Steve Miller ‘Jet Airliner’ The Song You Never Knew Was a Cover

The story of Steve Miller 'Jet Airliner' is about a song that soared to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a staple of classic rock radio. While many associate the track with Steve Miller's signature style, its origins trace back to a lesser-known artist, Paul Pena. 'Jet Airliner' is technically a cover song.

Paul Pena, a blind blues-rock singer from Cape Cod, wrote "Jet Airliner" in 1973 for his album New Train. Rockreflections.com tells the story of Pena's disputes with his label. The result: the album remained unreleased until 2000. Pena's version of the song was deeply personal, reflecting his frustrations with the music industry and his experiences during a recording session in New York. Here's Paul performing the song on Conan O'Brien.

Paul passed away four years after his appearance on Conan O'Brien.

Steve Miller first encountered Pena's unreleased album through Ben Sidran, who had produced it and was formerly a member of Steve Miller's band. Recognizing the potential of "Jet Airliner," Miller decided to record his own version during the sessions for his 1976 album Fly Like an Eagle. The song was eventually included in Miller's 1977 album Book of Dreams.

Steve Miller spoke with Ultimateclassicrock in an interview saying that he felt that Pena's original was "very long, verse after verse after verse of anger." Steve Miller is the master crafter of radio-friendly songs. He asked Pena for permission to reshape the song and got it. The lyrics were restructured, verses condensed, and the tone was adjusted to make it more radio-friendly. Miller also emphasized the main guitar riff, giving it a more prominent role in the song's mix.

"Jet Airliner" became the Steve Miller Band's third consecutive Top 10 hit in a seven-month stretch, peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song's success helped solidify Miller's status in the rock music scene and the royalties became Paul Pena's primary source of income.

In 2000, Paul Pena's original version of "Jet Airliner" was released as part of his album New Train. While it didn't achieve the commercial success of Steve Miller's rendition, the song was praised by critics and fans alike. It also introduced listeners to Pena's unique voice and songwriting.