SETTING THE STANDARD:

STORIES FROM THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK

These are the songs you've been singing your whole life, but you might not know who wrote them...

Setting the Standard: Stories from the Great American Songbook, a new podcast from Warner Chappell Music and Bang/Audiation, explores the stories behind some of the most influential and treasured songs ever written - the songs from the Great American Songbook. Replete with key interviews from a bevy of cultural icons such as Billy Corgan, Michael Feinstein, and Alan Bergman, this podcast grants the listener unparalleled access into the world of this formative era in music history.

Hosted by Joe Levy of Rolling Stone, Billboard, and VH1, each episode focuses on a different legendary songwriter or team, using historical sources intertwined with new interviews with scholars, critics, and family members to tell the stories of their lives, filtered through the lens of their most iconic songs.

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EPISODE GUIDE

Harry Warren
EPISODE 1

HARRY WARREN

“At Last”, “Lullaby of Broadway”, “That’s Amore”. These are the songs you have been singing your whole life, and now is your chance to learn about who wrote them! In this week’s episode, come along and listen as we take a deep dive into the life and times of Harry Warren, one of the most prolific composers and lyricists in American musical history.

KEY INTERVIEWS

Billy Corgan (of the Smashing Pumpkins), Michael Feinstein, Julia Riva, Michael Lasser

Jule Styne
EPISODE 2

JULE STYNE

"People", “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”, "Everything’s Coming Up Roses". These are the songs you have been singing your whole life, and now is your chance to learn about who wrote them! In this week’s episode, everything’s coming up Jule Styne, one of the undisputed architects of American musical theater.

KEY INTERVIEWS

James Kaplan, Michael Lasser, Alan Bergman, Sondra Lee

Johnny Mercer
EPISODE 3

JOHNNY MERCER

“Moon River”, “Days of Wine and Roses”, “Hooray for Hollywood”. These are the songs you have been singing your whole life, and now is your chance to learn about who wrote them! In this week’s episode, we say hooray and honor of the life of four-time Oscar winner Johnny Mercer, preeminent songwriter whose poetic lyrics vividly captured the complexities of human experience.

KEY INTERVIEWS

James Kaplan, Paul Scahill, Alan Bergman, Will Friedwald, Glenn Eskew, Margaret Whiting

Yi Harburg
EPISODE 4

YIP HARBURG

“Paper Moon”, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”, “Over the Rainbow”. These are the songs you have been singing your whole life, and now is your chance to learn about who wrote them! In this week’s episode, feast your ears on a wealth of knowledge as we pull back the curtain on Yip Harburg, “Broadway’s social conscience” who was unique among his peers for always integrating his worldviews into his shows and songs.

KEY INTERVIEWS

Ernie Harburg, Adam Gopnik, Walter Rimler, Deena Rosenberg, Rufus Wainwright

Lerner And Loewe
EPISODE 5

LERNER & LOEWE

“Wouldn’t It Be Loverly”, “Get Me to the Church on Time”, “If Ever I Would Leave You”. These are the songs you have been singing your whole life, and now is your chance to learn about who wrote them! This week’s episode is guaranteed to be “loverly”, as we dive headfirst into the life and times of Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe, one of the greatest songwriting teams in history responsible for the most stylish, sophisticated theater music of the 20th century.

KEY INTERVIEWS

Fred Dannen, Laurence Maslon, Emily Altman, Liza Lerner

Cole Porter
EPISODE 6

COLE PORTER

“You’re the Top”, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, “Night and Day”. These are the songs you have been singing your whole life, and now is your chance to learn about who wrote them! In this week’s episode, you’ll fall freely in love with Cole Porter, the master of melody and lyrics who changed the soundscape and language of American music - and America itself.

KEY INTERVIEWS

Adam Gopnik, Rob Kapilow, Elvis Costello, Justin Tranter

Gershwin Brothers
EPISODE 7

GEORGE & IRA GERSHWIN

“I Got Rhythm”, “Summertime”, “Rhapsody in Blue”. These are the songs you have been singing your whole life, and now is your chance to learn about who wrote them! In this week’s episode, the men you love are at the forefront: George and Ira Gershwin, brothers who wrote a plethora of immortal songs that both reflected and shaped the dynamic forces of American modernism during the Jazz Age.

KEY INTERVIEWS

Michael Feinstein, Bill Charlap, Anna Chelenza, Gary Giddins, Walter Rimler, Deena Rosenberg, Michael Lasser, Norm Lewis

Harold Arlen
EPISODE 8

HAROLD ARLEN

“Over the Rainbow”, “Get Happy”, “Come Rain or Come Shine”. These are the songs you have been singing your whole life, and now is your chance to learn about who wrote them! A key contributor to the Great American Songbook, composer Harold Arlen penned hundreds of pop tunes, many of which were runaway hits during the 1930s, 40s, and 50s.

KEY INTERVIEWS

Fredric Dannen, Gary Giddins, John Mauceri

ABOUT

THE TEAMS BEHIND THE PODCAST
Joe Levy
HOST

JOE LEVY

Joe Levy is an Editor at Large at Billboard. Prior to Billboard, Levy was the Executive Editor at Rolling Stone, and he is the editor of four Rolling Stone books. Levy has also served as a correspondent for The Today Show, Access Hollywood and Vh1, and his writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal Magazine and The Hollywood Reporter.

Bang Audiation
PRODUCTION TEAM

BANG/AUDIATION

For over 3 decades, BANG Music + Audio Post has been at the leading edge of music and audio production for television, commercials, film and emerging media. We collaborate with fellow artists, brands, agencies, designers, directors, producers & programmers to create modern media & art.

Launched in 2016, Audiation is an award-winning New York-based podcast company that produces commissioned and original series in partnership with global brands, celebrities, content creators and thought leaders.

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CREATED BY 

WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC

We are Warner Chappell Music, the global music publishing arm of Warner Music Group. We have offices in more than 20 countries and are home to a wide array of songwriters spanning all genres, with material ranging from top-charting contemporary hits to a rich catalog of influential standards. We provide deep expertise across a myriad of creative services and offer the most innovative opportunities for songwriters and copyright holders.

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