logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2020
3m 39s

Wind of Change, coming May 11

Pineapple Street Studios / Crooked Media / Spotify
About this episode
A power ballad helped bring down the Soviet Union. Was it written by the CIA? Journalist Patrick Radden Keefe investigates the secret history of Cold War espionage and heavy metal. Wind Of Change is an Original Series from Pineapple Street Studios, Crooked Media and Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
Up next
May 2020
1. My Friend Michael
LANGLEY, VIRGINIA, 2011: The Scorpions’ song “Wind of Change” became the soundtrack to the end of the Cold War. But decades later, New Yorker investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe heard a rumor from a trusted source: the Scorpions didn’t write the song. The CIA did. Learn ... Show More
44m 17s
May 2020
2. You Call It An Operation, We Call It A Performance
KYIV, UKRAINE, 2019: Patrick flies to Ukraine and witnesses how fully the political message of “Wind of Change” still resonates with fans at a Scorpions show in Kyiv. Plus: what does the CIA say when you come right out and ask about the agency’s connection to the band? Learn more ... Show More
46m 8s
May 2020
3. America’s Secret Weapon
LAGOS, NIGERIA, 1961: One of America’s most beloved singers died without ever knowing that during the Cold War she had been used by the CIA. And a 40-year-old mystery resurfaces: when the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was picked to tour behind the Iron Curtain in 1977, was an undercover ... Show More
44m 12s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2023
The Great KGB Punk Rock Conspiracy
You may be aware of a podcast that came out in the spring of 2020 that sought to get to the bottom of a certain musical mystery…it’s called “wind of change” and it explores the possibility that a metal power ballad was a contributing factor to the fall of the soviet union in the ... Show More
33m 15s
Apr 2023
The Mighty Wurlitzer | CIA
The idealism of youth is a powerful thing. But when you're part of a movement, can you ever be sure of who's really pulling the strings? In the 1950s and 60s, a hidden hand is manipulating members of the National Student Association. But a change is going to come - and someone is ... Show More
39m 39s
Feb 2019
The Secret History of "Walk This Way"
How Run-DMC and Aerosmith changed music: Geoff Edgers, author of a new book on the song's history, and producer Jack Douglas join host Brian Hiatt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
37m 41s
Feb 2025
16.⁠ ⁠Crossing the Iron Curtain: Escape From the KGB (Ep 3)
How would you disguise a cyanide pill for a CIA spy in Moscow during the Cold War? What risks could Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and The Beatles pose to Adolf Tolkachev’s mission against the Soviet state? And will the CIA’s mole in Moscow be discovered by the KGB? It’s 1985, and fo ... Show More
47m 1s
Jun 2023
Operation Inter | StB
In the late 1980s, change is in the air in Eastern Europe. For a young journalist like Mark Baker, Czechoslovakia is an interesting place to be. But Mark has attracted some unwanted attention - a fact that he'll only discover several decades later. Sophia Di Martino joins Mark to ... Show More
40m 51s
Feb 2022
Die Hard
tail spinning
9m 39s
Jan 2019
America's Other Anthems
This week, we're uncovering the stories behind three American Anthems. First, we hear from two musical greats about their respective versions of "Fight the Power." Next, we learned about the transformation of the children's choir staple, "This Little Light of Mine." Finally, we t ... Show More
30m 32s
Nov 2023
War Music
Recorded at We Have Ways Fest 2023, Al Murray sits down with music journalist David Hepworth for a chat about 1940s pop music, the spirit of the nation, and the BBC. A Goalhanger Production Produced by Joey McCarthy Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Twitter: #WeHaveWays @WeHaveWaysPod W ... Show More
54m 7s
Listen to millions of songs and podcasts on Anghami