12 episodes

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.

Wind of Change Pineapple Street Studios / Crooked Media / Spotify

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.6 • 4.1K Ratings

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.

    My Friend Michael

    My Friend Michael

    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.
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    • 45 min
    You Call It An Operation, We Call It A Performance

    You Call It An Operation, We Call It A Performance

    KYIV, 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 Kyiv. Plus: what does the CIA say when you come right out and ask about the agency’s connection to the band?
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    • 47 min
    America’s Secret Weapon

    America’s Secret Weapon

    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?
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    • 45 min
    The KGB Rock Club

    The KGB Rock Club

    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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    • 47 min
    I Follow The Moskva

    I Follow The Moskva

    MOSCOW, USSR, 1989: Klaus Meine, the lead singer of the Scorpions, has said for 30 years that the Moscow Music Peace Festival in 1989 inspired him to write “Wind of Change.” Bon Jovi, booze, Ozzy Osbourne, cocaine, fireworks, fist fights, the KGB -- Patrick takes you step by step through the wildest music festival in Russian history. But something about the concert doesn’t add up.
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    • 42 min
    The Doctor Is In

    The Doctor Is In

    CAYMAN ISLANDS, 1982: The Scorpions’ manager Doc McGhee has a secret past: he played a role in one of the largest drug busts in U.S. history, working with a smuggling ring that included CIA asset (and Panamanian dictator) Manuel Noriega. Nearly everyone went to prison. But Doc didn’t serve a day. Patrick heads to Naples, Florida, to find out why Doc threw a rock festival in Moscow instead of going to prison.
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    • 58 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
4.1K Ratings

4.1K Ratings

SheaMMMMM ,

Gen X Approved

Fascinating tale involving one of my all-time favorite bands, The Scorps. So incredibly well done and thought provoking. I have tickets to their rescheduled residency in Vegas this spring and I’m looking forward to it even more after this podcast!

Nativeplantjourney ,

Fascinating deep dive into the power of Rock N Roll

As an American listener, I was not familiar with the West German group Scorpions and their most famous song, credited by many to have hastened the end of the Iron Curtain and given millions of young people a taste of freedom. Was it the pure power of the song, or did the CIA have a hand in it? Amazing podcast with deep interviews with a cast of characters out of a spy novel.

SupermanMikail ,

Really Entertaining…

I recommend the "Winds of Change" podcast for those interested in music, history, and politics. The show investigates the rumor that the CIA wrote the hit song "Wind of Change" by the Scorpions. Host Patrick Radden Keefe skillfully weaves together interviews with former CIA operatives, music industry insiders, and members of the Scorpions to create a captivating story.

The podcast is engaging and thought-provoking, with each episode building on the last to offer new insights into the human experience, Cold War politics, and the music industry. "Winds of Change" is a must-listen for mystery lovers and fans of great storytelling.

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