ROOKIE's 1st Music Video Was So TACKY-Couldn't BEAR to Watch It…Became 80s Classic-Professor of Rock
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- čas přidán 17. 04. 2023
- After hitchhiking across America and stowing away on a plane and bumming around Europe as a youth, Huey Lewis toiled in band after band trying to make it in music for almost a decade. He actually dropped out of Cornell University to chase his music dreams and formed the bar band Huey Lewis and the News. They broke into the Billboard Top 10 with a brilliant hit written by Mutt Lange called We Both Believe in Love which Huey turned into Do You Believe in Love that became his first top 10 hit. Up next Huey tells the story in an exclusive interview where he admits that the music video for Do You Believe in Love was excruciatingly awful and the pain of watching it for the first time with label execs. Next on Professor of Rock.
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It’s time for another edition of our new show, breakthrough, where we break down the singular, song, album, or event that kicked open the door to an artist or band’s career and gave them the momentum to rocket to long-term success.
Hugh Anthony Cregg the Third, was born the day after Independence Day in 1950. He would later change his name to Huey Lewis and become one of the premier acts of the 80s with multiple hits including three number-one hits. In fact, from 1983 to 1988, Huey Lewis and his band The News had 11 Top 10 hits and two number-one albums, including the 7X platinum Sports. Huey Lewis had a 5-year run that could be put up against just about any artist or act in the rock and roll era.
I mean, You think about his output from his 1983 album Sports to his 1986 record Fore. He seemed to be invincible. Huey Lewis is one of only 7 artists in the rock and roll era to have at least 2 albums that each had four top ten hits. He had four on sports with Heart and Soul which went to #8 and then I Want a New Drug, The Heart of Rock and Roll, and If This Is It all went to to the #6 spot. He actually outdid that with 5 top ten hits from 1986’s LP Fore. Jacob’s Ladder and Stuck with You both went to #1 and then Hip to Be Square hit #3 while Doing It All for My Baby and I Know What I Like both hit #6 and #9 respectively. 9 top tens from two albums
plus the #1 smash the Power of Love from Back to the Future that went to #1 in between the two powerhouse albums. By the way, the other 6 artists to have 2 or more albums with at least 4 top 10 hits each are Micheal Jackson, Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie, Madonna, and Janet Jackson.
Pretty amazing company to be in. And Huey accomplished all of this without a schtick, a sideshow, or a gag. He and his band the News worked their butts off and created great hooks and melodies that still resonate. What you saw was what you got, They were average-looking joes with an energetic live show that made their audience lifelong fans. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like Huey Lewis. His music is still being discovered by coming generations. - Zábava
Poll: What is your pick for the worst music video of the rock era?
Duran Duran's "The Wild Boys"
Billy Squire Rock Me Tonite wins that title with Mick and Bowie's Dancing in the Streets a close runner up
The Thompson Twins videos except Hold Me Now appeared to be low budget and cheesy. Examples are Lies and King For A Day.
I do ❤️ this band.
Whip It--Devo
Separate Ways--Journey
Stone Cold--Rainbow
Barbie Girl--Aqua
I Touch Myself--Divinyls
Sadly, there are a LOT more.... ..
Huey himself might win this one, but a different song...Hip to Be Square. That's way too close. I think I saw something in his teeth. Love him....but not that much.
Huey gave me a great piece of advice 20 years ago that I remember to this day. I got onto an elevator in a hotel and looked over and to my surprise Huey Lewis is there , as the doors are closing two ladies are approaching, staggering drunk, they were wasted, I go to hold the door for them and Huey stops me and hits the closed door button. As we’re riding up, each to our own floor,Huey looks at me and says to me in his super cool Huey Lewis whiskey tenor voice “never get on an elevator with a drunk chic man.” He’s very wise.
Their videos are less cheesy, way more cheeky. I would argue the Foo Fighters took video cues from Huey Lewis and the News.
Best Foo Fighters video (designed to be & look 'cheesey & cheeky' was "BREAKOUT"
What a F'kn MASTERPIECE of music & video that was, with Dave acting like a goofy nerd
That particular track "BREAKOUT" should gone to No.1 here in the U.K
But 45rpm record buyers here in the U.K (overall) lacked taste, so it didn't
Your comment Christine, had me wondering - How well did "BREAKOUT" do in their home, USA charts ?
The video for I Want a New Drug is quirky. 😜
@@hawnyfox3411 Not sure about that particular question, but Dave Grohl's squirrely personality was almost equal to the quality of the music in making me a Foo fan. He always comes off like a guy I'd want to sit down and have a beer with, and I don't even drink beer!
@@actionsub I miss the old super modest dorky Dave though. I was big fan of that guy more than the music he was putting out.
Huey said it perfectly, they were a roots band that made it contemporary. You can hear the elements in their music. The changing of the lyrics to Do You Believe in Love was a great move, asking her if she believes in love. Always love Huey's interviews He is so honest and real. Great episode professor! Huey did it without any gimmicks too
They weren’t afraid to incorporate the modern art into their old school rock ‘n roll.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 Well said. That worked great for them.
I was snowed in at my hotel in Wisconsin one Saturday afternoon in 1982 and saw Huey Lewis & The News on American Bandstand. I was very impress as I watched Huey say "Yes, Mr. Clark" and "No Mr. Clark" as he was interviewed by Dick Clark. I remember thinking to myself "I hope these guys make it big!" because they were so respectful. A favorite of mine from that moment on!
He’s very respectful.
Huey is so genuine and amiable. Such a gem amongst the pretentious music world. I hope you get your hearing back soon, Huey.
The first time I heard Huey I wished I had lost my hearing!
@@MrNeptunebob No one cares.
@@MrNeptunebob What?
If someone says they don't listen to Huey, just use that as an indicator that they're most likely not a very fun person to be around. Another Great vid, Professor!!
I find him fun!
This is true.
I'm no fun. Euuwwwy Lewis' voice makes my skin crawl. Professor likes him, he has done more than 1 video about him.
I like someone agrees with me they must not be any fun either!
Huey Lewis and the News are one of the greatest bands ever. So many great and memorable songs that still hold up today.
Classic era ⭐️ I’m 60 in 30 days and from the BayArea and it was an absolute blast ⭐️🥳❤️
Truth 💯
@@depaola63
Happy Birthday 🍺🍺
@@nickhill8612 Thank you ✊
@@depaola63
No problem, I hope you have a good one.
Huey + harmonies = hell yeah! He kept the AOR sound alive and flourishing well into the 80s...
Yes he did!
Made it fun along the way.
"Do You Believe in Love' is probably my all time favorite song by Huey Lewis and the News followed by "Heart and Soul". I remember hearing it for the first time, while my parents were grilling dinner in my uncle's backyard in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. I was ten years old, flying my Kenner X-Wing Fighter around the front yard. My sister and cousins were all running around the house, while the stereo was playing the whole time.
I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard this song - nevermind the TIE Fighters and Star Destroyers that were hot on my tail. This song was something special. It was new, but sounded so familiar. I couldn't put my finger on why it was so appealing. I wouldn't have MTV for another two years, so the music video was out of rotation and eluded me until long after the album "Sports" came out and ran its course.
I grew up in the UK and when I went to see Back To The Future for the first time, I went with an open mind - and loved it. Couldn't get enough of it. From that moment on I was a fan of Huey Lewis and the News. After the hype surrounding the movie died down we heard very little about the band, just a few plays of other tracks such as 'Do You Believe in Love' on Radio One. Only slowly did it become apparent that a few years before BTTF the band had had this massive hit album 'Sports'. I'd missed out on that. When 'Fore' came out I bought that but still didn't know anyone else who was into the band. When the band played Wembley Arena in London in the autumn of 1987 I went to that. Alone. My first ever concert. When 'Small World' came out I bought that. I still didn't know anyone else who was into the band. Also given that none of the tracks on 'Small World' seemed to capture the same spirit as the earlier hits, I thought to myself "What the hell I am doing this for?" so I moved on. I'm glad for the band that they continued to attract big success in the US and I'm sorry Huey lost his hearing. Yours was one of the few bands my father even vaguely approved of. I'd like to thank you for some of the few happy memories that I do have in my life.
I was in 6th grade when Do You Believe In Love came out, and it was a big song. 2 years later Sports came out and they blew up. I wore that tape out walking to and from school with my kick ass new Sony Walkman that brought music to life. Without a doubt, music is what made my teen years in the 80s so memorable. It was a great time to be a kid. Record stores, MTV, Walkman, and WWF wrestling..... ahhhh, the good old days.
This guy really captured the sound of the Eighties.
One of THE defining names.
I "discovered" them after hearing 'Working for a living' on the local saloons jukebox. It became one of the top played song there.
I was 13 or 14 years old when I 1st heard Working for a Livin on the tv show Solid Gold. I was instantly hooked on them.
Loved that song in Stranger Things!
Patrick Bateman in American Psycho said it best: "Their early work was a little too new wave for my taste. But when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He's been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humor."
That’s why I like Huey Lewis and the News. 😊
Love to comment but I have to return some videotapes.
What a great movie scene. Thank you for the reminder of how good it was.
Such a great movie. Probably my favorite.
God I love Huey Lewis and the News. I loved their stuff as a kid in the 80s and I still love it.
Me too. I’m a kid now.
Music from any era I've been around for takes me there but Huey Lewis is one that does it especially well. I hear a song like 'Stuck With You' and I can smell a particular summer day and taste the garden hose water etc. It's uncanny.
SO true! Good call!
I cannot hear that song without thinking of the video. Him and that gal on the beach.
I only had a chance to see Huey live once. He sang two songs and had a standing ovation.
They were the American and Canadian national anthems at a game in Toronto.😉
I didn’t see the video when this song was popular, but I remember hearing this on the radio constantly and I was intrigued by the laid-back, yet cool, sound of the band. The harmonies were gold and that’s what made it a hit to me.
It's a great song for sure. Thanks James!
The sweet, sweet harmonies make the song for me as well.
Ahhh 80s music videos are an absolute product of their times. A very nice compliment to the vey unique and iconic music of that decade! Cheers
No matter how bad they are. Cheers 🍻
It’s insane how wonderfully catchy their songs are 😍😍😍
No kidding!
Yes!
My wife met Huey Lewis and said he was a nice fellow, very warm and genuine.
As a kid born in the late 70s and a child of the 80s, Huey Lewis was one of my favorites. I remember the first time I heard Heart & Soul, I was hooked. Even now, when I hear that song, it brings me right back to the days of hiding my transistor radio under my pillow at 5 years old and listening to music late into the night. So glad you got to interview Huey. He's a huge part of my childhood music experience!
LOVE Huey Lewis and The News...All throughout he 80's. Everybody waited to see his 'Heartbeat of Rock n Roll' to come onto MTV alll the time. Catchy tunes, melodies with a addictive hook made 'JOY' in life fresh as the hay surrounding the house that summer when my son was born. Would smile at my son as I nursed him singing Huey Lewis's many tunes on Cassettes...LOL!!! He smiled back.
This song was in constant air play the week I turned 18 and graduated from high school. To this day, just hearing the first beat transports me back to that warm, magical spring, when all of America was so full of hope and anticipation of what the future would be. I’d give nearly anything to relive that week one more time
One of the best and refreshing CZcams comments I have read in a while. Hope you get to relive that that day somehow. Some way.
Right. I envy you guys, missing out on everything 80s.
I remember hearing this song on the alarm radio one morning when waking up for school in 1982 or 83. Little did I know it was a precursor of may great songs and videos to come from these guys. We were lucky to experience everything the 80s brought our way. I probably watched the video for If This is It at least 5x a day in the summer of 84. Love that song. I never thought this video was a bad one, just par for the course a the time.
I was a Huey fan from the first time I heard "Do you believe in love" on the radio. I had every album on cassette and wore them out. One of my most haunting memories is being a 21 year old Marine, jumping into my Ford Ranger with it's four speaker cassette stereo with my best friend Duke and his 15 year old girlfriend (yeah creepy) and turning on the radio, the cassette clicks over and the opening riff for Heart of Rock and Roll starts, and my buddy looks over at me and says "HUEY!!!" and I say "HUEY!!" back, and his girl says "Huey who?" Strange how only 6 years and a gender could separate musical knowledge so completely.
Huey Who-ey? 🤪
He's always one of your most down to earth interviews. Would love to share a meal with Huey.
He's the best!
I’m kinda jealous. 😆
He’s an extremely nice and genuine guy. I met him around the age of 11 with my much older cousin after one of his concerts. He took photos and chatted with us for a bit, but the only thing I seem to remember is that he told me to stay in school haha
Huey’s absolutely right about that ancient invention called Radio. It was THE way to get your best songs on front of A LOT OF PEOPLE at once. I know - I was one of the select few who put the music INTO your radio. And even when one of his tunes was in the HOT rotation (it played TWICE EVERY DAY ON MY SHIFT ALONE!). Multiply that by six full time DJ’s, and a hot rotation song would play TWELVE times a day. And I always looked forward to playing ANY song by Huey Lewis and the News!
Huey and The News came to Alaska as a warmup band for Hart. They only had their first hit at that time, and I remember I thought they did a better show! At the end of their set he said, "I'm Huey Lewis & you've just heard The News!!!"
Never heard of Hart. Cool.
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 He might have meant Heart.
@@davej.meister5421 OH! Oops… 😅
I would call it blue-collar new wave. Simple, blues based rock and roll with a modern edge.
GREAT name.... blue collar new wave!
Good call!
Agree, perfect name for it! I loved Huey Lewis and the News, and even now turn up the radio whenever one of their songs comes on. Unique sound, and so many great songs! I always thought they were underrated at the time.
I’m gonna steal that!
@@TheSlowoldmanoh yeah that's awesome!! Now all have to do is get some good bands to play "blue collar new wave"!!!!
Love all kinds of music, and I love HLATN as well. Wish I could go back to 1982. I was 16 and a Junior in HS, had a beautiful brunette girfriend, and a beautiful Chevy Camaro! Life was grand, with not a care in the world. I just wish we knew how good we had it back then.Where's our time machine? There will never be another time like the 70's and 1980's. It really was a magical time, never to be repeated again!! Every genre of music was fresh and new, and it was great to experience it Live!!
I’ve always said this is Huey’s best song!
My sister saw HL&TN open for Loverboy in Boston in 82 or 83, I think. She said shortly after Loverboy took the stage, the crowd started booing and demanding more from Huey Lewis & The News.
I saw them in ‘84 or ‘85. They were an incredible live act. So crisp, and the harmonies were pitch perfect.
I grew up in the 70s and 80s listening and loving music from the 60s. Huey Lewis and the News were the first contemporary band I really listened to. I wore out my tape of Sports and still have all their early albums on CD. They are still my favorite band.
When my oldest and I were driving to the hospital to check on my mother, they plugged in their phone to play something to pick me up. It was fantastic to sing along to Sports with them! Sharing the music of my teenage years...
Thank you for making this great video and sharing fun information!
Do You Believe In Love is my all-time favorite video that I always felt had an interesting germ of an idea for a full length movie. The way the band plays around the kitchen as the girl gets her coffee has a reality tv ash Truman Show vibe to it ore those concepts. The heightened reality speaks to times a comin' way hinted at here in '82. Plus, it's my all-time fav childhood song. Don Henley and Huey define my teen and early twenties musical top two Mount Rushmore of front men.
When i was a much, much younger man I had a decent voice with pretty good vocal range. Throughout the freewheeling late 70's & early 80's, I sang in a few bands & a ton of weddings. Didn't end up going anywhere but I had a whole lotta fun. Do You Believe In Love was one of a few songs I had in my "get lucky" bag that made the young girls melt into my arms. Thanks so much Huey!
I attended Huey's last concert. It blew me away! SO MUCH FUN!!!! Their music style just bring joy! I even got a fist bump! So many great songs that bring great memories!
I distinctly remember hearing this song for the first time. I was at home listening to the radio when the song came on. I immediately called the radio station and asked them who was "singing this song" and when they told me Huey Lewis and the News, I was like "Who?" Little did I knows one of my all-time favorite 80s albums (Sports) was right around the corner.
Thanks so much for this. When I was in junior high school, I had every News album on cassette from the self-titled up through Fore, and -- after a hard day of dealing with the almost innate cruelty of my pre-teen peers -- I would go home and play Huey and the gang until I was able to fully decompress. (Some days it took all four albums.) Huey Lewis and The News were an important (if not critical) part of my youth, and I still get a blissful feeling when Huey's sandy vocals come through whatever device I'm streaming music on. This was a treat. I'm also incredibly jealous that you got to interview him. Love this channel.
(Mrs. Mark) When Huey Lewis and the News was fairly new on the scene, my husband and I went to see them at an outdoor venue in a park outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The "seats" were bleachers. The crowd rocked out so much on one of the songs (I can't remember if it was "Heart and Soul" or "Workin' for a Livin'"), that the bleachers were literally swaying from side to side. I remember at the time worrying they could possibly collapse; luckily they didn't! It was a great concert, and we had such good memories of how much we had enjoyed seeing the band live, that we went back to see them again in 2016 and were not disappointed. They still sounded fantastic after all those years, not to mention having many more hits in their repertoire to draw from.
Huey and his band are so underrated. Their music is still GREAT to this day. Thanks Prof.
I saw them Live in Glasgow at the height of their era, they were fantastic.. Huey used to throw his harmonica behind him and a roadie always popped up and caught it before it hit the deck. In Glasgow he also had the roadies dressed in kilts and at the end of the show they all lined up and lifted their kilts for the audience. It really was one of the best gigs I ever saw, it was so much fun.
Huey walked out with the band, a red wagon and a Harmonica on stage a Red Rocks for Bad is Bad. Great memories. Walking on a thin line is one of my favs. Thanks Adam!
One of Huey Lewis and the News’ biggest hits “Heart and Soul” was first recorded a few years earlier by Exile before that band sang country music. I liked that interview, and am so glad that I was young enough to enjoy the music of the 1980s. That was a happening decade. By the way, Clover recorded a string of albums for Fantasy and Mercury during the 1970s. I didn’t know that Clover was Elvis Costello’s backing band when he made the album “My Aim Is True”. Due to legalities, Clover couldn’t be credited. I’m glad Huey Lewis and the News made music. Their songs still resonate today.
I remember when Do You Believe In love came out on MTV. It was such a fun video to watch because it was colorful and very doo-wop with a little rock mixed in which is what made it fun to sing to. They had so many good videos in the 80s including Heart of Rock and Roll, Power of Love, and I Wanna new Drug which got picked up by Weird Al Yankovic and spun into I Wanna New Duck. That was when we knew Huey Lewis and the News had finally hit it big 😋
This song reminds me of going with my Dad to pick up a brand new BMX bike. I remember it was a perfect sunny spring day, we had it in the back of the pick up and this song was playing on the radio, windows down and the smell of fresh cut grass all throughout the neighborhood. One of my most cherished memories with my Dad and this song just captures that feeling and brings me right back there. Thanks Huey and thank you Professor! Love you Dad, see you soon!
I was living in the bay area at the time although my roots are in blues and heavy-metal, I found myself singing every song that was on the radio. What Huey accomplished was taking this metal head and turning me into this guy singing pop. All of his songs still hold strong even in today’s music if that’s what you wanna call it. I got to see Huey a couple times in the city, but he was huge in the bay. It was Huey Lewis and the 49ers that was it.
One of my favorites of my youth. I really enjoyed how they blended their voices to each song. My Favorite song is It's alright. An acapella song. It never does nothing but put me in a groovy mood. Really enjoyed this episode.
Yow! Thank you - I'd never heard that one. Listening now. This episode has given me a whole new appreciation for Huey and his music. I love being turned on to 'hits I missed' in their day.
I need to give that one a relisten.
Very informative interview. Rolling the dice by dropping out of Cornell to pursue a career in music was a pretty big risk, but those were the days-the siren call from the music scene was so strong. Luckily, persistence, great pipes and even better hooks paid off for Huey. Thanks, Adam!
Thanks Robster! Love it.
I mean, Cornell is very selective, so that was a big ambition of him there.
Huey Lewis & The News were my first "I liked them before anyone knew who they were band" when I was 10 years old. Strangely enough, I got to me him at a Christmas party in 86 at my aunt's house in San Anslemo, CA. He lived nearby and was friends with my Aunt & Uncle. Real down to earth guy and this was when the Sports album was in full effect.
The killer harmonies are what got me. My brother and I had a band, and we would drive down the road with the radio cranked up, singing the backing vocals on this song. Great memories. Thanks, Adam.
How did you sound?
The more I learn about Huey Lewis the more I love (except that photo at 6:50 😂). Engineering program at an ivy league school? Damn. 10 years working the industry before hitting it big? Thought they came out of no where. The record making procedure? Wow, they took advantage, almost manipulated the system while remaining true to who they were. Brilliant.
Love their stuff. Wish i had let myself get more into music during H.S.
Huey Lewis & The News deserve to be inducted in The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame-They're an outstanding band.
No question for me... Bad Is Bad is my favorite Huey Lewis song! The lyrics, the doo-wop harmonies...just awesome!
This and "'65 Love Affair" stand out in my memory as I was struggling in college back in '82. In a "Perfect World", he would have continued making hits.
Recall in school back in the day having an assembly in the gym for one of those motivational speakers and this one was about not doing drugs.
He said "think like Huey Lewis and his song Hip to be Square".
I immediately raised my hand, got acknowledged, and said " What about his song I want a new Drug"
silence
Then the Principle stood up, pointed at me, gave the finger gesture to come here, and i followed him to the office to get lectured about being disruptive.
I could care less then.
If it wasnt for me discovering the band program in elementary school and the only glue that made me keep going all the way to graduation I would have dropped out.
Graduation night I refused to cap and gown, and sat with my bandmates in the back of the auditorium playing the music for the event.
I do not regret it.
On a whim, a friend of mine filled out a contest entry at a giant liquor store in Kentucky. That entry got us two tickets to see Huey Lewis and the News at Riverbend Amphitheater in Cincinnati. It was a blast - the band sounded great. It was that night I learned how damn good Huey is on the harmonica.
Love Huey Lewis and the News!! Had an opportunity to see them when I was visiting my sister in Texas once. Fantastic!! Good times.
❤️💜💚
When you hear Huey's music on the radio,you can't helpbut to sing along.
Your right, I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like him either. He crossed the boundaries between genres in the eighties, and that was a hard thing to do back then.
A friend of mine was dating Jeff Healey just when he exploded into the limelight. He was a super nice guy by the way. He had the biggest collection of 78 I’d ever seen. And he knew what song was on it just by feel.
Anyways, he was another overnight success. What most didn’t know was that that night was close to ten years long. There are no overnight successes. Getting someone to fund and market an album is a very expensive thing.
So they wanted you to earn a place at the table. They wanted someone who could sell the music, and there is no one better at that than Huey. I remember him being on the late night shows and he was great.
He really knew how to charm the interviewer, and he was amazing on SNL. that’s back when SNL was funny.
All I know is that even if your in a bad mood, so much so that by the time you’ve finished listening to one of his songs, you would have a smile on your face.
Thank You for doing this for us the FANS
I saw them at the Hammy Odeon in about 1987 with Bruce Hornsby and The Range as their support, it was a fantastic concert on all counts, not least of which that the support act were flying high at the time and played for at least an hour then after the interval Huey and the boys came on and played for about 3 hours with a brief mid-set interval if I remember correctly. We came out of the concert after 12.00 at night with no idea how we would get home, I still can't remember how we did.
Thanks for letting Huey talk, and asking the questions to get him going.
Love Huey Lewis and The News! So great. And Huey is a REAL PERSON in everything I've ever watched about him. One of my musical heroes I'd love to meet.
I so miss the 1980's. I turned 10 in 1983.
Best time EVER.
My 1983 playlist was made exactly for that, the great nostalgic memories I hear on here.
Saw Huey and the News a couple times at Bay Area clubs prior to Sports release. Saw them in 89 at the Cotati Cabaret in the North Bay, it was a fundraiser for earthquake relief, fantastic show. Being a seasoned club band they were always tight and put on great shows at least in small venues, never saw them in a larger venue. Even got a wave back from him when I yelled “ Huey, love ya!” When I saw him in downtown Carmel once.
Still listen to their stuff frequently, just up beat feel good music
I love his quote " I became a huge blues snob" lol because I so get it to these days I love the blues old blues mostly but that was my love from the first time I heard Muddy Robert Cray Doc and when Stevie Ray Vaughan came along and introduced new listeners I was so happy . And yes I will add Kenny Sheppard because SRV introduced him to Albert King it's true love and heartbreaking together. Again thank you.
Their video “Sooner or later” was the first time I heard of or seen Huey Lewis and the News. I was instantly hooked. Some might think it’s cheesy but it’s still my favorite video ever. Their sound, their look and style was amazing to me. Love these guys
They had some great videos.
Grassroots did that song in the 60s
Your really getting tread out of that Huey Lewis interview. Lots of content came out of that one. Great job..cant get enough of him
Oh my gosh! This is one of my husband's all-time favorite videos! He just loves it! He actually got to open for Huey Lewis in Aspen, Colorado.
You ask about 1982. It was a wonderful time to be alive and even more wonderful to be 17. Bands as diverse as Fleetwood Mac, the Cure, Journey, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Styx, Stevie Nicks, etc greeted us on the FM radio every day. MTV was barely a year old and love and excitement were in the air. FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH was the talk of the town and THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY compelled us to think deep thoughts. If you were a young man of seventeen, Stevie Nicks had a hit single with your name written all over it and it was played on the radio nearly as often as your thoughts about your favorite subject.
For Me: Although he wasn’t an NFL player; for us SF 49’er fans, Hughy Lewis was a solid team member of our beloved 1980’s NINERS DYNASTY! Dwight Clark #87, Joe Montana #16 & Hughy Lewis were the DYNAMIC TRIO! Hughy was always on the sidelines on game day. He serenaded us, the fans, at Candlestick Park many times. These were some of the best times in my life! Hughy belongs to San Francisco during the days of absolute madness! His songs bring me great joy…at a time, when life was so much simpler & SF was our beautiful City by the Bay. Alas…those days & SF no longer exist.
Yes. I have long felt that Huey Lewis and the News struck the perfect balance between classic rock and roll and the New Wave style of the early 80s. The result was excellent. 👍
Huey Lewis and the News Sports was my first LP in 1983. I was 4 years old. Still have it.
I watch your videos whenever I get a chance. I really enjoy them and was glad I caught this episode. I run an online rock radio station and every Sunday we do a featured artist. On April 3rd we did a three hour feature on Huey Lewis and the News. I thank you for your shows. My station streams 24/7 with live shows on Sunday afternoons from 1 to 4pm (central time). We are thinking of doing a talk show at some point. I did a political show a year ago and interviewed some fairly prestigious people. I would love to do an interview with you sometime. Keep doing a great job and I'll keep watching.
In 1985, ANY bar you went to was playing at least 2 Huey Lewis songs within any given hour.
Especially from the "Sports" album.
Followed by ZZ TOP, Dire Straits, Foreigner, Phil Collins, The Police, Sting, and Journey.
We were all drinking Budweiser heavily and disappearing into bathroom stalls every 30 minutes.
They were THE American bar band. Their album was not named “Sports” for nothing.
😂😂😂
Love the Benny Hill pic. 😂
Something about Huey's music just makes me feel all zen-like :). They play his songs sometimes at work on the radio and it just puts me in a good mood, with an added bit of nostalgia. They should play his music when Karens start acting up :)
He put the “fun” in rock and roll.
I have a friend who's a baker, and one time she was like "oh, I need to remember to make Huey's cookies!". I had no idea what she was talking about, and then she's like "I do it every year, he gives me a specific week that he'll need them". I wondered out loud just how needy her friend Huey could be... Then she said "well, he's always on tour, so there is a narrow window". That's when I realized that her friend was THAT Huey. She used to date one of his roadies, lol. I also have a friend who's aunt used to work for the band, and just everyone who's known him says he's the nicest guy. That came out in your interview, too. Cool cat.
Another great video. I just want to say that I see you soaring way past the Million mark, the information you gather and the details and stories of all the amazing artists you research and the interviews are amazing. I could listen to you all day. You are one dedicated man. 🥰❤️
Sports was my first ever cassette purchase with my own money. I later went back and found his older work. Complete staple of my youth..
Love the stories and the audio of vocals and the music cuts are top quality... Appreciate the work you do.
I graduated in 82, I loved their music
Great interview. Huey is so smart. Having my older sister’s Sports album to play as a kid is one of my fondest memories. I think I had every song memorized. Still great music today, too.
I saw Huey Lewis and the News live in 1989. I still remember it to this day. They were spot on and the energy was amazing. One of the most underrated bands but given some love. I don't know how it goes down 35 years later. I knew back then. One of my most memorable shows.
So well done Professor! Always love your stats and insight and how thorough you are! Huey Lewis such a great band loved them through the 80s finally saw them live and a fan to this day!
Wow!!! Nice interview. I learned a lot from this talk about how radio stations worked. Nice, nice
Ah Huey and the News were HUGE! I remember one of my sisters friends got to be in their “new drug” video, partially filmed on Santa Cruz Beach in 1982 and we were all jealous! Great interview, great video Brother Reader!
It wouldn't have been the 80's without Huey Lewis and the News
Yes! Without them, the puzzle isn’t complete.
Saw Huey in the 80s. Saw him again a few years ago. Still got it! ❤
When I heard the Sports album I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. Heart and Soul was my favorite song for years. Working for a Living and Do You Believe in Love still get plenty of air time in my car. I was security for Huey at a concert in Honolulu and stood between the stage and barrier, what a night!
Haha, it does feel like heaven!
One of my favorite bands. Thanks!!
I think that cheesiness that Huey worried about is what made them so endearing. They had a good sense of humor, and people appreciated that. Very similar to what the Foo Fighters did years later.
Cheesy = good.
I was in elementary school when Huey Lewis and the News was pumping out hits, and one day, I told my grandpa that I guess he's stuck with my grandma, and they both laughed and laughed, and grandpa said, yeah, I guess so. I was thinking about the song Happy to be Stuck with You, so it was supposed to be a good thing in my mind. I never got to explain that to my grandpa. Maybe I should tell my grandma when I see her next before I miss my chance. She's 97 now, and she told that story at a family gathering fairly recently, so she still remembers. I wonder if she's heard the song. Grandpa passed in 1989.
Definitely one of my favorite song period!
Always liked his voice. Success is almost never overnight, it's just that mass amounts of people resonate with certain artists at the same time. Sometimes it's not a slow build and it can throw artists for a loop and down the wrong path.
I was able to see Huey & Co. in concert in 1985. So awesome!
Huey Lewis and The News are Rock and Roll Dudes.
I love that they did this themselves.. I did not know that! I respect how incredibly difficult that must have been. Saw them in concert in 1985 or 1986 at my college campus.
I've always enjoyed watching that video!! I wonder how the other members of the band felt when they watched it...
I think it was a contest of some kind, but he made a song written by a vietnam era soldier called walking on a thin line, I love that song. This band is always going to be a favorite of mine. I still crank up Couple Days Off every Friday at quitting time. If memory serves me right, they were sued to make them change the band name from American Express to what they are now.
Huey Lewis and the News was the first rock band i ever saw live back in Winnipeg during their tour for their Fore album. Pretty great show.