Merryweather continued recording demos of his new songs with various members of Mama Lion. Merryweather invited friend and fellow label artist Billy Joel to the studio to play on some songs. At the time Joel was performing in a downtown Los Angeles bar under the name 'Bill Martin' in an effort to continue playing live, while hiding from Ripp and his label. On the second of two nights that Joel joined Merryweather in the studio they recorded Joel's "Piano Man" for the first time. Merryweather gave Joel the tape of the recording and it was used the next day to get Joel his recording contract with Columbia Records.