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The Tom Petty Project

Honey Bee

Season 10, Ep. 7
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In the liner notes for Wildflowers and all the Rest, engineer Jim Scott remarks that “Tom would write a song like ‘Honey Bee’ on the spot and the band would just follow him. There are dozens of recordings just starting a song and making it up from top to bottom, coming up with funny lyrics.” Of course, there are plenty of deep cut or inside examples of this that are well known to the hard core fans, such as Juju Beads and the more widely loved Girl on LSD, but immediately Honey Bee is different. Whereas those songs are all about the playfully silly lyrics, Honey Bee also has a propulsive, irresistible groove to go along with it.


Today’s guest conversation is the most special one I’ve done so far. I’ve spoken to some fantastic musicians for this show and I’ve spoken to two men who have written seminal first hand accounts of Tom’s life and work. I’ve chatted with musicians and fans and have enjoyed every minute of it. But today, I’m chatting to one of the people I love most in the whole world, my youngest daughter Emma. When I asked her if she wanted to be one of my guests for this season, she agreed a little tentatively, but when I asked her to pick a song from the album, her answer was immediate. So we’ll dive into Honey Bee as well as where our musical tastes overlap as well as diverge. This was a wonderful conversation to have, so sit back, relax, and enjoy my conversation with my wonderful daughter, Emma Brown.


To listen to the song, check out the official lyric video here: https://youtu.be/tbyB10JSOHk

And to listen to the alternate version on the Finding Wildflowers release, go here: https://youtu.be/JWPsB-KAXB4


Please note: There is one use of the work f*** in this episode, used as a direct quote.


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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomPettyProject

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


All music other than the piano version of Wildflowers, 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 Producer: Paul Roberts

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    23:46||Season 12, Ep. 8
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    24:03||Season 12, Ep. 5
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  • 4. Lonesome Sundown

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  • 3. Free Girl Now

    22:19||Season 12, Ep. 3
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