From ANDRAS JONES: I fly down to LA once a month to record three of these episodes at Starburns Industries in Burbank, and that week in October, for no discernible reason, I’d left one completely unbooked. When Petty died, it seemed obvious that we should devote that spot to tributing his music. So first I asked Marshall Thompson, our keyboard player, if he could do it because I know that his knack for Benmonting would be our secret weapon, musically speaking, and then set out inviting other true believers. I’m sorry but I can’t help it, I think of us as Pettyfiles or practitioners of Pettyfilia, though this is the first time I’ve used those terms publicly. I don’t suggest you do likewise. People might take it the wrong way. At any rate, it was through Marshall that I got hold of Jeffrey Cleveland with whom he plays Petty songs regularly and Jeff said to me, “If you’re going to do this you should really invite Paul Zollo. He literally wrote the book on Tom Petty”. In retrospect it was with supreme, though sincere, hubris that I felt I could do something like this without someone like Paul to lend it any kind of integrity, but that’s something I only realized as we were doing it. Paul, who wrote “Songwriters on Songwriting” and “Conversations With Tom Petty” made this more than just a blubbery wankfest and, don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a blubbery wankfest. We all need it sometime, but with Paul there I think we have something more to offer listeners who loved Tom’s music and don’t need us to tell them that it was really good or how it meant a lot to us. As with all who grieve, what we desire is just a little bit more from the one we’ve lost. Paul’s firsthand memories of hours spent with the man provided this. He sticks around for all the subsequent musical divinations as my temporary co-host and we are all very glad he did. One final thing about this Pop Oracle reading. A few weeks after the taping I was talking with one of the musicians, who shall remain nameless, and telling him how I’d cut some embarrassing technical gaffes out of their segment to which he responded, “I don’t know. The only embarrassing part is when you cried”. I don’t think he understands our brand. Grown men crying is part of what we do on Radio8Ball, and if you listen to the mature and loving way Paul responds when the moment overwhelms me, maybe you’ll cry too. There’s nothing embarrassing about it.

DOGS ON THE RUN

Well we come with what was on our backs
Yeah, when the leaves had died and all turned black
Back when the wind was cold and blew them ’round
When we laid our blankets on the ground
Yeah and I woke up feelin’ hungry
Lookin’ straight into the sun, and left a cold night on the ground
Like a dog on the run —

I fell overboard and washed up on the beach
Yes, let the waves and sand roll over me
I was helped to the home of a young bleached blonde
Who said, “honey I discovered early in life there’s ways of getting
Anything I want, some of us are different
It’s just something in our blood, there’s no need for explanations
We’re just dogs on the run

The room was painted blue and grey
All my meals were served on a silver tray
Oh she would laugh, and light my cigarettes
She said, “honey, ain’t it funny how a crowd gathers around
Anyone living life without a net?
And how they’ll beg you for the answers
But it won’t ever be enough, there’s no way you could ever tell ’em
It’s just dogs on the run —

Performed by:

Andras Jones – Lead Vocals & Guitar

Marshall Thompson –Keyboards

R8B Theme performed by:

Andras Jones – Lead Vocals

Marshall Thompson – Keyboards

Dan Rothchild – Bass and Vocals

David Goodstein – Drums and Vocals