This week in Music History for the week of 5-26

Summary

Podcast Summary: "takin' a walk" – This Week in Music History (May 26, 2025)

Host: Buzz Brainerd
Guest: Harry Jacobs, Maestro of Mayhem and Music History Expert
Release Date: May 26, 2025

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Introduction

In the latest episode of the "takin' a walk" MUSIC HISTORY ON FOOT podcast, host Buzz Brainerd welcomes Harry Jacobs, a seasoned music historian, to delve into significant events that shaped the music landscape during the week of May 26. The conversation spans iconic moments from The Beatles to Alice Cooper, offering listeners a rich tapestry of musical evolution.

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The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Release

Harry Jacobs opens the discussion by highlighting the monumental release of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by EMI Rush on May 26. He emphasizes the album's revolutionary impact on music, noting its innovative concept, diverse soundscapes, and groundbreaking cover art.

“This was an incredible album. It changed everything in terms of concept, the cover art, the songs, the diversity of music.” (02:00)

Buzz adds that the album's influence remains undiminished even after 58 years, with Jacobs supporting this by mentioning its extended chart presence.

“Spent almost half a year on the UK album charts at that time and, 15 weeks or so in the US... it's still something that people put right at the top of their list.” (02:26)

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The Beatles’ Bed-In for Peace and "Give Peace a Chance"

Shifting focus, Jacobs recounts The Beatles' peace activism in 1969, particularly John and Yoko’s week-long Bed-In at the Hotel Lorraine Elizabeth in Montreal aimed at promoting peace during the Vietnam War. This event culminated in the recording of the legendary anti-war anthem "Give Peace a Chance."

“They recorded 'Give Peace a Chance,' a legendary song.” (03:59)

Buzz expresses fascination with the event's vibrant atmosphere, mentioning the eclectic mix of attendees like Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg, which Jacobs concurs with enthusiasm.

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Carole King’s Historic Free Concert in Central Park

The conversation then shifts to Carole King's groundbreaking free concert in Central Park in 1973. Jacobs shares intriguing facts about the event, including attendance estimates ranging from 6,000 to 100,000 people, and contrasts it with earlier free concerts by artists like Jefferson Airplane.

“Carole's concert was on the Great Lawn.” (06:34)
“It's the first big free concert in Central Park at that time.” (04:55)

Buzz interjects with a personal anecdote about attending a Jefferson Airplane concert, reflecting on its significance and crowd size, to which Jacobs provides additional context and clarifications.

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The Eagles’ Reunion and "Hotel California"

Harry Jacobs pays tribute to Alan White, Yes's drummer who passed away in 2022, and transitions into discussing The Eagles' reunion in 1994 for the "Hell Freezes Over" tour. He highlights the meticulous production quality of their performances, especially the iconic "Hotel California."

“The look of just was, you know, obviously groundbreaking.” (02:14)
“They can do whatever he wants as far as I'm concerned.” (11:25)

Buzz praises Don Henley’s personality and the band's dedication to sound quality, noting their rehearsing harmonies to ensure top-tier live performances.

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The Beatles’ White Album

On May 30, 1968, The Beatles began recording what would become the sprawling White Album. Jacobs describes its eclectic mix of genres and groundbreaking cover art, underscoring its status as a double album monster.

“The White Album... such a wide variety of different sounding tracks.” (12:05)
“It's an epic song.” (14:29)

Buzz remarks on the album cover's creativity, prompting Jacobs to reflect on its understated title and immense content.

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Alice Cooper’s "Welcome to My Nightmare"

Turning to theatrical rock, Jacobs highlights Alice Cooper’s 1975 release of Welcome to My Nightmare, his first solo album. He credits the album for cementing Cooper’s legacy in the genre.

“It cemented him into the theatrical rock kind of legacy.” (12:48)

Buzz notes ongoing developments with Cooper’s music, while Jacobs shares insights into Cooper’s intellectual and thoughtful nature, drawing parallels to Ronnie James Dio.

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Paul McCartney and Wings' "Live and Let Die"

Concluding the episode, Jacobs discusses Paul McCartney and Wings’ release of "Live and Let Die" in 1973, the theme song for the James Bond film. He praises its dynamic structure and enduring appeal.

“It's an epic song.” (14:16)
“The tempo changes... it just rocks out.” (14:16)

Buzz echoes sentiments about the song's impact and believes it didn’t receive the full credit it deserved upon release.

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Conclusion

Buzz Brainerd and Harry Jacobs wrap up the episode by reflecting on the diverse and influential events covered, from The Beatles' transformative albums to pioneering live performances by Carole King and The Eagles. The episode offers both nostalgic insights and fresh perspectives, making it a must-listen for music history enthusiasts.

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Notable Quotes:

• Harry Jacobs: “This was an incredible album. It changed everything in terms of concept, the cover art, the songs, the diversity of music.” (02:00)
• Buzz Brainerd: “Nothing wrong with it.” (01:28)
• Harry Jacobs: “They recorded 'Give Peace a Chance,' a legendary song.” (03:59)
• Harry Jacobs: “Carole's concert was on the Great Lawn.” (06:34)
• Harry Jacobs: “It was the first big free concert in Central Park at that time.” (04:55)
• Harry Jacobs: “They can do whatever he wants as far as I'm concerned.” (11:25)
• Buzz Brainerd: “It’s meticulous. You're right.” (12:03)
• Harry Jacobs: “It's an epic song.” (14:29)

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For those eager to explore more about these pivotal moments in music history, tuning into "takin' a walk" provides a comprehensive and engaging narrative that bridges past and present musical landscapes.

Transcript

[Buzz Brainerd]

Foreign the host of the Taking a Walk podcast. And here we are again for another look at this week in music history for the week of May 26th. And we go to the maestro of mayhem and the maestro of music history, Harry Jacobs. Hello, Harry.

[Harry Jacobs]

Well, it's good to, good to be here. I, you know, this has become like my thesis in a way, doing this, this work every week. I really, it's, you know, I didn't.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Realize you had a lisp though.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, my, I had to think about that for a minute. But this has become like a pet project to put this together every week. And we're both huge music fans, classic rock fans, so there's a lot of great information that we're finding each week and I'm, I'm really excited to continue to do it so.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Well, thank you for doing it and thank you for the research and thank you for sometimes jarring my memory and our listeners memory with so many great stories. We never have enough Beatles stories, do we?

[Harry Jacobs]

You know, every week we. I didn't realize this but after the, you know, when we first started doing this, the first couple weeks, I said to you on a call afterwards, I said, you know, I think every week we're going to get something from the Beatles. And you said without question, every single week.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Nothing wrong with it.

[Harry Jacobs]

Think about it, for a band that was around from, you know, 1963 to, you know, 1970, you know, a very short period of time compared to the who and the Stones and the others that we love, they created some incredible history during that time. And, and this week, by the way, on May 26, no exception, this was the week that, that EMI Rush released sergeant Peppers in London and select UK markets. And, and this was just, we keep saying it over and over, but this was an incredible album. It changed everything in terms of concept, cover art, the songs, the diversity of music. Just, just like a smorgasbord of, of.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Music and, and sound and creativity too. Everything was poured into certainly that album. The look of just was, you know, obviously groundbreaking.

[Harry Jacobs]

Spent almost half a year on the UK album charts at that time and, and 15 weeks or so in, in the US but you know, even now, 58 years later, it's still something that people put right at the top of their list. Pretty crazy.

[Buzz Brainerd]

And what I find really funny too, there are still to this day people who, you know, live through that generation that break out. Well, what camp were you in? Were you in the Beatles camp or the Rolling Stones camp?

[Harry Jacobs]

It's pretty funny you talk about this with Billy Bob Thornton. Is that who you got into the debate with or there were a couple different people that you've had that I like hearing that I like hearing different celebrities perspective that are of our age or know a little bit older. So.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Yeah, yeah. Nicely how you dodge that, Harry. That's good.

[Harry Jacobs]

You were. And you were men of your age were either in the Beatles or the Stones camp. I was too young. I had to borrow my father's albums.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Oh, thank you. That's very kind of you.

[Harry Jacobs]

Speaking of the Beatles. 1969 John and Yoko began their second week long bed in for peace in Montreal the hotel Lorraine Elizabeth and promoting world peace among the Vietnam War. And also during this trip a few days later on the 1st of June they recorded give peace a Chance legendary song.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Have you seen the footage of that?

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, it's crazy.

[Buzz Brainerd]

It's pretty wild.

[Harry Jacobs]

Timothy Leary, Tommy Smothers, Dick Gregory Allen Ginsberg. A whole bunch of people were part of that big in that bed end party.

[Buzz Brainerd]

That's right. Yeah. I'm sure if you were a guest at the, at the hotel staying there, it was pretty wild. Imagine that.

[Harry Jacobs]

What's that smell coming from that room?

[Buzz Brainerd]

Yeah.

[Harry Jacobs]

For multiple reasons. 1973, this is a big one. I. I kind of sunk my teeth into this. Carole King performed her free concert in Central Park. When I looked at the number originally I saw it and I was kind of surprised. 100,000 people came to Central park. That couple of facts. That was the first big free concert in Central park at that. At that time. That was the first one. We've seen a number of concerts obviously since then, but that was the first big free concert that was.

[Buzz Brainerd]

I. I have to question that though because. And I brought this one up to a previous guest who was part of this story. Carlos Santana. And either 1969 or 1970 the Jefferson airplane played a free concert in Central Park. Maybe not exactly there where Carole King show was in Central park. And maybe that's part of the storyline legacy twist but the Airplane played that free concert. I was there and that was when Carlos and the band were first sort of. They hadn't even put out the brand new, you know first album and the Airplane was kind of shepherding them through. Now I don't. I never heard an estimate on the crowd size but it certainly felt like a hundred thousand. When, when I saw that it was like a mini Woodstock.

[Harry Jacobs]

It A couple of pieces of information that I've. I've just found that breaking news, breaking news and. And you know, obviously I can't go down the rabbit hole. We're limited on time, but anywhere from 6 to 50,000 people were. Are the estimates. The two or three different estimates as I just searched it. But. But that concert, the Airplane, the Dead, Paul Butterfield. And that was on the Central park on the Mall, not on the Great Lawn. So there's where the.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Okay, maybe.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, Carol's concert was on the Great lawn.

[Buzz Brainerd]

And.

[Harry Jacobs]

Okay, 100,000 people. But that's interesting and good information.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Certainly I could talk about it firsthand. So there you go. There's no reason I should have been there.

[Harry Jacobs]

I was only two, so all I can do is look on the Google for it.

[Buzz Brainerd]

There's no reason I should have been there as there's no reason that I should have been at the Fillmore east two days before to see the Jefferson Airplane play.

[Harry Jacobs]

Were you AWOL from home and school and whatever you were doing at that time?

[Buzz Brainerd]

My brother took me.

[Harry Jacobs]

Oh, interesting.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Apparently quite a loser if he's taking me to. To shows.

[Harry Jacobs]

That's very funny. No friends. He's going to take his kid brother.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Yeah, that.

[Harry Jacobs]

They recorded that concert on video. It took him 50 years release it. It didn't get released until 2023, which is kind of interesting.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Yeah. But I love her. And Tapestry is one of my favorites of all time. That was the first album I ever bought.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, I had forgotten about it. I. As I was doing the research for this, I went and downloaded the album on itunes. I'm sure she'll make about 30 cents on that. When you look at the. At the track list from that smack water Jack. Will you still love me tomorrow? So far away it's too late. You've got a friend. You make me feel like a natural woman. All those songs, by the way, she wrote all those songs.

[Buzz Brainerd]

She had a career before this career.

[Harry Jacobs]

She wrote you make me Feel Like a natural woman in 1967. It was a collaboration, but Aretha made the song famous. But that was Carol's song.

[Buzz Brainerd]

I know.

[Harry Jacobs]

The other weird thing that happened was this James Taylor connection with Carole King. So they were both working on projects at the same time. And while she was working out, you've got a Friend in the studio. He was actually doing some tracks on her album, but was recording something in the same location. So what happened was he heard that song, he heard her playing it, and he said, do you mind if I use this as well? So the song had. They're both working simultaneously, you know, on the. On the same song. And he's the one that won the Grammy and Song of the year for it in 72. But they both can't, you know, they both, both came out at the same time. But it's an interesting story.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Wow, I didn't know that.

[Harry Jacobs]

There you go with Carole King. Just legendary. And I'm going to dig into that album a little bit certainly over the coming days in 2022. Alan White, who was the drummer of yes, had been the drummer of yes since 1972, passed away at 72 years old and, and that was a big loss. I know you've had John Anderson and Steve Howe from. From that band. Interesting connection with Alan White to. Another guest of Taking A Walk is Bob Rivers, who was connected to Alan White. Bob Rivers, the legendary radio personality, you know, heard that interview with Buzz. Check it out. But Bob was working on putting together like a concert video from the celebration of Alan White's life with Trevor Rabin and, and other members of yes and, and what Bob has done so far. I can tell you this because Bob shared it with me over the, you know, the year and a half prior to his passing. So Bob actually went to. To the length of getting folks like Trevor Rabin to recut certain pieces, certain tracks, to remix it. And, and, and I sent him the symphonic yes album to listen to. I said, listen to this. This is yes with a symphony. And then go listen to what you did. And Bob Rivers mix of that Alan White concert is amazing.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Oh, wow.

[Harry Jacobs]

One of the best concert sounds videos I've ever heard. So I'm anxious for that to. To come out.

[Buzz Brainerd]

But Alan can't wait to hear it and see it. And.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah. May. May 26, 2022. Alan White passed away in 1994. On May 27, the Eagles reunited for the Hell Freezes over tour. And they called it that because, you know, when people would ask Don Henley and Glenn Fry when the band was going to get back together, you know, 14 years after the Long Run came out, Henley in his typical friendly, affable fashion would say, when Hell Freezes over. I'm sure you've talked to him about the Eagles over the years.

[Buzz Brainerd]

I love him.

[Harry Jacobs]

Do you find him to be. No, he's highly intellectual.

[Buzz Brainerd]

No, I, I've never had an issue with him.

[Harry Jacobs]

He just. He can be disagreeable with. With some.

[Buzz Brainerd]

He can do whatever he wants as far as I'm concerned.

[Harry Jacobs]

Don Henley.

[Buzz Brainerd]

That's right.

[Harry Jacobs]

This was a great album, by the way. That version of Hotel California with the Spanish guitars at the beginning, I just love. They are from a production perspective like Steely Dan and like the Doobie Brothers and. And just their sound is so important to them when they play live. If you watch that history of the Eagles, part one and two, you can see them rehearsing their harmonies before the show and the lengths that they go to to make sure that their live performances sound as good as they can. Love that about them.

[Buzz Brainerd]

It's meticulous. You're right.

[Harry Jacobs]

On May 30, 1968, another Beatles story. Beatles began recording the White Album. Another album where musically there was just such a. A wide variety of different sounding tracks. Think about what was there, you know, birthday to, Helter Skelter to. I mean, there's a, you know, double album was a monster.

[Buzz Brainerd]

And the. Just the. The work that they put into the album cover was just incredible too.

[Harry Jacobs]

The White. The White Album. I think you're using your sarcastics. I had to think about that for a minute. I thought, wait a minute. What? What? Yeah, okay. Anyway. You have anything to add on the White Album, by the way?

[Buzz Brainerd]

No, I don't.

[Harry Jacobs]

1975, Alice Cooper, that welcome to My Nightmare came out, his first as a solo artist, and this was a gold record. And really it cemented him into the theatrical rock kind of legacy that he's had.

[Buzz Brainerd]

And I think I just read that he's working on something new or that, you know, there's. There's something brewing with Alice, new music wise, I believe.

[Harry Jacobs]

I. I was never really into, I guess I like the hits. I liked Only Women Bleed and Schools out and, you know, and the hits. But I always found him fascinating when I would hear him being interviewed, because I found him to be kind of like Ronnie James Dio, far more intellectual than you would think, and thoughtful and just a kind of an interesting cat.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Good guy, too. Really good guy.

[Harry Jacobs]

You had experience with.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Oh, he's the best.

[Harry Jacobs]

Last one for the week. 1973, McCartney and Wings released Live and Let Die. This was the theme for the James Bond movie. It was a top 10 song in the UK. In the US, this is what we call a barn burner of a song. Right. The song just the tempo changes. Think about the beginning, the piano at the beginning, and then it just. It just rocks out.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Yeah. And I don't think it got the credit that it deserved in that moment in time when it was first released that I feel like it didn't.

[Harry Jacobs]

It's an epic. It's an epic song.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Yeah, it is.

[Harry Jacobs]

Live and Let Die.

[Buzz Brainerd]

All right, now.

[Harry Jacobs]

There you go. So that's it. That's the week in Music History. May 26 to June 1 buzz.

[Buzz Brainerd]

Well, thank you very much, Harry. We really covered a lot of ground and I gave you your fair dose of distraction on this particular episode. Thanks for listening. Thank you Harry. And please check us out wherever you find your podcasts.

[C]

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[Harry Jacobs]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.