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Wind of Change
Wind of ChangeSubscribed: 7,131Played: 27,689
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Description
It’s 1990. The Berlin Wall just fell. The Soviet Union is on the verge of collapse. And the soundtrack to the revolution is one of the best selling songs of all time, the metal ballad “Wind of Change,” by the Scorpions.
Decades later, journalist Patrick Radden Keefe heard a rumor: the song wasn’t written by the Scorpions. It was written by the CIA. This is his journey to find the truth.
Wind of Change is an Original Series from Pineapple Street Studios, Crooked Media and Spotify.
5 Episodes
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8A power ballad helped bring down the Soviet Union. Was it written by the CIA? Journalist Patrick Radden Keefe investigates the secret history of Cold War espionage and heavy metal.
Wind Of Change is an Original Series from Pineapple Street Studios, Crooked Media and Spotify.
LANGLEY, VIRGINIA, 2011:
The Scorpions’ song “Wind of Change” became the soundtrack to the end of the Cold War. But decades later, New Yorker investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe heard a rumor from a trusted source: the Scorpions didn’t write the song. The CIA did.
KIEV, UKRAINE, 2019: Patrick flies to Ukraine and witnesses how fully the political message of “Wind of Change” still resonates with fans at a Scorpions show in Kiev. Plus: what does the CIA say when you come right out and ask about the agency’s connection to the band?
LAGOS, NIGERIA, 1961: One of America’s most beloved singers died without ever knowing that during the Cold War she had been used by the CIA. And a 40-year-old mystery resurfaces: when the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band was picked to tour behind the Iron Curtain in 1977, was an undercover CIA officer planted among their entourage?
LENINGRAD, USSR, 1988: Patrick finds another person who has told an eerily similar story about the Scorpions and the CIA. But he won’t answer emails, so Patrick travels to a GI Joe convention in Dayton, Ohio to try to make contact. Plus, a former CIA clandestine officer suggests there may be other musical acts still collaborating with the agency.
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I Listen to a lot of podcasts and Wind of Change is one of the most compelling and well researched podcasts l have listened to.
it did not come to a dramatic ending, but I listened to the whole podcast on spotify as well, and I have to say, I DID enjoy the ride to the finish line. it took me back to my childhood in the 1980's, which is maybe why i did enjoy it so much. but i was not a huge fan of the song before, but after digging into the history of the time as an adult i can understand the poignancy of the song more and I definitely appreciate it a lot more.
Just to add something, John Chambers also made Spock's ears for Star Trek
After listening to the entire series on Spotify, two of the eight episodes were uninteresting and ultimately added nothing to the subject story. And although I never personally watched the television series 'Lost,' I'm pretty sure I'm feeling a similar disappointment as that show's viewers complained about when it was all over. If you skip this series, you won't have missed anything of significance.
Say what?! Written by the CIA? Maybe that's why it sucks. Never liked that song to begin with.