Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast

EP 131 - Billy Joel On Late Night TV Part 1 (with Steve Mandel of The Tonight Show)

Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast

Show Notes

Late night television has been an important showcase for musical talent for well over half a century. The casts and crews make producing these shows seem effortless. But the truth is that it takes split-second timing and a tight knit team to get each episode on the air.

In this two-part series, we’re exploring Billy Joel’s late-night TV appearances from the mid 70s through the current decade. But before we dive deep into these performances, we’ll get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the machinery behind the broadcasts.

First up is our conversation with audio engineer and Roots music supervisor Steve Mandel. A longtime friend of the podcast, Steve has worked with the hip hop group The Roots since the mid-90s. He and the band have collaborated on nearly 3,000 episodes of Jimmy Fallon’s late-night talk shows over the past 16 years.

In this episode, we explore the precise timing and careful choices that go into every episode. Steve also recounts his experiences meeting Billy the times he was a guest on the Tonight Show.

Join us as we dig deep into part 1of Billy Joel and late night TV.

------

Email us: [email protected]

Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast on the web / social media:

Website: https://www.glasshousespod.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glasshousespodcast/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasshousespod/

Twitter / X: https://x.com/glasshousespod

Discord: https://discord.gg/6G6cMRFu7T

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@glasshousespod

Support the podcast:

Paypal: https://paypal.me/glasshousespod

Venmo: @MGrosvenor

Produced by Michael Grosvenor & Jack Firneno for Glass Houses Media, LLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More from Glass Houses - A Billy Joel Podcast

Oct 20, 2026

This week, we are joined by Dan Orlando of the Lords of 52nd Street.

Oct 6, 2026

The conversation continues on Glass Houses – A Billy Joel Podcast with Frank Simms, Peter Hewlett, and George Simms, three of the voices who helped define Billy Joel’s live sound throughout the 1980s.

Sep 22, 2026

For the first time on Glass Houses – A Billy Joel Podcast, we bring together all three of Billy Joel’s 1980s backing vocalists: Frank Simms, Peter Hewlett, and George Simms.

Sep 8, 2026

In this episode of Glass Houses – A Billy Joel Podcast, Michael is flying solo and heading back to Michigan to resurrect our playlist series with a musical trip through the 1990s and 2000s.

Aug 25, 2026

This week on Glass Houses – A Billy Joel Podcast, Michael and Jack each count down their Top 10 Billy Joel bridges.

See all episodes →