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Song Stories

“Province”

TV on the Radio | 2006

On "Province," a shoegaze fest about uncertainty in a time of change, TV on the Radio are resolved to remain strong, even curious. "Let it follow that we let it free, let it fly," Tunde Adebimbe sings. And the motto of "just going with it" might be how the band got David Bowie to sing backup on the track in the first place. “Our guitarist knew Bowie’s doorman and passed along our first CD," Adebimbe told Rolling Stone. They passed along more demos and told the glam-rock legend, "'If you want to be a part of it, let us know.' He did," Adebimpe said.

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Song Stories

“Help Me”

Joni Mitchell | 1974

Joni Mitchell wrote and recorded this song for her album Court and Spark, but she had to switch from her regular band to make the song sound exactly the way she wanted. "I had attempted to play my music with rock & roll players," she told Rolling Stone. "They’d laugh, 'Awww, isn't that cute? She's trying to teach us how to play.'" Mitchell switched to a jazz band, Tom Scott’s L.A. Express, and scored the biggest hit of her career in the process.

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