Exclusive Audio: Maroon 5 Make the Ladies Swoon

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Looking dapper in dark suits, Maroon 5's Adam Levine and James Valentine drew a largely female crowd when they swung by our offices for lunch this Wednesday. The guys regaled us with stories about the making of their new album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long. "We went to Vegas to write, which was a terrible mistake as you can probably imagine," Levine said. "But for me it actually works because I have ADD, so if I go to Vegas I can actually focus."

We were also beyond flattered when Levine let us know not once, but twice that he wants to work for Rolling Stone. You can keep your eyes peeled to see if his dream becomes a reality, but for now take a listen to some of what the guys shared with us.

• On how John Mayer loves Maroon 5...and it's all because of Hanson.

• On the band's new album sounding "reminiscent" of the Police.

• On how the only person who knows the truth behind Maroon 5's name is...Billy Joel!

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Song Stories

“He Will Break Your Heart”

Jerry Butler | 1960

A lightly swinging Latin-influenced, almost cha-cha groove and close harmonies decorated Jerry Butler's early soul hit "He Will Break Your Heart," delivering a stately warning that his rival would never love his girl like he did. The melody came to Butler as he was driving on the highway from Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Philadelphia with Curtis Mayfield, and as Butler told Rolling Stone, "I just sang the melody and Curtis put the chords to it." The song's premise, Butler added, "was something that I'd lived ...The lyric was an experience rather than a revelation. Whereas music is usually a revelation."

More Song Stories entries »

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