Who Ordered the Pie? | Classic Rock Music History & Cocktails

Christopher Machado
  • 5.0 (17)
  • Music History

Who Ordered the Pie? is a classic rock music history podcast that explores the hidden stories behind legendary songs and the artists who shaped rock history. Each episode dives deep into rock history, Billboard chart performance, and behind-the-song storytelling, exploring the real-life moments that shaped legendary tracks and classic rock culture. Part narrative storytelling, part music documentary, and part barstool conversation, the show blends classic rock history with craft cocktail culture in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresh. If you love discovering what really happened behind the songs, tracing their rise on the charts, and hearing the stories that shaped music history, pull up a chair. This is your show.

  1. 5d ago

    Episode 50: Something Strange in the Speakers: Creepy Sounds and Studio Legends

    Send us Fan Mail Have you ever heard something in a song that made you stop, back it up, and wonder, “What the hell was that?” This week on “Who Ordered the Pie?” we’re exploring the creepy sounds and studio legends hiding inside familiar records. From the haunted streets of The Specials’ “Ghost Town” to the unsettling world of Peter Gabriel’s “Intruder,” we’ll hear how musicians turned studio experiments, unexpected accidents, and a little imagination into something wonderfully strange. Along the way: The Beatles’ “Blue Jay Way” and “Strawberry Fields Forever,” the eerie cries of Pink Floyd’s “Echoes,” and the infamous scream in Ohio Players’ “Love Rollercoaster.” There’s backward listening, a Phil Collins drum connection, and a chance to hear the sounds yourself before the stories get into your head. Then we head to the bar for “The Phantom Note,” a gin-and-elderflower cocktail with a quiet herbal mystery in the background. Listen closely. And maybe leave the hallway light on. 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

  2. Oct 2

    Episode 49: A Life in Records | 1 Year of Who Ordered the Pie?

    Send us Fan Mail 1 year. A lot of music. And a wife whose suggestion to start a podcast turned out to be an excellent delegation strategy. For this anniversary episode of “Who Ordered the Pie?” I’m sharing how a lifelong love of liner notes and music trivia became a show about the stories behind the songs. Go behind the microphone to hear how I handpick songs I believe deserve an audience, find the connections that turn them into episodes, and sneak little jokes into the music. There’s also my 49ers game-day soundtrack, my early-morning “KJAZ voice,” and a first-year highlight: hearing directly from John Sebastian after he listened to his episode. We’ll raise a traditional 1944 Trader Vic’s Mai Tai to a year of discoveries, unexpected connections, and everyone who’s made this show part of their routine. Thank you for being my kind of people. Have a song suggestion, a favorite moment, or something you’d like me to explore? Visit the Backstage Door at https://whoorderedthepie.com or email whoorderedpie@gmail.com. Here’s to loud riffs, quiet sips, and the stories in between. 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

  3. Sep 25

    Episode 48: Right Song, Wrong Timing | The Power Pop Pioneers

    Send us Fan Mail Before Cheap Trick, The Cars, The Knack and the power pop bands that followed, a handful of artists were already combining loud guitars, huge hooks and ’60s-inspired harmonies into something that would help define the genre. In this installment of “Right Song, Wrong Timing,” Christopher goes back to the power pop pioneers who had the songs and the sound, but ran into bad timing, record label problems, changing musical trends and some truly bizarre twists of fate. This episode features Big Star’s “September Gurls,” The Raspberries’ “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record),” Dwight Twilley Band’s “I’m on Fire,” The Rubinoos’ “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,” and The Real Kids’ “All Kindsa Girls.” Along the way, you’ll hear how Alex Chilton and Big Star became one of rock’s most influential cult bands, how Eric Carmen blended Beatles melodies, Beach Boys harmonies and the power of The Who, how “Jaws” helped derail Dwight Twilley’s follow-up to a Top 20 hit, why The Rubinoos played “Sugar, Sugar” to a Jefferson Starship crowd, and how a French music journalist helped The Real Kids make their first record. The story also crosses paths with The Ramones, Tom Petty, John Lennon, Jonathan Richman and more as we trace the roots of the sound that became power pop. Then it’s time to turn down the guitars, open the bar, and mix this episode’s featured cocktail, “The Overnight Sensation.” If you love classic rock, power pop, ’70s rock, Big Star, The Raspberries, music history and the stories behind the songs, this episode 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

  4. Sep 18

    Episode 47: Right Song, Wrong Timing | Around the World in Five Great Songs

    Send us Fan Mail 5 songs. 5 countries. Very different stories on opposite sides of the world. In this edition of “Right Song, Wrong Timing,” Christopher follows Split Enz, Moving Pictures, Jon Astley, Peter Schilling, and Golden Earring through family connections, missed opportunities, and unexpected second chances. From the Finn brothers’ story behind “I Got You” to the overlooked voices in “What About Me,” the uneasy romance of “Jane’s Getting Serious,” and the strange worlds of “Major Tom (Coming Home)” and “Twilight Zone,” we explore why a memorable song doesn’t always lead to lasting recognition. Along the way: a producer hears something worth recording during a studio break, a familiar surname causes confusion, and a famously misheard chorus finally comes into focus. Featured songs: • Split Enz: “I Got You” • Moving Pictures: “What About Me” • Jon Astley: “Jane’s Getting Serious” • Peter Schilling: “Major Tom (Coming Home)” • Golden Earring: “Twilight Zone” This episode’s cocktail is The Layover, a full-strength Jet Pilot riff with 3 rums, citrus, cinnamon, and falernum. More stories and cocktail recipes: whoorderedthepie.com Get in touch: whoorderedpie@gmail.com 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

  5. Sep 11

    Episode 46: Right Song, Wrong Timing | Canada Comes South

    Send us Fan Mail Why were some of the biggest Canadian rock bands of the 1980s huge at home, yet barely known in the United States? In Episode 46 of "Who Ordered the Pie?," Christopher heads north for another installment of "Right Song, Wrong Timing" and follows 5 Canadian bands as they try to turn success in Canada into hits south of the border. The Kings actually charted higher in the U.S. than in Canada with "This Beat Goes On / Switchin' to Glide," a Bob Ezrin-produced FM rock classic that spent nearly 6 months on the Billboard Hot 100. Vancouver's The Payolas scored a major Canadian hit with "Eyes of a Stranger," featuring future superstar producer Bob Rock, yet somehow missed the U.S. Hot 100 entirely, despite American rock-radio airplay and an appearance in the movie "Valley Girl." Honeymoon Suite came even closer, taking "New Girl Now," "Feel It Again," "What Does It Take" and more across the border while touring the U.S. and getting exposure on MTV. Then there's Platinum Blonde, one of Canada's biggest bands of the mid-'80s. "Crying Over You" went to #1 in Canada, "Alien Shores" became a multi-platinum album, and Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson even played on the record. But in America? A very different story. And finally, Glass Tiger shows what happened when everything lined up. With songwriter and producer Jim Vallance, backing vocals from Bryan Adams, and "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)," this Canadian band didn't just cross the border. They broke through. Along the way, we revisit MuchMusic, MTV, the JUNO Awards, Billboard's Hot 100, Canadian radio, Bob Rock, Mick Ronson, Alex Lifeson, Bryan Adams and an era when a band could be a household name in Canada and almost anonymous just a few hundred miles south. Why did some Canadian hits cross over while others stopped at the border? Sometimes it wasn't the song. Sometimes it was the market, the label, the radio station, the timing... and sometimes it was simply the right song in the wrong place. Featured artists and songs: The Kings — "This Beat Goes On / Switchin' to Glide" The Payolas — "Eyes of a Stranger" Honeymoon Suite — "New Girl Now" Platinum Blonde — "Crying Over You" Glass Tiger — "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" Plus: Rock and Hyde, Bob Rock, Mick Ronson, Rush's Alex Lifeson, Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance and more. And in The Lounge, we're mixing this week's Canadian-inspired cocktail: "Alien Shores." Episode 46: "Right Song, Wrong Timing | Canada Comes South" "Who Ordered the Pie?" — music history, the stories behind the songs, and a little something in your glass. 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

  6. Sep 4

    Episode 45: Sunshine Pop | The Happiest Hits of the '60s and '70s, Part 2

    Send us Fan Mail Sunshine Pop is back for Part 2, with 4 more ridiculously catchy records from the late ’60s and early ’70s, and some of the strangest stories behind them. This time, Christopher digs into Edison Lighthouse, The Cyrkle, The Association, and The Grass Roots, and discovers just how much was happening behind some of the happiest-sounding records on AM radio. How do you score a massive number 1 hit when your band doesn’t actually exist? Why did John Lennon end up naming an American college band? How did Paul Simon help launch that same group, only for The Beatles to later keep them out of the number 1 spot? And how did a song originally written as a gentle waltz become one of the defining pop records of the summer of 1967? Along the way, there’s a session singer seemingly everywhere at once, a Paul Simon song somebody probably wishes they hadn’t turned down, an all-night recording session, a surprising Leonard Bernstein connection, and a lyrical coincidence that suddenly takes us from Sunshine Pop to a 1980 country hit. It’s another trip through an era when great melodies, huge harmonies, and unforgettable hooks could make even a breakup song sound like the best day of your life. And after the music, we head to the bar for a bright, refreshing cocktail inspired by one of the songs in the episode: The Red Rubber Ball. 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

  7. Aug 29

    Episode 44: Sunshine Pop | The Happiest Hits of the '60s and '70s, Part 1

    Send us Fan Mail Some songs challenge you. Others just make you feel good. In Episode 44, we're diving into the bright, ridiculously catchy world of Sunshine Pop with 4 songs that helped define the happiest side of AM radio in the late '60s and early '70s. The Foundations turn romantic misery into the irresistible "Build Me Up Buttercup." The Hollies bring their unmistakable 3-part harmonies to "Carrie Anne," along with one of the most unexpected instruments ever dropped into a British pop hit. Then things get wonderfully strange with The Archies and "Sugar, Sugar," a number 1 smash recorded by a band that didn't actually exist, promoted on the backs of cereal boxes, and connected in a surprising way to a much heavier hit nearly 20 years later. Finally, we climb aboard the psychedelic bus with The Partridge Family and "I Think I Love You," where television fiction and real-life pop stardom collided in a way that almost sounds too perfect to have actually happened. Along the way, we'll uncover the stories behind the singers, songwriters and studio tricks that made these records nearly impossible to forget. And after all that musical sunshine, we'll head to the bar for this episode's featured cocktail, "The Sugar Rush." 4 songs. 4 great stories. And enough hooks to stay stuck in your head for the rest of the day. This is "Sunshine Pop | The Happiest Hits of the '60s and '70s." 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

  8. Aug 21

    Episode 43: Three of a Kind | FM Rock’s Other Great Trios

    Send us Fan Mail Rush, The Police, and ZZ Top became rock institutions. But what about the other great power trios of early ’80s FM radio? In Episode 43 of “Who Ordered the Pie?,” we explore three bands whose defining moments arrived in three consecutive years: Triumph with “Magic Power” in 1981, Taxxi with “I’m Leaving” in 1982, and Zebra with “Who’s Behind the Door?” in 1983. Discover how Rik Emmett’s childhood transistor radio inspired one of Triumph’s greatest songs, why the British trio Taxxi relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, and how a perfectly timed radio broadcast helped Zebra turn an Atlantic Records rejection into a record deal. Then we make “The Cocktail Queen,” an equal-parts Canadian Boulevardier named after one of Taxxi’s most memorable songs. It’s a story of power trios, FM rock, unlikely breakthroughs, and three musicians sounding larger than life. 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

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5
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About

Who Ordered the Pie? is a classic rock music history podcast that explores the hidden stories behind legendary songs and the artists who shaped rock history. Each episode dives deep into rock history, Billboard chart performance, and behind-the-song storytelling, exploring the real-life moments that shaped legendary tracks and classic rock culture. Part narrative storytelling, part music documentary, and part barstool conversation, the show blends classic rock history with craft cocktail culture in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresh. If you love discovering what really happened behind the songs, tracing their rise on the charts, and hearing the stories that shaped music history, pull up a chair. This is your show.

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