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.
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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
Sep 2016
Sting Puts Down the Lute! Police Frontman Talks About His Return to Rock
Sting’s “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You” is the closest thing he’s made to a new Police song in decades. He talks to Rolling Stone’s Patrick Doyle about his upcoming album, 57th & 9th – as well as Prince, climate change deniers, and why he’s always working it. Plus: first though ... Show More
28m 48s
Aug 2019
Summer of ‘69: George Trofimoff Pt. 1, Soviet Spy
This episode is brought to you by Espionage, a Parcast Original. For more episodes like this one, subscribe to Espionage on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
In 1969, American intelligence officer George Trofimoff agreed to provide copies of highly classified documents ... Show More
52m 46s
Nov 2020
From "YMCA" to "Fortunate Son," Inside The Trump Era's Weird Musical Battles
Brittany Spanos and Rob Sheffield join host Brian Hiatt to discuss cultural battles over music over the last four years, plus the best and worst protest songs, the future of music under Biden, and more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
42m 55s
Dec 2018
Nashville Revolution: Bobby Braddock, Don Schlitz, and Don Henry
Malcolm Gladwell talks to three songwriters who helped transform country music in the 1970s. Gone were cowboy hats, train whistles and church suppers. In came songs about desperation, loss, changes, and regret that changed how Nashville made music and spoke to a new generation of ... Show More
27m 32s