Podcast
Wind of Change
Hosted by Pineapple Street Studios / Crooked Media / Spotify · EN
It’s 1990. The Berlin Wall just fell. The Soviet Union is on the verge of collapse. And the soundtrack to the revolution is one of the best selling songs of all time, the metal ballad “Wind of Change,” by the Scorpions. Decades later, journalist Patrick Radden Keefe heard a rumor: the song wasn’t written by the Scorpions. It was written by the CIA. This is his journey to find the truth. Wind of Change is an Original Series from Pineapple Street Studios, Crooked Media and Spotify.
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Special Preview: "London Falling" by Patrick Radden Keefe
Mar 2300:13:39Tap to summarizePatrick has a new book coming out April 7, a true story about Zac Brettler, a London teenager who died under mysterious circumstances in 2019. After Zac's death, his parents, Rachelle and Matthew, made a shocking discovery: Zac had been leading a secret double life, posing as the son of a Russian oligarch. "London Falling" is the story of two grieving parents who set out to investigate their own son's death, a journey that pulled them into a side of their city they had never known before, a murky underworld of power, money, danger, and deceit. This exclusive preview for "Wind of Change" listeners is the prologue from the Penguin Random House audiobook, read by Patrick. "London Falling" is available for pre-order wherever books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Introducing Dreamtown: The Story of Adelanto
Jun 7, 202300:33:29Tap to summarizeChapter 1: Bug’s Plan. It’s 2014. Adelanto is a bankrupt city in the California desert known for its massive detention centers and not much else. Then, a stranger comes to town with a wild idea to make Adelanto great again: Become the first city in Southern California to legalize commercial weed cultivation. Subscribe to Dreamtown to hear episode two right now, wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Bonus #3 - Scorpions Live from New York | Fundraiser For Ukraine
Oct 11, 202200:19:44Tap to summarizeWhen Patrick Radden Keefe heard that the Scorpions were coming to town last month, he knew he had to go to the show. So he called his friend Michael, his source for the original CIA conspiracy theory, and they headed to UBS Arena on Long Island, microphones in hand. Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, the song Wind of Change has taken on new meaning -- and new lyrics, courtesy of lead-singer Klaus Meine. Patrick wanted to feel first hand how the powerful ballad of hope sounded in this new context of Russian aggression. We're also raising funds for medical supplies in Ukraine and encourage you to join us in giving to United24. The link is here: https://u24.gov.ua/This episode was recorded in late September. Given the recent attacks in Ukraine we especially encourage you to donate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Special Preview: "Rogues" by Patrick Radden Keefe
Jul 21, 202200:10:28Tap to summarizePatrick has a new book that's just out, Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks. It's twelve strange but true stories of skulduggery and intrigue. Listen to an exclusive excerpt from the audiobook, narrated by Patrick, about the flamboyant, un-catchable arms trafficker known as the Prince of Marbella. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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An Avocado Revolution | Introducing 544 Days
Oct 14, 202100:29:18Tap to summarizeEverything was going great for Jason Rezaian. He was The Washington Post’s correspondent in Tehran. He had just gotten married. Then, in July of 2014, Jason and his wife were arrested and thrown in Iran’s notorious Evin prison.This is the first episode of 544 Days, a new podcast from Gimlet, Crooked Media, and A24. Find the rest of story for free at gimlet.media/544days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →Out Now: Bonus Episodes
Jul 6, 202000:01:30Tap to summarizeThanks for listening to Wind of Change. We’ve made two additional episodes of the show — a pair of stories that we couldn’t fit into the main season of the podcast, but are so wild we had to share them with you. Both episodes are only available exclusively on Spotify.The first one is available right now. It’s called "The Love Song of Joanna Stingray." And next Monday, July 13, we’ll drop another episode, called "Rocking Venezuela." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →8. Hello, Klaus
Jun 29, 202000:50:24Tap to summarizeHANOVER, GERMANY, 2020: There is one last person Patrick needs to ask about “Wind of Change.” At a small hotel in sleepy Hanover, Germany, it is time to confront Klaus Meine about his biggest hit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →7. Rorschach
Jun 22, 202000:45:48Tap to summarizeMOSCOW, RUSSIA, 2019: On a boat ride down the Moskva River, Patrick starts to fear that this entire podcast could itself be CIA propaganda. Or worse, Ksenia, his Russian fixer points out: propaganda by the successors to the KGB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →6. The Doctor Is In
Jun 15, 202000:57:35Tap to summarizeCAYMAN ISLANDS, 1982: The Scorpions’ manager Doc McGhee has a secret past: he played a role in one of the largest drug busts in U.S. history, working with a smuggling ring that included CIA asset (and Panamanian dictator) Manuel Noriega. Nearly everyone went to prison. But Doc didn’t serve a day. Patrick heads to Naples, Florida, to find out why Doc threw a rock festival in Moscow instead of going to prison. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Transcribe →5. I Follow The Moskva
Jun 8, 202000:41:52Tap to summarizeMOSCOW, USSR, 1989: Klaus Meine, the lead singer of the Scorpions, has said for 30 years that the Moscow Music Peace Festival in 1989 inspired him to write “Wind of Change.” Bon Jovi, booze, Ozzy Osbourne, cocaine, fireworks, fist fights, the KGB -- Patrick takes you step by step through the wildest music festival in Russian history. But something about the concert doesn’t add up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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