That time Miles Zuniga told me that he thought Fastball’s big hit “The Way” was just another song at first

By Steve Newton

Back in November of 1998 I called up Fastball guitarist-vocalist Miles Zuniga at an Illinois hotel while his Austin-based band was touring behind its second album, All the Pain Money Can Buy.

That album went platinum in the U.S. and Canada, largely due to the popularity of the opening track, “The Way”, which went to #1 on the charts in both countries.

So I started the conversation by congratulating Zuniga on “The Way” and asking if it was difficult making that smash hit as catchy as it was.

Turns out the band members thought it was “just another song on the record” until their manager pushed for it to be a single.

I also told the guitarist that I thought his off-the-wall, 15-second solo (at the 3:03 mark) really fit the song well, but he says he was “just wankin’ around”.

Have a listen:

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