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Some songs are not given away because they fail.

They are given away because the writer knows exactly what they are.

In this episode of Who Ordered the Pie?, we explore a different kind of authorship. These are the moments when writers recognize that a song belongs somewhere else and make that decision deliberately.

This is Borrowed Voices, Part One: When the Writer Let Go.

We begin with Prince and “Manic Monday,” a song he did not hand off after the fact, but wrote intentionally for The Bangles. When it was released in 1986, it reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, held out of the top spot only by Prince himself with “Kiss.”

From there, we look at distance as authorship through Mark Knopfler’s “Private Dancer.” Written from observation rather than confession, the song needed a voice with lived authority. When Tina Turner recorded it, the lyric did not change. The weight behind it did. Her version reached the Billboard Top Ten in 1984 and became a cornerstone of her career defining comeback.

Next is certainty. Paul McCartney recorded a fully formed demo of “Come and Get It” and handed it intact to Badfinger. Tempo, arrangement, harmonies. Nothing was meant to change. The song became a Top Ten hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom in 1970, launching the band into the mainstream almost overnight.

We close with momentum. John Lennon and Paul McCartney finished “I Wanna Be Your Man” in the room for The Rolling Stones. The Stones released it in 1963, giving them their first charting hit in the United Kingdom at exactly the moment they needed it. What people often read as rivalry was, in this case, support.

Across these stories, the common thread is not generosity or competition.

It is clarity.

Because sometimes the most confident thing a writer can do is let a song go exactly where it belongs.

Cocktail: Shared Fire

For this episode, the drink reflects transition rather than resolution. Shared Fire is a rum based cocktail built on contrast and balance, finished with a controlled flame. The full recipe and flame technique are available online.

Until next time, here’s to loud riffs, quiet sips, and the stories in between.

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Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings.
Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com
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Most pop hits are written in major keys because they feel resolved, comfortable, and familiar.

But some of the most influential songs in music history break that rule.

This episode explores major hits written in minor keys that refuse to slow down. These songs move forward with confidence, groove, and momentum, even while the harmony underneath never fully settles.

We start with “Paint It Black” by the Rolling Stones, then move into the bold swagger of “Venus” by Shocking Blue. From there, the tension shifts to the dance floor with “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees and the endurance groove of “Good Times” by Chic.

Next comes the cool, mechanical glide of “Heart of Glass” by Blondie, followed by the modern blueprint of minor key pop in “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson. We also trace a key influence on that feel through “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” by Hall and Oates.

Finally, we close with “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell, and how their version reshaped the emotional tone of the original by Gloria Jones.

These are not sad songs.
They are unsettled songs.

Once pop music learned that tension could move, it never forgot it.

This week’s cocktail reflects that same idea. A familiar structure with restrained sweetness and just enough friction to keep it from fully resolving. The full recipe and story behind the drink are available at:

whoorderedthepie.com

Until next time, here’s to loud riffs, quiet sips, and the stories in between.

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Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings.
Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com
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Not all rain feels the same.

Last time, we stayed with the kind of rain that falls at night. The kind that slows you down and changes how you listen.

This episode moves into what comes after.

These are songs about rain that does not trap you inside.
Rain that carries momentum.
Rain that clears the air and makes the world look different than it did before.

We begin with Stevie Nicks stepping forward in “Outside in the Rain,” built on the restless drive of the Heartbreakers, where rain becomes motion instead of reflection. From there, Albert Hammond reminds us that sunshine is not a guarantee in “It Never Rains in Southern California,” while Johnny Rivers’ “Summer Rain” treats weather as a settled detail inside a memory rather than the event itself.

As the episode unfolds, the rain softens. The Lovin’ Spoonful find closeness instead of urgency in “Rain on the Roof.” Supertramp return to familiar feelings with recognition rather than panic in “It’s Raining Again.” And Eurythmics give us rain viewed through glass in “Here Comes the Rain Again,” persistent, urban, and observed rather than absorbed.

From there, the clouds begin to thin. Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” does not revisit the storm at all. It assumes it already passed. Gordon Lightfoot’s “Rainy Day People” reminds us who stays when the weather turns. And two songs sharing the same title, “Save It for a Rainy Day,” show how intent matters more than words, first as light emotional restraint with Stephen Bishop, then as quiet, outward-facing care with The Jayhawks.

Because sometimes the most important moment is not the rain itself. It is realizing you are still standing once it passes.

We close at the bar with The Silver Lining, a light and balanced highball built with London dry gin, elderflower liqueur, fresh lemon, honey syrup, club soda, and a dash of orange bitters. Something bright and restrained for the moment just after the storm.

For the full recipe, please visit our website at whoorderedpie.com.

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Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings.
Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com
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Some songs don’t just mention rain... they seem to belong to it.

In this episode of Who Ordered the Pie?, Christopher explores recordings that sound especially right when the weather turns gray. These aren’t novelty rain songs or metaphor-heavy ballads. They’re records shaped by timing, careers, studios, and circumstance - songs that seem to change depending on when and how you hear them.

From the youthful sincerity of The Cascades’ “Rhythm of the Rain,” recorded by Navy servicemen cutting tracks whenever they could, to Dan Fogelberg’s reflective return to the same song decades later, this episode looks at how perspective alters meaning. Along the way, we step into The Beatles’ experimental mid-60s period with “Rain,” where backward vocals and heavy grooves quietly destabilized pop music, and into the late-career resurgence of Brook Benton with “Rainy Night in Georgia,” a song that lets atmosphere do the emotional work.

The journey continues through Buddy Holly’s understated “Raining in My Heart,” recorded just weeks before his death, Marvin Gaye’s powerful and tragic “I Wish It Would Rain,” Karen Carpenter’s perfectly controlled melancholy on “Rainy Days and Mondays,” and Gordon Lightfoot’s “Early Morning Rain,” a song that traveled across genres before settling back with its writer.

This episode isn’t about rain as drama. It’s about rain as setting — something you move through, accept, and sometimes even welcome.

The cocktail for this episode is The Quiet Storm, a slowed-down, contemplative riff on a Dark and Stormy, designed for long sips and late hours. The full cocktail recipe is available at whoorderedpie.com.

Until next time — here’s to loud riffs, quiet sips, and the stories in between.

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Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings.
Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com
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Sometimes a song isn’t trying to impress you. It isn’t hiding behind clever lyrics or metaphor. Sometimes it’s doing something much simpler.

It’s asking.

In this episode of Who Ordered the Pie?, Christopher explores hit songs where the lead singer drops the pose, abandons toughness, and says exactly what they mean, out loud and on the radio.

These weren’t obscure album cuts or quiet confessions. Songs like ABBA’s “SOS” climbed straight into the Billboard Top 40 in 1975, turning emotional panic into pristine pop. The Beach Boys followed a decade earlier with “Help Me, Rhonda,” a number-one hit that sounds like sunshine but is really an escape plan disguised as a summer anthem.

At the height of Beatlemania, “Help!” raced to number one in both the U.S. and the UK, long before John Lennon admitted it was a genuine cry for help. Joni Mitchell took a different approach in “Help Me,” transforming emotional conflict into a Top 10 hit built on honesty rather than drama. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles quietly carried loneliness onto pop radio with “I Need Somebody,” proving that vulnerability didn’t always need volume to resonate.

The episode also looks at how urgency and demand broke through in 1965 with Fontella Bass’s “Rescue Me,” a Top 5 hit that helped open the door for a new kind of emotional directness in mainstream music. From there, the distance widens with The Police’s “Message in a Bottle,” a chart-topping song about isolation, repetition, and sending something out without knowing if help is coming. The episode closes with Queen’s “Save Me,” a power-chord-driven hit from 1980 that confused listeners who expected bravado, not fear, and vulnerability amplified instead of hidden.

Together, these songs show how asking for help didn’t weaken pop music. It made it louder, bigger, and harder to ignore.

As always, the episode ends with a cocktail to match the theme. This time it’s Fitz’ Flare Gun, a tiki-inspired drink built on spice, citrus, and just enough heat to announce itself, a signal you can’t miss.

If you enjoy music history, classic rock and pop storytelling, and cocktails with a point of view, this episode is for you.

Fitz’ Flare Gun

A tiki-inspired cocktail built around spice, citrus, and just enough heat to announce itself.

Ingredients

• 2 oz spiced rum (I prefer Isle of Wight Mermaid Spiced Rum)
• 1/2 oz orgeat
• 1/2 oz ginger syrup (Recipe available on whoorderedpie.com)
• 3/4 oz pineapple juice
• 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters

Method

• Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice
• Shake until well chilled
• Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice

Spiced and bright.
A little unpredictable.
Impossible to ignore.

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Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings.
Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com
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Ray Conniff’s Christmas albums are everywhere once you start listening for them. Living rooms, department stores, car radios, and childhood memories you did not realize were soundtracked until much later.

In this episode of Who Ordered the Pie?, Christopher revisits the warm, brassy, harmony-heavy world of Ray Conniff’s holiday records. The ones that sat somewhere between background music and full-on seasonal event. We talk about why these albums felt so different, how Conniff’s arranging style brought Broadway energy into the home, and why songs like Ring Christmas Bells could feel dramatic, fast, and almost theatrical compared to the softer crooner classics of the era.

These records may be a little old-fashioned and a little corny, but they are also deeply woven into family traditions, late nights, and the feeling that Christmas had officially arrived.

This week’s cocktail is designed to match that mid-century holiday mood. Clean, classic, and just clever enough to feel special.

The Peartridge Martini

Ingredients

• 2 oz vodka
• 1/2 oz dry vermouth
• 1/2 oz cranberry juice
• 1/2 oz St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur

How to make it

1. Add all ingredients into a shaker and shake well.
2. Strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass.
3. Garnish by expressing a lemon peel, then add a single cranberry

Crisp up front, with pear and gentle spice underneath. Exactly the kind of drink you would expect next to a turntable and a stack of Ray Conniff records.

Merry Christmas!

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Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings.
Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com
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This week, we’re raising a glass to the Christmas songs that pair better with a drink.
Not the picture-perfect holiday tunes, but the ones born in bars, lounges, casinos, and late nights. Songs with stories behind them and a little spirit in their step.

We explore the rowdy origins of “Jingle Bells,” the heartbreak behind “Please Come Home for Christmas,” the Tahoe-lounge roots of “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” the cinematic chaos of “Fairytale of New York,” and the warm ache of John Prine’s “Christmas in Prison.”
It’s a look at the real history behind some of the most enduring holiday songs, and why they still hit differently.

It’s a holiday playlist built for dim lights, soft music, and a well-made cocktail, the perfect blend of Christmas music history and cozy winter vibes.

This Episode’s Cocktail: The Yuletide Old Fashioned

Ingredients
• Two ounces bourbon
• One bar spoon maple syrup
• Two dashes Angostura bitters
• One dash black walnut bitters
• Orange peel
• Cinnamon stick

How to make it

1. Add the bourbon, maple syrup, and bitters to a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled.
2. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube.
3. Garnish with an orange peel and a cinnamon stick.

Warm. Comforting. Perfect for a holiday toast.

If you enjoy the show, share it with a friend and leave a rating.

Merry Christmas from Who Ordered the Pie?!

Note: This episode is marked explicit due to a brief reference to explicit language from one of the featured songs.

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Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings.
Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com
Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram

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Some of the most unforgettable moments in pop music did not come from the stars at all, they came from the voices standing right beside them.

In this episode, we shine a spotlight on the uncredited and under-recognized singers whose performances helped turn good songs into timeless hits. From Chris Norman’s smoky surprise on Suzi Quatro’s “Stumblin’ In,” to Kiki Dee’s perfect blend with Elton John, to the powerhouse session vocalists behind Sergio Mendes, Phil Collins, Meat Loaf, and Michael Jackson, these are the names you never knew, singing the parts you will never forget.

You will hear how:
• Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman recorded “Stumblin’ In” in a single magical take
• Elton John turned to Kiki Dee when Dusty Springfield fell ill
• Sergio Mendes chose two unknown voices for his biggest U.S. hit
• Phil Collins built a duet with Marilyn Martin without ever sharing a booth
• Ellen Foley delivered the explosive vocals for “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”
• Siedah Garrett recorded with Michael Jackson but was not credited on the sleeve

This week’s cocktail: The Duet
A simple, smooth, harmony-in-a-glass.
• 1 ounce bourbon
• 1 ounce amaretto
• 1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 ounce simple syrup
Shake with ice. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh cubes. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Two voices, one blend, in cocktail form.

If you love pop history, studio secrets, and the thrill of discovering the story behind the song, this one is for you.

Support the show

Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings.
Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com
Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram