Podcast Summary: "Narada Michael Walden: One of the Most Influential Figures in Music History"

Podcast: takin' a walk
Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Narada Michael Walden
Release Date: October 7, 2025
Duration: ~46 minutes (main content ends at 45:57)

Overview

In this vibrant episode of takin' a walk, Buzz Knight "walks" listeners through the extraordinary musical journey of Narada Michael Walden — revered drummer, producer, composer, and one of the most influential figures in modern music history. The conversation spans Walden's earliest musical memories, his philosophy on the healing power of music, the discipline instilled by his family, legendary collaborations (especially with Aretha Franklin), insights into the music business, and the creative spark behind his most recent projects. Throughout, Walden’s effusive spirit, deep spirituality, and boundless respect for music and its impact shine through.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Walk: If You Could Walk With Anyone… (03:12–04:14)

• Buzz Knight kicks things off by posing his signature “walk” question.
• Narada Michael Walden muses about walking with Muhammad Ali in Muir Woods, then expands to include Prince, Guru, Mahavishnu, Carlos Santana, and even Mother Mary.
  • "They all wanted. Yeah. Mother Mary came. She wanted to go in the Fender woods and talk." (03:57)
  • Sense of reverence for icons and spiritual presence.

2. Music as Healing and Spiritual Power (04:15–06:43)

• Walden eloquently affirms music’s healing and transcendental power.
  • "Absolutely. Without question. Absolutely. More than we even recognize or realize... Music is a key to unlock the whole universe. In fact, music is right next to God because, dig it, if God talks to us in silence, what comes right after silence? Music." (04:53)
  • Describes childhood memories intertwined with songs, connecting sensory memories to music.
  • Praises music’s universal language and his own mission: "I am here in honor of music. To keep the music going and keep my heart young and fresh like a little kid excited by the music." (06:17)

3. Early Musical Roots & Discipline (07:07–13:10)

• Reminisces about vivid early influences:
  • Nursery rhymes (“Froggy Went a Courtin’”), mambo covers, Nina Simone’s “Live at Town Hall,” Ray Charles, Horace Silver, Little Richard — all left a mark.
    • "My dad would buy them for me... then at my grandpa's house... Nina Simone live at Town Hall... I had to get out my pie tin and a pillow and play along just softly to imitate the drummer." (07:19)
  • Live recordings especially captivated him: "All the live recordings, quite frankly, would knock me out. The live recordings." (09:51)
• Details family’s disciplined, supportive environment:
  • Parental discipline, hauling his drum kit and organs to gigs, practicing indoors during Michigan winters.
  • "There was no bullshit in our family." (10:33)
  • "My parents loved it. They help me haul around my drums, which, you know, that's not easy, and haul on an organ. And even, even the Leslie." (12:04)

4. The “Mount Rushmore” of Drummers (13:10–15:02)

• Refuses to single out just a few:
  • "All of them. I love peaches, bananas, oranges, strawberries, apples, grapes, grapefruits, all of them. You don't leave nobody out because they all contributed..." (13:14)
• Pays tribute to icons like Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cobham, Buddy Rich, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Joe Morello, Jack DeJohnette — and many more, emphasizing the “flavors” each brought.
• Quote: "If you have a Rushmore, put them all up there." (14:56)

5. On Mental Illness in the Music Industry – The Jim Gordon Story (15:22–17:58)

• Host brings up drummer Jim Gordon, tragic Wrecking Crew member.
• Walden shares personal insight from working in a mental health hospital as a young man:
  • Describes firsthand the realities of mental illness, the failings of the system post-1980s.
  • "Mental illness is a very serious thing... there was a budget to actually take people in. Of course, Reagan came along and it kind of like dismantled some of that stuff. People end up on the streets... There's no net. Other countries have a net. We don't." (17:00)

6. Stories of Musical Legends: Aretha Franklin (22:04–38:04)

First Contact and Creative Process (22:13–28:05)

• Clive Davis connects Walden to Aretha.
• The first phone call is “magical” — Aretha’s unique, metaphorical language becomes a foundation for a hit song.
  • "He thinks he's got me, but the fish jumps off the hook. What are you talking... But that's how she was. Now get off the phone. I tell, press the glass. This is what she said. We gotta make a hit song out of this. And we did." (22:35)
• Details his approach to producing her vocals in the studio, choices between R&B and pop flavors, and learning to “flow with her.”
  • "I've learned so much from her just to kind of flow with her, make sure the chorus is a hit... And man, once we knew each other, how we worked, we got it like peanut butter and jelly." (28:05)
• Memorable moments: Aretha’s generosity, humor, and professionalism, including food breaks and her unique ways of “letting loose” in the studio.
  • "She opened up her pants. Pow. Let her. Let her belly come out and go and sing one more thing for you..." (29:22)
  • On Aretha’s power: "No one can understand what it's like to be in the control room... hearing Aretha Franklin's voice coming out. Because I make things loud anyway, but powerful, clear, clean. Every note is what she wants it to be." (29:32)

On the Road & Final Years with Aretha (30:54–35:17)

• Tells of playing Aretha’s final seven live shows; sharing deep memories, including the last performance at Elton John’s AIDS benefit.
  • "She sang her ass off. And that band played its ass on Freeway in Love." (31:36)
• Recounts a chain of powerful live moments (Aretha wrapped in towels “like a prize fighter”), audience frenzy, and her legendary practice of paying musicians in cash post-show.
  • "She just gave everything. Everything, man. It was like Ollie and Frazier, just pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow." (34:16)

Studio Showdown – Aretha & George Michael (35:35–37:56)

• Tells behind-the-scenes of the “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” sessions.
• Walden insists on using early, raw takes despite George Michael’s requests for do-overs, because “The first four tracks are the record.” (36:19)
• Captures the magical moment Aretha “knocks out” George Michael in the vocal booth:
  • "Third and fourth time, hell, now she's. Now she's hot. She let it rip. You listen to the Amy, but you hear just an incredible thing. And stunned George, you're like, got stunned. It's so incredible. It's on the record." (37:35)

7. Recent Projects: Albums & International Collaborations (38:08–43:07)

• Euphoria: Collaboration with Italian producer Lino Nicolosi for a European flavor.
  • "I want to make sure I offer something to the European people of my work because they love me over there... So I thought, let's have some fun with the European touch. And that's what he brought." (38:22)
• Still Yours for the Summer: A homegrown record, featuring dance covers (notably “Hot Fun in the Summertime” as a tribute to Sly Stone) and collaborations with Neil Schon.
  • "I felt like an honor to Sly. I didn't realize he's going to die, but something in my spirit said, honor Sly and make it a dance version." (39:50)
• Catalog revisits: “I Should Have Loved You” gets remixed, bridging his old and new fanbases.

8. The Motown Tribute (43:10–45:22)

• Walden is immersed in a major new project: a tribute to Motown, co-written with Otis Williams of the Temptations.
  • "We're doing a tribute to Motown. It's called the Motown Salutes, a song that Otis Williams from the Temptations wants me to write. And we're writing it together to honor all the greatness of Motown." (43:13)
• Shares the challenge of fitting Motown’s massive story into a four-minute track; shouts out legends like Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, Martha Reeves, and the unsung heroes like the Andantes and Kim Weston.

9. Reflections on Luck, Mentorship & Music Industry Challenges (41:29–43:07)

• Credits spiritual readiness, openness, and supportive mentors for opening doors in a notoriously tough music industry.
  • "I was just always praying how I was going to make with this Mahavishnu dude that actually took me in mainly because I think I was ready to pray and meditate with the guru and just make myself what he needed me to be. And it worked out. And God blessed me..." (41:43)
• Recalls meeting an 11-year-old Whitney Houston during sessions for Sissy Houston.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the divine power of music:
  "Music is right next to God... if God talks to us in silence, what comes right after silence? Music." (04:53)

• On Aretha Franklin in the studio:
  "She opened up her pants. Pow. Let her belly come out and go and sing one more thing for you... Power unknown." (29:22)

• On musical discipline:
  "There was no bullshit in our family." (10:33)

• On the collective greatness of drummers:
  "If you have a Rushmore, put them all up there." (14:56)

• On witnessing mental illness in America:
  "Other countries have a net. We don't. We don't believe in that over here, and it's going to get worse because the rich get rich and the poor get poor." (17:00)

• On studio legends colliding:
  "Third and fourth time, hell, now she's. Now she's hot. She let it rip. You listen to the Amy, but you hear just an incredible thing. And stunned George, you're like, got stunned. It's so incredible. It's on the record." (37:35)

• On Motown's impact:
  "The word that came out of Motown is staggering. You know, James Jamerson, Benny Benjamin, how they found a little Stevie Wonder... The Temptations came on the scene and became the biggest act... Diana Ross was a receptionist..." (44:09)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:12 — If you could take a walk with anyone...
• 04:15 — The healing and spiritual power of music
• 07:07 — Early childhood musical memories
• 10:15 — Parental discipline and support in music
• 13:10 — The “Mount Rushmore” of drummers
• 15:22 — Mental illness and music industry (Jim Gordon discussion)
• 22:04 — First meeting and making magic with Aretha Franklin
• 30:54 — Live performances and last shows with Aretha
• 35:35 — The making of “I Knew You Were Waiting” with Aretha and George Michael
• 38:08 — Album projects: “Euphoria,” “Still Yours for the Summer”
• 43:10 — The current Motown tribute project

Tone & Style

• Warm, spiritual, deeply human — Walden speaks with humility, excitement, and reverence for music’s power and history.
• Buzz Knight’s questions are thoughtful, allowing Walden’s stories and philosophies to shine.
• Anecdotes are vivid and often humorous, with affectionate tributes to both legendary collaborators and his supportive family.

Conclusion

This expansive episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about modern music history and the soul of creativity itself. Narada Michael Walden’s infectious optimism, deep musical roots, respect for the giants who came before, and commitment to the healing power of music make for an inspiring audio journey — one that feels as improvisational and transcendent as the best live jam.

(End of summary. For further exploration, listen to the full episode on the iHeartRadio app or your favorite podcast platform.)