Takin' a Walk: This Week in Music History (Oct 13–19)

Podcast: takin' a walk
Host: Buzz Knight & Harry Jacobs (The Manager of Musical Minutia)
Date: October 13, 2025

Overview

This episode is a lively, nostalgia-packed stroll through major music milestones and quirky anecdotes for the week of October 13th to 19th. Hosts Buzz Knight and Harry Jacobs celebrate iconic moments in music history, delve into exciting debates like “Is Taylor Swift bigger than The Beatles?”, and pepper the show with stories about legendary artists, lost bands, wild stats, and behind-the-scenes mishaps. The duo’s chemistry and sharp wit, along with an unapologetic love for deep musical details (“minutia and mishigas”), make for an engaging listen.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Beatles—Still Making Headlines

• [05:46] Beatles Studio Session (1965):
  On Oct 13, 1965, The Beatles recorded "Daytripper" and "We Can Work It Out" at Abbey Road Studios, each song taking an astonishing 12 hours to complete.
  Harry Jacobs: “They recorded Daytripper and we can work it out… 12 hours to record each of those, two and a half, three minute songs.”

• [06:13] The Beatles’ Billboard Dominance:
  Newly surfaced data shows The Beatles at 132 weeks at #1.

  • Surprising rankings: Taylor Swift at #2 (86 weeks), Elvis (67), Garth Brooks (52), Michael Jackson (51), and a shocker—the Kingston Trio at 46 weeks.

  Harry Jacobs [07:19]: “Get out! The Kingston Trio? Can you even name a song by the Kingston Trio?”

• [09:01] Will Taylor Swift Surpass The Beatles?
  Spirited debate:
  Harry Jacobs: “She’s gonna catch them… She’s going to surpass The Beatles. I guarantee you that’s going to happen, in short order.”
  Podcast Host 2: “Is your opinion maybe somewhat controversial as well? Is your opinion that Taylor Swift...could be bigger than The Beatles, man?”

2. Janis Joplin and the 27 Club

• [10:42] Janis Joplin’s Ashes:
  Commemoration of Joplin’s ashes being scattered off the California coast—an entry point for discussing the tragic “27 Club” and the ongoing conversation around music, drugs, and untimely losses.
  Harry Jacobs [12:24]: “Drugs don’t come with a warning label... There are no warning labels. There’s no one, there’s no drug counselor saying, ‘Okay, if you’re going to get high, don’t do this, do this and make sure that someone’s with you.’ So you don’t… It’s just awful.”

3. Taylor Swift’s Record-Smashing ERAS Tour

• [13:19] Tour Records:
  The ERAS tour grossed over $2B—the highest-grossing tour in history.
  Podcast Host 2: “It grossed more than 2 billion in ticket sales… the highest grossing tour in history.”

• The hosts reinforce how different eras change comparisons (touring, album sales, cultural phenomena), drawing parallels with sports debates about “the greatest of all time.”

4. Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Guitar Wizardry

• [15:26] Austin City Limits Performance (1984):
  During "Little Sister," SRV breaks a guitar string, swaps guitars mid-song with help from his tech, and does not miss a beat.
  Harry Jacobs [16:40]: “He takes one guitar off...the guitar tech puts the other guitar on mid song…he doesn’t miss a beat. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

5. Zeppelin & Bowie—Evolution and Milestones

• [16:57] Led Zeppelin played as The New Yardbirds (1968)

• [17:27] Bowie’s ‘Heroes’ and Interpretations:
  Podcast Host 2 [17:48]: “My appreciation grew at those moments when, you know, in some form...as a backdrop on TV to the passing of somebody...just discovering it differently, loving it differently.”

• [18:53] Talking Heads Release ‘Remain in Light’ (1980) Podcast Host 2 [19:01]: “I loved having Jerry Harrison on Takin' a Walk, celebrating the 40th anniversary of one of the great concert films, ‘Stop Making Sense’.”

6. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductions and Band Drama

• [23:13] Songs in the Key of Life (1976) hits #1:
  Harry Jacobs: “It didn’t take it very long to make it there.”

• [23:13] The Who, Simon & Garfunkel & The Kinks inducted (‘90), & Band Tensions:
  Discussion on legendary artist feuds:
  Podcast Host 2: “The Who’s had a couple tumbles here and there as well.”
  Harry Jacobs: “You got two groups...notorious for fighting...Davises...and Simon and Garfunkel.”

7. Lynyrd Skynyrd—Death, Movies, and Lineup Debates

• [25:08] Skynyrd Legal Drama and the 'Freebird' Movie:
  Mention of the movie and ongoing disputes about “original” members.
  Podcast Host 2 [27:32]: “Ricky Medlock…feels a sense of bitterness that…he was not considered…an original member.”

• [28:39] Current Lineup Rundown (courtesy of Claude AI):

  • Johnny Van Zandt, Ricky Medlock, and a newer lineup.

8. Springsteen’s River Era & NO NUKES Shows

• [31:19] Springsteen plays first NJ River concert (1980): Podcast Host 2 [31:32]: “The whole experience was a complete, you know, mind blowing experience in terms of the performances. And Bruce’s was no exception—one of the great performances, certainly from Bruce.”

9. Iconic Moments—Hendrix, Temptations, SNL Reunions, Arrests

• [34:23] Jimi Hendrix debuts in Paris (1966)
• [34:47] Temptations ‘I Can’t Get Next to You’ hits #1 (1969):
  Podcast Host 2 [35:14]: “When that’s on, I officially get my jiggy on.”
• [35:56] Simon & Garfunkel reunite on SNL (1975)
• [39:00+] Drug busts for Keith Richards, John and Yoko

10. Zeppelin: What Could Have Been

• [39:03] Led Zeppelin III hits #1 (1970) & Untold Stories
  Jimmy Page once revealed a synthesizer-driven, guitar-heavy direction was planned before John Bonham’s death.
  Harry Jacobs [38:53]: “They were going to add...synthesizers...and they were going to just bust it out with the guitars again. It really got me excited...for what could have been.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Harry Jacobs [06:47]: “The Kingston Trio? Get the F out of here. Really? Can you even name a song by the Kingston Trio?”
• Harry Jacobs [14:07]: “I’m cringing too...I can’t tell you the name of more than two [Taylor Swift] songs. I’m not a Taylor Swift fan... But this is a different era. This is like comparing...who’s the best basketball player of all time?”
• Harry Jacobs [16:40]: “He doesn’t miss a beat. I’ve never seen anything like it” (on Stevie Ray Vaughan’s guitar switch).
• Podcast Host 2 [19:01]: “I loved having Jerry Harrison on Takin’ a Walk, celebrating the 40th anniversary of one of the great concert films of all time, Stop Making Sense.”
• Harry Jacobs [22:47]: “God bless the weed stores, in my opinion. God bless the power of the Gummy.”
• Harry Jacobs [27:34]: “Johnny Van Zant sounds just like his brother. So you could see Lynyrd Skynyrd… and you can hear his brother in him…that’s what’s kind of frightening to me about that, in a good way.”
• Podcast Host 2 [35:14]: “I officially get my jiggy on when that’s on [Temptations’ ‘I Can’t Get Next to You’].”
• Harry Jacobs [38:53]: “It would be wonderful to have heard…what could have happened” (on lost Led Zeppelin tracks).

Important Timestamps

• [05:46] Beatles record "Daytripper" and "We Can Work It Out"
• [06:13] Beatles, Taylor Swift, and chart standings discussion
• [10:42] Janis Joplin’s ashes scattered & the “27 Club”
• [13:19] Taylor Swift’s tour records compared to The Beatles
• [15:26] Stevie Ray Vaughan’s legendary guitar string swap, Austin City Limits
• [17:27] Bowie’s “Heroes” and its cultural resonance
• [19:01] Talking Heads’ “Remain in Light” release
• [23:13] Stevie Wonder’s “Songs in the Key of Life” to Kinks/Hall of Fame
• [25:08] Lynyrd Skynyrd legal drama and band lineup debates
• [31:19] Springsteen’s first post-River NJ concert and NO NUKES shows
• [34:23] Jimi Hendrix Experience debut in Paris
• [35:14] Temptations hit #1 and “getting jiggy”
• [35:56] Simon & Garfunkel SNL reunion
• [39:03] Led Zeppelin III hits #1 and “what could have been” for the band

Tone & Language

The episode is energetic, slightly irreverent, and full of rapid-fire banter and deep love for musical details. The hosts riff off each other, challenge one another (and music history itself), inject humor, nostalgia, and a dose of gentle self-deprecation (“manager of musical minutia…and mishigas”).

Summary

This week’s episode is a deep, entertaining ramble through music history’s oddities and giants—full of revelations (Who knew the Kingston Trio charted so high?), debates (Taylor vs. Beatles), and loving tributes (Janis, Hendrix, Springsteen, Zeppelin). Harry Jacobs, as ever, dives headlong into the obscure ("I'm gonna go down the Ricky Medlock rabbit hole!") while Buzz keeps the stories rolling with expert ease. If you’re a music nerd, history buff, or just reliving your record store days, this is time well spent.