Join Buzz Knight for a Walk Through Music History's Influential Moments and Legendary Artists

Summary

Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight

Episode: Walk Through Music History's Influential Moments and Legendary Artists
Release Date: January 5, 2026
Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Harry Jacobs (Master of Music Mayhem)

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Episode Overview

This episode of Takin’ A Walk is a lively, deep-dive conversation between Buzz Knight and music historian Harry Jacobs. Together, they recount influential events and legendary figures from the annals of music history that took place during the first full week of January (January 5th–11th). The show features spirited banter, personal anecdotes, and a cascade of music industry stories—covering iconic performances, creative breakthroughs, tragic losses, and the quirky behind-the-scenes truths that make music history vibrant and human.

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Major Discussion Points and Insights

Week in Music History: January 5th–11th

1. Prince’s First Public Show (1979) and Performance Legacy

• [02:43] Harry recalls Prince, just 20, playing his first public show at Minneapolis’s Capri Theater and having already landed a three-album deal with Warner Brothers. The debate between Prince’s independent brilliance and the label’s push for development highlights how, even then, Prince had a forceful presence.
  • “He was just... from the beginning was revered in the music industry.” — Harry Jacobs [03:33]
• [03:59] Buzz praises Prince’s iconic guitar solo at the George Harrison tribute:
  • “That’s just a sick performance.” — Buzz Knight [03:59]
  • Discusses industry surprise at Prince’s lead guitar prowess during “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

2. Bruce Springsteen’s “Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.” Debut (1973)

• [05:42] Harry reflects on the album’s postcard cover art and shares a touching story about a personal gift—a "Greetings from Asbury Park" postcard with the Springsteen lyric “I would drive all night just to buy you some shoes.”
  • “I thought ‘Greetings’ had another meaning to me. That’s pretty, my heart after that.” — Harry Jacobs [07:30]

3. Tragedy: Sonny Bono’s Ski Accident (1988)

• [08:09] The suddenness of Sonny Bono’s death is discussed, as well as his post-music career in politics, with Buzz noting:
  • “Nasty way to go, I’ll tell you that.” — Buzz Knight [08:09]
• Commentary on Bono’s wife succeeding him in Congress and the political split with Cher.

4. Scandals & Run-ins: Donald Fagen, Ray Davies, Billie Joe Armstrong

• Donald Fagen’s Arrest (2016):
  • [08:55] Domestic battery incident; their “odd duck” status and Steely Dan’s quirkiness.
  • “They’re music geeks. Oh yeah, right. But so brilliant.” — Harry Jacobs [09:48]
• Ray Davies Shot during Mugging (2004):
  • [10:13] Jacobs describes Davies getting shot chasing down muggers in New Orleans; both decry the risky choice.
  • “Lesson here is someone robs you at gunpoint, you give them what you have.” — Harry Jacobs [11:12]
• Billie Joe Armstrong DUI (2003):
  • [11:50] Quick note on Armstrong fulfilling the “punk” image.

5. David Bowie on SNL (1979) and Life

• [12:00] Bowie’s first SNL performance—“Man Who Sold the World,” “Boys Keep Swinging,” “TVC 15.”
• [23:06] Later, discussion of Bowie’s last show, his heart attack, and the haunting release of his final album two days before his passing (2016).
  • “That took the world... Bowie kept it a secret. Forever.” — Harry Jacobs [24:33]

6. Pop Culture & Oddities

• George Reeves (Superman)^ Suicide (1959):
  • [13:20]–[13:47]
  • Commentary on Reeves’ physicality and pioneering his own stunts.
  • “He looked good in the spandex, too.” — Buzz Knight [13:20]
• Golden Gate Bridge’s Never-ending Paint Job:
  • [13:27]–[14:05]
  • Lighthearted riffing on endless maintenance.

7. Landmark Recordings & Releases

• Elvis Presley records "Heartbreak Hotel" (1956):
  • [14:05]
  • Classic milestone, noted for its “toe-tapping” quality.
• Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” & Warren Beatty Story:
  • [14:05]–[16:26]
  • Simon’s secrecy about the inspiration and Beatty’s vanity:
    • “He actually called Carly Simon and said, 'Thanks for the song.' That’s the kind of narcissistic guy that Warren [is].” — Harry Jacobs [15:26]
• Personal Tangent:
  • A friend trades Beatty a painting for his black 1970 Dodge Challenger.
• Pink Floyd’s "Wish You Were Here" Sessions (1975):
  • [17:26]–[18:19]
  • Album’s origins as a tribute to Syd Barrett; its recent resurgence, especially on streaming platforms.
• Eric Clapton’s Royal Albert Hall Residency (1987):
  • [18:19]
  • Annual success and tradition is born.

8. Loss of Neil Peart (Rush Drummer) (2020)

• [19:46]–[21:45]
• Detailed talk about Neil Peart’s intellect and drumming legacy, with a mention of Rush’s upcoming tour with new drummer Anika Nilles:
  • “He was a highly intellectual cat, really studied everything. He was a voracious reader... didn't come easy to me, I really had to study.” — Harry Jacobs [21:03]

9. Rock & Pop Canon Moments

• Black Sabbath’s "Paranoid" & "Iron Man" (1971):
  • [22:00]
• Pink Floyd’s "Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)" (1980):
  • [22:00]–[22:43]
  • Their only U.S. #1; Jacobs reflects on DJ fatigue from repeated airplay.
• David Bowie’s “Changes” from "Hunky Dory" (1972):
  • [22:45]–[23:09]
  • Fun note on using AI (Claude AI) to settle album trivia.
• Bill Haley’s "Rock Around the Clock" hits UK charts (1955):
  • [24:33]–[25:05]
  • Joking about bands performing their only hit twice per set.

10. Music Memorabilia & Mishaps

• Jimmy Page launches Album Cover Stamps (2010):
  • [25:19]
• George Harrison estate sues for unauthorized autographs (2004):
  • [25:56]–[26:47]
  • “That’s a weird one.” — Buzz Knight [26:32]
• Axl Rose Stalker Arrest (2001):
  • [26:49]
  • Reveals the darker side of fandom; some levity about Harry’s Springsteen-obsessed late friend.

11. Classic Debuts and Decisions

• Led Zeppelin’s Debut Album Drops (1969):
  • [27:13]–[28:52]
  • Personal recollections, including Buzz’s radio promotion contacts. Leah Pisani (Atlantic Records) remembered as a legendary, tough label rep:
    • “She'd call you and go ‘You're gonna play this effing record. You need to play it. Just get it done.’” — Harry Jacobs [28:45]
• Charlie Watts Leaves Day Job for The Rolling Stones (1963):
  • [28:52]–[29:41]
  • Surprise at his background as a graphic designer.
• Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” Hits #1 (1971):
  • [29:44]–[30:16]
  • Playful debate about the song’s “pervy” undertones.
• Beatles Enter U.S. Market (1964):
  • [30:19]
  • Two debut albums quickly released—on Vee-Jay and then Capitol.

12. Concluding with Johnny Cash

• "Ring of Fire" Compilation Released (1964):
  • [30:42]–[31:18]
  • Buzz offers (jokingly) to sing the outro; Harry objects:
    • “I don’t want you to do anything musical.” — Harry Jacobs [31:08]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Prince’s performance at the Harrison tribute:
  “That’s just a sick performance.” — Buzz Knight [03:59]
  “He took his guitar by the neck and drops it into the crowd. ...There was no way he was tossing that into the crowd. It was staged, but it was pretty amazing.” — Harry Jacobs [05:05]

• On Steely Dan:
  “They're music geeks. Oh yeah, right. But so brilliant. So brilliant.” — Harry Jacobs [09:48]

• On Carly Simon’s "You’re So Vain":
  “He actually called Carly Simon and said, 'Thanks for the song.' That’s the kind of narcissistic guy that Warren [is].” — Harry Jacobs [15:26]

• On Neil Peart’s craftmanship:
  “He was a highly intellectual cat, really studied everything. He was a voracious reader...didn't come easy to me, I really had to study.” — Harry Jacobs [21:03]

• On Led Zeppelin’s debut:
  “Good Times, Bad Times, the way that album opens, I mean, just a legendary classic rock record.” — Harry Jacobs [27:34]

• On legendary record reps:
  “She'd call you and go ‘You're gonna play this effing record. You need to play it. … Just get it done. Tell me why you can’t.’” — Harry Jacobs [28:45]

• Episode sign-off:
  “It was a doozy of a week and I can’t wait for next week’s doozy of a week. And I love using the term doozy.” — Buzz Knight [31:46]

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Additional Highlights

• [07:13] Moment of comic relief as Harry’s dog, Max, interrupts—prompting a playful exchange about "Max Weinberg" and canine podcast guests.
• [13:20] Spandex banter regarding George Reeves’ Superman costume.
• [24:05] Insights into music’s interplay with technology and pop culture, like David Bowie’s use of ambiguity and AI trivia checks.
• [26:49] Levity on obsessive fandom and unexpected personal memories.
• [29:44] Buzz teases Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May” as a "pervy" song.
• [31:08] Buzz’s playful attempt to close with a Johnny Cash impression is shot down with dry humor.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:43] Prince’s first show/story
• [03:59] Prince at George Harrison tribute
• [05:42] Springsteen debut & “Greetings from Asbury Park” story
• [08:09] Sonny Bono’s death
• [08:55] Steely Dan: Fagen’s arrest & musical eccentricity
• [10:13] Ray Davies shot
• [11:50] Billie Joe Armstrong DUI
• [12:00] Bowie’s SNL debut
• [13:20] George Reeves (Superman) pop culture aside
• [14:05] Heartbreak Hotel, Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain”
• [17:26] Pink Floyd records “Wish You Were Here”
• [18:19] Clapton’s Royal Albert Hall tradition
• [19:46]–[21:45] Remembrance and legacy of Neil Peart
• [22:00] Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd hits
• [22:45] Bowie’s “Changes” and final concert
• [24:33] Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock”
• [25:19] Jimmy Page album cover stamps
• [25:56] George Harrison autograph lawsuit
• [26:49] Axl Rose stalker
• [27:13] Led Zeppelin debut & stories about Atlantic Records
• [28:52] Charlie Watts leaves for Rolling Stones
• [29:44] Maggie May charting; playful banter
• [30:19] Beatles debut in U.S.
• [30:42] Johnny Cash “Ring of Fire”
• [31:46] Final sign-off: “doozy of a week”

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Overall Tone & Takeaway

The tone is irreverent, conversational, and knowledge-rich—mixing affectionate fan storytelling with critical insights and wry humor. Buzz and Harry wield both expertise and nostalgia, bringing history alive with personal asides, industry lore, and “master of music mayhem” flair. For both new music fans and obsessive historians, this episode offers a satisfying blend of anecdote, detail, and personality.

Transcript

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[Buzz Knight]

I'm Buzz Knight and this is the Taking a Walk podcast. And this is another edition of this week in music history and music maestro master of music mayhem Harry Jacobs. What week are we talking about here?

[Harry Jacobs]

First full week of the year, January 5th through the 11th. Monday through Sunday is normally Go Great week.

[Buzz Knight]

That's what I thought it was. So my calendar, even though I had to dust it off for the new year, it looks still it's in sync with what you're saying.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, I love it when a plan comes together. 1979 January 5 Prince, who was just 20, played his first public show at the Capri Theater in Minneapolis at that point he had already had his first album deal. It was actually the A3 album deal is what he got initially with Warner Brothers. It's kind of interesting, you know, he's really known for his shows and from the beginning just a, a monster showman. But the, the record executives at Warner Brothers and their infinite wisdom thought he needed more help musically and, and performance wise. So they, you know, there was some push and pull around, you know, his first album with. Between he and, and the record company. So interesting deal that first album had had for you on it. In Love, Soft and Wet Crazy. You, a bunch of songs. I don't really recall. I don't, I don't remember really recognizing Prince much, you know, before Purple Rain, maybe the, the album just before that. But you know, he came out with a bang. And you know, from a fan perspective, you know, this guy's been, you know, from the beginning was, was revered in the music industry.

[Buzz Knight]

One of my favorite performances by him is at the, the George Harrison benefit show there, the tribute show with. While My Guitar Gently Weeps with Danny Harri. That, that's just a, that's a sick performance.

[Harry Jacobs]

You know, when you look at Tom, the look of, you know, Tom Petty's face and Jeff Lynn's face is Prince is ripping through that solo. That's what everyone talks about is that, that last couple minutes, that last two and a half or three minutes to that song when Prince is just wailing through the lead. I had no idea what kind of guitar player he was and when I saw that it was just blown away.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, it's. I think we always saw him as a performer and as this, you know, tremendously diverse performer. But yeah, his guitar playing wasn't what stood out like it did in that performance. And then what an ending on. In terms of how he, he, the, the, the song ends and remember how he just flings the guitar.

[Harry Jacobs]

He, he took his guitar by the neck and drops it into the crowd. And of course his body, man, was there to grab it. There was no way that that was, that was like Bruce's Telecaster. That was his Telecaster, right. That was a prized possession. There was no way he was tossing that into the crowd. It was staged, but it was pretty amazing. And just seeing the look on these legends faces as he's ripping because he's not thought of amongst this circle of people or any of us as a rock guitar player and, and he loved rock.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah. And Danny Harrison's look too is just pretty incredible as well.

[Harry Jacobs]

You just like, where is this Coming from. For the love of God, please help me understand this. And, yeah, it came from him. And he was a guy who played a number of different instruments. He was like Paul McCartney or many others. You know, he played bass, he could play keyboards, he could play percussion. He was just. He was in it. And he was. He was brilliant. So, yep, 1973, Bruce released greetings. You know, really mainly an acoustic. Ish album. This was his. His first effort. And. And I thought that the COVID art, you know, when you think about it now, it's like one of those postcards you see anywhere you go and you're on a. On a road trip somewhere, certainly in this country, you know, greetings from, you know, wherever you are. And. And that's. That's kind of neat. You know, I dated a girl in the early 90s who was a Bruce nut, like more than you or I. She actually hopped the fence in his pool in the late. In the late 80s, and she and her girlfriend swam in his pool. They got thrown out, but. But I. She ended up, you know, passing away. But I remember one of the things, you know, and this was not while we were together, but one of the things that she left for me was. Was a postcard. It was just the postcard, Greetings from Asbury Park. And I remember taking that postcard apart at one point for out of the frame. I don't know what. Excuse me, I've got a dog crying at my door.

[Buzz Knight]

It's all right. We welcome dogs into the podcast. We're dog friendly, so you do what you need to do. Bring Max over.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, Max.

[Buzz Knight]

Maybe Max has something to contribute about Max Weinberg, possibly.

[Harry Jacobs]

Right? The Mighty Max.

[Buzz Knight]

Right.

[Harry Jacobs]

I got my own Mighty Max.

[Buzz Knight]

That's it. Yeah.

[Harry Jacobs]

But at any rate, on the back of the postcard, Teresa had written, I would drive all night just to buy you some shoes. Oh, that's great. And I thought. And I saw that a couple several years after she passed away, but I thought Greetings had another meaning to me. That's pretty. My heart after that, in 1988, Sonny Bono had that skiing accident that took his life, you know, crazy incident. We didn't hear a lot about people dying, you know, as a result of skiing accidents. And he. He skied out of control into a tree and. And it caused an accident that. That took him from us.

[Buzz Knight]

Nasty way to go, I'll tell you that.

[Harry Jacobs]

He and Cher went on very separate paths after they split up. Sonny ended up being a congressman. I believe he was a Republican. So I think that they. There's a reason they were divorced. Right. She's a, you know, militant liberal and sunny, a. A Republican. But he had an interesting career. He did post the musical career.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah. And didn't his. I think his wife then replaced him in that seat.

[Harry Jacobs]

She sure did. Yeah, she sure did. He was a smart guy. In 2016, Donald Fagan, co founder and lead singer Steely Dan, was arrested by the nypd.

[Buzz Knight]

You.

[Harry Jacobs]

You recall anything about this story in your mind?

[Buzz Knight]

It had something.

[Harry Jacobs]

Cd.

[Buzz Knight]

Help me further.

[Harry Jacobs]

This one had nothing to do with drugs or alcohol, but he was arrested for. Basically for domestic battery. Ah. Yeah. He was. It.

[Buzz Knight]

Was it Libby Titus?

[Harry Jacobs]

I think Libby was her name. Yeah.

[Buzz Knight]

I believe Libby Titus was her name.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah. Makes sense. He was an odd duck. Right. Both of those guys, Walter and Donald, were, you know, not traditional, you know, music stars. They were almost unusual, but their music.

[Buzz Knight]

In part of its mystique, was how unusual the music and the lyrics were. So it's not surprising they were unusual.

[Harry Jacobs]

Or.

[Buzz Knight]

Or Donald is unusual. If you want to read a pretty twisted book, too. His. His bio is. Is. Is a mess, you know.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah. I mean, there were. They were interesting cats. Like, when you watch them, you know, we've both talked about the Asia documentary that we, you know, we enjoy about the making of that album. When they talk about what's going on, they, you know, play the tracks and bring stuff in and take stuff out. Just their, like, their social skills are just, you know, they're geeks. They're music geeks. Oh, yeah, right. But so brilliant. So brilliant.

[Buzz Knight]

But that happened and so outrageous.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, there you go, Buzz. Stick to your day job. 2004, Ray Davies was shot in the leg in New Orleans. He was Davis.

[Buzz Knight]

They say Davis. I think it's Davies, but Ray Davies, Davis, but. I'm sorry.

[Harry Jacobs]

Stateside, we call them the Davies brothers, Ray and Dave. But I have heard maybe it's the Brits that. That call him, you know, Davis, but he was shot in the leg. This. This was a dumb play. This was his own fault, in my opinion. You weigh in in a second. But he was in New Orleans and he was chasing two men that stole his wife's or girlfriend's purse. Chases after them.

[Buzz Knight]

That's a problem to begin with.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah. You know, someone robs you at gunpoint and you go chasing them down to get the purse back. And. And during the fight, one of them pulls that gun out and shoot. He's lucky he didn't lose his life.

[Buzz Knight]

No kidding.

[Harry Jacobs]

One of those guys was eventually caught and arrested. But a Dumb play lesson here is someone robs you at gunpoint, you give them what you have anywhere.

[Buzz Knight]

But particularly in New Orleans.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, absolutely. In 2003, this is kind of a almost Musicians Gone Wrong episode at this moment between Fagin Davies and the Billy Joe Armstrong story. I'm about to tell you. He was arrested in 2003. On January 5, he failed the Breathalyzer. On this day. I don't know where he was exactly, but it was here in the U.S. well, that's the.

[Buzz Knight]

You gotta fulfill the image of being a punk.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, you do. And he played that role very well. Still does. As an old punk.

[Buzz Knight]

That's right.

[Harry Jacobs]

In 79, David Bowie played SNL for the first time. He played the man who Sold the World. He played Boys Keep Swinging. And he played TVC1 5, which, you know, was a great one. Oh, yeah, that was. That was my favorite. Great performance. Absolutely. January 5th. Kind of a pop culture thing. George Reeves, the actor who portrayed Superman early on, ended up passing away on this day. A lot of stuff around that, around him losing his life. He had a very.

[Buzz Knight]

Did he kill himself?

[Harry Jacobs]

He did. He shot himself.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah.

[Harry Jacobs]

And he, you know, he was a musician, he was a boxer. He was kind of a diverse cat in a lot of ways. Very athletic, and he ended up landing that role. Most shows. Most action shows would use stuntmen, and George did a lot of the stuff on his own. That suit was padded, was heavily padded, but he did a lot of that himself. Very athletic guy. Big guy, 6ft, probably a couple hundred pounds, I think. You know, so at that point in time, there weren't a lot of guys that were over 200 pounds. Right. They were, you know, in the 50s, men weren't that big. You know, our size has changed over the years. Right.

[Buzz Knight]

He looked good in the spandex, too.

[Harry Jacobs]

That was quite a flattering outfit, Superman outfit. So I, you know, I love that show when I was a kid, but.

[Buzz Knight]

Me, too. Oh, yeah.

[Harry Jacobs]

The Golden Gate Bridge, by the way, was also constructed on this day. It's. I love the story about the fact that they paint it and then they, you know, they paint one side, and then by the time they're done, they have to go and paint, you know, paint again. They paint one side, then they paint the other side, and then it's time to paint again. The bridge is constantly being painted.

[Buzz Knight]

Wouldn't you want to find some paint that, like, didn't require that, you know, like, they have certain, you know, things for your house, siding or whatever that requires. You never have to do Anything to. Wouldn't they. Wouldn't they want to come up with something like that?

[Harry Jacobs]

Our friend Bob Malatesta, who can be sarcastic periodically, would say, a fellow would think. A fellow would think they would figure this out. Yeah, from 1933 to now. But no, they haven't. They haven't done that. January 6th, our next day, Elvis recorded Heartbreak Hotel. Just a, you know, just a great song. You can't hear that and not want to tap your toes. Carly Simon start. Recorded. Started recording. You're so Vain with Mick Jagger, who lent his voice. Jim Gordon, who we talk about frequently on our program, played drums on that track. Warren Beatty, more than anyone else, thought that song was about him. To the point where after it was released, you ever heard this story, he actually called Carly Simon and said, thanks for the song. That's the kind of narcissistic guy that Warren beat. Thanks for the song. Appreciate you. Thanks for the shout out. That's funny. By the way, she. She said that one, you know, one part of the song. I think it was like the second verse of the song. She did this in, like, 2015. She said the second verse is about Warren. But it's, you know, three men in. In total that she claims that that was recorded for.

[Buzz Knight]

She did something for a charity, and people could come to her house or somebody's house, and they would hear who the song was actually about. She would tell them at this event, basically who. You know, she would give the big reveal, which probably to your point, there was no one reveal. It was a composite reveal. You know.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, it's interesting. You know, over the years, she's. For whatever reason, it's been one of those things that, you know, maybe in her mind, it's better left the. You know, the mystery is important.

[Buzz Knight]

They should reveal anything about this stuff. I think it should be like. Like, I sometimes dive deep with the guest and try to go, well, what were you thinking about that song? Or whatever? And then the more I think about that question, I'm like, you know, I'm surprised more people don't go, don't ask me that. That's my.

[Harry Jacobs]

That's my. Yeah, my business.

[Buzz Knight]

My business. Because when you write a song, it. It should be personal. It should engage with its audience.

[Harry Jacobs]

But anyway, I have a friend who traded Warren Beatty a painting for his Black Challenger. He had a 1970 black Challenger, and my friend still has this car. He had a piece of art that Warren Beatty wanted. He was an art dealer in Los Angeles in the early 90s, and Warren Beatty wanted it and my friend said, it's not for sale. And. And there was this push and pull about it, as the story goes from my friend. And my friend said, I'll trade you the car, this 1970 black, beautiful Challenger. And my friend still drives that car. And I drove it once and it is a to drive because it's a four speed on the floor and the clutch is like pressing £400 with one, you know, with your left leg. The car is no picnic to drive. Wow. But it's a beauty to look at it.

[Buzz Knight]

It's just like its previous owner. There's no picnic to be around generally.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, go. That's the. That's it. In 75, Floyd began recording at Abbey Road Studios. The album wish you were here and wish you were here is about Sid Barrett. Wow.

[Buzz Knight]

That's incredible. When you said Floyd, I instantly flashed to Floyd from the Andy Griffith show at first.

[Harry Jacobs]

I'm sorry, yeah, we're on a sec. We're on a last name basis with Pink Floyd. Yeah. But yeah, isn't that.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, yeah. Well, what a wonderful song, you know.

[Harry Jacobs]

Oh, sure. Yeah, sure.

[Buzz Knight]

In fact, I think I just saw David Gilmore acknowledged that the song was like some number one song over from the BBC for the holidays or something like that. They got some recent recognition for the song around the holidays, which is kind of neat.

[Harry Jacobs]

It. There are different versions and, you know, things in my YouTube feed that pop up because of course, of, you know, what we're doing here. But I've seen a lot lately, a lot over the last six months and I'll save them because sometimes it's, you know, different ways to play it on the guitar or whatever. But I've seen a lot of different. There's a lot of chatter about wish you were here on YouTube. So it doesn't surprise me that it's charting as far as streaming goes again. But yeah, great song. In 1987, Eric Clapton played Six Nights at the Royal Albert hall. And this was such a success that this became an annual event for. For him, you know. So for a number of years in a row, Clapton played the Royal Albert Hall. Yeah. And started in 1987 on January 7th or next day. Neil, Per. You know, you want to say Pert, but it's Peart, right? Correct pronunciation. Peart. Peart. Passed. Paired. Passed away. Peyert. Okay, I got it. Let me continue. He passed away after battling a brain tumor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest drummers of all time. Yep. You had Alex Lifeson as a guest on. On taking a walk. Who I don't recall. I mean, I try to listen to as many as I can. I don't know if Alex talked about Neil at all. Did. Did you talk. Did you touch on Neil?

[Buzz Knight]

This discussion was more about the Envy of None, his new.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, work.

[Buzz Knight]

I wish we did talk more about his Rush history and Neil. I'd love to try to get him back. It's funny, just right before I came on to the Zoom, I was looking at a lot of the older videos and I was watching the Alex one and. Which was just such a cool guy to talk to. Got all the guitars in the background and everything. So I'd like to try to take, you know, with them now doing dates. I would love to try to, you know, get Alex back.

[Harry Jacobs]

They've got 58 shows in 25 cities planned in 2026, which will be, you know, a pretty amazing thing to see in Anaka Niles, who's a great drummer, by the way. She was a preschool teacher. I don't know how much you know about her. She'd be an interesting guest to have on. But before she was, you know, professional musician, she, you know, she played music, obviously, but she was a preschool teacher. And Getty's tech, Getty's bass tech actually said, hey, you got to. You got to check her out. He found her on a Jeff Beck project.

[Buzz Knight]

Wow.

[Harry Jacobs]

You know, back to Neil for a minute. He was a highly intellectual cat, you know, really studied everything. He was a voracious reader. He was, you know, as far as the drum stuff goes, he would always say, you know, it didn't come easy to me. I really had to study and study. But he, you know, study. He did, and he, you know, a life tragically cut short due to a tumor. And, you know, it'll be interesting to see how. How Rush does. I'm. I've been scouring for, you know, footage of maybe some rehearsal stuff, anything that can be, you know, released to hear her playing with them.

[Buzz Knight]

So, yeah, I think it's going to be great, you know.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. So major cities across the US, 25 of them, and. And 58 shows. I'm sure we'll see more. There are some holes in that tour, and that's usually what happens. Things pick up, and they kind of add some dates in between based on routing.

[Jacob Goldstein]

So.

[Harry Jacobs]

1971, Black Sabbath released the Paranoid album. The. The two big songs on it were Paranoid and iron man. Right. 1980, Pink Floyd released another brick in the wall, part two. That was the single, the album had just come out in December, and another Brick in the wall, part two would be their only number one song in the U.S. they were never a bandit. Pumped out the hits, but that song resonated with us. I was a teenager at the time. Resonated with us kids at the time.

[Buzz Knight]

You anxious kids.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah. If you don't eat your meat, how can you have any meat if you don't? Or how can you have any. How can you have any pudding if you don't eat your meat? Right. I grew tired of that. So I'm playing it on the radio 8 million times.

[Buzz Knight]

So I can't understand why.

[Harry Jacobs]

In 72, David Bowie released, or they released the single Changes from Hunky Dory. We had this conversation about Hunky Dory. We did, you know, a few, you know, a few episodes back where I thought, I can't name a song from Hunky Dory. And we were both caught off guard and somewhat embarrassed, given what we're doing here, that that Changes actually came from Hunky Dory.

[Buzz Knight]

Well, that's where Claude AI came in handy.

[Harry Jacobs]

So this is true. And there's an interesting fact about changes. In 06, he played his last show on a. You know, on a David Bowie tour. He performed a number of times after that, doing little sets here and there. But Changes was the last song. It was the closing song in his final show, interestingly enough. So he had a heart attack after his appearance at the Hurricane Festival in Germany from a blocked artery, which, you know, you kind of look at Bowie, you know, as this thin, in shape, you know, fit kind of guy. But he had a heart attack after. After that show in Germany, and ultimately he ended up, you know, battling a horrendous disease and, you know, liver cancer and lost his life. We're going to talk about it in just a minute here, but. But he ended up passing away. You know what? I'll just. I'll just do it now. In 2016, on January 8, actually, he released his final album. And then two days after he released that album, you know, we were all surprised to learn that he passed away.

[Buzz Knight]

What a haunting performance that is, you know.

[Harry Jacobs]

Oh, yeah, yeah. And what a brutal surprise. I mean, that took the world. Most of these people that are sick, you know, you hear about it. I know, you know, so and so sick. Whatever. Bowie kept it a secret.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah.

[Harry Jacobs]

Forever. So in. In 55, Rock around the Clock entered the UK charts. This was the first rock song ever to top the US charts. Still sounds great today. Right? It's one of Those songs immediately recognizable.

[Buzz Knight]

I think if you saw Bill Haley in the comments playing today, they would be one of the bands that would do the song twice in the set, you know.

[Harry Jacobs]

Oh, yeah. You open and you close with it. Yeah.

[Buzz Knight]

In fact, I think that's what they were doing back then. I think I know that from, from fact, but.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, right. You know, I saw, I saw Bruce here in 2002 at the Thomas and Mac, and he opened and closed with Viva Las Vegas.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, well.

[Harry Jacobs]

Which I thought was very funny. That's funny.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Harry Jacobs]

Kind of a tip of the hat to what they would do, what his idols would do.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah.

[Harry Jacobs]

In 2010, Jimmy Page launched a new set of stamps. I had no idea that he was a stamp guy, but album covers of classic rock albums from the prior 40 years, including, you know, every. I mean, going back early, like, David Bowie was featured, but Coldplay and, and Power, Corruption and Lies, New Order stuff I'm really not very familiar with. But he launched a line of classic album covers that were stamps. So kind of interesting.

[Buzz Knight]

When you're Jimmy Page, you can do whatever you want.

[Harry Jacobs]

Whatever you want. In 04, the estate at George Harri started a $10 million suit against. This is interesting. Against a guy by the name of Dr. Gilbert Letterman of Staten Island University Hospital, saying that he coerced George Harrison to sign a bunch of souvenirs, and Harrison was sick and unable to do it. Apparently, the doctor took a bunch of these autographs and sold them. It's just such a weird lawsuit.

[Buzz Knight]

That's a weird one.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah. He signed a guitar and a couple of other things, and, and the doctor went on and sold him and Harrison's estate, went after him, said he was too sick for you to do that. He was your patient, and that's a violation. I, I, you know, strange.

[Buzz Knight]

Yep.

[Harry Jacobs]

2001, a woman who believed that Axl Rose communicated with her via telepathy was arrested for stalking him for a second time. And she was, you know, caught outside of his house. But one of these fans that obviously was dealing with a mental illness.

[Buzz Knight]

This wasn't your late friend, was it? Who, Teresa?

[Harry Jacobs]

No. Swimming spring. That's funny.

[Buzz Knight]

Sorry.

[Harry Jacobs]

That's a great story, though. I love that she had a picture. She had a picture of, of the two of them in the pool. I wish I still had it. January 9th, Led Zeppelin, their debut album, was released. And, you know, just good times, bad times, the way that album opens, I mean, just a legendary classic rock record.

[Buzz Knight]

Your time is going to come.

[Harry Jacobs]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Great, great stuff. I've I got a plaque from our friend Leah Pisani from Atlantic records. I don't know what the great Leah Pisani is doing these days. She retired would make sense.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, right. Just recently. Yeah.

[Harry Jacobs]

Oh, no kidding. She worked until just recently. Well, she, she is a, a rep from Atlantic Records. And at one point I was working maybe in Rochester and, and she knew I was a Zeppelin fan. She said, I'm gonna send you something. What's your favorite Zeppelin album? I said, I said the first one. And I got a plaque for a, you know, gold or platinum record from Zeppelin. And then I, I ended up taking it five years ago and getting a poster of the first Zeppelin album. That cover with the Hindenburg on it.

[Buzz Knight]

You know why? I played every one of the records that she wanted me to play.

[Harry Jacobs]

Why is that? Because I was afraid of her. She's a noot. Leah Pizzicati. Buzz is talking about this woman who's five, two, soaking wet, who sounds like she's, you know, out of the sopranos. And she would call you and go, you're gonna play this effing record. You need to play it. But you need to listen. You need to play it. Just get it done. Just get it on. Tell me why you can't.

[Buzz Knight]

She actually was the, the female version of Harvey Leeds.

[Harry Jacobs]

That's a very good point. She, she is, but she was great. She was really a wonderful woman. So, yeah, there you go. Led Zeppelin 1 our ties to that and the great Leah Pizzicani. In 63, Charlie Watts left blues incorporated and his job as a graphic designer. Did you know Charlie Watts was a graphic designer before he joined the Stones?

[Buzz Knight]

No. I mean, I knew about his, his, you know, jazz love as a musician, but I, I didn't know he was a graphic designer.

[Harry Jacobs]

Well, he left blues incorporated, which was a part time gig. He was working as a graphic designer and he joined the Stones. And friends and family, as you can imagine, probably thought in 63, before the stones were really the Stones, you know, what are you doing? This is job security. You have being a graphic, having a, having a real job. I was, I would imagine they probably.

[Buzz Knight]

Said to him, yeah, it worked out all right.

[Harry Jacobs]

Turned out to be a good decision. January 10th, Rod Stewart's Maggie may top the U. S charts in 71. Big day for, for Rod. Big, big song. I've always liked Maggie May. Nothing not to like about it.

[Buzz Knight]

It's a little pervy now when you listen to it, don't you think?

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, it is. You know it is.

[Buzz Knight]

It's got A slight pervy attitude.

[Harry Jacobs]

I gotta go back and listen to the lyrics. I always just. I'm caught up on the. Okay. If it's a weird creepy song like that, I guess I never paid att. As much as I've heard the song, I don't think I've paid attention to it.

[Buzz Knight]

I'm just being a provoc. Provocateur.

[Harry Jacobs]

It's like into the Night by Benny Mardonis. You know what I mean? Exactly. What a creepy ass song that is. And the last couple for the day, of course, we can't do something without the Beatles as a group. Their first album, introducing the Beatles was released on VJ Records. And then 10 days later, Capitol released Meet the Beatles.

[Buzz Knight]

Little competition going on.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, kind of odd that that that happened like that. And on the 11th, Johnny Cash released the Ring of Fire compilation in 64 on the 11th of January. And with that, that will bring this week in music history, the week of January 5th through the 11th, to a rousing conclusion.

[Buzz Knight]

Do you want me to sing this out with a version of Ring of Fire?

[Harry Jacobs]

I don't want you to know. I don't want you to do anything musical. I don't want.

[Buzz Knight]

Why does nobody want to hear me do anything musical? This is painful. Right to my bone.

[Harry Jacobs]

You just belted something out a few minutes ago.

[Buzz Knight]

It was gas. I'm sorry.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, whatever it was.

[Buzz Knight]

Well, Harry Jacobs, master of music mayhem, thank you very much for another week, another look at weekly music history at this Week in Music History for the week of January 5th through the 11th. It was a doozy of a week and I can't wait for next week's doozy of a week. And I love using the term doozy.

[Harry Jacobs]

I can't.

[Buzz Knight]

I can't help it. It's a good term. But thanks for listening to taking a walk and you can find us wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Harry Jacobs]

Live, CBS Sunday, Hollywood's biggest party is now bigger than ever. Perfect. No notes. The Golden Globes with more stars, more glamour, more chaos and more host Nikki.

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[Harry Jacobs]

The Golden Globes live CBS Sunday, 8 Eastern, 5 Pacific, and streaming on Paramount.

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