February 1, 2024 • 8 mins
"Turn the Lights Back On" is the latest single from Billy Joel! Both Billy, and his producer, Freddy Wexler, joins us in the Merecedes Benz Interview Lounge.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Live from the Mercedes Benz Interview Lounge. Wow, this Sunday
night the Grammys, there's gonna be a lot of moments
we're never going to forget, and one of them will
be Billy Joel singing his new song, turn the Lights
back on? This song you know white, wait till Sunday.
Let's have a moment now, let's world premiere in a
few minutes. This is gonna be pretty cool on with this.
Freddie Wexler and Billy Joel. Hi, guys, thanks for being
(00:23):
on with us. Hi, how's it going great? This is
an exciting moment for us as we world premiere turn
the Lights back On? Billy? When's the last time we
had a release from you? When's less to be released
a song?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I don't know, it must be close to twenty years ago. Wow. Yeah,
this is actually the first time I'm releasing me as
a recording artist since since they're like thirty years River
of Dreams or since Red Dreams yet, I.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Mean, other than doing your residency at the Garden, you
haven't released any new music since nineteen ninety three until today.
We're so excited about turning the lights back on. We're
going to play in just a few minutes, let's talk
about Freddy Wexler. Why you guys are together, because the
story behind this song is really magical. I love it, Freddie.
You want to take it away, like how did this
come to be? And how did you meet Billy?
Speaker 3 (01:10):
It's a funny thing. So back in back in two
thousand and six, I was, I was. I was an artist,
I was a signed artist, and I really wanted to
be Billy Joel. That was that was the reason I
was a songwriter. I was. I'm a New Yorker piano player,
crappy piano player. But anyhow, Billy Joel was just my
real inspiration. I had really wanted to meet him. I
tried to meet him, and he was very difficult to meet.
Even if you know I'd had submit songs, I couldn't
(01:32):
seem to get to Billy through through a label, through
a publisher. And for my thirty fifth birthday, unbeknownst to me,
my wife made it her mission to track down Billy
and she to get to him, and Billy agreed right
to meet for a couple minute.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Got a message from my family doctors said, this is
this kid, Oh, I want you to meet. He wants
to meet you, and he's you know, he's a songwriter too,
And so I.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Said, oh, okay, yep.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Why not. I'm thinking I'm going to meet like a
teenager or something.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
He's looking around. Here's some kid, and it's disappointed. You
know that a man sits down a grown man.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
I don't know what I was expecting. I just thought,
you know, I'll me somebody and okay, that'll be the
end of us. And we ended up having what was it,
three hour lunch or something.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yeah, yeah, it was crazy, two hour, two and a
half hour lunch, and I think we just hit on
We hit on some things that were unique.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yes, yeah, we found out we had a lot in
common about how we approach songwriting and recording and producing
and all of that stuff.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah. It was one thing in particular that was interesting,
which is I said to Bill, hey, when you're writing,
do you ever imagine you're somebody else or do you
always just write for yourself?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
And I said, always, always imagine somebody else. I don't
like my voice. I'm always trying to sing like somebody else.
I'm thinking like a writer, not like a singer, which
helps me to get it written, but.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
I feel it. But had you been asked that before? Probably? Yeah,
well here I was thinking I had a great question.
But anyhow, we bonded. We bonded over that, and then
at some point I said, I have a song that
I started with a couple of friends. Curious what you
think about it? And I think it resonated at least
enough that he said, okay.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, this kind of came out of left field. He said,
here's this idea. What do you think of this? And
I heard it and I went, that's not bad. That's
a pretty good song. And then he's going, so, why
don't you come down to our studio and sing it?
I s get at it here.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Yeah. Well, when it was finished, she goes, so, who
do you think should cut it? I said, what are
you nuts? It's a Billy Joel song.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Oh, without doubt. I mean you listen to the song
it is, it's written in your voice, without doubt. If
you're just turning us on, you're here just in time.
Music writer Freddie Wexler here with Billy Joel. Their song
turn the Lights Back On is going to be on
the Grammys this weekend, but you're going to hear it
here first as we premiere it in just a few minutes.
All right, back to this meeting you guys had Freddie
was saying earlier before we had you on that he
(03:52):
knows for the fact that you told the waiter, get
me out of here in ten minutes, bring me the belt.
And it turned into a career changing day for you. Ready,
And of course, Billy, it brought you back into the
studio to record this song.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Right, No, there was no setup. Really, yeah, I was
just gonna have lunch anyway.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Okay, fair enough, but you But the point is it
was clear you were not expecting us to become friends
or to hang out for that long.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
No, I wasn't expecting anything was going to come up
it except to say bye to somebody who might have
been a fan.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
But look at this, I mean, how many years have
people been trying to get you back into a studio
to release something. And in addition to that, you know,
I mean Freddy used to be an intern over at Sony,
so your pictures are up haunting him for all these years.
And but it all came together. There's some magic that happened.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
What do you what do you think it was? What clicked?
I think it was simpatico about songwriting, about music in general.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
I just as a fan honestly wanted another Billy Joal
song because it's my favorite music. That that's it. And
so I said to him in that lunch, I said, look,
your music's brought me so much joy over the years.
If I could help you me biding the fun in
it at some point again, that will make me really happy,
you know. And he said, Oh, that's what Phil Ramone
used to say. It needs to be fun. Yes, And
(05:09):
that was really my mission.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
That thing we get coming back to that concept. It's
supposed to be fun, which is why I got into
the music in the first place. It was fun, and
when it stopped being fun, didn't want to do it
that much anymore. And he had funny convinced me that
it was fun for him to know my stuff, which
I've always kind of yeah, yeah, sure, yeah, Billy Joel.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
I'll still look at Bill and be like, Yo, this
is so fun.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Okay, I mean, are you pinching yourself from time touse?
I'm ready and this is going on because.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
I'm pinching myself this whole interview. I'm pinching myself every day.
This is again, like Billy Joel's read and I became
a songwriter. It's really it's surreal. I think it's gotta
be kind of surreal for you too.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah, I had no idea it was going to culminate
like this, and I tried my best to stay away
from that.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
When we got to the studio, he tried his best
to leave.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Seriously, Buddy stayed and you know what the story is
gonna Well, it's gonna continue.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Now.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
We're gonna World Premiere turn the Lights Back On. And
as we do that, take yourself to Sunday, this Sunday night,
where you'll be sitting in the Grammy audience, Freddy watching
Billy Joel sing this song. That's gonna be an amazing
moment for both of you. That's so cool. I love
this story. Thanks for sharing it with us today, and
we'll see you at the Grammys. Now we know the
(06:29):
story behind the song. Let's play the song, the World
Premiere turn the Lights Back On, written by Freddie Wexler
for Billy Jowel. Listen to this. There you go, Brandon,
Billy Jowell turn the lights back on. His question was
is it too late for me to turn my lights
back on? Because he has not put out a pop song. Yeah,
(06:51):
thirty one years, even though he still sells out his
residency shows at Madison Square Garden. Anyway, it sounded great.
But the story I'm loving here was Freddie Wexler who
wrote that song with him. Freddie Wexler, as you may
have heard there, just to reiterate what happened. He's been
trying to get as a songwriter his music to Billy
Joel for years since he was a kid growing up
(07:12):
on Long Island, not far from Billy right. Actually he
grew up in Manhattan, but close to Long Island. So
his wife found this commonality between the two of them.
A doctor. They knew that they knew Billy's doctor, and
went through the doctor and got a ten minute coffee
meeting that turned into three hours into the studio and
(07:35):
Billy Joel recorded this song. So Freddie Wexler, in my opinion,
even though Billy Joel, look, you know, Billy Joel's Billy Joel,
Freddie Wexler is right up there with him as far
as how far up the podium they share. As this
story has been unfolding, I think it's pretty cool this guy,
Freddie Wexler, as he said, to us he will be
(07:57):
at the Grammys to watch Billy perform his song Sunday night,
and for iHeart to have the honor. iHeart Radio had
the honor of world premiering this song for Billy Joel today.
It's just a really cool thing. So whether you know
Billy Joel is your your thing or before your time
or whatever, just understand the musicians you love who are
(08:17):
out today, they have inspiration. A lot of them look
to the Billy Joels of the world to find them.
So anyway, Billy Joel again, the name of the song is, uh,
turn the light back on, Turn the lights back on anyway.
So to be able to give that to you today,
it was just a great gift and so it's an
honor to be here to do it. So thank you
(08:37):
for listening.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Oh no, we gotta go.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Elvis Duran in the Morning Show
Live from the Mercedes Benz Interview Lounge. Wow, this Sunday
night the Grammys, there's gonna be a lot of moments
we're never going to forget, and one of them will
be Billy Joel singing his new song, turn the Lights
back on? This song you know white, wait till Sunday.
Let's have a moment now, let's world premiere in a
few minutes. This is gonna be pretty cool on with this.
Freddie Wexler and Billy Joel. Hi, guys, thanks for being
(00:23):
on with us. Hi, how's it going great? This is
an exciting moment for us as we world premiere turn
the Lights back On? Billy? When's the last time we
had a release from you? When's less to be released
a song?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I don't know, it must be close to twenty years ago. Wow. Yeah,
this is actually the first time I'm releasing me as
a recording artist since since they're like thirty years River
of Dreams or since Red Dreams yet, I.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Mean, other than doing your residency at the Garden, you
haven't released any new music since nineteen ninety three until today.
We're so excited about turning the lights back on. We're
going to play in just a few minutes, let's talk
about Freddy Wexler. Why you guys are together, because the
story behind this song is really magical. I love it, Freddie.
You want to take it away, like how did this
come to be? And how did you meet Billy?
Speaker 3 (01:10):
It's a funny thing. So back in back in two
thousand and six, I was, I was. I was an artist,
I was a signed artist, and I really wanted to
be Billy Joel. That was that was the reason I
was a songwriter. I was. I'm a New Yorker piano player,
crappy piano player. But anyhow, Billy Joel was just my
real inspiration. I had really wanted to meet him. I
tried to meet him, and he was very difficult to meet.
Even if you know I'd had submit songs, I couldn't
(01:32):
seem to get to Billy through through a label, through
a publisher. And for my thirty fifth birthday, unbeknownst to me,
my wife made it her mission to track down Billy
and she to get to him, and Billy agreed right
to meet for a couple minute.
Speaker 2 (01:47):
Got a message from my family doctors said, this is
this kid, Oh, I want you to meet. He wants
to meet you, and he's you know, he's a songwriter too,
And so I.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Said, oh, okay, yep.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Why not. I'm thinking I'm going to meet like a
teenager or something.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
He's looking around. Here's some kid, and it's disappointed. You
know that a man sits down a grown man.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
I don't know what I was expecting. I just thought,
you know, I'll me somebody and okay, that'll be the
end of us. And we ended up having what was it,
three hour lunch or something.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Yeah, yeah, it was crazy, two hour, two and a
half hour lunch, and I think we just hit on
We hit on some things that were unique.
Speaker 2 (02:22):
Yes, yeah, we found out we had a lot in
common about how we approach songwriting and recording and producing
and all of that stuff.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah. It was one thing in particular that was interesting,
which is I said to Bill, hey, when you're writing,
do you ever imagine you're somebody else or do you
always just write for yourself?
Speaker 2 (02:39):
And I said, always, always imagine somebody else. I don't
like my voice. I'm always trying to sing like somebody else.
I'm thinking like a writer, not like a singer, which
helps me to get it written, but.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
I feel it. But had you been asked that before? Probably? Yeah,
well here I was thinking I had a great question.
But anyhow, we bonded. We bonded over that, and then
at some point I said, I have a song that
I started with a couple of friends. Curious what you
think about it? And I think it resonated at least
enough that he said, okay.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Yeah, this kind of came out of left field. He said,
here's this idea. What do you think of this? And
I heard it and I went, that's not bad. That's
a pretty good song. And then he's going, so, why
don't you come down to our studio and sing it?
I s get at it here.
Speaker 3 (03:24):
Yeah. Well, when it was finished, she goes, so, who
do you think should cut it? I said, what are
you nuts? It's a Billy Joel song.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Oh, without doubt. I mean you listen to the song
it is, it's written in your voice, without doubt. If
you're just turning us on, you're here just in time.
Music writer Freddie Wexler here with Billy Joel. Their song
turn the Lights Back On is going to be on
the Grammys this weekend, but you're going to hear it
here first as we premiere it in just a few minutes.
All right, back to this meeting you guys had Freddie
was saying earlier before we had you on that he
(03:52):
knows for the fact that you told the waiter, get
me out of here in ten minutes, bring me the belt.
And it turned into a career changing day for you. Ready,
And of course, Billy, it brought you back into the
studio to record this song.
Speaker 2 (04:03):
Right, No, there was no setup. Really, yeah, I was
just gonna have lunch anyway.
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Okay, fair enough, but you But the point is it
was clear you were not expecting us to become friends
or to hang out for that long.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
No, I wasn't expecting anything was going to come up
it except to say bye to somebody who might have
been a fan.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
But look at this, I mean, how many years have
people been trying to get you back into a studio
to release something. And in addition to that, you know,
I mean Freddy used to be an intern over at Sony,
so your pictures are up haunting him for all these years.
And but it all came together. There's some magic that happened.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
What do you what do you think it was? What clicked?
I think it was simpatico about songwriting, about music in general.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
I just as a fan honestly wanted another Billy Joal
song because it's my favorite music. That that's it. And
so I said to him in that lunch, I said, look,
your music's brought me so much joy over the years.
If I could help you me biding the fun in
it at some point again, that will make me really happy,
you know. And he said, Oh, that's what Phil Ramone
used to say. It needs to be fun. Yes, And
(05:09):
that was really my mission.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
That thing we get coming back to that concept. It's
supposed to be fun, which is why I got into
the music in the first place. It was fun, and
when it stopped being fun, didn't want to do it
that much anymore. And he had funny convinced me that
it was fun for him to know my stuff, which
I've always kind of yeah, yeah, sure, yeah, Billy Joel.
Speaker 3 (05:32):
I'll still look at Bill and be like, Yo, this
is so fun.
Speaker 1 (05:36):
Okay, I mean, are you pinching yourself from time touse?
I'm ready and this is going on because.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
I'm pinching myself this whole interview. I'm pinching myself every day.
This is again, like Billy Joel's read and I became
a songwriter. It's really it's surreal. I think it's gotta
be kind of surreal for you too.
Speaker 2 (05:54):
Yeah, I had no idea it was going to culminate
like this, and I tried my best to stay away
from that.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
When we got to the studio, he tried his best
to leave.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
Seriously, Buddy stayed and you know what the story is
gonna Well, it's gonna continue.
Speaker 3 (06:09):
Now.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
We're gonna World Premiere turn the Lights Back On. And
as we do that, take yourself to Sunday, this Sunday night,
where you'll be sitting in the Grammy audience, Freddy watching
Billy Joel sing this song. That's gonna be an amazing
moment for both of you. That's so cool. I love
this story. Thanks for sharing it with us today, and
we'll see you at the Grammys. Now we know the
(06:29):
story behind the song. Let's play the song, the World
Premiere turn the Lights Back On, written by Freddie Wexler
for Billy Jowel. Listen to this. There you go, Brandon,
Billy Jowell turn the lights back on. His question was
is it too late for me to turn my lights
back on? Because he has not put out a pop song. Yeah,
(06:51):
thirty one years, even though he still sells out his
residency shows at Madison Square Garden. Anyway, it sounded great.
But the story I'm loving here was Freddie Wexler who
wrote that song with him. Freddie Wexler, as you may
have heard there, just to reiterate what happened. He's been
trying to get as a songwriter his music to Billy
Joel for years since he was a kid growing up
(07:12):
on Long Island, not far from Billy right. Actually he
grew up in Manhattan, but close to Long Island. So
his wife found this commonality between the two of them.
A doctor. They knew that they knew Billy's doctor, and
went through the doctor and got a ten minute coffee
meeting that turned into three hours into the studio and
(07:35):
Billy Joel recorded this song. So Freddie Wexler, in my opinion,
even though Billy Joel, look, you know, Billy Joel's Billy Joel,
Freddie Wexler is right up there with him as far
as how far up the podium they share. As this
story has been unfolding, I think it's pretty cool this guy,
Freddie Wexler, as he said, to us he will be
(07:57):
at the Grammys to watch Billy perform his song Sunday night,
and for iHeart to have the honor. iHeart Radio had
the honor of world premiering this song for Billy Joel today.
It's just a really cool thing. So whether you know
Billy Joel is your your thing or before your time
or whatever, just understand the musicians you love who are
(08:17):
out today, they have inspiration. A lot of them look
to the Billy Joels of the world to find them.
So anyway, Billy Joel again, the name of the song is, uh,
turn the light back on, Turn the lights back on anyway.
So to be able to give that to you today,
it was just a great gift and so it's an
honor to be here to do it. So thank you
(08:37):
for listening.
Speaker 2 (08:40):
Oh no, we gotta go.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Elvis Duran in the Morning Show
Elvis Duran and the Morning Show ON DEMAND News
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