CHRIS HAYES

GW catches up with the guitarist whose stellar solos and riffs graced Huey Lewis and the News' era-defining songs, including "I Want a New Drug" and "The Power of Love"

- Joe Bosso

CHRIS HAYES CAN'T get away from his old band. No matter where he goes or what he does - he can be out for a drive or watching a movie, or maybe shopping at the supermarket - he'll hear one of their tunes. Sometimes it's "I Want a New Drug." Other times it's "The Power of Love" or "The Heart of Rock & Roll." There's lots more - "Workin' for a Livin'," "Heart and Soul," "If This Is It," and on it goes. It's almost as if The Best of Huey Lewis and the News is on constant rotation in the ether.

Hayes isn't complaining. "It's always exciting whenever I hear one of our songs," he says. "When they play your music at the supermarket, you know you've arrived - they only program stuff that people want to hear. They used to play Muzak versions of our stuff, which was kind of weird. But now that Muzak's gone, they play the original recordings."

The guitarist claims not to have a favorite, but he does admit to feeling a particular thrill whenever he hears his shotgun-like slide of the riff that kickstarts "I Want a New Drug." "I'll be in a store and I'll hear that opening part, and it's like 'All right!'" he says with a laugh. "The funny thing is, I'll be standing right next to somebody who doesn't know who I am at all. And that's fine - I don't have an ego about that sort of thing. I just like hearing the music. It really holds up."