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Do you like Huey Lewis and the news? His first works were a small novelty for some, but when Sports came out in '83, the band had really established itself, commercially and artistically. Hey Paul, hear Huey Lewis himself dive into the record, including standout single “I Want a New Drug,” in this episode of The story behind the song! Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts.
With songs like “Heart and Soul”, “The Heart of Rock & Roll” and “If This Is It” Sports It spent a whopping 160 weeks on the charts, with the aforementioned four tracks reaching the Top 10. It has now sold over seven million copies in the United States alone, establishing itself as a commercial titan and cultural significance by the mid-decade. from 1980. The album recently received a 40th anniversary reissue to celebrate his undeniable legacy.
But what exactly did he do? Sports so special? On the one hand, it was incredibly eclectic, with influences from R&B, soul and pop. As Lewis explains, the band set out to fuse those influences into something new and primed for radio success. “The LinnDrum had just been invented, so we got one of these things. And my idea was to combine the latest LinnDrum technology and the old school songs we were writing,” he recalls. “That album, which on the cover appears to be just a bar band playing, is the complete opposite. “We put it together piece by piece.”
And sometimes, it was necessary to rebuild a little. When CBS bought distribution from the band's label, Chrysalis, Lewis decided to hold on to the record until after their next tour. Halfway through the “Working for a Living Tour,” they sat down and listened to the album again, and were not satisfied. “So we put the record on and played it, and I was pfff,”Lewis recalls. “It just wasn't happening. It just wasn't good. 'I Want a New Drug' wasn't exciting enough. So I yelled 'foul' and convinced the record label and my manager that we had to go back to the studio and re-record… We re-recorded 'I Want a New Drug', 'The Heart of Rock & Roll', 'Walking on a Thin Line' and 'Bad Is Bad,' all cut on the LinnDrum machine.”
Hear Huey Lewis explore Sports, “I want a new medicine” and more via the player above or in your favorite podcast platform. You can also watch a clip of the interview above, or via Youtube. Make sure you follow The story behind the song to watch all the new and archive episodes coming in season 2, and rate and review on Apple Podcasts to show your support for our series.
The jukebox musical based on the music of Huey Lewis and the News, The heart of rock & roll, will make its Broadway debut this week and previews begin March 29. – get tickets here. Also, be sure to check out the new TSBTS Merchandise, including a spectacular poster and puzzle, available now at the Consequence Shop or via the buy now buttons below! You can also follow host Peter Csathy on Threads at @pcsathy and in Deep cutting mediaand stay tuned to the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all of our shows.
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