Doug Stegmeyer

Phil Ramone brought in musicians he already trusted from another enormous recording career, Billy Joel's band.

Drummer Liberty DeVitto, guitarist Russell Javors, and bassist Doug Stegmeyer had spent years playing together and were simultaneously involved in the sessions surrounding Joel's Glass Houses.

These were not the polished Los Angeles studio professionals Karen knew from A&M.

Ramone liked Billy Joel's band precisely because they were not perfect in that way.

It's not a sound effects record.

Bassist Doug Stegmeyer, he captured it using his own car, a '60s Corvette, by bringing a small tape recorder with him, hanging the microphone out the back, and then burning rubber, screeching away from his home until he got the right take.

[car screeching] And actually, Van Halen heard about that, and they did the same thing on Panama, only it was a Lamborghini.

[singing] Yeah, we're runnin' a little bit hot tonight.