Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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