Phil Rosenthal Meets World

Summary

Podcast Summary: Pod Meets World – Phil Rosenthal Meets World
Released on February 11, 2025 by iHeartPodcasts

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Introduction

In this special episode of Pod Meets World, hosts Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Ryder Strong take a nostalgic trip back to the beloved 1990s TV show, "Boy Meets World." The episode features an exclusive interview with Phil Rosenthal, the former lead singer of 20 Cent Crush and the creative force behind the show's iconic theme song. Listeners are treated to behind-the-scenes stories, personal anecdotes, and insightful discussions about the making of the theme that has resonated with fans for decades.

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Guest Profile: Phil Rosenthal

Phil Rosenthal, known for his musical talents with 20 Cent Crush, shares his journey from the vibrant music scene of Washington D.C. to Hollywood’s bustling entertainment industry. His pivotal role in crafting the "Boy Meets World" theme song not only elevated his career but also left an indelible mark on the show's legacy.

Notable Quote:

Phil Rosenthal [24:00]: "Go listen to it or else tell us the story."

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Creation of the "Boy Meets World" Theme Song

The conversation delves into how Phil composed the final version of the "Boy Meets World" theme song used from seasons five through seven. Initially crafting a 2-minute-35-second track, Phil recounts the challenges of condensing it to fit the show's requirements without losing its essence.

Danielle Fishel [23:45]:

"So you get it from two and a half minutes. You get it down to the 25 seconds they need. Then where do you go record it?"

Phil shares the exhilarating experience of recording at Capitol Studios, a legendary venue where music legends like Frank Sinatra and The Beatles have left their mark.

Notable Quote:

Phil Rosenthal [24:14]: "It was like walking through this labyrinth of life."

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Behind-the-Scenes Anecdotes

Phil reveals entertaining stories from his time working on "Boy Meets World," including interactions with the show's creator Michael Jacobs and unexpected encounters with other music legends. One standout moment involves Phil performing the theme song live during a taping, an event that left a lasting impression on both him and the cast.

Will Friedle [37:07]:

"Mickey was there, but my friend stood up and said, 'This is the guy that did the new theme song.'"

Notable Quote:

Phil Rosenthal [38:38]: "I'm up there."

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Impact and Legacy of the Theme Song

The hosts and Phil discuss the profound impact the theme song has had on "Boy Meets World" fans, serving as a unifying element that evokes nostalgia and fond memories. They explore how the music not only complemented the show's storytelling but also became a beloved piece of 90s pop culture.

Danielle Fishel [15:54]:

"Welcome to Pod Meats World. I'm Danielle Fishel."

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Phil’s Journey Beyond Music

Transitioning from his music career, Phil talks about his ventures into digital marketing and entrepreneurship. Despite stepping back from performing full-time, his passion for music remains strong, and he shares his plans to revisit his musical roots by acquiring his own guitars and embracing a troubadour lifestyle once again.

Notable Quote:

Phil Rosenthal [34:33]: "I have three great children. But it's... I've owned a few companies in digital advert."

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Humorous and Heartwarming Stories

Phil shares lighthearted stories, such as being recognized by young fans unaware of his contribution to the show. These moments highlight the enduring love and connection fans have with the "Boy Meets World" theme song.

Notable Quote:

Phil Rosenthal [30:44]: "Having my friends come over with their daughter who had dinner. She was young, she was only like 8 or 9."

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Current Endeavors and Future Plans

Phil provides an update on his current life, including plans to visit family and engage more deeply with his musical passions. He emphasizes the continued influence "Boy Meets World" has had on his personal and professional life.

Notable Quote:

Phil Rosenthal [39:02]: "I'm actually about to buy a jeep and go up to Seattle and visit my 23-year-old daughter."

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with heartfelt thanks from the hosts to Phil Rosenthal for sharing his unique experiences and contributions to "Boy Meets World." The conversation not only celebrates the show's enduring legacy but also highlights the personal connections and memories it has fostered among its creators and fans alike.

Danielle Fishel [40:14]:

"Thank you so much for being here with us, Phil. It's really been interesting to hear the origin story of the song."

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Closing Thoughts

Pod Meets World effectively captures the essence of "Boy Meets World," offering both longtime fans and newcomers an in-depth look into the creation of one of television’s most memorable theme songs. Through Phil Rosenthal’s stories and reflections, the episode serves as a nostalgic journey that honors the show's impact and the timeless lessons it imparted to its audience.

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Noteworthy Mentions:

• Phil Rosenthal's Song: Available on Spotify under the title "Boy Meets World."
• Future Episodes: Continue to explore more episodes of "Boy Meets World," sharing memories, behind-the-scenes moments, and fan stories.

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Follow Us: Stay connected with Pod Meets World on Instagram @podmeetsworldshow and email your thoughts and stories to [e-mail]. Don’t forget to check out our merchandise and support the show!

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This summary captures the essence and key moments of the "Pod Meets World" episode featuring Phil Rosenthal. For a more immersive experience, listening to the full episode is highly recommended.

Transcript

[Danielle Fishel]

It's Danielle Fishel, Ryder Strong and Will.

[Will Friedle]

Friedle from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

Listen to Mind the small business success Stories on the iHeart app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

Friend, it's your inner child calling and.

[Jenny Garth]

They want churros.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Phil Rosenthal]

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[Ryder Strong]

Had an encounter like a month ago with one of those like oh, this job exists. This is an interesting job.

[Danielle Fishel]

You mean with someone who has One of those jobs.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes. Like a job you'd never think exists, and then you're really glad it does. So we. We had, you know, like, about a week and a half of Indy saying, my head really itches.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, no. Right.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm the down player. I'm like the. You know, if somebody says they're sick, I'm like, if I'm sick, I'm like, oh, we know.

[Danielle Fishel]

You were sick for three weeks, four weeks, and we just kept begging you to go get checked out. No, I was never gonna do it. You eventually were fine. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Alex is the exact opposite. She's like, oh, my God, we're going to the doctor now.

[Danielle Fishel]

We have a tickle.

[Ryder Strong]

You know, you have cancer. It's over, right? So she was like, it's lice. It's lice, it's lice. I'm like, okay, the kid doesn't take enough showers. Let's just take some showers. And then fine. Like, it's pretty obvious it's not going away. He's itchy. I mean, we can't see anything. But who can? Like, I don't know. So we get the lice shampoo, and Alex is like, I'm starting to itch, too. I'm like, okay, everybody does the license shampoo situation. And sure enough, she, like, picks some things out of Indy's hair with, like, the little comb. Right. It's so gross to think about, but they're, like, so small. Like, in some ways, like, I could tell, Alex gets a little satisfaction because now she's like, how many am I gonna get out of his hair? So. Cause it's kind of like, yeah, I'm cleaning him, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

It's, like, popping. There's something so satisfying about it.

[Ryder Strong]

You're like, gross, gross, gross, gross. So then everything seemed fine for another week. And then.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, no. Because they're in your house.

[Ryder Strong]

Alex is itchy. Indy's itching. And then, sure enough, like, one of his theater classes is like, we have had an outbreak of lice. And we're like, okay, it's not gone away. So there was a lice lady.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

A very nice lice lady. Yeah. Came to our house.

[Danielle Fishel]

Baby licer house.

[Phil Rosenthal]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Like a delivery delicacy. It's like getting a pizza ordered or yoga class at your house. You can do this in la. It's so nice. Strange.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

So she came and was, like, the coolest woman, and, like, in two hours, had, like, done all of our hair, and everybody was fine, and she answered all our questions. And by the way, I had no lice in my hair. I was. I was. Okay, but all that means.

[Danielle Fishel]

So your itching was psychosomatic or your son.

[Ryder Strong]

Exactly.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Don't cuddle.

[Will Friedle]

I don't cuddle.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was in my shed alone.

[Ryder Strong]

It actually probably does mean that I was out of town while they got it. At whatever point that they re. Got it or got it the first time. Yeah. Anyway.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

So shout out to all the l ladies and men out there.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, my God.

[Ryder Strong]

Literally, her card was, like, the lice lady. I was like, this is so cool.

[Will Friedle]

That's what I was going to ask if they have. They always have, like, a cool name, like, you know, lice and easy or something like that.

[Ryder Strong]

I like that better.

[Austin Hankwitz]

That's better.

[Will Friedle]

You know, something. Always have something.

[Ryder Strong]

They need you, Will. They need you to come up with these.

[Danielle Fishel]

So I have a question. I know that, like, when you have fleas in your house and you need to now get rid of, like, there's like, the little flea bombs that you can put off in your house. Did they have to do something similar for lice or once. It's because. No, because it doesn't. Lice doesn't stay on bedding. It's just.

[Ryder Strong]

No, thank God. Yeah. It's not like bed bugs. It's not like scabies or like, there's other stuff. You have to, like, wash everything. Yeah, no, luckily this is. But, you know, isn't it funny? Like, I immediately was like, do we have to shave? Do we have to shave into his head? Like, I was still on this, like, 1950s.

[Will Friedle]

Did you bleed it with leeches? Are you okay?

[Ryder Strong]

Isn't that what you think? Like, Will, what do you think? Because you don't have kids. Like, when was the last time you heard about lice? When you were a kid?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, when I got it once when I was a kid. No, I got.

[Ryder Strong]

They.

[Will Friedle]

We had the lice shampoo that they would put on that just felt like battery acid on your head. So you just kind of like screaming.

[Ryder Strong]

Battery acid.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, like that. Connecticut.

[Ryder Strong]

So it was the blood of a horse mixed.

[Will Friedle]

It worked.

[Ryder Strong]

No, that. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Okay. So there's a lice lady.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

How does.

[Will Friedle]

Now here's my question for the backstory. How does one find this profession? Is this something that her family had done for years and she took over the family business? Is this something where she went to school for it and then was like, I want to. I'm gonna lice. That's my. That's my go to.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's my lady. Now you have kids of your own and you realize that you want this service you.

[Austin Hankwitz]

When.

[Danielle Fishel]

When you go, there's no one who does this. And you know what? I could. You know what? People would pay a lot for an expert to come in and say there.

[Ryder Strong]

Are some really out there actors, some, you know, ex child actors with some podcast money who want to. Don't want to have to itching just.

[Danielle Fishel]

Out of the fear of having lice. Turns out he doesn't have any. But we had a. We had a lice outbreak at Adler School as well. Adler did not get appeared as though nobody in Adler's class class got it, but in surrounding classrooms. So other grades had outbreaks. And because Adler's in kindergarten and they don't spend a ton of time with the older grades, he was mostly protected. But there was a big brouhaha in the kindergarten parent chat.

[Will Friedle]

Really.

[Ryder Strong]

There was a hubbub.

[Danielle Fishel]

There was a hub.

[Will Friedle]

There's a to do.

[Danielle Fishel]

A big to do. Yeah. Do you want to know about the to do Will?

[Austin Hankwitz]

I do.

[Danielle Fishel]

Because, you know, my favorite thing about Will is one of my favorite. I have so many favorite things, but one of them is that Will, who doesn't have kids but love the drums.

[Will Friedle]

I love it.

[Danielle Fishel]

He loves the drama of.

[Ryder Strong]

Of. And it's always a chat drama. That's why you just don't.

[Danielle Fishel]

Don't group chats.

[Ryder Strong]

Chats. The dad chats. Like, don't.

[Danielle Fishel]

Recently somebody started a sentence in the parent chat that said news flash. And I was like, oh.

[Ryder Strong]

We are going down.

[Danielle Fishel]

Down.

[Ryder Strong]

All I know is that, like, Alex has been a part of several different, like, mom threads and, you know, and I have friends who obviously are part of. And there's always somebody going through a divor oversharing like that just seems to be like, there's always the one person who's like, my. Well, he did it again. And it's like, whoa. This is about who's picking up the kids. It's just, it's.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, there is a company that makes a. It's like mostly essential oils, but it's a spray that's rosemary. Apparently lice hate rosemary.

[Ryder Strong]

We did.

[Danielle Fishel]

They did a bowl and nope. They said of all the things we just, you know, we don't like Rosemary.

[Will Friedle]

Thank you all for coming today. We're going to show you some different things. We want to see which ones you respond to.

[Ryder Strong]

Rosemary's out.

[Danielle Fishel]

Rosemary's out. Exactly. So car the voted and they said, we just can't hang with the Rosemary. Rosemary. There's a company that makes this spray that's mostly essential oils and it's got rosemary in it. And you can supposedly it's really good. If you spray it in your kid's hair, they won't go to your kid's head.

[Ryder Strong]

And so I doubt it works at all. Well, sounds like this sounds like every parent's first attempt. I don't want to use.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know, I don't want to.

[Ryder Strong]

Have to buy it at the drugstore. I'm going to be healthy. I'm going to. I'm just going to spritz them with this rosemary.

[Danielle Fishel]

My point is, even though no one in kindergarten that we know of had it, someone said, hey, I'm gonna start using this and I'm gonna give it to the teachers. And what do you say we spray it on all of them? There were thumbs down emojis being said.

[Ryder Strong]

Anti vaxx movement.

[Danielle Fishel]

There were, there were links.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Whoa.

[Danielle Fishel]

And so I just mostly stay very quiet.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And wait for something. But anyway, so, yeah, we. It's been going around. The lice, it's making its rounds.

[Will Friedle]

Well, you should call that famous company that takes care of it. Lice Pilaf. They're great. They're like the best for dinner tonight. The best in town. Lice a Roni. You're not going to beat that company.

[Danielle Fishel]

Welcome to Pod Meats World. I'm Danielle Fishel.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm Ryder Strong.

[Will Friedle]

And I'm Will Friedle.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

Oh, I have so many going all the way back to when my dad came home with a video camera when I was 2 or 3. And we have our first superhero movie that my first directing. My brother and I. Oh man. Wrote and directed the Great Toy Caper and starred a superhero. And we still have it. It's the best.

[Will Friedle]

That's great. Yeah, mine was actually for another show that I did, but when I got to go to the set of youf can't do that on Television and got slimed as a kid on Nickelodeon. Like old school Nickelodeon Slimed. That's one that I'll always remember. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Danielle Fishel]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Ryder Strong]

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[Will Friedle]

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[Danielle Fishel]

There are certain sounds that can immediately bring Boy Meets World fans a wave of nostalgia. Whether it's a perfectly pitched Feeney call or a classic piece of dialogue like they want you to take the roles, a lot of our fans can speak in code, allowing each other to know they are a part of the club. It's a cult of sorts, our own little the center. But it would be difficult to find a noise that unites Boy Meets World fans easier than this.

[Austin Hankwitz]

When this Fall Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

On our show, we went through a handful of theme songs, but it was the final variation, the version used for seasons five through seven, that seems to have stuck with fans the most and become the song to represent Boy Meets World most commonly. And when we started the season five rewatch, we noticed the credit the theme was performed by Phil Rosenthal and 20 Cent Crush. And once we figured out this Phil Rosenthal was not the guy who created Everybody Loves Raymond and Eats in different Countries for Netflix, it got us thinking. Can we find Phil Rosenthal and 20 Cent Crush? And when you have Jensen as your producer, the answer is usually yes. And so for today's episode, we will be focused on that one part of Boy Meets World, the unforgettable final theme song, as we welcome to the podcast the former lead singer of 20 Cent Crush and the voice you mimic at the top of your lungs. Yes, it's Phil Rosenthal.

[Ryder Strong]

Is what we're doing.

[Austin Hankwitz]

You guys crack me up, man.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, a little.

[Austin Hankwitz]

I'm a little older now. Yeah, you look the same, man. Oh, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you.

[Austin Hankwitz]

You look the same girl.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh. We are so excited to talk about you. I mean, we have to be honest, we have had some pretty unpredictable reunions here on Pod Meets World, but it is going to be difficult to beat this one.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Why?

[Danielle Fishel]

Because we didn't think we'd ever even find you.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Yeah, it's funny. You found me through my old band in dc.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. Okay.

[Austin Hankwitz]

So I moved it way before I moved to la. That's. That's really funny.

[Will Friedle]

Producer Jensen will. Will call us and be like, yeah, I. Who you're looking for? Through his third grade teacher. Like, what, What?

[Danielle Fishel]

Excuse me.

[Will Friedle]

So you just never know how you're going to get the call.

[Danielle Fishel]

I want to start with 20 cent crush. Please tell us about the band and how you guys got started.

[Austin Hankwitz]

The band in D.C. broke up and I. I moved out here and wanted it to go further. I. I didn't want to quit. You know, they went. They went back to doing jobs and stuff like that.

[Danielle Fishel]

What was the band in dc?

[Austin Hankwitz]

It was called not even.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's not even.

[Austin Hankwitz]

The producer worked out, I think, reached out to. And Jeff Chamberlain, who's one of the greatest lyricists I've ever known. He's great. I was a bass player and backing singer in that band. And. And then when we broke up, where they kept Ted and Jeff kept. These are my best friends. We were like the Rolling Stones in dc. We had. We would bring a thousand people to the. Like, why can't I think of the club? It's closed now, but we used to do really well there. But not. We never got big, never got major. And I think that scared them a little bit because we're getting older, right. I took the drummer, John Greenberg, who was amazing, and Paul Flynn, who owns True Tone Music in Santa Monica. We came to California, I mean, and we had a band. And then I left that band. That band broke up. 20 Cent Crush came about in 1995. And when you moved to LA. Yeah, when I was in LA, we were on the KTLA morning show in front of millions of people.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, that's cool.

[Austin Hankwitz]

It's like. So you guys. You guys have had, like, your lives have been so incredible in what you've done, but it's like the odd things that have happened to me, you know, singing Boy Meets World at Capitol Studios and where Sinatra, the Beach Boys, the Beatles.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Austin Hankwitz]

King Cole sang Jeez.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then the theme song for Boy.

[Will Friedle]

Meets World The Boy Meets World theme song. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, so how, how did this come about? Talk to us about how you got the call to do the Boy Meets World theme song.

[Austin Hankwitz]

I think she was an associate producer for the show. My business ending. Well, in Hollywood we're playing House of Blues. We played the Key Club, you know, all kind. It was, it was actually called Billboard Live at the time. All this came about through Karen McCain. Does that familiar?

[Danielle Fishel]

Of course, of course. We know Karen very well.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Somehow I don't know if she was just a fan of the band or what happened, but she goes, Phil would be perfect to write the song for this. And you know, you know what happened with Friends and, and the Rembrandts.

[Ryder Strong]

Sure.

[Austin Hankwitz]

And I missed like who could put a world on with a smile. I missed the. I miss the vocals of lead. Of, of songs and.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. These shows and so what kind of guidance did they give you about what they were looking for?

[Austin Hankwitz]

Michael Jacobs? Because when I wrote the very first, the lead in on that song, when this Boy Meets World was about me, not about Ben, you know, you guys had a six year hit show on Friday nights and I had the opportunity to provide something that would, you know, lead it. And I was, I was like, dude, you, you gotta, you know, you gotta do this. I feel like there was some divine intervention. I wrote a 2 minute and 35 second song, sent a cassette in. When there were cassettes, which I saw and, and they said, okay. It was like walking through this labyrinth of life. And even my, my Steve Manage, manager and guitar player, my very good friend said, they're not going to want that. It's too.

[Danielle Fishel]

Labyrinth isn't going to make for the demographic.

[Will Friedle]

It's too big a word for TGIF.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Yeah, but 20 cent crush had a really good ascension in LA. You know, we're doing really well. Everything kind of fell into place and I got that opportunity and over a weekend I had to scale down a 235 song. Now let's talk about Ray. Ray had the first two theme songs. I was stealing money out of his pocket. I didn't even know, you know, it's like I wasn't in position. But when I went to Ray's house and I walked into school because he was a music director, you know, of the show. And he walked, I walked into his garage in Studio City and there was an Aerosmith album on the wall. Yeah, he had co produced it and it was one of my favorite albums when I was a kid. Yeah, what'd you have to do with Aerosols he goes, oh, I signed them to Columbia. I was an A R guy. The fun stuff you learn when you walk into us.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Austin Hankwitz]

That has that much talent. So cool, people. So anyway, we went upstairs and. And worked on the song and I said, do you like it? Because I knew I was stealing his.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, yeah. Stealing his job, basically.

[Austin Hankwitz]

He was cool. I mean, he was very stoic kind of guy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, yeah.

[Austin Hankwitz]

I. I really enjoyed the experience of this. So this opportunity that Michael gave me. And I mean, of course I brought something forward. Yeah, it was. I'm. I get choked up sometimes.

[Danielle Fishel]

So it's. You're there. It was originally a 2 1/2 minute song that you delivered on cassette.

[Austin Hankwitz]

It's on Spotify.

[Ryder Strong]

It is.

[Danielle Fishel]

What's it called?

[Austin Hankwitz]

It's called Boy Meets World.

[Ryder Strong]

What is it really?

[Austin Hankwitz]

Yes. Go listen to it or else tell us the story.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you get it from two and a half minutes. You get it down to the 25 seconds they need. Then where do you go record it?

[Austin Hankwitz]

Well, there was a session at Capitol Studios.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Which is where everybody. Famous. And. I mean, I met. I was walking around Big. Big bad voodoo daddy.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, they were.

[Austin Hankwitz]

They were recording in. In Studio A.

[Danielle Fishel]

So cool.

[Austin Hankwitz]

I'm like walking around their studio. It's in the dark. I'd even turn the lights on, you know, they were in A and I was in B. And Ray, they were doing all the. They were doing the Q music. That's why they were doing all the Q music. Between, you know. Yeah. Hey, Topanga, right? Yeah, they were doing all that stuff. And so I didn't come in until late and. But I did. I went into the. It was actually a green room. The paint. The paint on the wall. It was a cafeteria. And these. There were a bunch of old, Old guys with horns. And I'm like. They were the guys who did the horns for the Jetsons.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, cool.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Amazing song.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, that's cool.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Amazing. It was. So you can tell how excited I am. I'm sorry.

[Will Friedle]

Don't ever apologize. It's amazing.

[Austin Hankwitz]

The experience was off the charts for me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Was that your first time at Capitol Studios?

[Austin Hankwitz]

Yes, first time. I'm not famous. You guys made me famous in a sense.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you get the job and then it starts airing on tv.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Well, yes. And I saw it for the first time at a place called. I had a gig at the Gig in. In west la, and I was eating at the Arsenal, and it was the first time I ever saw the show. Then I got married and had a honeymoon in England. And I saw it for the second time in Yorkshire.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Really?

[Will Friedle]

Oh, that's a lot.

[Austin Hankwitz]

There's a lot of love and emotion for, you know, for me and what this was. And, you know, it's not like, oh, it opened doors for me.

[Danielle Fishel]

Absolutely.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Post that. I mean, that's the idea. I'm a businessman, too, but it was so special.

[Danielle Fishel]

So the song's airing on Boy Meets World on Friday nights. Are you, as you're doing gigs around town, are you performing the song too?

[Austin Hankwitz]

No, because I got married and my first royalty check went to my wife's wedding ring and we had a baby. And yes, I was writing music, but I wasn't performing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, you weren't performing at that time.

[Austin Hankwitz]

And I have performed it in D.C. i performed it out here, the long version, the short version. I've done it acoustically, you know, in a, in a, you know, coffee houses and stuff. But it's always fun to see a smile on someone's face because, of course, you guys made everybody so happy.

[Danielle Fishel]

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[Danielle Fishel]

What's the funniest story you have from revealing to someone that you're the guy who think who sings the Boy Meets World theme song?

[Austin Hankwitz]

Having my friends come over with their daughter who had dinner. This is we were in an apartment and we just had our first baby in West Hollywood and she couldn't even look me in the eye.

[Danielle Fishel]

She was just that excited, so enamored by it.

[Austin Hankwitz]

And she was young, she was only like 8 or 9. It wasn't like she was a, she was a young lady, but she was a girl. And I'm like, it's okay. I just wrote a song and sang. I mean, there's a lot of those. What you're asking me, Danielle, is. Yeah, there's. I couldn't even, you know, there's a bag, a full bag of that stuff happened and that happened in my life. It still happens. It still happens. I just got off the phone with a business associate in Toronto and her name's Winky. I love that name. It's so cute. And she's like. I said, I'm getting. I got to do a podcast with, you know, pod Pod meets world. You know, I wrote the theme. She had no idea. I. I don't always tell everybody.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Austin Hankwitz]

And she's like, oh my God, that's so cool. It's because of you guys. Again. Later, way after I did the song is when I got to know the show.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Austin Hankwitz]

And. And how, you know, I had shows like that is the Brady Bunch when I was a kid.

[Will Friedle]

Sure.

[Austin Hankwitz]

You know, actually Robbie Wrist, who was cousin Oliver who came on, he was my drummer for a long time. We're very good friends.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, you're kidding.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Oh, Cousin Oliver coming to la. I made my way into people. Stephen Stills house and shop. He wouldn't even talk to me until I beat him in pool in his kitchen. He had a pool table in his kitchen. Just all kinds of crazy stuff. Rock and roll crazy stuff.

[Danielle Fishel]

So whatever happened to 20 cent crush?

[Austin Hankwitz]

20 cent crush went through a couple iterations and I'll get you guys the last cd. I have a friend who was the last drummer who played with Brian Wilson on tour for four. He was stolen away from me as a drummer and deserved it. He went to Bard Music Institute and we just finished something for David Crosby. But 20 cent crush kind of is just there. And my, my band, which is kind of mine, I mean, I directed it all. And that might not have been the best thing. It could have been a little more organic. I could have let them do what they want. But I had learned to. To do everything. Play a drum machine. I didn't realize till I was really 56 years old that I'm a left handed drummer and that's why I couldn't play the drums.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, wow.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Because they're all set up right. And we did well, but we didn't get the major deals, you know?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Austin Hankwitz]

And that's okay. And then I got married and I still wrote to make money, you know, as a writer. I didn't have the voice, you know. Michael Jacobs and the president of Virginia, Lenny Kravitz is one of my favorite last major rock stars, I think. Although many since. But they came to my record release party at the Hollywood Athletic Club. Michael came.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, that's cool.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Austin Hankwitz]

I mean there was a lot of fun and a lot of good things, but it just didn't proceed through the band as much. We had the first color posters in town. Flyers really at footcone and building and they had like amazing printers. You know, everyone had black and white stuff. You know, we had the first color stuff around.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's so cool. Your career ended up kind of taking a significant turn toward digital marketing and entrepreneurship. How did your creative background in music influence your work in those industries? And tell us what you're up to now.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Left, Left and right. Brain girl.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Combination of both. I had to be a. I had to learn business because I needed to take care of a family.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Austin Hankwitz]

So I put my life on hold. Musical life on hold. I did some. But it became a third priority.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Austin Hankwitz]

First. Which is. Okay, I'm not sad. I have three great children. But it's. You know, I've owned a few companies in digital advert. I got in right at the beginning. I've had a very lucky God. Higher power. I've been. And I'm not a super religious person. Definitely. There's been some intervention in my life that kept me going and staying on top. And I think it's. Again, just. You just keep going.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Austin Hankwitz]

And not like. I'm not a depressed person. Maybe that's why I haven't written the best lyrics in my life.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm some sadness.

[Austin Hankwitz]

It's. I've had sadness and I have. There's been pain. But I. I think the best is about to come. Believe it or not.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's.

[Will Friedle]

That's great. It's a great way to look at it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you notice any very specific inspiration in the Boy Meets World theme song? Like anything in particular? Yeah. Like what?

[Austin Hankwitz]

Well, I think my music, the stuff I was doing at the time, you know, when I was writing, I wrote the music for the band and. And had a record, you know, that was about to come out and an never released a real record. And I have about 80 songs to release.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow.

[Austin Hankwitz]

What a good marketer I am. Right. Anyway, my friends give me about that. I think it was understanding the show, watching it. I'd been writing stuff for Disney for. And even Hannah. Hannah Barbera. I Writing some stuff for people because that was a good way to make money besides waiting tables. Yeah, I love too. I mean, I love everything. I don't. You know, when I go wait tables, I can't be playing in a studio. And actors and actresses that are in that wait tables are like, I can't wait till my next audition. I'm like, no, get into what you're doing at the moment. So I was just in the moment and. And that's what came out, you know. Remember talking to me from the stage of a shoot?

[Danielle Fishel]

No, no, tell us the story.

[Austin Hankwitz]

I came with a fraternity brother who was out here on a conference. At a conference. And I. I said, I take him to the. To a taping.

[Danielle Fishel]

A Boy Meets World taping.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Yeah, it's cbs, not it. I mean, it's so weird how the cross functional, you know?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Studios are. And. And more than anything, besides seeing you guys, you know, it's bleachers. You got like bleachers. You got a guy who's the comedian who kind of does Mitch and Mickey Dolens, was. Was he an associate producer or.

[Danielle Fishel]

He was the director probably that week.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, he directed a couple of my songs.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Very monkey esque. It's extremely monkey esque if you listen to it. Yeah, I'm a huge fan of their music. His voice especially. Get an incredible voice. And they weren't play their own music.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Don Kirschner just blew them out of, you know, wouldn't let them play. And that pissed them off.

[Danielle Fishel]

So Mickey was there and you're in the audience.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Mickey was there. But my friend stood up and said, this is the guy that did the new theme song. You know, my friend did that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my God.

[Austin Hankwitz]

That's the blue. You don't remember. Okay. Of course you've had a lot of life, you know, so you don't remember. And. And then Mickey said, you got to sing the song. And I'm like, well, at that point, I wasn't as confident in my voice without a guitar and I didn't want to do it. And. And he goes, sing the song. And I sang it. Actually. You said, I'm. We're not. I didn't want to do it. And you said, we're not going to continue taping.

[Will Friedle]

Sorry.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Until you sing the song.

[Ryder Strong]

Wow.

[Austin Hankwitz]

So I'm up there. I'm like, when this boy meets. Mickey's like. The guy's like, you didn't sing that song.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, so funny.

[Austin Hankwitz]

It's a true story. True dad.

[Danielle Fishel]

So funny. What are you up to now, Phil? Where can people find you? What can we hear? Tell us what you're up to now?

[Austin Hankwitz]

Actually, a lot's going on right now because I'm. I'm actually about to buy a jeep and go up to Seattle and visit my 23 year old daughter and her boyfriend. Nice with them. And work. Because I'm, you know, I've been. I've made money from this screen for years and I'm going to buy two of my guitars back that I sold and I'm going to kind of be a troubadour for a little while.

[Danielle Fishel]

Three.

[Will Friedle]

That's awesome.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Yeah. I mean, you caught me in a. In like a major transition of life. You. You guys were everything and you know, when this boy meets world. You made this boy meet the world.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, world.

[Austin Hankwitz]

He has come from Sri Lanka, Australia, everywhere in the world.

[Ryder Strong]

Wow.

[Austin Hankwitz]

That show, your show impacted, so it made me somewhat of a name, you know, and people like the song. I've heard people say they hate my song. And some of the chat.

[Danielle Fishel]

Listen, welcome, apologizing.

[Will Friedle]

Welcome to the world. Welcome to the world.

[Austin Hankwitz]

I don't care. That stuff doesn't bother me. I know who I am at this point in life.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly.

[Will Friedle]

Just think about those people when you're cashing those checks from Sri Lanka.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Well, they're small at this point in time.

[Will Friedle]

I know, we're aware, but it's okay.

[Austin Hankwitz]

You guys are aware, aren't you?

[Danielle Fishel]

We know, we know. Well, thank you so much for being here with us, Phil. It's really been interesting to hear the origin story of the song. It's great to. To see where you are now. You have some legendary stories and thank you for coming and sharing them with us.

[Austin Hankwitz]

You know, you guys help my life a lot and that's very sweet. I'm glad I was there for you in a lot of ways as much as, you know, Michael was there for me and. And that's all right, you guys. I'll be.

[Ryder Strong]

Listen.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you so much. Thank you. We'll look out for your email. We want to hear. We want to hear. I'm going to look on Spotify for the original song.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Oh, my God. I'll send you the link to it. It's that easy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you so much, Phil. Nice to meet you.

[Austin Hankwitz]

All right, take care. Bye. Bye.

[Will Friedle]

He's that guy that like, at a party you just sit next to and he just would have story after, like playing pool with Stephen Stills in his house, like that kind of thing. Just story after story of rock and roll stuff.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's so interesting too, that I never really thought about how Ray Colcord would have felt about the idea that now they're bringing in someone from the outside to write a new theme song. And I. We didn't get the answer from him, but I wonder what the answer to that question was when he said, hey, Ray, do you like it? I wonder if Ray was like, no, I've got criticisms. Or if he was like, you know, I like it.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

I was kind of expecting him to say that. Like, Michael wrote the lyrics.

[Will Friedle]

Well, that's what I was gonna ask. Didn't Ray jump into that?

[Ryder Strong]

No, it sounds like he wrote a 2 1/2 minute version and then they just cut it down.

[Will Friedle]

No, not for this song. But doesn't. Didn't Michael. Wasn't he known for writing. Didn't he write other theme songs as.

[Ryder Strong]

For his other shows?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, I thought so. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

And I think, I wonder if Michael wrote the guitar theme for his own logo because you know that Michael Jacobs has.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. The din in it that. Yeah. Maybe he might have.

[Ryder Strong]

Or maybe that was Ray. I don't know.

[Will Friedle]

I don't know. Interesting.

[Austin Hankwitz]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Michael.

[Danielle Fishel]

Musician too.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you all for listening to this episode of Pod Meets World. As always, you can follow us on Instagram Pod Meets World show. You can send us your emails. Pod meets world show mail.com and we've got merch.

[Will Friedle]

When you buy some merch.

[Austin Hankwitz]

There you go.

[Will Friedle]

Nice.

[Danielle Fishel]

Pod meets World Show.com writer. Send us out.

[Ryder Strong]

We love you all. Pod dismissed. Pod Meets World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fishel, Wilfred L And Ryder Strong, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production, Danielle Roman, producer and editor Tara Sougbaksh, producer Matty Moore, engineer and boy meets world superman Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram odmeatsworldshow or email us at podmeatsworldshowmail.com.

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