Janda and Christian talk Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2025!

Summary

Summary of "Behind The Song" Podcast Episode: "Janda and Christian talk Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2025!"

Introduction

In the May 7, 2025 episode of "Behind The Song," hosted by Janda Lane and featuring co-host Christian Lane, the duo delves into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductions and honors for the year 2025. The episode celebrates long-overdue inductees, shares behind-the-scenes stories, and highlights the significant contributions of various artists in the classic rock landscape.

Celebrating Joe Cocker's Induction

The episode kicks off with heartfelt congratulations to Joe Cocker for his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an honor both long-overdue and richly deserved. Janda mentions her recent conversation with Derek Dyer, Joe Cocker's longtime saxophonist, emphasizing Cocker’s substantial contributions to rock music.

“Joe Cocker did deserve to be inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame” [00:38] – Janda

Christian adds that Paul McCartney played a pivotal role in advocating for Cocker's induction by writing a letter to the Hall's authorities, which subsequently led to Derek connecting with Janda.

“It all started with Paul McCartney writing a letter to the powers that be... how you guys got in touch. It's just a cool story right there.” [01:01] – Christian

Honoring Warren Zevon

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the induction of Warren Zevon. Christian lauds Zevon as one of his favorite songwriters and characters in rock and roll, comparing him to figures from hard-boiled detective novels.

“He's one of my favorite songwriters. He's got just like the Zelig sort of of rock and roll.” [02:04] – Christian

Janda and Christian recount a memorable live performance by Zevon in North Carolina during the 1990s amidst a severe storm. Zevon’s dedication to his fans and his ability to create an unforgettable atmosphere despite adverse conditions highlight his passion and resilience.

Christian shares a poignant quote from Zevon during a David Letterman interview:

“I learned to enjoy every sandwich. It's the best.” [08:15] – Christian

Both hosts agree that Zevon’s multifaceted personality and musical talents firmly establish his place in the Hall of Fame.

Spotlighting Nicky Hopkins

The conversation then shifts to Nicky Hopkins, whom Christian praises as his favorite rock and roll piano player alongside Elton John. They discuss Hopkins' extensive session work with legendary bands like The Rolling Stones, The Who, and The Beatles, emphasizing his influence and the essential role he played in shaping the sound of classic rock.

“Nikki Hopkins is crucial to the Stones, sort of when they just became the greatest rock and roll band in the world.” [10:45] – Christian

Christian highlights Hopkins' significant contributions to The Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street," noting his pivotal role in the album's sound.

Additionally, Hopkins' resilience in continuing his music career despite battling Crohn's disease is highlighted as a testament to his dedication and talent.

“He was not well, really, most of his life... he recognized, I can make a contribution to these albums.” [13:04] – Christian

Recognizing Carol K and the Wrecking Crew

Carol K is celebrated for her exceptional bass playing and membership in the famed Wrecking Crew session group. Christian outlines her contributions to iconic tracks such as "La Bamba," "You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’," and "Good Vibrations."

“She wrote the bass part for the Beat Goes on by Sonny and Cher.” [19:10] – Christian

Her work has left a lasting impact on the music of the 60s and 70s, with her bass breaks being widely sampled in hip-hop records.

Introducing Bad Company

The discussion then turns to Bad Company, a supergroup formed from members of Free, Mott the Hoople, and King Crimson. Christian and Janda explore the band's quintessential classic rock sound, blending muscular beats with a distinctly American flair.

“If somebody asked me, like, what classic rock sounds like, they'd be one of the go-to.” [15:00] – Christian

They discuss Bad Company's portrayal in the film "Almost Famous" and their authentic embodiment of the classic rock ethos, ultimately agreeing that their induction is long overdue and well-deserved.

Additional Inductees Mentioned

Beyond the primary inductees, Christian and Janda briefly acknowledge other 2025 inductees, including:

• Soundgarden, honored for their influential sound and Chris Cornell’s powerful vocal legacy.
• White Stripes, recognized for their significant contributions to the rock and roll landscape.
• Chubby Checker, finally receiving induction after long consideration.

Janda praises the selection committee for honoring deserving artists, noting that it was "a pretty good job of getting in some folks who really deserve it" [21:01].

Notable Quotes

• “I learned to enjoy every sandwich.” – Warren Zevon [08:15]
• “He's got just like the Zelig sort of of rock and roll.” – Christian on Warren Zevon [02:04]
• “Nikki Hopkins is crucial to the Stones, sort of when they just became the greatest rock and roll band in the world.” – Christian on Nicky Hopkins [10:45]

Key Insights

• Session Musicians' Impact: The episode underscores the indispensable role of session musicians like Nicky Hopkins and Carol K in shaping the sound of classic rock.
• Dedication Amidst Adversity: Careers of inductees like Warren Zevon and Nicky Hopkins highlight remarkable dedication despite personal and health challenges.
• Influence of Advocacy: Paul McCartney’s advocacy for Joe Cocker’s induction exemplifies how support from established artists can influence recognition in the Hall of Fame.
• Cultural Representation: Bands like Bad Company embody the quintessential classic rock sound, blending diverse influences to create iconic music that stands the test of time.

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with a heartfelt appreciation for Christian's contributions and a reaffirmation of their shared passion for classic rock. Janda mentions upcoming content and expresses gratitude to listeners for their continued support.

“Thank you, Christian, for hanging out with me and doing another bonus chat of the behind the Song podcast.” [21:38] – Janda

Final Thoughts

"Behind The Song" successfully highlights the depth and breadth of contributions by various artists to rock music, celebrating their legacies and ensuring their stories resonate with both long-time fans and new listeners. The engaging conversation between Janda and Christian provides listeners with insightful perspectives and a richer understanding of what makes these artists truly deserving of their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame honors.

Transcript

[Janda]

Welcome to the behind the Song podcast, taking you deeper into classic rock's most timeless tunes. Here's your host, Janda. I'm Janda, joined by Christian Lane, who's here with me to talk about the 2025 rock and roll hall of Fame inductions and honors. Hi, Christian.

[Christian Lane]

Hello. Here to talk about rock.

[Janda]

Okay, so right off the bat, we have to say congratulations to so many long overdue and much deserved honorees, including Joe Cocker.

[Christian Lane]

What would you do if I say how to do?

[Janda]

I spoke with Derek Dyer, his longtime saxophonist, on a recent bonus episode of the behind the Song podcast about how much Joe Cocker did deserve to be inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. Of course, Paul McCartney threw down his opinion to the powers that be.

[Christian Lane]

It all started with Paul McCartney writing a letter to the powers that be. And your reaction to that and your reaction to that is what Derek saw, and that's how you guys got in touch. It's just a cool story right there. The one thing I have to say, when I was, you know, putting together the music and everything for the bonus episode with you guys chatting, his catalog is crazy. And what a voice. God.

[Janda]

And his style, too. Yeah. So everybody's happy about Joe Cocker, and there are some others who made it in this year, either in the performer category or in the other categories that the Rock hall puts forth, like musical excellence or musical influence. So who do you want to talk about next? Who really deserves to be in there this year?

[Christian Lane]

Well, for me, you know, there's a couple that are just great. I'm so happy for them or for their families, as it were. Let's. Let's talk about Warren Zevon.

[Janda]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Christian Lane]

I mean, he's just. He's one of my favorite songwriters. He's one of my favorite characters in rock and roll. He's got just like the Zelig sort of of rock and roll. He just kind of appears in the right place at the right time, especially early on. He reminds me of like a hard boiled detective novel. His songs, that's how they. You know what I mean?

[Janda]

Yeah, I do.

[Christian Lane]

Great characters. He's got these great, you know, four minute movies, essentially, and I have to say, a big shout out to Linda Ronstadt. She is one of the just greatest spotters of talent, and she's not afraid to big up her friends. She covered his song Carmelita early on, which really, you know, sort of brought him to another audience or a bigger audience. Let's not forget the Eagles were her backup band.

[Janda]

I was. I Was just gonna mention that you said, spot her a talent. I mean, yeah, how about the Eagles, too?

[Christian Lane]

No, I mean, that was her backup band, and they got together and realized that they're just a great band. And she was like, you guys go. She wasn't mad. She, you know, she was losing a killer band, but she was like, I know you guys need to be going, doing your thing, so shout out to Linda Ronstadt. But back to Warren. Just an excellent piano player, excellent singer. He's got a great rock voice, despite also writing these great ballads. He has a very tender side, and, you know, he was a cantankerous dude, but, you know, he had this really. He had this really great relationship with David Letterman, and I think Letterman helped bring out some of his humanity and some of the. The comedy in his life. I was lucky in Los Angeles to, you know, my. My backing band for a short time had been his backing band. And I got to hear just little stories because, you know, honestly, people, I think that worked with Warren respect his privacy. Out in Los Angeles, you hear a lot of gossip and stuff like that about different people. But, oh, yeah, you know, I think he was open about the darker parts of his life, so I don't think his friends feel a need to dwell on those things.

[Janda]

Right.

[Christian Lane]

I'm happy for his family. I think it's. You know, to me, this one is very long overdue. This. You know, if I. If I was. I don't like to comment on these things much, but he deserves to be in the same company with the people that are in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame.

[Janda]

I couldn't agree more. I loved what you said about. His stories are like little detective novels. You know, Carmelita Lawyers, Guns and Money is definitely like that.

[Christian Lane]

Rolling. The headless Thompson Gunner wrote with an actual mercenary. Roland the Thompson Gunner, yeah.

[Janda]

So, yeah, I love that you said that. I will share my Warren Zevon story that I will never forget. I've never seen another performer do this in my life, and I probably never will. I did see Warren Zevon in my hometown in North Carolina sometime in the 90s. He was on tour, and there was a torrential, like, almost hurricane, gale force storm that night, you know, that had been sweeping through. And they were delayed getting into the city and getting to the venue, much less getting all their gear unloaded from the truck, you know, getting set up. You know, Warren's piano. You know how it is when you set up a piano, you have to actually. It has to acclimate to the room before you can Begin to play on it and that kind of thing in a best case scenario because of the delicate tuning on the instrument. So it gets on toward midnight now and folks are still hanging around. Some people had left, some people had stayed. I was among the group that stayed. And truck shows up. First thing, they unload off the truck, Warren's piano. They get busy tuning it as best they could, you know, really quickly, Warren sits down at that piano and begins to play. The crew and the band unload the rest of the gear off of the truck and assemble it around him on the stage. You know, this is all happening while the crowd has been there for a few hours already waiting for him. And it was one of the best shows I'd ever seen in my life. He was so happy that people stayed. He played until, I think after 2:00 in the morning, every song that you would want to hear from Warren Zevon, he played. It was just amazing. And he was in a good mood and he was laughing and joking with everybody that was there. And the band sounded great. His piano sounded great. They did the best they could as far as getting it perfectly tuned. I just always thought that that was so cool that they didn't, A, cancel the show and then B, you know, give it that kind of love, you know, that they knew people were there to see him. And he was like, yeah, we're going to play this show, let's do it. And it was awesome.

[Christian Lane]

And it's also, I have to say, it's pretty bold for a performer to go out before the stage is set up, before the setup. I mean, you're, you're. That's a pretty naked feeling. And for him to do that in front of a crowd that's been waiting and then creating one of the best rock and roll memories that you have, it's. That's magic. And that's. We talk about that a lot. The magic of rock and roll. You find it just over and over and. And I love it. That's such a great story.

[Janda]

Yeah. So that's a pretty good example of his greatest quote, right?

[Christian Lane]

Well, I was going to say he was dying of cancer and he was asked by Letterman to come and play and sat down with him. And Dave asked him, you know, what, what he's learned from this experience of having cancer and, you know, and still going on. And he said, I learned to enjoy every sandwich. It's the best. It's the best. So I just have to say in Warren's memory, go enjoy yourself a good sandwich today.

[Janda]

I agree I think we all should. Yeah, I couldn't deserve it more this honor. Into the Rock hall, which is what we're talking about here.

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[Christian Lane]

So why don't we go into another piano player? Nicky Hopkins.

[Janda]

Great.

[Christian Lane]

He's my favorite rock and roll piano player. I love his playing. Him and Elton John are like my two favorites. And I don't know if people realize how many of their favorite classic rock songs he's played on, but he's a monster.

[Janda]

So many of the Rolling Stones songs and albums would not sound the same without the contributions of Nikki Hopkins.

[Christian Lane]

No. So with the Stones, we hear it, you know, pretty early. She's a Rainbow, that beautiful, sort of, I don't know, Victorian. I don't even know what to call it. Classical sounding, rolling piano part that he does. So that starts his relationship with the Stones there. He does some soundtrack work with Brian Jones and you know, by the time of Exile on Main street, he plays more songs on that record than Bill Wyman. What he is on. Yeah. So exile, 18 songs. Nikki Hopkins is on 14 of 18 songs.

[Janda]

Wow.

[Christian Lane]

Bill Wyman appears on nine. So Nikki Hopkins is crucial to the Stones, sort of when they just became the greatest rock and roll band in the world. That era of their just monster records. Sticky Fingers, you know, Let it Bleed, you know, Exile, really, I. I don't know if Exile sounds the way it does without Nikki Hopkins. He actually plays melody lines on it. He's just incredible. Also, Nikki Hopkins played with the Kinks. He played with the who. And I found this interesting. He said the who is probably his favorite band to play with. That's interesting, I think about the. The who song. The song is over off of who's Next. And it opens with this really beautiful piano part that apparently it's his he wrote. Maybe it's that freedom. He also played the electric piano on the Beatles Revolution. Yeah. Nailed it in one take, so that's cool. Played with all of the solo Beatles. Every one of them played the piano part on Jealous Guy for John Lennon.

[Janda]

Oh, what a beautiful piano part on a song too.

[Christian Lane]

Yoko Ono said it literally made Everyone in the studio cry, like, brought everyone to tears. It was so beautiful and so delic. He's excellent. So, okay, I'll buy that.

[Janda]

Fair to note, too. And this is a little bit superficial, but Nikki Hopkins looked super cool. Always dig up some pictures of Nikki Hopkins from, you know, back in the day. He had mad style, you know, it deserves appreciation.

[Christian Lane]

He had great hair. He had great style. One thing, one more thing I just want to say about Nikki Hopkins. He had Crohn's disease, and so it kind of early on, he realized he was not going to be able to go out on the road. He just. With his stomach problems. When he was 19, he had a series of surgeries on his stomach.

[Janda]

Wow.

[Christian Lane]

Yeah. He was not well, really, most of his life. And he decided, I'm going to concentrate on studio work and being a session guy. And he became one of the greatest session men ever. And it's just to his credit that he didn't give up music because he couldn't go out on the road. He recognized, I can make a contribution to these albums, and I just think it's beautiful that he recognized that. And then, not only was he able to work a lot as a session guy, he played on some of the greatest rock and roll songs ever.

[Janda]

It's just beautiful when you think about what he went through physically and then all that he contributed to rock and roll. He really deserves to be in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame in the face of having Crohn's disease. Just a hard disease to suffer through, too. That's amazing. Hats off to Nikki Hopkins, finally.

[Christian Lane]

Well, let's. Let's rock out a little bit now.

[Janda]

Okay.

[Christian Lane]

Let's talk about Bad Company.

[Janda]

Oh, yeah. With Bad Company, you got yourself a super group. Members of Free Mott the Hoople and King Crimson. There's something about Bad Company's sound all around that is so firmly classic rock, because it sounds like, you know, everything sort of mixed up together, which is what they are. You could put Paul Rogers singing up there with kind of a Robert Plant in. In that same category. Anyway, so they kept getting passed over. And this is the year that Bad Company is finally getting the performer award in the Rock Hall. And that is so well deserved.

[Christian Lane]

Yeah. You know, to me, if somebody asked me, like, what classic rock sounds like, they'd be one of the go to, you know, like, honestly, it's that sort of muscular beat, driven. It's oddly. Sounds very American. You know, it doesn't sound like what you sort of think of quintessentially English.

[Janda]

Which they all were.

[Christian Lane]

They all were. I have to note, Free was at one time as big as Led Zeppelin in England. For a minute. For a minute, they had the same draw. They could pull in the same crowds. When they broke up, Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin's manager, took on management of Bad Company. And that makes nothing but sense because, you know, both bands, to me, Led Zeppelin and Bad Company sort of seem like these big, swaggering, powerful concerns that sort of walked across America, just quintessentially rock. There's a great moment in Almost Famous where the. The girls. I'll just say the girls that follow the bands around, they're very excited because Simon Kirk of Bad Company is by the pool. So they. They kind of sum up.

[Janda]

I remember the scene. Yeah.

[Christian Lane]

Yeah. You know, it's like they. They sum up that sort of Almost Famous. I. I would imagine the band Stillwater from Almost Famous is slightly based on them. Certainly some of their songs sound like they were. I think of them and I think of, like, good times. Standing around with your buddies. I don't know. That's. To me, that's what classic rock kind of is for a lot of people, and it is for me at times. So, yeah, Bad Company, It's. It's about time.

[Janda]

It is about time for Bad Company. And I think. I will say, I think one of the ingenious things that they did, whether they knew it or not at the time, or whether it was calculated or not, is as a British band, to make a whole record about kind of like, you know, Western gunfighters. Bad Company, Bad Company, Bad Company. You know, the fascination with the American Wild west. And it just. Everything worked and. And so, yeah, long overdue. Great band, great players, great legacy, and obviously a great singer in Paul Rogers. So, yeah, man. Bad co. Let's go. Who should we talk about next?

[Christian Lane]

All right, let's talk about Carol K. Okay. Perhaps one of the greatest bass players of all time. She was a member of the Wrecking Crew in Los Angeles who. You know, there's a great documentary about him. If you don't know anything about them, it's well worth your time. They were the session guys and women that played on everything. You'd be surprised how many of your favorite songs from the 60s and early 70s the band didn't actually play on, but the Wrecking Crew did. Probably famously, we could say the Monkees, you know, they. They made the music for the Monkees, which. That. That's kind of the Wrecking Crew. But she was a member of the Wrecking crew. She started playing guitar and she would go to these sessions and she'd have to bring an acoustic and electric. So she actually played acoustic guitar on La Bamba by Richie Valens. And she played acoustic guitar on you've Lost that Love and Feeling by the Righteous Brothers. And it was. Yeah. So she's working with Phil Spector and is around that time a bass player didn't show up. I think it was 1963. And they tapped her to play the bass part. She was great at it. And she realized she only needed one instrument to bring to sessions. She didn't have to bring and acoustic and electric. So she starts playing sessions and she shortly becomes very in demand. And she's played on everything. You know, she wrote the bass part for the Beat Goes on by Sonny and Cher.

[Janda]

Wow.

[Christian Lane]

Yeah, it's. It's a great little walking bass part that's very recognizable and very ripped off. The beat Goes On. She's been sampled a million times for hip hop records because of the little bass breaks. And my favorite thing that she ever did was the bass part on Good Vibrations. Brian Wilson is a bass player and the primary songwriter obviously of the Beach Boys was a bass player himself. And I'm imagining he wrote a bass part that even he couldn't play. And you know, that little bit in the beginning, I love the colorful clothes she wears and the way the sun. She said she probably would have never played something like that. And between that and the walking baseline and give vibrations, she thought, oh, this Brian Wilson is different from just a rock kid. You know, she was another one that could recognize greatness and it inspired her to greater heights. So very happy that she's being honored this year. She's just an incredible player. And yeah, Carol kid, amazing.

[Janda]

She's another one being honored in the musical excellence category this year at the 2025 Rock and Roll hall of Fame Awards, which will stream on November 8th on Disney the ceremonies in Los Angeles. There are some others that bear mention who are getting honored this year. Sound gardens getting into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. I think that's so well deserved. What a face melting band and a great singer in the late, great Chris Cornell. White Stripes are getting in. They finally inducted Chubby Checker into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame this year.

[Christian Lane]

He should have a long time coming.

[Janda]

He should have been in a long time ago. So, you know, we'll see what happens with next year's honorees. I think they did a pretty good job of getting in some folks who really deserve it in rock and roll into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame this year.

[Christian Lane]

Yeah, I agree. And you know, Warren Zevon and Joe.

[Janda]

Cocker and so many of these others. All right, well, cool. Thank you, Christian, for, for hanging out with me and doing another bonus chat of the behind the Song podcast. And thank you, as always, for, for all of your contributions to this podcast.

[Christian Lane]

Cool. Yeah, thank you. I appreciate you, too.

[Janda]

And on the way, much more classic rock and roll.