Cutting loose with Kenny Loggins
The king of the 80s anthems -- Kenny Loggins -- is our special guest this week on the Stuck in the 80s podcast. Loggins, who's coming to Tampa Bay to play Ruth Eckerd Hall on April 13, has a new album out ("How About Now") but he was more than happy to talk about his 80s classics with us.
We think it's the best celebrity interview we've done so far. Here's a taste of the interview:
On his transition from the 70s scene to 80s music: "What happened was the movies. During a time when disco was coming in and totally changing radio, I got lucky and took a big step left and went in to 'Caddyshack' and 'Footloose' and 'Top Gun.' That just kept the bread on the table for most of the 80s."
On writing "I'm Alright" for Caddyshack: "I saw was a rough cut for 'Caddyshack' before they had an ending -- which they barely had. I laughed my ass off. I loved that movie. For me it was the character of Danny -- the character that was trying to figure out where he fit. But at the same time he wanted people to leave him alone and let him find his own way. So I wanted to grab him and summarize that character and that's what 'I'm Alright' is doing.
On his favorite 80s tune: "I love to perform 'Footloose' because to me it's such a light-hearted tune. It's like doing a Chuck Berry song every night. I never get sick of it."
And here are some questions only answered if you listen to the show:
- Which up-and-coming star sang backup on "I'm Alright"?
- Where did Kenny get the bullwhip sound effect for "Don't Fight It"?
- Which of Kenny's big hits of the 80s did he say doesn't fare well over time?
Enjoy the show and find out. Click here to download the podcast. Or click here to subscribe to all our shows for free on iTunes.
Relive the music, movies and culture of the greatest decade ever with Times online editor Steve Spears. A teen during the decade, Steve is obsessed with everything from Duran Duran to Journey, John Hughes to John Cusack, and parachute pants to Reaganomics.
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THIS WEEK'S SHOW: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers rock Tampa Bay. To hear the latest "Stuck in the 80s" episode now, 
Great podcast guys. You are always at your best doing the interviews.
Posted by: bassnote | April 06, 2007 at 01:47 AM
Great interview guys!! Wish he'd have chatted more about "Don't Fight It".... but did love the Bullwhip story!! :)
Posted by: Carla | April 07, 2007 at 09:33 AM
Wow, was this a great show. Kenny was terrific, there were factoids aplenty... and the MUSIC! Well done, Steve and Sean. Eddie Money? Indiana Jones? Who knew?!?
Posted by: David P | April 09, 2007 at 12:20 PM