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If you see a faded sign at the side of the road that says, “15 miles to the Love Shack,” buddy, you’re in for a good time. The B-52s’ high-energy, new wave classic “Love Shack” remains a go-to staple for music loves looking for a dance party. On this episode of The Story Behind the Song, The B-52s vocalist and keyboardist Kate Pierson dives into the tune’s history and legacy. Listen above or wherever you get your podcasts.
Cutting their teeth in Athens, Georgia, The B-52s have had mountains of quirky charisma from day one. Known for their danceable bops and loud outfits, a reputation only bolstered by songs like “Rock Lobster,” the band grew from quiet beginnings to becoming wildly influential in pop and rock scenes everywhere. “Love Shack,” a single from 1989’s Cosmic Thing, took them to that next level — as they knew it would.
“I thought, ‘Wow, this is it,” Pierson recalls of hearing the finished track. “And we played it for R.E.M., [they] stopped into the studio, and they heard ‘Love Shack,’ and they were like, ‘Yeah, that’s it.’ It was such a groove, too. The music that Keith [Strickland] did had such a different groove than other B-52s songs. It was really funky, it was real danceable, not in a herky-jerky way, it was just a real groove. It was just different, so I just knew it really stood out and yet it really still had our signature sound.”
The band was pushing music forward with their post-punk pop, while also referencing past favorites — including The Beatles and Yoko Ono. Pierson says the wailing Cindy Wilson does at the end of “Love Shack” and “Rock Lobster” was “copped” from Ono’s dolphin-esque singing style. Remarkably, Ono and John Lennon were in turn inspired by the spunky group’s efforts. “[Lennon] heard [‘Rock Lobster’] and he said to Yoko, ‘We gotta get the axe out, we gotta start writing again.’ That was an inspiration to him,” she explains. “I can’t even believe it… When your hero even knows that you exist, it’s pretty amazing.”
Listen to The B-52s’ Kate Pierson open the door on “Love Shack,” “tin roof, rusted,” the band’s origins, and more above, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can also watch a segment of the interview via the video player above or on YouTube. For more of The B-52s, grab tickets to their recently extended Las Vegas residency, which follows their 2022 “Farewell Tour.”
Make sure to follow The Story Behind the Song for all the fresh and archival episodes coming in Season 2, and rate and review on Apple Podcasts to show your support for our series. Also, check out the new TSBTS merch — including a killer poster and jigsaw puzzle — available now at the Consequence Shop or via the buy now buttons below!
Follow host Peter Csathy on Threads at @pcsathy and at Deep Cuts Media, and keep up with the Consequence Podcast Network for updates on all our shows.