The midas touch of Pat Benatar and “We Belong”

Summary

Behind The Song: The Midas Touch of Pat Benatar and “We Belong”

Episode Release Date: January 31, 2024
Host: Janda Lane
Podcast: Behind The Song by The Drive | Hubbard Radio

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Introduction: A Timeless Union in Rock

In the January 31, 2024 episode of Behind The Song, host Janda Lane delves into the enduring partnership of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, exploring both their personal union and their monumental contributions to classic rock. This episode highlights the creation and legacy of the iconic 1984 love anthem, "We Belong."

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Pat Benatar’s Early Journey and Musical Genesis

The episode begins by tracing Pat Benatar's early life in Long Island, where her exceptional vocal talent was evident even to her teachers. Initially aiming for a career in musical theater with plans to attend Juilliard, Benatar took a detour, enrolling at Stony Brook University before leaving at 19 to marry her high school sweetheart, Dennis Benatar.

Living in Richmond, Virginia, Pat worked at a local bank—a mundane job that could have remained her path if not for a pivotal moment. Inspired by a concert performance by Liza Minnelli in the area, Benatar decided to pursue her true passion: music. Quitting her banking job, she began performing in clubs, eventually moving to New York in 1975 to further her singing career.

Her breakthrough came in 1978 when a Chrysalis Records executive discovered her, leading to a record deal. Amidst this burgeoning career, Benatar divorced Dennis in 1979 and met Neil Giraldo, a guitarist from Rick Derringer's band. Recognizing their musical synergy, producer Mike Chapman facilitated their collaboration, setting the stage for their future success.

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Formation of a Musical Powerhouse

Pat Benatar’s debut album, In the Heat of the Night (1979), featured the hit single "Heartbreaker" and "We Live for Love," both of which contributed to the album’s platinum status. By 1980, Neil Giraldo had joined her band, taking on the role of musical director and shaping the sound that would define Benatar’s career.

The release of Crimes of Passion in 1980 skyrocketed Benatar to international fame, boasting platinum sales and hits like "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" and "Fire and Ice" from the subsequent album, Precious Time (1981). Despite his commitments with Rick Springfield, Giraldo remained integral to Benatar’s success, exemplified by his work on Springfield’s hit "Jessie's Girl."

In 1982, Benatar released Get Nervous, featuring "Shadows of the Night," a song penned by D.L. Byron. This track reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, cementing Benatar and Giraldo’s status as a formidable duo in the rock scene. That same year, their personal bond deepened as they married in Hana, Hawaii, blending their professional and personal lives seamlessly.

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The Birth of “We Belong”: From Strife to Harmony

The heart of the episode focuses on the creation of "We Belong," the lead single from Benatar’s fifth studio album, Tropico. Recorded at MCA Studios in Los Angeles, Tropico became a testament to the prolific partnership between Benatar and Giraldo, who were likened to having a "Midas touch" due to their string of hits.

"We Belong" was penned by Dan Navarro and the late Eric Lohan, former bandmates from Bon Motion who had a tumultuous relationship. After Navarro was fired from the band, Lohan unexpectedly reached out in September 1983 to collaborate again. Despite their differences, the two reunited for a songwriting session, resulting in "We Belong" within an hour and a half ([05:20] Co-host).

Navarro recounts, "We worked it out until the first two lines of the song said enough to draw the listener in," highlighting the song's compelling opening lyrics. The demo recording sessions, marked by late-night neighborly interruptions, eventually led to a song that would resonate globally, propelled by Benatar's powerful rendition.

Tragically, Eric Lohan passed away in 2012 due to ALS complications, but "We Belong" remains a testament to their brief yet impactful collaboration. Navarro acknowledges the serendipitous nature of the song's creation, stating, "We Belong was never again matched by the songwriting duo in terms of success" ([06:22] Co-host).

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Impact and Legacy of “We Belong”

Released as a single in October 1984, "We Belong" soared to number five on the Billboard Hot 100, matching the success of Benatar’s earlier hit, "Love Is a Battlefield" ([08:17] Co-host). The song's universal theme of destined love, combined with Benatar’s emotive vocals, struck a chord with audiences worldwide.

The accompanying album, Tropico, not only solidified Benatar's status in rock but also coincided with personal milestones, including the couple's first pregnancy revealed during the making of the album's music videos. The song also earned Benatar a Grammy nomination, further attesting to its artistic and commercial success.

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Enduring Partnership and Hall of Fame Induction

Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo's collaboration extended beyond music, embodying a harmonious personal and professional relationship. Their enduring partnership, marked by mutual respect and shared creativity, culminated in their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022. As Janda highlights, "Theirs has been an incredible union, both personally and professionally, and a perfect example of two people and now two hall of Famers who really do belong together" ([08:17] Narrator).

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Conclusion: A Lasting Legacy in Rock

"We Belong" stands as a symbol of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo’s unparalleled synergy, showcasing how personal harmony can translate into timeless music. Their story, from early struggles to global acclaim, underscores the power of collaboration and the enduring impact of classic rock anthems.

As Janda concludes, "Just like the song says, we belong together," celebrating a union that has not only shaped their lives but also left an indelible mark on the music industry.

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Notable Quotes

• Co-host ([06:22]): "That day came out of the blue. And they were right. Those first two lines really do pull you in."

• Co-host ([07:09]): "We belong together is a love song rooted in the idea of two people destined to be together."

• Narrator ([08:22]): "In 2022, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and rightly so."

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Behind The Song offers a comprehensive look into the enduring legacy of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, illustrating how their combined talents and unwavering partnership have left a lasting imprint on the landscape of classic rock.

Transcript

[Janda]

97.1Fm the drive presents the behind the Song podcast, taking you deeper into classic rock's most timeless tunes. Here's your host, Janda don't you just.

[Narrator]

Love a good love story? There are plenty of them on the rock timeline, unions created through making the music, some of which burned out, and a few that remain. Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are one.

[Co-host]

Of those love stories that just keep going.

[Narrator]

They've been making music together since they met in 1979, and they've been married since since 1982. It's been an incredible ride. Fifteen Billboard top 40 singles and over 35 million albums sold worldwide, and the pair have two daughters. One of those hit singles, 1984's We.

[Co-host]

Belong, is a love song that was.

[Narrator]

Written by two songwriter friends and former bandmates who experienced a once in a lifetime game changer when Benatar recorded it on her Tropico album. So this is a tale of love that lasts and of friendship and how.

[Co-host]

Music can totally change everything.

[Narrator]

Get into the story of We Belong in this episode of the behind the Song podcast. If you like it, you know what to do. Thumbs up and hit. Subscribe First, a little backstory on how Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo got together in the first place. Pat had a talent that was obvious even to her teachers when she was growing up in Long island, and with her operatic voice she was a shoo in for musical theater roles. In school. She had plans to go to Juilliard, but spent a year at Stony Brook University instead and dropped out at 19 to marry her high school sweetheart, Dennis Benatar, who'd been drafted into the Army. They ended up living in Richmond, Virginia, where she worked at the local bank, and that could have been that if Liza Minnelli hadn't performed a concert in the area. After Benatar saw that performance, she quit her job and decided to give her real passion her calling ago. She started performing in clubs, and when her husband was discharged from the service in 1975, the pair moved to New York so she could pursue her singing career. She got work singing for commercials, a Pepsi jingle and more and played the clubs in the city. In 1978, she was seen by an executive at Chrysalis Records and was signed to a record deal shortly after that. She and Dennis Benatar divorced the following year, while she was working on recording her debut album, she was introduced to Neil Giraldo, whose skills not only as a guitarist but also as a musical director and arranger were felt to be a good Match by Mike Chapman, an Australian producer who was also working on a few of the songs. Geraldo at that point was known as the guitarist in Rick Derringer's band. But after meeting Pat Benatar and hitting it off musically, both of their lives would change. Benatar's debut, in the Heat of the Night, was released in August of 1979 and included heartbreaker, which was her breakthrough single, as well as a song written by Geraldo, We Live For Love. It went platinum. By 1980, Geraldo was now in the band and they were off to the races, with Pat Benatar up front singing and Geraldo leading the musical direction from then on. In 1980, the crimes of Passion album went multi platinum and made Pat Benatar a worldwide star. That's the one with Hit Me with youh Best Shot on It. Precious Time came out in 1981 and included the hit Fire and Ice. Somehow Neil Geraldo also found time to work with Rick Springfield during this time, notably playing lead guitar and bass on Springfield's mega hit Jesse's Girl. In 1982, the Get Nervous album was released, Kat Benatar's fourth. That's the one with Shadows of the Night on it, a song that was written a few years before for the movie Times Square by a songwriter named D.L. byron, but was rejected for the movie and by his own label at the time for not being commercial enough for Pat Benatar. It went to number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. She and Geraldo were on a streak.

[Co-host]

That just wouldn't quit.

[Narrator]

It was also in 1982 that the two got married in a ceremony in Hana, Hawaii. After that, a live album recorded on the Get Nervous World tour was released in 1983, and then it was time to record studio album number five, Tropico. The Tropico album was recorded at the MCA Studios in la, and it was named after an old California gold mine, which was fitting for an artist who had literally been on a Midas street in terms of churning out hits.

[Co-host]

And that would prove to be the.

[Narrator]

Case with the Tropico album too, especially with the lead single, We Belong. The song was a major payday for the songwriting team of Dan Navarro and the late Eric Lohan, one that they didn't see coming at all. The two of them had been struggling in a band called Bon Motion together in Los Angeles in the early 80s, but not really making any headway, and Navarro was fired from the group by Lohan, so they were very much on the outs with each other. Lohan called Navarro up out of the blue one September day in 1983, about six weeks after he had fired him, and asked him to come over and.

[Co-host]

Write with him just to see what would happen.

[Narrator]

So Navarro begrudgingly did, and about an hour and a half later, We Belong was written. The two worked it out until the first two lines of the song said enough to draw the listener in, and Navarro remembers that while they were recording the demo for it, their neighbor next door was banging on the door asking them to be quiet because it was after 10pm the demo was circulated over to the Benatar Giraldo Brain Trust, and a year later their song was a worldwide smash. Sadly, Lohan passed away in 2012 due to complications from ALS. Navarro continues to perform, and in case you're wondering, yes, he is the cousin of Dave Navarro of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. We Belong was never again matched by the songwriting duo in terms of success, and it's a song that may never have happened at all had Navarro not been able to swallow his pride and join his friend for a songwriting session.

[Co-host]

That day out of the blue. And they were right. Those first two lines really do pull you in. We Belong starts like this Many times I tried to tell you Many times I cried alone Always I'm surprised how well you cut my feelings to the bone don't want to leave you really I've invested too much time to give you up that easy to the doubts that complicate your mind and then the chorus we belong to the light we belong to the thunder we belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better we belong together It's a love song, but I.

[Narrator]

Think it's really amazing when you think of it in terms of how two friends put aside their differences to work together to write it one more time, working together on something that would be bigger than them or their differences.

[Co-host]

And it goes on. Maybe it's a sign of weakness When I don't know what to say maybe I just wouldn't know what to do with my strength anyway have we become a habit? Do we distort the facts now there's no looking forward now there's no turning back the chorus repeats and then it's.

[Narrator]

On to the last verse.

[Co-host]

Close your eyes and try to sleep now Close your eyes and try to dream Clear your mind and do your best to try and wash the palate clean we can't begin to know it how much we really care I hear your voice inside me I see your face everywhere and the chorus repeats and the song fades. It's a love song rooted in the idea of two people destined to be together, something that we could all either relate to or simply dream about.

[Narrator]

And with Pat Benatar singing it, it went to number five on the Billboard Hot 100.

[Co-host]

Equaling the success of Love Is a Battlefield, We Belong was released as a.

[Narrator]

Single in October of 1984, just before Tropico hit stores. On November 1st, it went to number three on the Rock chart, and it earned Pat Benatar a Grammy nomination. Besides being another successful album release, it was while making videos for Tropico that Benatar and Geraldo discovered that they were pregnant with their first child. In 2022, Pat Benatar and Neil Geraldo were inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame, and rightly so. Theirs has been an incredible union, both personally and professionally, and a perfect example of two people and now two hall of Famers who really do belong together. Just like the song says, I'm Janda and this has been behind the song.

[Co-host]

If you like this episode, give it.

[Narrator]

A like and subscribe to the channel. Special thanks as always to Christian Lane for the music you hear on these podcast episodes. Check us out on TikTok and you can find me on the air weekdays from 9 to 2 Central and 9701 FM the Drive in Chicago and at wdrv.com on the way. Much more classic rock and roll.