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One of the hurdles faced during the song’s inception was its length. The track stretched over five minutes, making radio stations hesitant to play it, given the industry norm of around three minutes per song. Richard recounts how they attempted editing efforts to shorten it, but nothing felt right. The key breakthrough came when they learned that radio programmers often didn't scrutinize song durations too closely—especially if the song was compelling enough. To navigate this, they employed a strategy reminiscent of Phil Spector’s "Wall of Sound" tactic—sending a slightly longer tape and relying on the fact that radio stations might not notice a few extra minutes. Remarkably, "Broken Wings" went on to become a number one hit, proving that creative integrity can triumph over industry constraints.