The Tom Petty Project

By: Kevin Brown
  • Summary

  • This is the weekly podcast that digs into the entire Tom Petty catalog song by song, album by album and includes conversations with musicians, fans, and people connected with Tom along the way.


    Follow me on social media:

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomPettyProject

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject/

    Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject

    Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject


    (This podcast is in no way affiliated with the Tom Petty estate.)

    Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Kevin Brown
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Episodes
  • Hung Up and Overdue
    Mar 5 2025

    It's curious that the two songs that reference California were both left off the final Wildflowers release; perhaps Tom being self-conscious about being too prescriptive and direct in that vein. Hung Up and Overdue has a very simple, very direct lyric which sits atop a wonderful arrangement and doesn’t need to do too much of the heavy lifting. It’s almost like Mike’s more reserved guitar part. We do get a little shine and sparkle in a couple of places, but its part of the ensemble rather than taking a starring role.


    If you want to check out the song ahead of the episode, you can find it here : https://youtu.be/bSl9ykaiNvw


    Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.


    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject

    Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject

    Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject


    All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com


    The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise.


    A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography".


    Producer: Kevin Brown

    Executive Producer: Paul Roberts

    Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
  • Walls (No. 3)
    Feb 26 2025

    I don’t think I’ve ever hidden or tried to hide the fact that Walls is one of my very favourite Tom Petty compositions. I think it’s essentially a perfect song. And this version is, as I say, an exercise in showing how to simplify and condense an arrangement to be as tight as you can make it without losing an ounce of its beauty.


    Long time listeners will know that when I wrote one of my ten questions; which version of Walls do you prefer, I was astounded to find that most people picked Circus. And I’ve since talked about the fact that I definitely listen to that one way more than I ever did before I started the podcast, but I have to tell you, I think No 3 is still ever so slightly ahead of Circus for me. The harmonica solo and the really raw, stripped down arrangement still carries an emotional weight that the big, bold, multi-layered approach on Circus doesn’t achieve.


    If you want to check out the song ahead of the episode, you can find it here : https://youtu.be/UHksHuZd_gw

    You can find the Circus version here : https://youtu.be/_aoEIA38kTQ

    The PBS live is here : https://youtu.be/zJl0pe-DWy8

    And the Fillmore 97 live version is here : https://youtu.be/gX65I6FnR0s


    Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.


    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject

    Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject

    Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject


    All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com


    The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise.


    A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography".


    Producer: Kevin Brown

    Executive Producer: Paul Roberts

    Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    19 mins
  • Hope on Board
    Feb 19 2025

    I would love to know if an extended version of this arrangement exists anywhere on the cutting room floor. I know that there was only one violinist, Lili Haydn, who I’m hoping to have on the podcast as it happens, and two cellists, Gerri Stutyak and Michael Severens. But I think if you kept building this into a full orchestral string arrangement with some timpani or other percussion added, it could have been a pretty amazing piece of music in its own right. As it stands, it’s an absolutely perfect piece of music for this portion of the movie and shows that had Tom decided he wanted to score more movies, he would have been perfectly capable of doing so.


    Note: There is some profanity in the movie clip that is included in this episode.


    If you want to check out the song ahead of the episode, you can find it here:


    To listen to the song, go here: https://youtu.be/uk5pFlnfDZU


    Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.


    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject

    Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject

    Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject


    All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com


    The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise.


    A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography".


    Producer: Kevin Brown

    Executive Producer: Paul Roberts

    Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Show More Show Less
    18 mins

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Excellent opening episode

Interesting and informed podcast. Promises a song by song analysis of Petty’s catalogue, presumably in the same spirit as Revolution in the Head did for The Beatles. I’ve been obsessed with TP&THBs since 1978 - the band I’ve seen most times live. Will listen with interest to how this develops. Excellent start. By the way, how did the narrator end up in Canada?

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