Buzz Knight on Takin A Walk with a look at Music History for the week of 12-8

Summary

---

Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight

Buzz Knight on Takin’ A Walk: A Look at Music History for the Week of 12-8

Date: December 8, 2025
Host: Buzz Knight | Guest: Harry Jacobs (“Master/Maestro of Music Mayhem”)

---

Episode Overview

This edition of Takin' A Walk’s “This Week in Music History” revisits pivotal and emotional moments in music history for the week of December 8th. Buzz Knight and recurring guest Harry Jacobs (“Master of Music Mayhem”) recall iconic losses, major releases, and the enduring cultural impact of artists and albums—from John Lennon’s assassination and the legacy of Otis Redding to Beatles rarities, memorabilia tales, and the soundtrack moments that defined eras. With a warm, nostalgic, and conversational tone, Buzz and Harry blend deep musical knowledge with personal anecdotes and lighthearted banter.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Remembering John Lennon: December 8, 1980

• Event: The assassination of John Lennon outside The Dakota in NYC.

  • Harry frames December 8 as a “tough note” in music history, recounting the day’s tragic events and Mark David Chapman’s motives ([04:56]).
  • Personal recollections from both hosts—where they were and how they learned the news.
    Harry: “I remember my grandmother waking me and telling me… just being in shock.” ([06:26])
    Buzz: “I was with my wife to be… And our annoying neighbor Neil was actually the one who told us.” ([06:40]–[08:02])
  • Reflections on Lennon’s enduring impact as an artist and activist, and speculation on what he'd be doing in today’s world ([08:18]).

  “The impact that Lennon had as an activist, as an artist… was second to none. And this cut short a life for no reason other than a mental health issue.”
  —Harry Jacobs ([08:33])

• Visiting The Dakota & Strawberry Fields:

  • Buzz describes the haunting experience of seeing the actual entrance and the mixed mood of mourning and celebration at Strawberry Fields in Central Park ([09:24]–[11:10]).
  • Notable for capturing how physical places tied to history continue to evoke strong emotions.

2. The Beatles in the 1990s: ‘Free as a Bird’ Release

• Event: Release of “Free as a Bird” (Dec 1995), the first new Beatles music in 24 years ([11:10]).

  • Buzz talks through initial skepticism, growing appreciation, and subsequent ambivalence to later “unearthed” Beatles releases ([11:45]–[13:04]).

  “I was cool at first with ‘Free as a Bird’… Now, over time, I'm like, enough of this. Can we leave the band for what we remember them for?”
  —Buzz Knight ([12:28])

  • Harry: Global curiosity, but found the song underwhelming. Questions its legacy—“Not Ticket to Ride… will it stand the test of time?… Not really.” ([13:04])

3. Beatles Collectibles & Memorabilia

• Discussion: Fan “tchotchkes” sent out with Anthology albums in the ‘90s (pins quoting Beatles lyrics)—Harry still has a stash ([14:03]–[15:25]).

  • Buzz’s anecdote about inheriting a Beatles ukulele, almost selling it for $2,500, then holding out and seeing its value plummet over time ([15:40]–[18:18]).
  • Light-hearted pitch to listeners for offers on Beatles memorabilia ([18:24]).

  “Let this be a lesson… as the full collection is where it's going to be worth something… My Beatles ukulele went from $2,500 to not even $75.”
  —Buzz Knight ([18:17])

4. Music History Events Rundown (December 8–14)

a. The Blues Brothers’ SNL Debut (Dec 9)

• Harry traces their rise from SNL skit to bona fide band, thanks to Howard Shore’s encouragement and contributions from legendary musicians ([19:25]–[22:19]).

• Backstory of the “Briefcase Full of Blues” album and the impact of the film—one of the most expensive comedies due to car chases and Belushi’s behavior ([23:17]).

  “The whole Blues Brothers thing led to the movie, which was one of the most expensive… they wrecked 60 old police cars…”
  —Harry Jacobs ([23:16])

• Memorable mention of John Belushi’s acrobatics and influence on Chris Farley ([22:12]–[22:19]).

b. Otis Redding’s Plane Crash (Dec 10, 1967)

• Crash near Madison, Wisconsin—Redding had just recorded “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” three days earlier ([25:29]).

  • He planned to re-record vocals and redo the whistling—the released version was raw.
  • Noted for his genre-crossing Monterey Pop performance and behind-the-scenes production work ([26:05]).

  “‘(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,’ I think, stands the test of time.”
  —Buzz Knight ([26:05])

c. Wings Over America: Paul McCartney’s Triple Live Album (Dec 10, 1976)

• Discussion of its rushed release due to a bootleg, McCartney’s obsessive work ethic, and the rarity of triple live albums ([26:14]–[27:25]).

  • Bootleg story: “Wings from Wings” in colored vinyl is now a rare collectible.

  “McCartney sat and listened to every single one, picked the best one… made the entire album sound like it was one night from 8,000 hours of recordings…”
  —Harry Jacobs ([27:25])

d. More Notable Events

• Beatles hit #1 with ‘I Feel Fine’; Genesis releases ‘Foxtrot’ (1972): Reflections on their evolution and prog rock love ([29:15]).

  • Memorable concert experiences and appreciation for both Peter Gabriel and post-Gabriel eras.

• Marconi’s First Transatlantic Radio Signal (Dec 12, 1901):

  • Playful quip from Harry about Buzz working “afternoon drive for Marconi” ([31:13]–[31:42]).

• Jimi Hendrix Records ‘Foxy Lady’ (Dec 13, 1966):

  • Song’s aggressive style, legendary Monterey Pop performance, and Hendrix’s signature guitar-burning antics ([32:00]–[32:56]).

• David Bowie Releases ‘Hunky Dory’ (Dec 1971):

  • Both hosts confess lack of familiarity with the deeper cuts, but recall “Changes” and “Life on Mars” ([33:16]–[34:27]).

• The Clash Releases ‘London Calling’ (Dec 14, 1979):

  • Double album, hidden track “Train in Vain”—a clever twist ([34:31]).

• ‘Saturday Night Fever’ Premiere (Dec 14, 1977):

  • Impact on disco culture, John Travolta, and the Bee Gees. Reminiscence on the once-maligned soundtrack now acclaimed for its strong songs ([35:01]–[36:45]).

  “I mean, I'm gonna admit… me in the anti-disco, anti-pop mode that I was… kind of pushed that aside. But now, especially all those Bee Gees songs… Love them.”
  —Buzz Knight ([36:23])

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “December 8th was the day that John Lennon was shot… on so many levels, it’s just so awful.” —Harry Jacobs ([04:56])
• “We don’t hear ‘Free as a Bird’ anywhere… Will it stand the test of time? Not really.” —Harry Jacobs ([13:04])
• “[The Blues Brothers] was a skit on SNL… but it was kind of a blues R&B supergroup at the time.” —Harry Jacobs ([20:43])
• “McCartney mixed it himself… took 90 hours of music out of 8,000…” —Harry Jacobs ([27:25])
• “I'm embarrassed with this one, by the way… ‘Changes’ and ‘Life on Mars’ we certainly know.” —Buzz Knight, on Bowie’s ‘Hunky Dory’ ([34:08])

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• John Lennon’s Tragic Death & Personal Recollections: [04:56]–[11:10]
• Beatles – ‘Free As a Bird’ Release & Beatles Memorabilia: [11:10]–[18:24]
• Blues Brothers’ SNL Debut to Supergroup & Film: [19:25]–[23:17]
• Otis Redding’s Final Days: [25:29]–[26:14]
• Wings Over America – Triple Live Album Story: [26:14]–[27:25]
• Genesis, Early and Late: [29:15]–[31:13]
• Jimi Hendrix/Foxy Lady: [32:00]–[32:56]
• Bowie’s ‘Hunky Dory’: [33:16]–[34:27]
• The Clash: ‘London Calling’, ‘Train in Vain’: [34:31]–[34:56]
• Saturday Night Fever: Bee Gees & Cultural Impact: [35:01]–[36:45]

---

Tone & Style

Conversational, knowledgeable, nostalgic, with humor and a spirit of genuine musical fandom. Hosts share both critical perspective and personal memories, making the musical history relevant, lively, and at times gently self-deprecating.

---

Summary for Listeners

This episode is a heartfelt guided walk through some of music's most important (and personal) December anniversaries, blending firsthand memories, collector tales, and musicological deep dives. You'll learn not just what happened, but why it still matters—and what it felt like to live through these milestones. Whether you're a collector, a historian, or just a music lover, Buzz and Harry’s friendly debate and stories bring history to life.

---

Transcript

[Sophie Cunningham]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Taking a Walk Host]

Guaranteed Human this episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply.

[Sophie Cunningham]

This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snored loudly, or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at don'tsleep onosa.com this information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company.

[Pets Best Insurance Announcer]

The following ad is sponsored by PET's Best Insurance Services. You knew right away he's perfect. The one for you. Those puppy dog eyes, that cute little button nose. You don't even mind the drool. When you find your perfect match in a dog or cat, the love is unconditional. Your budget, on the other hand, has realistic limits. Help protect your heart and your wallet with Pet insurance from Pets Best. With plans starting from less than a dollar a day, you can get up to 90% cash back on eligible vet bills. Pets Best makes it easy to pick a plan that works for you and your bank account. Find the perfect match for your Perfect [e-mail] Pet insurance products offered and administered by PetsBest Insurance Services, LLC or underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company or Independence American Insurance Company for terms and conditions, visit www.petsbest.com. policy products are underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company, Independence American Insurance Company or Ms. Transverse Insur and administered by Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC. $1.00 a day premium based on 2024 average new policyholder data for accident and illness plans. Pets Age 0 to 10 this is.

[Matt Rogers]

Matt Rogers from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers And Bowen Yang. This is Bowen Yang from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. Hey, Bowen. It's gift season. Ugh. Stressing me out. Why are the people I love so hard to shop for? Probably because they only make boring gift guides that are totally uninspired. Except for the guide we made in partnership with Marshalls, where premium gifts meet incredible value. It's giving gifts with categories like best gifts for the mom whose idea of a sensible walking shoe is a stiletto, or best gifts for me that were so thoughtful I really shouldn't have. Check out the guide on marshalls.com and gift the good stuff at Marshalls.

[IBM AI Advertiser]

So you're telling me that the AI that's meant to make everyone's job easier to manage just adds more to manage on. On top of the thousands of apps the IT department already manages, Funny how that works. Any business can add AI. IBM helps you scale and manage AI to change how you do business. Let's create Smile to Business IBM.

[Buzz Knight]

I'm Buzz Knight, and welcome to the.

[Taking a Walk Host]

Taking a Walk podcast.

[Buzz Knight]

And welcome to another edition of this Week in Music History. This is for the week of December 8th, and I'm gonna go to the master of music mayhem that has stuck or the maestro Music Mayhem. Which one do you prefer?

[Harry Jacobs]

Master Music Mayhem Master. Because I'm not a maestro. I'm a hack rhythm guitar player. But I believe I am the master of mayhem.

[Buzz Knight]

I'll take that because I like Maestro of Music Mayhem. I don't really have an issue with that. Because you are. You're. There's a maestro factor to you.

[Harry Jacobs]

Tiny little bit of a maestro.

[Buzz Knight]

I don't know. I declare differently because when people listen to the Taking a Walk podcast, and it opens with what I know affectionately is Harry's Theme, I mean, that's a maestro thing.

[Harry Jacobs]

Hey, yeah, yeah, it's there. Absolutely.

[Buzz Knight]

Thank you. All right. All right. Well, thank you. And let's take a look at the week of December 8th and this week in music history.

[Harry Jacobs]

This is, you know, we start on a tough note for you music historians. December 8th was the day that John Lennon was shot outside the Dakota in New York City. And this is, you know, on so many levels, it's just so awful. What I want to do is I want to kind of take you through that day. Early in the day, Mark David Chapman, who was the shooter man that ended John Lennon's life, he approached John Lennon and got his copy of Double Fantasy, the album that had just been released, signed that day. He was talkative with Lennon as talkative as he could be. But he was inside enraged at Lennon for Lennon's behavior, in his opinion, including the comment about the Beatles being bigger than Jesus from years and years before that, 15 years before that, when, when Lennon had said that. And he went back to the Dakota at, you know, 11 o' clock at night and laid in wait for John Lennon and those that were watching Monday Night Football. And even if you didn't watch Monday Night Football, we can all see that clip of Howard Cosell. This is something. As a 14 year old kid I didn't really grasp the full impact of it. I remember staying at my grandparents house. My folks were on some trip somewhere and I was sequestered away in Shrewsbury, Mass. But I remember my grandmother waking me and telling me the story at 11 o' clock at night and just being in shock. Where were you when this happened?

[Buzz Knight]

I was in Woodbury, Connecticut, believe it or not. I was with my wife to be at our.

Apartment. Yes, we were living in sin.

And.

I think in the background maybe the football game was on, but wasn't paying really much attention to it. And we had a neighbor. I want to, I won't mention his name because I don't want to speak ill of someone who can't defend themselves, but let's just say he was an annoying neighbor. He actually was a co worker at the time too, who sold time at the radio station that I worked at, I95, so I'm giving it away, but I'm not going to mention his name, I promise you. But an annoying.

Man. So he comes downstairs to our apartment and knocks on the door and usually we were like, oh, what's he doing here?

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, right.

[Buzz Knight]

And he is the one that said, did you just hear what happened? John Lennon's been shot. So he, he, this, this guy named Neil.

[Harry Jacobs]

He was. You said you weren't going to give his name and I'm not going to.

[Buzz Knight]

Give his last name, but I'll call him Neil. But anyway, yeah, he was the one that revealed it and just a complete and utter shock, you know, just the, the most shocking news you could possibly hear.

[Harry Jacobs]

The world was in shock, you know, when this happened that the impact that Lennon had as a, an activist, as an artist, as, as a, as a man was.

You know, was second to none. And, and this cut short of life for no reason other than a mental health issue. Right, that's what it boils down to. This was premeditated. This was, you know, probably someone who deserved the worst of the worst in terms of punishment. But it. It's a mental health issue and, you know, at its core, an incredible tragedy to have cut his life so short. I would imagine that he would be deeply involved with what's happening in the world at this point. If he were still alive.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, no doubt he would be doing something. I don't know what it would be, but you're right. I think he would be involved musically, socially, you know, somehow.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah.

[Buzz Knight]

I have to tell you that.

Last year.

My wife and I were. Were in New York City.

You know, at the time of this. It's, you know, anniversary. I don't even know the correct word. Anniversary of the tragedy. And I had always walked by and seen the Dakota from another vantage point.

In front. And on this trip, we walked on the side street of the Dakota. And I had never seen until last year that spot, which, you know, is that walkway, driveway, whatever entrance point. And it was incredibly chilling seeing it from that point. I had, you know, obviously read the account and seen what had happened. But very eerie seeing it, you know, from that vantage point. But then on the other side there, walking through Central park and Strawberry Fields, it was, you know, also. It was sad, but it was also celebratory as. As you had, you know, a little band playing, you know, Beatles songs, playing on one corner and, you know, another side, a solo artist playing music. You had this kind of interesting morning, but celebration of his life that was going on. It was a beautiful day. And so just, you know, passing that perspective along because it was a different view certainly that I had never seen before, you know.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, it would. A day that's going down in history. One of the saddest days of music. No question about that. Let's continue. On 1995, the Beatles released Free as a Bird. You and I work together. This is one of those things. Was a big day. Hey, we're both big BEETLE fans.

[Buzz Knight]

We were.

[Harry Jacobs]

WZLX in Boston. And Free as a Bird was released. The first piece of new beatles music in 24 years. Thoughts from that day. Thoughts about that song, thoughts about.

[Buzz Knight]

I remember having some apprehension about when Free as a Bird came out, but yet kind of listening and thinking, okay, I think this is pretty cool that this is out so many years later. As we know now, this would be the beginning of other releases like that that were unearthed and put out years after the, you know, the Beatles obviously had stopped recording. So then as I, over time got to sort of listen to Free As a Bird and evaluate, I think the reaction it was. That was pretty cool. The first release of something.

That was unearthed and then put out into the marketplace. Now, subsequently, years later, with more of those coming out, I think we could both give a collective eye roll to kind of go, oh, really? I know you need to sell the catalog. That's why this is coming out. But I don't know if you feel the same way. So I was cool at first with. Not at first with Free as a Bird. Then I grew to. To think that was pretty cool. And then now, over time, I'm like, enough of this. Can we leave the band for what we remember them for? But how do you feel about that?

[Harry Jacobs]

There was a natural curiosity from all of us, obviously around the world, not just you and I, but everybody with what it's going to sound like, what will this be like? You know? And it was. I think even at the beginning, I was underwhelmed with it. Right away I thought, well, it's okay. Not Ticket to Ride. It's not Help. It's not sergeant Peppers. It's not one of our favorites. And I don't know that it's going to end up being one of our favorites. Right. Will it stand the test of Time? And I think the truth is, not really. We don't hear Freezeburg anywhere. Yeah, there were some.

[Buzz Knight]

I probably haven't listened to it since that moment, you know?

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, right. There were some interesting things that happened around the Beatles at that time in these releases of these Anthology albums. You're familiar with the term chaffke?

[Buzz Knight]

Very much so.

[Harry Jacobs]

The tchotchke is the item that we might get, we might pick up somewhere. The Beatles sent a bunch of tchotchkes. The Beatles of the estate sent a bunch of tchotchkes out. With these Anthology albums, one of the things was pins. You remember the pins that they sent out?

[Buzz Knight]

Yes, I do.

[Harry Jacobs]

I have a bag of them in my kitchen from 1995, 30 years ago at this point, I've been schlepping these tchotchkes around, waiting for an opportunity to talk about them. But these pins were black and white, and these pins had the Beatles logo in white. And then there were these sayings on them. Help, I need somebody.

I'd love to turn you on From A Day in the Life song lyrics. Another one. I've got to admit, it's getting better all the time. And then my favorite, we all live in a yellow submarine. And they're really kind of cool. I've got 10 or 15 of them in a. In a Ziploc bag, sit in my kitchen. I don't know that I'll ever do anything where I should probably put them up somewhere. But it was kind of cool to get a little something out of the Beatles estate at that point in time.

[Buzz Knight]

You.

[Harry Jacobs]

You gave those to me.

[Buzz Knight]

Have you checked the marketplace for those?

[Harry Jacobs]

You know, it's a good question, and. And I haven't. But I can tell you the first thing I do when we're done with this week is I'm going to ebay to see what those things might fetch.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, you should. I'm going to tell you a sad tale about Beatles memorabilia. And let this be a lesson. If what you see on ebay indicates that the collection. Because I think as the. As the full collection is where it's going to be worth something, whether it's 25 cents or $25 or $2,500. My late father in law, he gave to me a Beatles ukulele, which was one of those pieces of memorabilia, of the many pieces of memorabilia that over their career, the Beatles would be part of. They had the bobblehead dolls, and the ukulele was one of those. Unbeknownst to my wife.

She didn't realize that her father had given me that Beatles ukulele because I think she thought it was hers or whatever, or maybe her sister thought it, whatever. But I said, no, he gave it to me. It ended up in the basement. And our basement, to this day, is still horrible. It's a crime scene. And so the Beatles ukulele was in there with. The cat would puke on it or almost puke on it. So I started thinking, well, wait a minute, I gotta have a little bit of respect here. So I went to a Beatles memorabilia show. It was a. It was a music memorabilia show. And obviously the part of it was the Beatles stuff being sold or whatever. Appraised. I forget which hotel I went to. Went there with my daughter, actually. So I was offered on the spa then $2,500 for that Beatles ukulele. And of course, Mr. Big Shot here goes.

[Harry Jacobs]

Whoa. Well, I'm not.

[Buzz Knight]

No, I'm going to hold on to that, because everybody's whole posture would be, hold on to that. That's going to be worth more, right? So did nothing with it, Took it out of the basement where the cat could puke on it, and actually took some care of it, thinking, there's going to be a moment where that thing's going to be worth more, maybe doubled. And lo and behold, a couple of years ago, I went to get it appraised.

[Harry Jacobs]

And I'm not Sure.

[Buzz Knight]

It would even have fetched $75 at that point. Wow.

[Harry Jacobs]

Isn't that interesting?

[Buzz Knight]

So now if anybody's listening and they want to make an offer on Harry's beetle pins or they want to talk about the Beatles ukulele, we're all ears, right, Harry?

[Harry Jacobs]

We are all ears. So happy to entertain any offers on any of that.

[Buzz Knight]

Yep.

[Harry Jacobs]

1987, this was a big day in history. Reagan and Gorbachev basically signed off on that nuclear deal, the INF nuclear deal. And that marked the end of the Cold War. Big and important day. December 9th, the next day. This was kind of an interesting day in history. And it relates to the Blues Brothers. This is kind of a neat story. The Blues Brothers made their debut on Saturday Night Live. At this point. This was essentially something that started out as a parody. Think about what it was. It was a skit on snl. The reason that it went from parody to an actual band is that at the bar they were playing at. Howard Shore, who ended up being the musical director of snl, saw Aykroyd and Belushi playing out one night and thought, oh, this could actually be something. Belushi and Ackroyd surrounded themselves with Paul Schaefer and Lou Marini and Duck Dunn and Steve Cropper. Dunn and Cropper were, were on the Stacks sessions, most famously Soul Man Booker T and the mgs Green Onions, they were in the middle of those. And Bellucci and Ackroyd attracted really world class musician musicians on this. And it turned into an album that did unbelievable numbers for something that was, in a way, a parody. But it was kind of a. A blues R and B super group at the time. And that led to, you know, an album that hit the charts and did far more than anyone anticipated it. Briefcase Full of Blues. Remember Rubber Biscuit?

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, yeah. Bow, bow, bow.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Buzz Knight]

And you go hungry. Bow, bow, bow.

[Harry Jacobs]

That's right. I, I gotta pull that. I should have, I should have. I should have gone down that rabbit hole today. A biscuit rabbit hole.

[Buzz Knight]

By the way, where was Tom Bones Malone in that? Do you know Tom Bones Malone? I had him on the podcast. He eventually was a member of the Blues Brothers. He was part of the Saturday Night Live band. Great trombone player. Played with blood, sweat and tears. He's played with just about everybody. But where, where was he? He. Was he part of that early or did he come on later? I think he came on later. Tom Bones Malone.

[Harry Jacobs]

I, I think there were, you know, there were probably a group of guys that were added after the fact. I think when they recorded and. And when they ended up going. Because they did some shows. Oh, yeah. To support. To support briefcase and. And I think Bones was one of the guys that was brought in afterwards. I think. I. I think Matt Guitar Murphy. Yep. Was part of that legendary scene in the movie. Scenes in the movie. He was married to Aretha Franklin, who was running that diner. Remember when Jake and Elwood went into the diner and Jake said, I'll have four whole fried chickens and a Coke? Yes. Right.

[Buzz Knight]

One of my favorite things that they did, too, was when they would do the whole acrobatics thing. When they would. They would be, you know, like, flipping and doing handstands and all that. I love that.

[Harry Jacobs]

And it was him, right? It was Belushi. This was. This was, you know, pre Chris Farley. Farley got his inspiration. Oh, yeah.

[Buzz Knight]

From.

[Harry Jacobs]

From watching Belushi. Belushi's this guy that was larger than life with those acrobatics. A quick kind of aside. I'm a. You know, I'm a big UFC fan. I watch the fights all the time. There's a guy who fights in the UFC by the name of Chris Barnett. The guy's like 5, 9 and 265 pounds. He has to cut weight to get into the fights at the fight limit, the heavyweight fight limit. Barnett's a. The human tick. He's built like Belushi. And this guy does cartwheels and the splits. And I'm thinking, this is like John Belushi. This is unbelievable. You don't expect it to come from a guy like that.

[Buzz Knight]

I have a request for the next episode that we record. Would you start the episode by coming on, doing some of those acrobatics?

[Harry Jacobs]

I cannot do acronym, any sort of acrobatics. As a matter of fact, if I went down to do the splits, we might need to call a record to get me off the ground. So, no, there'll be no acrobatics. And I'm, like, likely to break something that way.

[Buzz Knight]

Darn.

[Harry Jacobs]

Anyway, the whole. The whole Blues Brothers thing led to the movie, which was one of the most expensive movies that was made, certainly comedy at the time, because they wrecked. I mean, there's some interesting facts about this. 40 different stunt drivers, 60 old police cars. The Dixie Square Mall, which it was shuttered at the time, that's the mall they drove through. You know, it's just an incredible amount of work. And the. The other issue that came up with the Blues Brothers is that the cost of that movie skyrocketed because Belushi was using a lot at that point in time and he was constantly late for production and that pushed production back. And it's sad that that was something that led to huge production costs. But imagine getting, you know, look at the credits on a movie like that. Imagine having 100 or 200 people show up to work that day and your star is recovering from a hangover. So at any rate, amazing movie. The music, to me, the music has stood the test of time. I can, I could hear Rubber Biscuit right now in my head and I'm thinking that's probably what I'm gonna do this afternoon is put on briefcase, pull the blues and listen to some of those songs. But the album was great. I remember listening to it with my dad. I, I loved it the next day. December 10th was a sad day for music. In 1967, Otis Redding was in a plane crash with the Bar ks. This happened near Madison, Wisconsin. Life was cut short. From a timing perspective, understand that DACA the Bay had just been recorded three days before that hadn't even come out. There were some interesting things that happened around Doc of the Bay. His plan was to go in and add some additional vocals. He was also going to redo the whistling at the end. And it ended up being put out as it was put out. A couple of other things to think about here. His appearance at the Monterey pop festival in 67 was a career defining moment. He as a, as a black R and B artist was introduced to a completely new audience, a white rock audience. And it was a, a big moment for him. He did a cover of Satisfaction Stone Song at that event. And another thing I found out that I didn't realize is that he was an instrumental producer in, in those days. And I had no idea that he was a behind the scenes production kind of guy. I just thought he was a singer songwriter and, and that's where we left it with Otis. But interesting facts about Otis Redding. Totally.

[Buzz Knight]

And that song sitting on the dock of the Bay, I think, you know, stands the test of time.

[Harry Jacobs]

I would completely agree with that. December 10th of 1976, McCartney and Wings ended up releasing Wings Over America. This was a big deal. I can't think of how many triple albums there were in music history, but certainly in terms of a live album, I, I don't think of another triple live album that came out. The folklore ON that was McCartney's hand was actually held or beat were, were put to the flames as they would say, because there was a bootleg album allegedly released at that time and it Was called. Let me get this right. It was called Wings from Wings. And this was a full concert album that was released by a bootlegger on colored vinyl. So they were rushed to release Wings Over America. That's how. That's. That's what the legend is about about that album.

[Buzz Knight]

You talk about those memorabilia. If you get a hold of a copy of that bootleg, I'll bet that's worth something.

[Harry Jacobs]

You know, listen, I would completely agree with that. This is how we. We, you know, we hear stories about how painful Springsteen is and how he was in the studio back in those days. They collected 8,000 hours of live recordings. McCartney mixed it himself. They took 90 hours worth of music out of the 8,000 McCartney sat in the studio, they listened to. They had four, five different versions of every song. And McCartney sat and listened to every single one, picked the best one. They remixed them, and they made the entire album sound like it was one night. But it was from. Culled down from 8,000 hours of recordings from that tour in 1975. I think is. Is when the tour actually happened. Crazy story about that. I mean, McCartney was. Was and is a, you know, a madman. And. And that album, I love that. I mean, it has a. My favorite version of maybe I'm Amazed is. Is the live version, but there were a whole bunch of great songs there, and there were a couple of Beatles songs. Right? He did a couple of Beatles songs on there. I think maybe Yesterday and Bluebird were. Were on that, but the rest of it was. Was his stuff. We go to the next day, another Beatles story. Beatles hit number one with I Feel Fine. Another great different kind of sounding fun song. And Genesis in 72 released Foxtrot. That was their fifth album at the time. They'd been around for. For some time at. At that point in 72, which is a million years ago.

[Buzz Knight]

That's crazy to think about that.

[Harry Jacobs]

Wow. Were you a fan of the early Genesis music?

[Buzz Knight]

Yes, but the one that comes to mind was the song Watcher of the Skies and. And then I liked. I mean, this would obviously be the Peter Gabriel era with, you know, Carpet Crawlers and the Lamb, but that. That would be. That's compared to what you just said. That's years after they had been around. You know.

[Harry Jacobs]

Land Lies down on Broadway is one of my favorite songs. I mean, I really feel like, you know, that's just a great, great song. And that band got better over time that, you know, without Peter Gabriel even, you know, think about, you know, turn It On Again and Mama and like, where they were in the. In the late 70s, early 80s. I really enjoyed a lot of that music.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, still, still do. We love the Prague rock. And I think I might have told you this. One of the greatest shows I ever saw was Genesis on the Trick of the Tail tour at the Ohio Theater in Columbus. So this was after Peter Gabriel had just left and they had the double drumming. Phil Collins and the great Bill Bruford. One of my favorite drummers of all time. And I just remember that show like it was yesterday. And it was one of the great. Seeing them at that venue was unbelievable. But seeing them to support Trick of the Tale, one of my favorites from them, album wise. Every song is great. It was spectacular.

[Harry Jacobs]

I really have an appreciation for Genesis as well. Not the early stuff, but you know, as time went on, you know, not from your era. From my era.

[Buzz Knight]

Era.

I'm sorry, my Teddy Kennedy imitation.

[Harry Jacobs]

That's okay because you're about to get another shot across the bow. You're about to take two in the back of the head. 1901, December 12, Marconi sent the first transatlantic radio signal from Cornwall to Newfoundland. Buzz, true or false. You worked afternoon drive for Marconi on that radio station where he sent that first Transatlantic signal in 1901. Afternoon drive under the name Bob Kosak. The Kosak show. True or false?

[Buzz Knight]

False. I was a board op.

[Harry Jacobs]

But anyway, that happened. Historic day. Marconi, obviously we. You and I wouldn't know each other without Marconi. Right. The father of radio.

[Buzz Knight]

Got that right.

[Harry Jacobs]

On December 13, the next day, 19.

Jimi Hendrix recorded Foxy Lady. This was, you know, an aggressive sounding like most of his music was a. Was a great aggressive sounding, different sounding song. All the guitar effects and stuff he used A couple of interesting facts. It was done at. At CBS in London. The, the version on the album was the first take the band did, which is surprising.

Also. First song he played at the Monterey Pop Festival. He was legendary at that event for a couple different reasons. Number one, he pumped his amp and number two, he set his guitar on fire. I'm not going to judge anyone, but I'm thinking there were some sort of substances involved at that point with Jimmy.

[Buzz Knight]

Well, he just like electrifying things too, you know. That was him.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, he certainly did the, the lighting of the guitar on On Fire is the legendary, you know, kind of deal. I got a question to ask you this next story. 1971, David Bowie released Hunky Dory. That's an album that I'm not familiar with. Is that an album that, that you're familiar with. With. With bo.

[Buzz Knight]

If we went through the track list, it would probably be there. I do remember it as a title, but I can't instantly go oh, that'. But I do remember Hunky Dory because I worked with a lot of folks at the college radio station that were major Bowie. Bowie fans. Let's take a brief pause and I'll take a look. Hang on. Well, Hunky Dory was released. The 1971 fourth studio album, widely considered one of the finest works. I'm embarrassed with this one, by the way. I'm completely embarrassed. Side one, this song, I don't know, we maybe have heard it called Changes ou pretty things. 8 line poem. Life on Mars, Kooks maybe your favorite, not mine. And Quicksand. Then side two, Fill youl Heart. Andy Warhol. Don't know any of those. Song for Bob Dylan.

[Harry Jacobs]

What? Wow.

[Buzz Knight]

Queen Bitch and then something called the Beaulieu Brothers. But changes in Life on Mars we certainly know. So. Hey, so much for knowing every song on every album.

[Harry Jacobs]

No, we screwed the pooch on that. Changes on its own.

December 14, 1979, the Clash released London Calling in the UK. Right? Album. That was a, I believe, a double album too. Yeah, right. And. And the hidden track on that album became the hit Training Vane. Not. Not a listed track like last song, maybe side four or something like that.

[Buzz Knight]

Just trying to tricky with us thinking we were half asleep. Because we probably were.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah. And. And the last story for the week. December 14, 1977, Saturday Night Fever premiered John Travolta and that strut. I mean there's so much about that.

[Buzz Knight]

What that.

[Harry Jacobs]

First of all, what it did for Travolta, what it did for the Bee Gees. And that movie was legendary. Just walking down the street with that leather jacket, you know, the. The folded up pizza, the, you know, his dancing. I mean there's so many. It's just a great movie.

[Buzz Knight]

I mean it became a cultural timepiece really.

[Harry Jacobs]

It did. And, and that soundtrack. Movie soundtrack, double album. You know, I'm going here. You know where I'm going. That you like.

[Buzz Knight]

You like that? That's kind of. That's kind of your. Your thing, you know, to be able to. And did you have white pants in that era?

[Harry Jacobs]

No, I was 10. I mean, you can't argue that that album, that soundtrack wasn't filled with great songs. The Bee Gees, Alone, Staying Alive, Night Fever, Jive Talking, you Should Be Dancing. More Than a Woman by Yvonne Elliman was on there. If I can't have you? I'm sorry. More than a Woman by the Bee Gees. Their version of it. Yvonne Elliman's if I Can't have you was on it. A fit. The Beethoven was there and Disco Inferno by the Tramps. Come on, come on.

[Buzz Knight]

I mean, I'm gonna, I'm gonna admit that in its moment, me in the anti disco, anti pop mode that I was as a rock dj kind of pushed that aside. But now, especially all those BG songs that you just named. Love them.

[Harry Jacobs]

And that's it.

[Buzz Knight]

Beautifully done. Master of music mayhem. Maestro of music mayhem, Harry Jacobs. Another look at this week in music history for the week of December 8th. Pretty dark stuff in that week, but also ending it on an up note. Thank you Harry and thanks to all of you for listening to the Taking a Walk podcast. Please share this with your friends. Please.

[Taking a Walk Host]

This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge, but by the club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply.

[PayPal Advertiser]

Ah, greetings from my bath festive friends. The holidays are overwhelming, but I'm tackling this season with PayPal and making the most of my money. Getting 5% cash back when I pay in 4. No fees, no interest. I used it to get this portable spa with jets. Now the bubbles can cling to my sculpted but pruny body. Make the most of your money this holiday with PayPal. Save the offer in the app ends 1231.

[Matt Rogers]

See paypal.com promoter points can be redeemed for cash and more. Pay in for subject to terms and approval.

[Buzz Knight]

PayPal Inc. And MLS 910457Amazon Five Star.

[Ed Helms (Amazon Review Narrator)]

Theater presents real customer reviews performed by Ed Helms. Tonight's Tactical jacket. I was living a simple life. Didn't get out much. Then I bought this jacket and everything changed. Women came flocking to me from lands domestic and foreign. On the 245 day sailboat voyage home, I was attacked by a shark. I knew it was the jacket. He was after giving up the jacket in exchange for my life. 5 stars Amazon Customer 69 Shop the perfect gift this holiday on Amazon.

[Coca Cola Advertiser]

What a matchup we got y'.

[Buzz Knight]

All.

[Coca Cola Advertiser]

This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance echo drum beat everybody showing that school pride Game like this, yeah, it caught calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there.

Yeah, that taste always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere and in ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo no matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.

[Sophie Cunningham]

This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, or osa, in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snored loudly, or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at. Don't sleep on osa.com this information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company. This is an I Heart Podcast.

[Harry Jacobs]

Guaranteed human.