INTERVIEW: Billy Joel Reveals Why He Came Out of Retirement After Meeting Producer Freddy Wexler

The iconic Billy Joel and Grammy-nominated producer Freddy Wexler join Seacrest on-air to take us behind Billy's first single in 17 years "Turn the Lights Back On"

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So that is new music from Billy Joel, the legend
Billy Joel, one of the architects of rock and roll,
one of two point seven Kiss FM. So this kind
of music history that we got this and this song
being played all over the world right now as we
just got it. It was co written. Billy Joel is
an artist that said he'll sort of never do new music,

(00:24):
never release new music. He's performed with Elton John I
mean just like he is a he's a god in
the music business. And Freddie Wexler, who's going to come
on with us here in a second. He produced that
song and he talked Billy into coming back to do
new music. And Freddy has written songs for Ariana Grande,
Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber Black, Pink Pink, Selene Dion. I mean,

(00:44):
the dude's stud and he goes up to Billy and
he's like, you need to do more music. I think, oh, look,
Freddy Rexler and Billy Joel. I didn't know Billy Joel
was joining us right now. Billy, I didn't know you
were listening in on that. It's an honor to have
you here. But I thought, in my role in this job,
I was never going to get the opportunity to have
this moment because I thought I heard you say you

(01:07):
aren't going to do this anymore, that you aren't going
to release new music.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
I thought so too. I was convinced of it.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
What changed your mind, Billy? He did for so Freddy
you got to give the backs because I literally when
I heard this was happening on the calendar and I
heard there was a song, I didn't really understand it.
And I think a lot of people are going, Wow,
this is a blessing. But how and if you're so convincing,
we want to know what you did to convince this legend,
this man to release new music.

Speaker 3 (01:36):
For me, I became a songwriter because of Billy Joel
and I always wanted to meet Billy. He was really
my greatest inspiration as a songwriter. And ultimately it happened.
It was not like a quick meeting and Okay, great,
let's write a song by any stretch you tell him,

(01:58):
You tell him from your perspective.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Look in my mind thirty years ago, that was it.
I was done and I didn't want to get back
in harness again. I was done writing songs. Although I've
been continuing to write music, instrumental music, and a number
of people have tried to talk me into writing new songs,

(02:20):
going into the studio, making a new recording, going through
the whole process again, YadA, YadA, YadA. And I was
kind of burned out on the music business. The fun
had gone out of it, and the whole reason I
got into music in the first place because it was fun.
I loved rock and roll. I loved the fun aspect
of it, the performance of it, the crowd, noise, the

(02:44):
girl screaming, the whole nine yards. It was so much fun.
And I had to try to rediscover the fun.

Speaker 3 (02:52):
So I put on a wig and I.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
Right, well, I just think if it's not fun, it's yeah,
what's the point. I mean, because you can hear if
somebody's having a good time or not. It comes through
in the music.

Speaker 3 (03:07):
And I said to Billy, look, I don't believe you
can't write songs anymore. You don't, you you're because i'd
heard these different things where you won't write songs. And
he kind of said, you know, well, believe whatever you want.
I don't care what you believe. And I don't know
what came over me, but I know, you kind of
got to take your shot when you have it. I say, well,
do you have any unfinished songs, any songs you started

(03:28):
in the seventies or eighties that you never finished? He said, yeah, sure,
I've unfinished songs. And I said, well, why don't you
let me finish them?

Speaker 1 (03:34):
So, Billy, I just I'm so curious to know. Was
it just a feeling, it was just an instinct? Was
just a I mean, were you in a good mood?
Was it a gut thing?

Speaker 2 (03:42):
Like?

Speaker 1 (03:42):
What was it? Because this actually alternates the history of
rock and roll by you releasing new music today.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
This was a guy who was a songwriter in his
own right, and when we started talking about the craft
of songwriting, the actual job of it, the work, I
recognize he knows what he's called talking about. And he
had asked me a key question. He goes, let me
ask you something. When you're recording and you are singing
one of your own songs, are you ever thinking of

(04:08):
somebody else doing it? And I said always, I'm always
thinking of somebody else. I got into this to be
a songwriter, not to be a pop star. I was
thinking of writing songs for other people. And he keyed
in on that and he goes, well, that's how I
do it. And I did a performance of this song
in a recording studio. Well, Freddie was in the control room.

(04:31):
I came back in the control room. I listened back
and I said, I don't hate that.

Speaker 1 (04:36):
I don't, which is a great compliment exactly. Co writer
producer Billy Joel's new single, turn the Lights Back on
Freddie Weser and of course I one and only Billy
Joel will look for a tour. Thank you for coming on.
Congratulations both of you.

Speaker 3 (04:50):
Thank you, gentleman, say