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Podcast Host Janda (2:01)

Welcome to the behind the Song podcast,

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taking you deeper into classic rock's most timeless tunes. Here's your host, Janda. I'm Janda, and in this bonus episode of the behind the Song podcast, powered by Chick Fil A, I'm talking about an instrument that's often the butt of the joke, yet is responsible for one of our more interesting moments in pop culture. I'm talking, of course, about the cowbell. It's easy to think of just as a meme. Christopher Walken in a turtleneck demanding more cowbell on the famous Saturday Night Live sketch. But before it was an Internet sensation. The cowbell was a secret weapon for drummers looking to add that bite to the groove, especially in the 70s. Let's tap into what went into making that famous sketch and take a look at the classic rock bands that proved you you can never have enough clank in the song. The cowbell sketch first aired on Saturday night live on April 8, 2000. Guest host Christopher Watkins steps into the shoes of the producer character, the Bruce Dickinson. And opposite him was the sketch's creator, Will Ferrell as Jean Frankel, a fictitious midriff bearing percussionist for Blue Oyster Cult. The sketch was a pitch perfect parody of VH1's behind the Music at the time. The premise was simple. The band was recording Don't Fear the Reaper and Frankel was annoying his bandmates with aggressive cowbell playing. But every time the band stops to complain, Dickinson delivers the line that launched a thousand T shirts. I got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell. Who could forget it? Interestingly, the sketch wasn't an instant hit. It actually took the 2003 DVD release of the Best of Will Ferrell for it to go trul. By 2004, the term more cowbell was in the Urban Dictionary. For Christopher Walken, the fever never broke. Will Ferrell later shared a story on Jimmy Fallon about visiting Walken backstage at a play years later where Walken told him that he had ruined his life. He joked that it had gotten to the point that when he went out for Italian food, the waiter asked if he wanted more cowbell with his pasta bolognese. Watkins said that he hears about it everywhere he goes to this day, which has got to be somewhat frustrating for an actor who won an Oscar for his role in the Deer Hunter. While Jean Frankel is a myth, the cowbell on the actual Blue Oyster Cult track is very real. But Blue Oyster Cult never actually played the cowbell live until the sketch became such a phenomenon. Buck Dharma told Vulture in 2020 that it's a tiny cross to bear that they had to start including it in their live concerts. It eventually got so popular that they had to ban fans from bringing their own cowbells to shows because the noise was deafening. As for the TV famous cowbell, it's still in the NBC prop closet vault. However, Buck Dharma eventually auctioned off a cowbell used during the actual 1976 studio sessions with Blue Oyster Cult. The winner was Rick French, a trustee for the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. The price tag remains a mystery, but the legacy is totally priceless. So where did the humble cowbell come from the farm? Of course. Cow herders would attach them to livestock to track them, and the cowbell first was used as a musical instrument in Latin and Cuban music in integrated into mambos and salsas to drive that rhythm and give the music a swing. It then was incorporated into classical music in the early 20th century. You can hear it in Alpine Symphony, composed by Richard Strauss to give the music a country atmosphere. It began to be embraced by jazz percussionists in the 1920s, and one of the first rock songs to feature the cowbell was Buddy Holly's Heartbeat, released in 1958. By the late 60s and early 70s, the cowbell was everywhere. The Rolling Stones embraced it on Honky Tonk Women in 1969. Reportedly, Charlie Watts couldn't quite get the off kilter feel that producer Jimmy Miller wanted for the song, so Miller played the cowbell himself and gave it that funky, slightly drunk sounding vibe. Mountain made powerful use of it on Mississippi Queen in 1970. Corky Lang's aggressive cowbell count in is as famous as the guitar riff in the song. Grand Funk Railroad put it to good use in we're an American Band in 1973. Don Brewer sang lead and handled the party rock sound of the cowbell there, bright, upbeat, and it gave the universal signal to turn the volume up to 11. And then of course, Blue Oyster Cult ended up making the cowbell damn near immortal by way of the SNL sketch through no fault of their own. If you're still catching the fever at this point, you need to add these to your listening. Cue Creedence Clearwater Revival used cowbell on Born on the Bayou and Down on the Corner. War's Low Rider really wouldn't be the same song without it. Van Halen came to the cowbell party on Dance the Night Away and Guns N Roses amped up Night Train with a cow that was cowbell with an attitude. Hair of the Dog by Nazareth Stone Free by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Fog Hats, fool for the City, all cowbell songs. I'm sure you can think of more. Whether it's a cure for any kind of fever or not, one thing is clear. The cowbell has become, over time, an important little heartbeat in rock music. Thanks for listening to this episode of behind the Song. If you like it, subscribe. Or better yet, tell a friend. Thanks to Christian Lane you hear on these podcast episodes on the Way much more classic rock and roll and maybe just a little more cowbell. Hey, Chicago Chick Fil a has your new favorite beverage. Sip on something new and try a Strawberry Hibiscus and Sprite Lemonade, Frosted Lemonade or Sunjoy. Made with natural strawberry and hibiscus flavors, the new Strawberry Hibiscus Lemonade is a mix of classic Chick Fil? 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