Best Jeff Commings Podcasts (2024)

1
The Children's Rights Movement with Katy Faust 45:18

1h ago45:18

45:18

In this episode of the "From the Frontline" podcast, Cole Muzio is joined by Katie Faust, a formidable advocate for children's rights and author of "Raising Conservative Kids in a Woke City." Katie discusses the complex issues surrounding in vitro fertilization (IVF), the impact of modern reproductive technologies on children's rights, and the nece…

1
Episode 85: You Can’t Just Talk the Talk (2017) 1:08:57

1d ago1:08:57

1:08:57

Diane Warren earned Oscar nomination number nine for her song "Stand Up for Something," a song that highlights the motto of future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and the subject of the 2017 film Marshall. On this episode of The Best Song Podcast, you'll hear her nominated song that she co-wrote with Oscar winner Common, and the four songs …

1
A Glimpse Into Tim Walz's Minnesota with Jeff Evans 31:28

7d ago31:28

31:28

In this episode, Cole Muzio interviews Jeff Evans, President of Minnesota Family Council, to discuss the political landscape in Minnesota and the leadership of Governor Tim Walz. They cover topics such as Walz's persona, his policies on abortion and transgender issues, the state of Minnesota's economy, and his response to the COVID-19 pandemic and …

1
Trump's Rally in Atlanta: The Eyes of the Nation Turn Toward Georgia 41:21

8d ago41:21

41:21

In this episode, Cole Muzio dives into the recent political clash between former President Donald Trump and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. Cole provides a comprehensive analysis of the feud's history, the current political landscape, and its implications for the upcoming 2024 presidential election. He emphasizes the importance of unity within the con…

1
Episode 84: It’s Something Magical (2016) 1:03:46

8d ago1:03:46

1:03:46

The live-action musical La La Land was primed to take over the 89th Academy Awards as the frontrunner for Best Picture, and its chances of winning multiple awards included Best Original Song, where two tunes from the movie were nominated. On this episode, learn more about the men who created those songs -- Justin Hurwitz, Benj Pasek, and Justin Pau…

1
Biden's Out: A Whole New Ballgame 24:16

17d ago24:16

24:16

In this episode, Cole Muzio catches up on the recent whirlwind of political events. From Biden's withdrawal from the presidential race to Kamala Harris most likely securing the Democratic nomination, Cole dives into the implications of these developments. He discusses the ideological and strategic shifts within the Democratic Party, the role of the…

1
Episode 83: I Feel Complete (2015) 1:51:24

15d ago1:51:24

1:51:24

Pulitzer Prize winner David Lang joins the show to talk about earning his first Oscar nomination, and the process behind writing the nominated song "Simple Song #3" for the movie Youth. Lang details the journey he and director Paolo Sorrentino took to deliver the song, and how a Google search helped him find the lyrics he needed to tell the song's …

1
Episode 82: Youth Is Wasted on the Young (2014) 1:07:01

23d ago1:07:01

1:07:01

Three of the five Oscar-nominated songs from 2014 come from movies about musicians, including a documentary about the final tour of country music legend Glen Campbell. And then there's a comedic song about using teamwork to make things awesome, and a message song about equal rights for "every man, woman, and child." Learn more about these songs, an…

1
Reflections on Trump's RNC Speech with Rep. Josh Bonner 58:15

26d ago58:15

58:15

In this episode of the From the Frontline podcast, Cole Muzio sits down with State Representative Josh Bonner to discuss the aftermath of the recent RNC, including President Trump's highly anticipated speech. They also talk through the assassination attempt on Trump, the selection of J.D. Vance as the VP nominee, and the evolving Republican platfor…

1
From Crisis to Convention: The Assassination Attempt on Trump & His VP Pick 43:50

1M ago43:50

43:50

In this episode of the From the Frontline podcast, Cole Muzio and Paige Morris cover the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and its broader implications. They discuss the media's reaction, the state of political rhetoric, and the role of faith in navigating these turbulent times. The episode also dives into Trump's response, pot…

1
Episode 81: Your Heart Is On My Sleeve (2013) 1:15:40

29d ago1:15:40

1:15:40

A major scandal hit the Original Song Oscar category for 2013, as a song was deemed ineligible for the award after the nominations announcement. Learn more about that song and what caused it to be disqualified on this episode, plus the two hit songs that made a big impression on the worldwide public and fought for the Oscar.…

1
Analyzing Biden's Blunders and the GOP's Direction 34:17

1M ago34:17

34:17

In this episode of "From the Frontline," Cole Muzio discusses the ramifications of President Joe Biden's recent press conference. Cole recaps Biden's performance, noting several gaffes, including introducing Ukrainian President Zelenskyy with Russian President Putin. He contrasts this with discussions about the Republican National Committee's platf…

1
Episode 80: I'm Drowning In the Laughter (2012) 58:58

1M ago58:58

58:58

The 50th anniversary of the first James Bond movie brought the 23rd Bond film, introducing superstar pop singer Adele into the movie songwriting world. Her title song for Skyfall was a big hit, and helped the movie make a mint worldwide. Would Adele and the fanfare around Bond's 50th anniversary help end the drought for Bond songs, or would Seth Mc…

1
Upholding Conservative Principles with Quena González 27:47

1M ago27:47

27:47

In this episode of "From the Frontline," Cole Muzio is joined by Quena González from the Family Research Council to discuss the vital importance of the Republican Party platform and the ongoing efforts to maintain its conservative values through the Platform Integrity Project. As the platform committee prepares to meet, Cole and Quena dive into the…

1
Crisis in Command: The Aftermath of Biden's Debate Disaster 27:56

1M ago27:56

27:56

In this episode, Cole Muzio discusses the fallout from Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance and the ongoing conversation about whether he should drop out of the race. Cole discusses the implications of Joe Biden's performance and the broader effects on the upcoming election. As the nation approaches the Fourth of July, Cole also reflects on th…

1
Episode 79: Get Up and Join In the Fun (2011) 43:04

1M ago43:04

43:04

For the first time in Academy Awards history, only two songs were picked by the music branch as worthy of Oscar consideration. A few other songs by big names in the music industry missed out on the coveted nominations this year, including one by Madonna. You'll hear the two nominated songs on this episode, and learn why Madonna was once again shunn…

1
Fallout & Forecasts from the First Presidential Debate 19:18

2M ago19:18

19:18

In the latest episode of "From the Frontline," Frontline President Cole Muzio delves into the unprecedented early presidential debate, giving an in depth analysis of the performances and implications for the upcoming election. Cole provides a Christian, conservative perspective on the debate, focusing on Joe Biden's debate struggles and discussing …

1
Reflecting on the Historic Dobbs Decision with Ed Setzler 51:08

2M ago51:08

51:08

2 years since the historic Dobbs Decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, Cole Muzio interviews State Senator Ed Setzler about the impact of this ruling and the passage of the Heartbeat Bill in Georgia. They discuss the background and motivation behind the bill, the challenges faced during the legislative process, and the importance of building relati…

1
Episode 78: Ain’t Nothin’ But a Blue Sky Now (2010) 58:30

2M ago58:30

58:30

Only four songs were nominated for the Original Song Oscar for 2010, and three of them were written by previous Oscar winners. learn more about these four songs, and the ones that Diane Warren had hoped would get her back in the Oscar race, but were shut out.By Jeff Commings

1
Episode 77: Fairy Tales Can Come True (2009) 1:12:03

2M ago1:12:03

1:12:03

The Academy increased its number of Best Picture nominees from five to 10 for the 2009 movie year, but the minimum of Best Original Song nominees dropped from three to two. Was this a signal that maybe the music branch was worried about getting at least three quality songs nominated? That wasn't a problem in 2009, when Randy Newman got two nominati…

1
Episode 76: There’s No Better Place to Go (2008) 53:28

2M ago53:28

53:28

Only three songs were nominated for the Academy Award in 2008, the first time that had happened in 20 years. In this episode, we learn about the three songs, including two from prolific Bollywood composer A.R. Rahman that gave us some new sounds that had not been presented in Hollywood films. The other song gave Thomas Newman another chance to end …

1
Episode 75: Feeling Like a Motherless Child (2007) 1:08:29

2M ago1:08:29

1:08:29

Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz monopolized the Original Song Oscar nominees for 2007, giving us three songs from their Disney musical Enchanted that paid homage to previous Disney classic songs and paid homage to them at the same time. Also nominated was a poignant song from a movie drawing from the Oliver Twist story, and a love song from a very…

1
Episode 74: You’ve Taken My Heart (2006) 1:04:42

3M ago1:04:42

1:04:42

Another film earned three Oscar nominations for original song, and this time it was the film adaptation of the Broadway smash musical Dreamgirls. Henry Krieger, the original composer of the stage show, enlisted new lyricists to work with him on the songs that impressed the Academy enough to get three into the list of five. Melissa Etheridge's histo…

1
Episode 73: I’m Just a Weary Pilgrim (2005) 43:54

3M ago43:54

43:54

Only three songs were nominated by the Academy's music branch from 2005, perhaps signaling that the quality of songs was going downward sharply. But, maybe this marked just a blip in the movie music industry. Take a listen to the nominated songs and why the Academy only picked three in 2005.By Jeff Commings

1
Episode 72: Laugh In Your Loneliness (2004) 55:49

3M ago55:49

55:49

Andrew Lloyd Webber finally got the movie version of The Phantom of the Opera into movie theaters, and got an Oscar nomination for putting an original song into the film. The other nominees for the 2004 Original Song Oscar included two songs not performed in English, the first time that had happened. But, more memorable about the year was who perfo…

1
Episode 71: I Want to Be Wrinkly (2003) 53:23

3M ago53:23

53:23

The Oscar nominees for 2003 featured a toe-tapping song from a groundbreaking animated movie, a sincere love song from a very funny mockumentary, and a song that closed out one of the most popular trilogies of all time. Two songs from the Civil War drama Cold Mountain were also in the mix, written by Sting and Elvis Costello. A year removed from th…

1
Episode 70: We’re Not the Dying Swan (2002) 1:07:38

4M ago1:07:38

1:07:38

Eminem made history with his hit song "Lose Yourself," writing the first rap song to be nominated for the Oscar. The controversial rapper wasn't the first choice for producer Brian Grazer's film about a wannabe rapper, but Grazer couldn't take his eyes off the superstar, and 8 Mile gave Eminem the opportunity to act and give us one of his signature…

1
Episode 69: You and Me Together (2001) 1:03:40

4M ago1:03:40

1:03:40

Randy Newman was still winless in the Original Song Oscar category after seven losses, and his song "If I Didn't Have You" for the Pixar movie Monsters, Inc. was going to put him in rare company if it didn't nab him the Oscar. The song didn't get much recognition before the Academy Awards, so Newman was looking like song nomination number eight was…

1
Episode 68: The World Is Not My Playground (2000) 1:15:24

4M ago1:15:24

1:15:24

Randy Newman was looking for his first Oscar win with his seventh songwriting nomination, this time for the comedic song "A Fool In Love." He had some competition from three great singer-songwriters, as Bob Dylan, Bjork, and Sting earned their first nominations for writing movie music. Find out which music superstar took home the 2000 Original Song…

1
Episode 67: They Just Want to Fart and Curse (1999) 1:03:04

4M ago1:03:04

1:03:04

The five Oscar-nominated songs from 1999 were all worthy of winning the big award, including the latest song from a Disney animated movie, one from Pixar's sequel to Toy Story, a raunchy song about parental anger, and a song by *NSYNC praising a teacher's love. Host Jeff Commings talks about the songwriters responsible for these songs, and why Mado…

1
Episode 66: A Kind and Steady Heart (1998) 1:18:35

5M ago1:18:35

1:18:35

The year after the juggernaut Oscar-winning song "My Heart Will Go On," songwriters had a high standard to reach for the songs featured in films released in 1998. From Stephen Schwartz and Randy Newman to Diane Warren and Carole Bayer Sager, the nominated tunesmiths offered the Academy five nominees that gave us no frontrunner status for the big aw…

1
Episode 65: Two Tickets Torn In Half (1997) 1:06:25

5M ago1:06:25

1:06:25

The juggernaut song "My Heart Will Go On" was crowned an Oscar winner the second that Titanic made its theatrical debut, but the other four songs nominated with it for the 1997 Original Song Oscar were no duds. Host Jeff Commings brings you the stories behind these songs, and the songwriters who created them.…

1
Episode 64: We Had It All (1996) 1:42:08

5M ago1:42:08

1:42:08

Host Jeff Commings talks with songwriters Jud Friedman and Allan Rich about almost not having their song "For the First Time" appear in the movie One Fine Day (thanks to Rod Stewart), and learns from Tim Rice the process behind putting a new song into the iconic Evita score and getting an Oscar nomination for it. Space Jam featured many songs that …

1
Episode 63: Sighs and Whispers (1995) 1:12:47

5M ago1:12:47

1:12:47

The members of the music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences split the original score category in two in 1995, but the rules for original song stayed the same. Pop songs and traditional movie songs were still in the running for the biggest movie award, including a chance for Alan Menken to earn a record-tying fourth Original S…

1
Episode 62: Kings and Vagabonds (1994) 1:24:29

6M ago1:24:29

1:24:29

Tim Rice returns to the show to offer a masterclass in songwriting as he talks about writing the lyrics for the three Oscar-nominated songs from the animated movie The Lion King. He details how the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" changed and why writing a song for a warthog shouldn't feel much different from writing for "the wife of an Argenti…

1
Episode 61: Don’t Turn Your Back On Me (1993) 51:42

6M ago51:42

51:42

The pop music world invaded the Academy Awards honoring films from 1993, with Janet Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and James Ingram among the nominees for the Best Original Song Oscar. Host Jeff Commings has many stories to share about the creation of the five Oscar-nominated songs, and why Danny Elfman couldn't join the roster for his son…

1
Episode 60: Won’t You Hold Me In Your Arms?(1992) 1:55:12

6M ago1:55:12

1:55:12

Host Jeff Commings invited not one, not two, but THREE Oscar-nominated songwriters to this episode to share their behind-the-scenes tales of creating two of the five Oscar nominees for original song of 1992. Jud Friedman and Allan Rich talk about writing "Run to You" for Whitney Houston and creating a guerilla campaign for an Oscar nomination. Tim …

1
Episode 59: The Stars Are All My Friends (1991) 55:06

6M ago55:06

55:06

History was made with the Original Song Oscar nominees from 1991, as three songs from one movie made the list. Those songs came from the Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast, which was a landmark film in more ways than its song nominations. Host Jeff Commings guides you through this major year for movie songs, highlighting a worldwide hit by B…

1
Episode 58: I’m a Devil on the Run (1990) 54:21

6M ago54:21

54:21

Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim earned his first Oscar nomination for writing a song for the action film Dick Tracy, pitting himself for the industry's highest award against a number-one song by Jon Bon Jovi, and a rare song composition by John Williams. Host Jeff Commings also details the hit songs that missed out on a nomination, including other…

1
Episode 57: I Guess It Must Be Fate (1989) 1:22:38

7M ago1:22:38

1:22:38

Dean Pitchford returns to the show to talk about achieving his fourth Oscar nomination, this time for the love ballad "After All." He discusses writing a more "mature" song than he had written for previous films, why Cher and Peter Cetera didn't record their vocals at the same time, and why he felt his song had little chance to win the Original Son…

1
Episode 56: Riding on the Water (1988) 48:10

7M ago48:10

48:10

Only three songs were nominated for the Academy Award in 1988, the first time the list of nominees was that low since the 1930s. An Academy rule forced the list to be cut to three in that year, and the ones that made the final list gave Oscar voters a tough choice over which should be picked as the best of the year. Host Jeff Commings details those…

1
Episode 55: Let ‘Em Say We’re Crazy (1987) 1:09:33

7M ago1:09:33

1:09:33

Only one of the Oscar-nominated songwriters for 1987 had previously been invited to the Academy Awards, giving us 10 men and women getting their first chances to win an Oscar. They all gave us a list of five nominated songs -- many of which have become classics -- that made the competition for the Academy Award very tight that year. The public love…

1
Episode 54: If Love Can See Us Through (1986) 1:14:22

7M ago1:14:22

1:14:22

Academy voters increasingly became aware of the synergy between Hollywood and the music industry, voting for a Billboard #1 song for its Oscar for the past five years. Would that continue with the nominated songs from 1986? Two number-one songs were in contention, including a song performed by two mice and another for a sultry love scene for an act…

1
Episode 53: I Have Learned to Let You Go (1985) 1:06:05

8M ago1:06:05

1:06:05

After the historic list of Oscar-nominated songs of 1984, the five nominees for 1985 had a lot to live up to. On this episode of The Best Song Podcast, host Jeff Commings tells of Lionel Richie's double nomination in the same year as his successful "We Are the World" composition, and the popular movie songs that missed out on a nomination.…

1
Episode 52: I Just Wanna Cheer (1984) 1:52:28

8M ago1:52:28

1:52:28

Dean Pitchford returns to The Best Song Podcast to talk about bringing the 1984 movie Footloose to the big screen, and finding the best collaborators to write the songs from the hit soundtrack. That includes working with Kenny Loggins, who wrote and recorded the title song under very interesting circumstances. Host Jeff Commings talks with Pitchfor…

1
Episode 51: The Ice-Blue Line of Insanity (1983) 1:16:50

8M ago1:16:50

1:16:50

The 50th anniversary of the Original Song Academy Award featured two songs from the mega-popular movie Flashdance, which re-ignited the movie soundtrack craze, and two songs from Barbra Streisand's directorial debut Yentl. The other nominated song really did feel like a fifth wheel alongside these four songs, and we'll learn more about the journeys…

1
Episode 50: All We Have Is Here and Now (1982) 1:20:38

8M ago1:20:38

1:20:38

Alan and Marilyn Bergman made history with their Oscar nominations for original song of 1982, becoming the first people to earn three song nominations in one year from three different films. Their work came in three different films, including Luciano Pavarotti's first (and last) movie role and a love song for the biggest comedy of 1982. Learn more …

1
Episode 49: Play For Me (1981) 1:01:57

9M ago1:01:57

1:01:57

The star power among the Oscar-nominated songwriters for 1981 was very high. Lionel Richie, Christopher Cross, Carole Bayer Sager, and Randy Newman were just a few of the top names looking to become Oscar winners for their work writing songs for the movies. Host Jeff Commings tells the stories behind creating these hit songs, including Lionel Richi…

1
Episode 48: Baby, Hold Me Tight (1980) 1:35:04

9M ago1:35:04

1:35:04

Dean Pitchford joins the show to talk about writing the Oscar-nominated title song from the 1980 movie Fame. In addition to his recollections of the process he and composer Michael Gore took to arrive at the global hit song, Pitchford talks about the future recording star who helped add a "hook" to the song, and why Dolly Parton was his song's bigg…

1
Episode 47: Reaching Out to Touch You (1979) 1:06:29

9M ago1:06:29

1:06:29

Kermit the Frog's film debut brought Oscar winner Paul Williams his final Oscar nomination, writing the classic song "The Rainbow Connection" with Kenny Ascher. Host Jeff Commings shares Williams' thoughts about the meaning of the wistful lyrics and why Paul Williams was not able to continue his work in the 1980s. Other Oscar winners in contention …

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