the east end of Long Island, ended with a new producer, new musicians, and a new direction.   Michael & Jack revisit the Shades of Grey documentary that chronicles the journey of arguably Billy Joel's most personal album to date.   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing       Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liberty DeVitto is the drummer that Billy Joel chose to record those unforgettable albums and memorable tours between 1975 and 2005.  Michael & Jack discuss his brand new autobiography Liberty: Life, Billy and the Pursuit of Happiness which is out now from Hudson Music.   Join us for a special candid conversation with Liberty DeVitto as he discusses the book and much more.   In this episode, Michael & Jack also share their thoughts after reading the book which chronicles Liberty's family history, as well has his personal life and playing career.  Early announcements promised two things: A foreword by Billy Joel and Liberty discussing every song they recorded together. This book delivers on that and so much more.   Among the great stories, we also learn the news of the long-overdue reconciliation between Liberty and Billy and the reclamation of this great friendship.   Order Liberty's new book:         Hudson Music      |      Amazon   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael & Jack take their first dip into a classic Billy Joel concert from the past. They discuss the famed C.W. Post College concert recorded in Greenvale, NY on May 6, 1977. This concert was also broadcast live in New York and Philadelphia as Billy and the band tear through some classics and road test two brand new songs that would be recorded for The Stranger soon after.    Date: May 6, 1977 City/State: Greenvale, NY Venue: Dome Auditorium at C.W. Post College The band: Billy Joel - Vocals, Piano, Moog Synthesizer Liberty DeVitto - Drums Doug Stegmeyer - Bass, Vocals Richie Cannata - Saxophone, Flute, Percussion, Keyboards Howard Emerson - Guitar   The Setlist:  Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway) Somewhere Along the Line Summer, Highland Falls Piano Man Scenes From an Italian Restaurant James Prelude/Angry Young Man New York State of Mind Travelin' Prayer Just the Way You Are The Entertainer You're My Home Root Beer Rag She's Got a Way The Ballad of Billy the Kid I've Loved These Days Captain Jack Worse Comes to Worst Ain't No Crime Say Goodbye to Hollywood Weekend Song Souvenir ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Michael & Jack celebrate the life and music of Billy Joel bassist Doug Stegmeyer. Known as The Sergeant, Doug played bass in the Billy Joel band from 1975 which he joined for the Streetlife Serenader tour and continued on through the end of The Bridge Tour in 1988.   We discuss many of the facets that made Doug so special and integral to the magic of Billy's recordings.   We also are joined by 5 special guests with unique connections to Doug: Mike DelGuidice - Guitar and vocals in the Billy Joel band and frontman for tribute band Big Shot. Mike also worked with Doug extensively in the early 1990s. Malcolm Gold - Bassist for The Lords of 52nd Street and the Movin' Out touring band. Malcolm also often plays Doug's basses during Lords shows. Sue Stegmeyer & Kevin Ege - Doug's sister and her husband. Andy Gilmartin - A friend of Doug's when Andy was a teenager, Andy spearheaded getting Doug, Liberty DeVitto, Richie Cannata & Russell Javors inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2014. Andy now is the manager for The Lords of 52nd Street.   For context, here are the albums Doug performed on: Turnstiles, The Stranger, 52nd Street, Glass Houses, Songs In The Attic, The Nylon Curtain, An Innocent Man, Greatest Hits Vol. I & II, The Bridge, KOHUEPT, Greatest Hits Vol. III.   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What the new compilation Billy Joel Live Through the Years - Japan Edition lacks in new material, it more than makes up for in providing context to 40-plus years of music.  The double-disc set, only released in Japan, features 32 live tracks recorded between 1972 and 2008. Starting with the Sigma Sound radio broadcast and culminating with a limited-release single, it tracks how Billy’s live show evolved through multiple bands and increasingly larger venues and audiences. Join us as we dig deep into Billy Joel: Live Through the Years - Japan Edition.    ------   Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com   Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media: Website: https://www.glasshousespod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/ Twitter / X: 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 Glass Houses Media, LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're bringing you something a little different for this episode. To say things have been crazy lately, is an understatement. We weren't able to pull together a regular episode in time but still wanted to bring you something.    Introducing the GLASS HOUSES PLAYLIST. Michael & Jack will take turns playing DJ to spin some tunes and tell some stories behind them. First up is Michael as he plays some songs from some great artist he has worked with over the years. The song list is below. If you dig what you hear, we'd appreciate you checking out and picking up some new music by these artists wherever you get your music!   PLAYLIST #1:    MAIN STREET EAST – “Caroline” THE FUN(K) CLUB – “38 Graymont” SEPTEMBER ON – “On The Outside Again” KNEE DEEP SHAG – “Faded And Live” CIDER – “This Life” AN AMERICAN UNDERDOG (Andy Reed) – “Put Out The Fire” TOM PAXTON & THE DONJUANS – “After The Storm” COLIN HAY – “Send Somebody” BIG SKY – “Waiting” DONNY BROWN – “Losing A Part of Your Soul” JESSE YOUNG – “The Distance” MILE – “The Way Home” PETE SCHMIDT – “Someday” THE VERVE PIPE – “Never Let You Down” ASHTON ALLEN – “If You Leave”   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1985 brings us Billy Joel's first Greatest Hits release with Greatest Hits Volume I & II which covered songs from 1973's Piano Man through the two new songs for 1985, "You're Only Human (Second Wind)" and "The Night Is Still Young." Greatest Hits Volume I & II has gone on to be one of the greatest selling albums of all time. Michael & Jack discuss the various formats and track listings of this set, their memories on it as well as the different radio edits that were used in the initial releases.   We also hear from Billy himself from this great archival interview with Dan Neer from the Billy Joel album party radio celebration from 1985 where he discusses the two new songs mentioned above. To kick things off, we have a very special performance from Billy from May 11th as a part of the virtual telethon Rise Up New York, the Robin Hood Relief Benefit.   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael & Jack revisit the historic 2008 Shea Stadium concerts from Flushing, New York in Queens. The Beatles performed the first concert at Shea and New York's son, Billy Joel, appropriately closed out the stadium with the final two concerts before the Shea's ultimate demolition. This viewing / listening companion goes song by song through the live CD / DVD highlighting special moments and special guests along the way.   Special guest performers during the two concerts that are included in this set are: Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, John Mayer, Steven Tyler, Roger Daltrey, John Mellencamp, and of course, Sir Paul McCartney.   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The year was 1994 and Billy Joel is a few months into his hugely successful River of Dreams Tour. Michael & Jack look back at this year in review which proved to be a pivotal year for Billy as he wrapped up support for his final studio album, launched the first incarnation of the hugely successful Face 2 Face Tour with Elton John, and began talking about the current tour being his last long tour.   Personally this was a big year for the both of us. We discuss each of us seeing Billy live multiple times this year. We also dig into media archives with some fun interview and performance clips we’ve uncovered. Join us as we go back to 1994.   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael & Jack dust off the crates and reminisce about some classic Billy Joel 45s, soundtrack appearances, remixes and more!   The songs covered in this episode are:   Elvis Presley Blvd. You've Got Me Hummin' (Live) I'll Cry Instead (Live) House of Blue Light You Picked A Real Bad Time Nobody Knows But Me Why Should I Worry? When You Wish Upon A Star All Shook Up Heartbreak Hotel In A Sentimental Mood Where Were You On Our Wedding Day? All My Life Christmas In Fallujah New York State Of Mind (Alt. Mixes) Sometimes A Fantasy (Long Single Version) The River Of Dreams (Alternate Mix) Tell Her About It (12" Remix) Keeping The Faith (Special Mix)   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While keeping at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael & Jack decided to launch a sub-series of live episode broadcasts on Facebook. This second live episode was recorded on Tuesday April 7, 2020.  Here, we discuss a few top 5 Billy lists, talk about how we are keeping busy while under stay at home orders, and talk with our special guests Melissa & Teddy Boileau from the Songs From The Attic radio show in Syracuse, NY.   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael & Jack present a song by song companion of the 1983 home video concert release Live From Long Island. Having been out of print for some 30+ years now, this concert is a must see and highlights Billy and the band firing on all cylinders as they transition into an arena touring band in the early 1980s.   Live From Long Island was recorded on December 29, 1982 at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY and originally broadcast on HBO in the summer of 1983 before being released on video cassette and laser disc.   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While keeping at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael & Jack decided to launch a sub-series of live episode broadcasts on Facebook. This first live episode was recorded on Wednesday March 25, 2020.  Here, we discuss how the podcast came to be, roll out a few top 5 Billy lists, discuss some of our other favorite artists, read some great listener emails and so much more.   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael & Jack revisit Billy's first album Cold Spring Harbor, from its pre-production demos, to the botched finished product under Artie Ripp's Family Productions, Columbia’s 1983 remix and reissue, and everything in between.   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael & Jack discuss some tidbits and trivia surrounding Billy Joel's career. Topics include: Albums sales and stats Billy’s role in new digital technology during the 80s Different versions of the Big Shot music video Early touring days in the Lehigh Valley And more!   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The River of Dreams album was Billy Joel’s introduction to a new generation of fans in the early 90s. With chart-topping songs, a notorious Grammy appearance, and an extensive world tour, it was a landmark in Billy’s career.  But for drummer Zachary Alford, it was one of his first experiences in a major label session, and another step in his quickly-blossoming career.  Hot on the heels of high-profile world tours, Zachary got the call to come in cold to a session at the Hit Factory in New York. That day, Billy and producer Danny Kortchmar were set to record “All About Soul.” Zack tracked his parts, and would go on to record a total of seven songs, 6 of which made the album.  Now, 30 years after the album’s release, Zachary shared his memories of those sessions and much more. His journey from working with multiple bands in Manhattan, to touring the world with B-52s, Bruce Springseen, David Bowie and others, and his memories of developing his style and skill set are a master class for aspiring musicians and anyone looking for an honest peek behind the curtain.  Join us as we dig deep into the River of Dreams sessions, and the mindset of an acclaimed professional musician.   ------   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 Glass Houses Media, LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael & Jack discuss how and when they discovered Billy Joel’s music, their connections  to former drummer Liberty DeVitto, the first albums they bought, their concert experiences, and more.    ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life-long Billy Joel fans, Michael Grosvenor and Jack Firneno, team up to share stories and take deep dives into Billy's songs, tours, albums, band members and much more. Join us in celebrating the life and music of Billy Joel.   ------   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    Support the podcast: Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod Venmo: @MGrosvenor   Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Groove Music Marketing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before Billy Joel was a household name, and before he was even a solo recording artist or known as a piano player, he released his first album on United Artists Records in 1967.  That album was The Hassles, by the band of the same name. Billy, still a teenager, wasn’t in the spotlight. Rather, he was the organ player who contributed a few original songs and vocals.    For this album episode, we’re reviewing the deluxe re-release from 1992. It contains the entire first album, plus 8 additional bonus tracks of b-sides, demos and alternate takes.    This generous serving of blue-eyed-soul and Long Island rock and roll provides Billy’s first step into the music industry at large. And, it reveals a few germs of the melodic instincts, arrangement styles, and vocal prowess that Billy would cultivate into his signature sound just a few years later.    Join us as we dig deep into The Hassles’ self-titled debut album.    ------   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 Glass Houses Media, LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s easy to write off the lyrical content of love songs. They’re often fairly simple, and are more emotional than thought-provoking. But a good love song, like any song, reveals something about the writer, and, often, the listener.    For our Valentine’s Day episode, we’re discussing our favorite Billy Joel love songs. But, we ended up doing more than discussing the lyrics and music.    We also found ourselves reflecting on how the songs we heard in our youth shaped our perspective on relationships. And, how Billy’s perspective gave us insight to our own personal dynamics.    Join us as we skim the surface of our own love lives, as we dig deep into our favorite Billy Joel love songs.   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although Disc Two of My Lives kicks off with a live version of a classic 70s song, the rest of the track list features Billy Joel B-Sides and early versions of songs from the 80s along with a few album tracks.    While it seems random initially, there’s a light narrative running through the selections. Here, you can compare work-in-progress tracks to the final versions, along with hit songs from the same era. Together, they provide insight into Joel’s writing style.    We see the benefits of saving riffs, ideas, and whole songs for the right moment. And how he often begins by imitating other artists before finding his voice in a composition.    Join us as we dig deep into My Lives Disc 2.    ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since his days playing clubs and theaters in the early 70s, Billy Joel was always known for his passionate, high-energy concerts. That reputation only grew, literally and figuratively, as he graduated into arenas and stadiums after 1977’s The Stranger.    That makes his stop at the Spectrum in Philadelphia on The Bridge tour a unique evening. Billy and the band were in fine form on October 13, 1986. But Billy seems to be in a much different mood than usual.    He’s relaxed, but not subdued, calm, but still passionate. As a result, even the songs most familiar to regular concertgoers sound just a little different here. They’re often more relaxed, or more thoughtful than usual. At other times, Billy adds bursts of intensity and grit in sections of songs he usually doesn’t highlight.    That makes this concert a special treat for fans: It’s a solid show overall, but one with a slightly different approach– to great effect.    Join us as we dig deep into Billy Joel live at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. October 13, 1986.   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1993 was both the kickoff to a new album cycle and the end of an era for Billy Joel. River of Dreams came out in August, and was certified three times platinum by the end of the year. It was preceded by what was now a well-oiled publicity machine, and followed immediately by a world tour.    But, the album was his last release of new pop songs. As such, it would be the last time Billy would run this playbook. Fortunately, we remember it well. This was the one album where we both were old enough to hear about it before its release, buy it the day it came out, follow the media hype and television appearances, and even see him on tour promoting the album.   For us, then, exploring this year in Billy history is also an opportunity for us to remember our own experiences with the album -- and how different the media landscape was 30 years ago.    So join us as we dig deep into Billy Joel's 1993.     ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With 2023 coming to a close, we’re taking a look back at our year of podcasting and what’s happened in the world of Billy Joel. As always for our last episode of the year, we’re bringing some leftovers to the table: Odds and ends that didn’t quite make it into other episodes.    Don’t worry, they’re just as tasty as our main courses. And you don’t even have to microwave them.    You’ll hear excerpts from our interview with Edward ODowd, art director for the Vinyl Collection box sets and many other Billy Joel projects from the past decade or so. After that, we’re doing things a little differently.    We’ve got an extended mailbag with some extra trimmings. And, a bonus clip of music from Edward’s band, Scorpion Tea. So join us, as we dig deep, one last time, into 2023.   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you had to explain why Liberty DeVitto is a great drummer to someone who’d never heard a BIlly Joel record, how would you do it? That’s the question we’re exploring in our 100th episode.    It’s a somewhat tricky proposition. Liberty’s a well-regarded drummer who’s played on dozens of Top 20 records and toured with some of the biggest acts in the world. But he’s not a flashy player, nor is he the most prolific. You can’t point to big showcase songs or a massive discography to illustrate the point.    However, a few close listens to the right songs, the right beats, and the right fills on the right records reveal why he’s such a celebrated musician. And, with us both being lifelong fans and drummers with decades of experience, we’re especially attuned to those moments.    For this episode, we both listed the ten Liberty DeVitto moments that we think are especially accomplished or particularly showcase his talents. Then, we explored the nuances that make them great. Along the way, we touched on the motifs, styles, and approach to the craft that make him stand out.    Join us as we dig deep into the drumming of Liberty DeVitto.   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Starting in the mid-2000s, BIlly Joel cemented his Madison Square Garden legacy with two unprecedented engagements. The first was a dozen shows spread over 4 months in 2006. The setlists were filled with songs that were rarely, if ever performed live, and The recordings from these dates made up his live album 12 Gardens Live, released later the same year. Then came the residency: one show a month at the famed venue from 2014 through 2024, with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Billy’s team kicked off the series without an idea of how long it would last. Virtually all the shows were sellouts, and they were recognized especially for their frequent guest performers.  These two runs came after Billy went into quasi-retirement in the early 2000s. Now, with the residency closing this year, we’re diving deep into the second half of Billy Joel’s 150 shows at Madison Square Garden. Billy Joel Playlist of Madison Square Garden guests through the years Original Jim Bruer Audio & Video Kevin Bacon Billy Joel TikTok Video ------   Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com   Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media: Website: https://www.glasshousespod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/ Twitter / X: 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 Glass Houses Media, LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every two weeks, Michael and I release a podcast episode where we tell someone else’s stories. Except that’s not quite true. As we discuss every note on an album, or labor over every second of a concert recording, we also talk about ourselves.  It’s one way music becomes more than just art. Billy Joel’s story becomes part of our stories, which becomes part of each other’s, and ultimately a narrative of its own, all told in a language everyone speaks without realizing it. Maybe you’ve heard that musicians hold conversations when they perform. Or consider it this way: Michael and I went decades without knowing the other existed. Then, almost four years ago, we spoke for the first time as if we’d known each other all along. That’s what makes the arts special. They explore ideas too big for our words to contain, in a way we can all understand. And, for my solo episode this year, I’m exploring this idea further.  I’m starting with two songs where I play drums. One is a studio recording of a new work. The other is a live performance from the Great American Songbook. Next, I’m speaking with other podcasters and presenters about the stories they explore in movies and literature.  You’ll hear from Dan Colon and Mike Manzi, the hosts of The Monsters That Made Us podcast. They started off discussing the classic Universal horror films, and are back with new episodes that take the topic a step further.  Finally, I’m speaking with Edward Petit. As the Senior Manager of Public Programs at the Rosenbach Museum here in Philadelphia, he launched the online Biblioadventures series in 2020. Participants from all over the world read a classic novel or body of work in small parts over a few months. Then, each week, Edward leads a curated, and somewhat interactive, online discussion featuring subject experts and artifacts from the Rosenbach’s collection. There’s no great cosmic revelation in all of this. I make no hypotheses and draw no conclusions. That’s the nature of trying to tell a tale this big. The best I can do is present one small part of it and invite others to do the same.    Links:    Della Chase The Blue Chips Band Angry Young Band: The Billy Joel Tribute The Monsters That Made Us  The Rosenbach Museum Sherlock Mondays     ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To paraphrase another famous rock band, Billy Joel’s The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 2 goes to 11.    The box set treats fans to 21 years of classic songs with just shy of a dozen records. That’s including an album never released on vinyl before, and a long-awaited expanded version of a fan favorite.    Released November 3, 2023, the collection includes every studio album from Glass Houses in 1980 through 2001’s Fantasies and Delusions, marking the first time Billy’s classical album has ever been released on vinyl.   For many listeners, it’s the first time they’ll get copies of Storm Front and River of Dreams on wax as well - both those albums came out when CDs and cassettes had replaced records as the primary medium.    The set also includes a long-awaited fan favorite: 1982’s Live From Long Island, available not only for the first time on vinyl, but also for the first time with the full tracklisting.    To celebrate this monumental release, we sat down with art director Edward ODowd, and Billy Joel archivist John Jackson, to get the story behind restoring the original artwork, creating new visuals, enhancing and expanding the live release, and much more.  Join us as we dig deep into BIlly Joel’s The Vinyl Collection, Vol. 2.   CLICK HERE TO WATCH OUR FULL UNBOXING VIDEO.   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The My Lives box set is a curious addition to the Billy Joel discography. The four-CD / one-DVD set, released in 2005, is a mix of unreleased demos, alternate takes, live recordings, cover songs, and a handful of album tracks.    At the time, it was the first glimpse many fans got at unreleased material and songs-in-progress. The first disc, in particular, offers a chronological journey from Billy’s earliest solo compositions through his hitmaking reign in the late 70s.    We’re exploring that first disc in real-time for this episode. You’ll hear our reactions and annotations to the tracks as they play, and get our overall impression of the release.    Join us as we dig deep into disc one of the My Lives box set.   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Unreleased for decades, Billy Joel’s 1972 Sigma Sound Studios concert was arguably the kick-start to his career. With a flop record in Cold Spring Harbor under his belt. Billy and his then-backing band performed live on the air for WMMR in Philadelphia.    The session yielded a version of “Captain Jack” that became the station’s most-requested song for years. It drew the attention of Columbia Records, who went on to sign Billy and release Piano Man in late 1973.    And, as famed as that track is, there’s plenty more to enjoy from this performance, which was included on the November 2011 deluxe Legacy Edition reissue of Piano Man. It’s a rare official recording documenting the pre-Lords of 52nd Street live unit. And, it features tracks that never made it on a record, early versions of now-classics, and songs that Billy permanently dropped from the setlist soon after.    Join us as we dig deep into Billy Joel at Sigma Sound Studios in April 1972.   Invitation and note courtesy of Paul Fierro Studio photo courtesy of Sigma Sound Studios website   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a new album out and a New York-based band in place, Billy Joel was starting to heat up in 1976. His show at the Bottom Line in Manhattan on June 10th of that year is the proof.   The album, Turnstiles, had just come out a few weeks prior. And the orchestra, as Billy was now calling the band, had been on the road for just over two months.    The performance was simulcast on seven radio stations, leaving listeners today with a crystal-clear document of the night. Billy and the band, now featuring Russell Javors and Howie Emerson on guitar, Doug Stegmeyer on bass, Richie Cannata on saxophone and organ, and Liberty DeVitto on drums, was a tight, well-oiled unit.    The night featured a handful of songs from the then-new record as well as concert staples from Piano Man and Streetlife Serenade. Sonically, the band straddled the New York grit of Turnstiles with the west coast feel of the previous two records.    These performances laid the groundwork for The Stranger in 1977, but a listen to this night reveals an energetic, fully-realized sound from a band hungry for success.    Join us as we dig deep into Live at The Bottom Line 1976.    Live remastered audio courtesy of Jamie Tate.   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2015, Billy Joel wasn't just selling out shows. He was making headlines across the nation. His songwriting was praised by everyone from George Gershwin to Snoop Dogg. He made an unexpected festival appearance, and journalists were diving into his history, introducing him to a brand new generation of fans.   It's almost hard to believe that just a few years earlier, it looked like Billy was gearing up for retirement. But with his Madison Square Garden residency, launched in 2014, he was firmly back in the spotlight.    Our year-in-review covers it all: The setlists, reviews, feature articles, and awards. Plus, we've got firsthand memories from one of us who attended a Garden residency show that year. Join us as we dig deep into Billy Joel in 2015.   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billy Joel’s An Innocent Man album earned him a new generation of fans upon its release in 1983. But the accompanying tour didn’t kick off until the next calendar year. Dubbed “From A Piano Man to An Innocent Man,” the shows were unlike any other Billy had mounted until this point.  The core band was augmented with backup singers and a horn section. And, with a handful of new hit songs, older concert staples were no longer in the sets. While some accounts show a rocky start, the band eventually hit its stride. Today, the production is well-documented thanks to a televised show from Wembley Arena in the UK that was broadcast live. Thanks to our research and contributions from friends of the podcast, we’re bringing you a much more detailed look at the An Innocent Man tour. We’ll look at tour dates, typical setlists, and reviews of the tour that outline its evolution in nearly 70 shows over 6 months.  Join us as we dig deep into Billy Joel’s From A Piano Man to An Innocent Man Tour of 1984.   Live audio courtesy of Eric Fellen.   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With An Innocent Man, Billy Joel took an important step forward by taking a big leap backward. Released August 8, 1983, the ten-song album sold a million copies within two months of its release and four million just a year later. And, it boasts a Number One single with two more hitting the Top Ten. The album, famously, is an homage to the pre-British Invasion music from Billy’s youth. But as stylized as the tracks are, the song cycle is more than just nostalgia. A close listen reveals a unique mash-up of youthful music paired with much more mature, wiser lyrics.  But analysis aside, it’s easily Billy’s most fun album. And, it’s the one that introduced him to a new set of fans – effectively securing his stardom for the next decade.  For this album episode, we’re doing something a little different: Along with our biographical information and overall critiques, we did a listen-through where we comment on the songs in real time. Listeners can hear exactly what we’re hearing when we make an observation.  Join us, as we dig deep into Billy Joel’s An Innocent Man.   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1987, Billy Joel and his band embarked on an unprecedented tour of the Soviet Union. And, when the original documentary “A Matter of Trust” came out, fans got a behind-the-scenes look at what turned out to be a controversial career move.   At the time, the country was still under Communist rule, shrouded in secrecy, and, to put it mildly, deeply mistrusted by the West. Even many of Billy’s fans opposed the tour, even booing him at concerts when he announced the trip.    But, Billy and his companions were greeted by warm, welcoming people behind the Iron Curtain. And, they were introduced to a rich culture steeped in centuries of tradition that was also evolving with the latest trends and styles found in the United States and Europe.    Those people and interactions turned out to be the focus of the tour and film that documented it. Along with plenty of performance footage, including a well-known onstage catastrophe, the bulk of the footage is Billy and the band meeting families, new friends, and fellow musicians from the other side of the world.    For this episode, we’re reviewing the original documentary from 1987 with a new introduction added in 1991. We’re thinking about how the behind-the-scenes footage informs the performances, and what it’s like watching a meeting of disparate cultures today in 2023.   Join us as we dig deep into “A Matter of Trust.”   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first song on an album sets the stage for the record, but what about the closer? Should the last song act as a grand finale, leave you wanting more, or exist somewhere in between?    In this episode, we’re finding out what worked best for Billy Joel. We’re ranking    the closing songs on his 12 studio albums, plus the live Songs in the Attic, from our least to most-favorite.    And, this time around, we’re not doing it alone: We’re also including rankings from listeners of the podcast on our discord server.    Join us, as we dig deep into the final grooves on Billy Joel’s records. ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When BIlly Joel plays his final show at Madison Square Garden on July 25, 2024, he’ll be closing out a nearly 50-year run of shows. And, in this episode, we’re diving deep into the first half of that legacy.  Starting in December 1978, Billy has played multiple nights at the Garden on all but one album tour. His engagements also included Face to Face shows with Elton John and the Millenium Concert, which took place on New Year’s Eve 1999. Looking back on all those performances produces a time capsule of each era of his career: Which hits were most prominent on certain dates, which singles dropped off the setlists, and which songs cemented their places in history as they became fixtures at these shows.  Join us, for the first installment of a two-part look at BIlly Joel’s historic run at Madison Square Garden. ------   Email us: glasshousespodcast@gmail.com   Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media: Website: https://www.glasshousespod.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/ Twitter / X: 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 Glass Houses Media, LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer is upon us and this summer, we are entering the season of celebrating Billy Joel's An Innocent Man. In celebration of the album's 40th anniversary, I (Michael) wanted to kick things off with this playlist episode.   I'm celebrating that songs that inspired An Innocent Man. Some are obvious and some are more subtle but these next songs are classics in American popular music and It was a blast stringing them all together in the same sequence of the album.  The playlist:    1. Wilson Pickett - "Stagger Lee" ("Easy Money") 2. The Drifters - "Under The Boardwalk" ("An Innocent Man") 3. The Tymes - "So In Love" ("The Longest Time") 4a. Beethoven - "Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 13 - Pathetique ("This Night") 4b. Little Anthony and the Imperials "Tears On My Pillow" ("This Night") 5. The Supremes - "You Can't Hurry Love" ("Tell Her About It") 6. The Four Seasons - "Big Girls Don't Cry" ("Uptown Girl") 7. Sam Cooke - "(What A) Wonderful World" ("Careless Talk") 8. Little Richard - "Lucille" ("Christie Lee") 9. Jackie DeShannon - "What The World Needs Now Is Love" ("Leave A Tender Moment Alone") 10. Betty Wright - "Clean Up Woman" ("Keeping The Faith")     ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Live in Frankfurt is probably the closest BIlly Joel got to being in a Spinal Tap sequel. The show, recorded on June 18, 1994, is just as notable for its mishaps as it is the band’s solid performance.    The show captures the band on the River of Dreams tour, and the full video gives a warts-and-all look at what can go wrong at a concert: We watch as the band struggles through what appears to be stifling heat inside the arena, and navigates the pitfalls of faulty stage mechanics.    Still, the seven-piece ensemble puts on a scorching performance, with plenty of spotlights on the various players and Billy loosening up and getting a little daring by the end of the show.    A truncated version of the concert was released with the My Lives box set in 2005 and as a standalone DVD release titled Live From the River of Dreams in 2007. Since then, the full show has cropped up on YouTube. For this episode, we’re reviewing the entire performance.    Join us, as we dig deep into Billy Joel live in Frankfurt, June 18, 1994.     ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greatest Hits Volume III had a lot to live up to. Volumes one and two documented Billy on a hot streak, releasing hit after hit and album after album. Those compilation records, released in one double package, became an iconic, best-selling release all its own.    By contrast, Greatest Hits Volume III came out a few years after what became Billy’s final pop album. He had been mostly out of the spotlight after the River of Dreams tour, so the new compilation had fewer albums to cover and included three cover songs – no new compositions.    Thanks to those new tracks, Greatest Hits Volume III feels like a glimpse into an alternate path Billy could have taken starting in the late 80s. Those songs, plus a remixed “All About Soul,” would be the last glimpse fans would get of new vocal material for nearly a decade.  Nearly 30 years on, this release feels more like a footnote than a major event like its predecessors. Still, there’s plenty to explore over these 76 minutes. Join us as we dig deep into Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits Volume III.   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For over five decades, Billy Joel's illustrious career has produced a wealth of media, capturing his journey as one of the 20th century's most celebrated songwriters.    Enter John Jackson, Billy's full-time archivist, tasked with collecting and organizing artifacts that range from photos and newspaper clippings to studio outtakes and raw video footage.   Some items become part of booklets or box sets, or get released as new official concert recordings. But many others help Jackson – who developed a passion for this work as a teenager – to paint a comprehensive, detailed picture of the man and his music.    Join us as we explore the Billy Joel vault with archivist John Jackson.   ------   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   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices