A power ballad helped bring down the Soviet Union. Was it written by the CIA? Journalist Patrick Radden Keefe investigates the secret history of Cold War espionage and heavy metal.
Wind Of Change is an Original Series from Pineapple Street Studios, Crooked Media and Spotify.
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Wind of Change, coming May 11

It’s 1990. The Berlin Wall just fell. The Soviet Union is on the verge of collapse. And the soundtrack to the revolution is one of the best selling songs of all time, the metal ballad “Wind of Change,” by the Scorpions. Decades later, journalist Patrick Radden Keefe heard a rumor: the song wasn’t written by the Scorpions. It was written by the CIA. This is his journey to find the truth. Wind of Change is an Original Series from Pineapple Street Studios, Crooked Media and Spotify.

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Chapter 1: Bug’s Plan. It’s 2014. Adelanto is a bankrupt city in the California desert known for its massive detention centers and not much else. Then, a stranger comes to town with a wild idea to make Adelanto great again: Become the first city in Southern California to legalize commercial weed cultivation. Subscribe to Dreamtown to hear episode two right now, wherever you get your podcasts.
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Introducing Dreamtown: The Story of Adelanto

When Patrick Radden Keefe heard that the Scorpions were coming to town last month, he knew he had to go to the show. So he called his friend Michael, his source for the original CIA conspiracy theory, and they headed to UBS Arena on Long Island, microphones in hand. Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, the song Wind of Change has taken on new meaning -- and new lyrics, courtesy of lead-singer Klaus Meine. Patrick wanted to feel first hand how the powerful ballad of hope sounded in this new context of Russian aggression. 
We're also raising funds for medical supplies in Ukraine and encourage you to join us in giving to United24. The link is here:  https://u24.gov.ua/
This episode was recorded in late September. Given the recent attacks in Ukraine we especially encourage you to donate.
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Bonus #3 - Scorpions Live from New York | Fundraiser For Ukraine

Patrick has a new book that's just out, Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks. It's twelve strange but true stories of skulduggery and intrigue. Listen to an exclusive excerpt from the audiobook, narrated by Patrick, about the flamboyant, un-catchable arms trafficker known as the Prince of Marbella.
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Special Preview: "Rogues" by Patrick Radden Keefe

Everything was going great for Jason Rezaian. He was The Washington Post’s correspondent in Tehran. He had just gotten married. Then, in July of 2014, Jason and his wife were arrested and thrown in Iran’s notorious Evin prison.

This is the first episode of 544 Days, a new podcast from Gimlet, Crooked Media, and A24. Find the rest of story for free at gimlet.media/544days.
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An Avocado Revolution | Introducing 544 Days

While he was working on Wind of Change, Patrick Radden Keefe was also researching and writing a new book, a sweeping investigative chronicle about the billionaire Sackler family, famed for their philanthropy, whose fortune was built by Valium and whose reputation was ruined by OxyContin. This excerpt from the audiobook, narrated by Keefe, tells the little known story of a massive chemical explosion at a plant owned by the Sacklers. Already hailed as one of the most anticipated nonfiction books of 2021, Empire of Pain has just been released and is now available for purchase, as a book or audiobook. More information, and links to buy, here: 
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/612861/empire-of-pain-by-patrick-radden-keefe/
Audio excerpted courtesy Penguin Random House Audio from Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe, read by the author and available wherever audiobooks are sold.
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Wind of Change, coming May 11

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