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If you see a faded sign on the side of the road that says “15 miles to Love Shack,” friend, you're in for a good time. The B-52's high-energy new wave classic “Love Shack” remains a staple for music lovers looking for a dance party. In this episode of The story behind the song, B-52 vocalist and keyboardist Kate Pierson dives into the tune's history and legacy. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts.
The B-52s are breaking ground in Athens, Georgia, and have had mountains of quirky charisma since day one. Known for their danceable bops and loud outfits, a reputation that was only reinforced by songs like “Rock Lobster,” the band grew from quiet beginnings to become wildly influential in pop and rock scenes around the world. “Love Shack”, a 1989 single cosmic thingIt took them to the next level, as they knew it would.
“I thought, 'Wow, this is it,'” Pierson recalls when he heard the finished song. “And we played it for REM, [they] They stopped by the studio, listened to 'Love Shack' and said, 'Yeah, that's it.' It was also a great beat. The music that Keith [Strickland] It had a very different rhythm than other B-52 songs. It was really funky, really danceable, not in a jerky way, it was just a real groove. “It was just different, so I knew it really stood out and still had our signature sound.”
The band was pushing the music forward with their post-punk pop, while also referencing past favorites including The Beatles and Yoko Ono. Pierson says that the wails Cindy Wilson makes at the end of “Love Shack” and “Rock Lobster” were “copied” from Ono's dolphin-style singing. Surprisingly, Ono and John Lennon, in turn, were inspired by the brave group's efforts. “[Lennon] I'm listening [‘Rock Lobster’] and he said to Yoko: 'We have to take out the axe, we have to start writing again.' That was an inspiration for him,” she explains. “I can't even believe it… When your hero even knows you exist, it's pretty amazing.”
Listen to The B-52s' Kate Pierson open the door on “Love Shack,” “tin Roof, Rusted,” the band's origins, and above, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can also watch a segment of the interview via the video player above or on YouTube. For more information on the B-52s, grab tickets to his recently expanded residency in Las Vegas, which follows his 2022 “Farewell Tour.”
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