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The Tom Petty Project

The Tom Petty Project

By: Kevin Brown
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Summary

This is the weekly podcast that digs into the entire Tom Petty catalog song by song, album by album and includes conversations with musicians, fans, and people connected with Tom along the way.


Follow me on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomPettyProject

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject


(This podcast is in no way affiliated with the Tom Petty estate.)

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kevin Brown Music
Episodes
  • Damaged by Love

    Damaged by Love
    May 13 2026

    “There's rain on the road And the faithful have gone. In a crowd all alone, Walking 'round in a song”. It’s a great little snapshot or vignette, as Tom so often gives us, of perhaps a wedding or some other celebration at a small roadside church. That feeling of being alone in a crowd is beautifully phrased by changing the order of the words; rather than All alone in a crowd, “in a crowd all alone” feels more poetic and more deliberately focusing on the alone part rather than the crowd part. And, we have to tip our hat to Dana Petty of course here! Tom tells Paul Zollo “Dana actually helped me with two lines in that song. I was kind of stuck. It’s not something I would ordinarily do, but I said, “Hey, what would you put here? What would you say?” he then says “In a crowd all alone/Walking round in a song. That was hers”.


    Song : https://youtu.be/DZa8wc2uoow


    ADDITIONAL LINKS

    Judge Timbers' tutorial: https://youtu.be/2ld4U8pvr3A


    Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.


    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject

    Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject

    Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject

    Boneless Podcasting Network: https://bonelesspodcasting.com


    All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com


    The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise.


    A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography".


    Producer: Kevin Brown

    Executive Producers: Paul Roberts, Steve Ursell

    Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
  • Night Driver

    Night Driver
    May 6 2026

    Night Driver is one of those perfect album tracks that you always want to hear on great records. There’s something to be said for albums where any song could basically be a single, but I tend to gravitate more towards albums that are very carefully curated around a central idea and Highway Companion is definitely one of those. This track sits on the second half of the record, coming after the euphoric Big Weekend, as a mood piece and a moment in time for the central character on the album. It’s a wonderfully restrained and melodically comfortable song!


    Song : https://youtu.be/7Fni5y-8wqo


    REFERENCED IN THE EPISODE

    Judge Timbers' tutorial: https://youtu.be/y-dKJ8bIUGY

    Jake Thistle Fans Forever : https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DQkHfK9mz/


    Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.


    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyproject

    Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.social

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyproject

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyproject

    Threads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyproject

    Boneless Podcasting Network: https://bonelesspodcasting.com


    All music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.com


    The Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise.


    A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography".


    Producer: Kevin Brown

    Executive Producers: Paul Roberts, Steve Ursell

    Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • Big Weekend

    Big Weekend
    Apr 15 2026
    The first verse contains one of my all time favourite lyrics. Not just one of my very favourite Tom Petty lyrics, just one of my favourite lyrics full stop. And it’s not a superb piece of word play or a huge emotionally charge line. It’s not a cuttingly brilliant philosophically brilliant observation - we get that later in the song - nor is it a playfully subversive line. It’s this line; “They live in a brick house, painted white and brown.” And specifically the last half of the line; “Painted white and brown.” I know that line probably doesn’t set off the fireworks of your imagination like it does mine, but I know there are others that do the same for you and not for me. One of the most glorious things about this podcast for me is discovering those little sideroads of imagination that you guys share with me from time to time!Song : https://youtu.be/xBZr5nq0Yd0REFERENCED IN THE EPISODEDemo : https://youtu.be/kQRsDAVy3lU Judge Timbers : https://youtu.be/MKAeM8Cc1o8 Anything That’s Rock n Roll (Old Grey Whistle Test) : https://youtu.be/qJMgWiqoLn4 Anything That’s Rock n Roll (Top of the Pops) : https://youtu.be/y0mYRnPXs2U Jake Thistle Fans Forever : https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1DQkHfK9mz/Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave a rating if you like the show.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetompettyprojectBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tompettyproject.bsky.socialInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetompettyprojectYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetompettyprojectThreads: https://www.threads.net/@thetompettyprojectBoneless Podcasting Network: https://bonelesspodcasting.comAll music, including the theme song, provided by my very best friend Randy Woods. Check him out at https://www.randywoodsband.comThe Tom Petty Project is not affiliated with the Tom Petty estate in any way and when you’re looking for Tom’s music, please visit the official YouTube channel first and go to tompetty.com for official merchandise.A last very special thanks to Paul Zollo. Without his book, "Conversations with Tom Petty", this podcast wouldn't be nearly as much fun to research. And further thanks to Warren Zanes for his outstanding book "Petty, the Biography".Producer: Kevin BrownExecutive Producers: Paul Roberts, Steve UrsellSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-tom-petty-project. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
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All stars
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Interesting and informed podcast. Promises a song by song analysis of Petty’s catalogue, presumably in the same spirit as Revolution in the Head did for The Beatles. I’ve been obsessed with TP&THBs since 1978 - the band I’ve seen most times live. Will listen with interest to how this develops. Excellent start. By the way, how did the narrator end up in Canada?

Excellent opening episode

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