This week in Music History for the week of 6-2

Summary

Podcast Summary: "takin' a walk" – This Week in Music History (June 2, 2025)

Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Harry Jacobs
Release Date: June 2, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of "takin' a walk", hosted by Buzz Knight and featuring music historian Harry Jacobs, the duo delves into significant events in music history that occurred during the week of June 2. Skipping the initial advertisements, Buzz and Harry engage in a lively discussion, sharing insights, personal anecdotes, and notable moments that have shaped the music landscape over the decades.

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The Beatles: From Sgt. Pepper to the White Album

Timestamp: 01:08 - 02:57

Buzz Knight initiates the conversation by revisiting a pivotal week in Beatles history. Harry Jacobs highlights the rush to release Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in the UK by EMI, setting the stage for its subsequent release in the US the following week. He remarks:

Harry Jacobs (01:27): "So I'm glad to be here and got, you know, it's never a week without some Beatles news."

Buzz and Harry discuss the transition from the intricately designed Sgt. Pepper album cover to the stark simplicity of the White Album. Buzz muses on the Beatles' decision to embrace minimalism after the elaborate Sgt. Pepper:

Buzz Knight (02:33): "I feel like they poured so much work creatively into the artwork of Sgt. Pepper that then the White Album, they were like, okay, we're the Beatles. We can do exactly what we want and we're going to call it the White Album."

Harry concurs, emphasizing the Beatles' bold move:

Harry Jacobs (02:53): "We don't care. We did enough on Sgt. Peppers. Here's the new album. It's the White Album. Deal with it."

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Eminem's Ascendancy in Hip-Hop

Timestamp: 02:59 - 04:49

Shifting gears, the conversation moves to Eminem's monumental achievement on June 2, 2002. Harry Jacobs notes that Eminem's album, The Eminem Show, reached number one in both the US and the UK, marking the beginning of his dominance in the hip-hop scene.

Harry Jacobs (02:59): "June 2, 2002. Eminem reached number one with The Eminem Show in the US and the UK and this kind of began his dominance in hip hop."

Buzz shares a personal encounter with Eminem during the mid-2000s:

Buzz Knight (03:25): "I was once in a room with him... and there was Mr. M. And M."

They briefly touch upon Eminem's tumultuous periods, acknowledging his struggles during his "drug days."

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Aretha Franklin's "Respect"

Timestamp: 04:17 - 04:48

On June 3, 1967, Aretha Franklin's rendition of "Respect," originally penned by Otis Redding, was either released or cemented its status as a number one anthem in the US. The song became a powerful rallying cry for women, showcasing Franklin's unparalleled vocal prowess.

Harry Jacobs (04:23): "June 3, 1967. Aretha Franklin's 'Respect,' which was originally Otis Redding's song from 1965, became a number one song here in the US—a rallying cry for women."

Both hosts enthusiastically agree on the song's impact:

Buzz Knight (04:49): "Oh yeah. I mean and Aretha, my God, what a voice got crazy."

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The Doors and Radio Edits of "Light My Fire"

Timestamp: 04:49 - 06:10

Continuing on June 3, 1967, The Doors released a radio-friendly version of their classic "Light My Fire." The original track, which spanned over six minutes, was edited down to approximately three minutes to suit the constraints of Top 40 AM radio.

Harry highlights the technical adjustments made for radio play:

Harry Jacobs (04:52): "The Doors released a radio-friendly version of 'Light My Fire.' The original was over 6 minutes long and they cut it down to 2 minutes and 52 seconds so that the radio station's Top 40 radio could play it."

Buzz reminisces about radio programming practices:

Buzz Knight (05:18): "We never would play the edited versions... We played the long one."

They briefly discuss the challenges of balancing artistic integrity with commercial radio requirements.

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Lynyrd Skynyrd's Controversial Live Performances

Timestamp: 06:10 - 07:19

Harry brings up Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Gimme Three Steps," specifically its live version, which contained a controversial word that was typically censored on rock radio. He challenges listeners to revisit the live track to hear Ronnie Van Zant's rendition.

Harry Jacobs (06:54): "...the live version of 'Gimme Three Steps' says, 'man, I ain't going to fight him over his [expletive].'... every rock station in America played that one..."

Buzz admits his lack of familiarity with this specific live version but shows eagerness to explore it.

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Jay-Z: The First Billionaire Rapper

Timestamp: 07:23 - 08:12

On June 3, Forbes recognized Jay-Z as the first rapper to achieve billionaire status, attributing his wealth to various business ventures, including his stake in a champagne brand.

Harry Jacobs (07:43): "...in 2019, on June 3, Forbes declared Jay Z the first rapper to become a billionaire with $310 million from his stake in that champagne brand."

Buzz expresses surprise at Jay-Z's involvement in the beverage industry:

Buzz Knight (07:48): "I didn't realize he had a stake in champagne. Sorry."

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Lauryn Hill and the Fugees Reunion

Timestamp: 08:13 - 09:37

Harry shifts the focus to a more recent event from 2023, where Lauryn Hill orchestrated a surprise reunion with the Fugees in Philadelphia. This sparks a nostalgic reminiscence between Buzz and Harry about their first experience hearing Lauryn Hill and the Fugees perform "Killing Me Softly" in 1995.

Harry Jacobs (08:20): "You and I went to that show and we heard Lauryn Hill and the Fugees play 'Killing Me Softly' for the first time."

They delve into the significance of that moment, recalling the venue, Mama Kin, and amusingly referencing local Boston lore about Patrick Murray.

Harry Jacobs (09:44): "...the rumor is that the late great Patrick Murray from the Charles Laquadera show got a speeding ticket going 75 miles an hour down that street."

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Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" and Its Misinterpretation

Timestamp: 10:09 - 12:29

The final segment covers the release of Bruce Springsteen's iconic album Born in the USA on June 4, 1984. Harry emphasizes how the titular song was co-opted by President Ronald Reagan and misconstrued as a patriotic anthem, despite its critical undertones regarding American society.

Harry Jacobs (10:45): "'Born in the USA' was about as anti-American as it gets. People don't get it."

Buzz reflects on the album's impact, sharing memories from his time at WNEW FM in New York:

Buzz Knight (10:56): "I remember all of that time with that release most vividly due to my wonderful time that I adored while working in New York at WNEW fm."

They also discuss Springsteen's later involvement with Amnesty International and his collaborations with other artists like U2 and Tracy Chapman. Harry touches upon the emotional depth of Springsteen's song "American Skin (41 Shots)," highlighting its poignant message about police violence.

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Conclusion

Wrapping up the episode, Buzz Knight thanks Harry Jacobs for his extensive insights into the week's music history. They acknowledge the rich tapestry of events from Beatles' album releases to influential moments in hip-hop, soul, and rock music. The hosts invite listeners to engage with the podcast across various platforms, continuing their tradition of exploring music's profound impact on culture and society.

Buzz Knight (12:29): "Thank you, Harry Jacobs, for another look at this week in music history. It was quite a week for the week of June 2nd, and we love talking about it."

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Availability: The "takin' a walk" podcast is accessible on all major podcast platforms.

Transcript

[Buzz Knight]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Harry Jacobs]

It's been so long.

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[Tom Yamas]

News legacy isn't handed down or NBC News.

[Harry Jacobs]

I'm Tom Brokaw.

[Tom Yamas]

You hope to see you back here. I'm Lester Holt. It's carried forward.

[Harry Jacobs]

Tom Yamaz is there for us.

[Tom Yamas]

Firefighters are still working around the clock. As the world changes, we look for what endures. We are coming on the air with breaking news right now. We look for a constant. And from one era to the next, trust is the anchor. For NBC Nightly News, I'm Tom Yamas. A new chapter begins. NBC Nightly News with Tom Yamas. Evenings on NBC.

[Buzz Knight]

I'm Buzz Knight, the host of the Taking a Walk podcast. And welcome to another edition of this Week in Music History. It's for the week of June 2nd, and we go over to the music history desk to the maestro of mayhem, the master of music history. Hello, Harry Jacobs.

[Harry Jacobs]

Buzz. Pleasure to be here for another week and a fairly interesting week, a busy week in terms of music history. So I'm glad to be here and got, you know, it's never a week without some Beatles news.

[Buzz Knight]

Bring it on.

[Harry Jacobs]

We're going to start on June 2nd. We talked about this last week that Sgt. Peppers was rushed by EMI for release in, in the uk. Well, the following week it was officially released, you know, in the US and, and that was, you know, the beginning of this monster album. Unbelievable artwork, unbelievable music. You and I talked, by the way, about the White Album last week, which came out after sergeant Peppers. Think about the, you know, you had an observation. The COVID work on sergeant Peppers was amazing. You, you said to me, it caught me off guard. Well, think about the White Album and how, you know, how amazing that cover was. And I had to think about it for a minute. I thought, was there something embossed on that that I didn't see?

[Buzz Knight]

I feel like they poured so much work creatively into the artwork of sergeant Pepper that then the White Album, they were like, okay, we're the Beatles. We can do exactly what we want and we're going to call it the White Album. Let's get it out there.

[Harry Jacobs]

Brilliant.

[Buzz Knight]

If you're the Beatles, you can get away with it.

[Harry Jacobs]

We don't care. We did enough on sergeant Peppers. Here's the new album. It's the White Album. Deal with it.

[Buzz Knight]

Take it or leave it.

[Harry Jacobs]

June 2, 2002. Eminem reached number one with the Eminem show in the US and the UK and this kind of began his dominance in hip hop. Do you like Eminem?

[Buzz Knight]

I definitely some. Some of his music for sure. I will tell you, I was once in a room with him.

[Harry Jacobs]

Oh, how long ago was that?

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, this was back in the early. Was around. It was mid 2000s when I used to have to, you remember, go to year old stomping grounds, Detroit, Michigan for a lot of work, business work with our radio stations. I stayed at my favorite spot there, the Townsend Hot in Birmingham, Michigan. And I remember the, the workers there were not supposed to do this, but one of the workers came over to me and went just take a look over there in the corner. Look who's over there. And. And there was Mr. M. And M. Yeah.

[Harry Jacobs]

With.

[Buzz Knight]

With a couple of other people kind of shrouded in mystery.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, that was back in his, in his drug days too, right?

[Buzz Knight]

Probably, yeah.

[Harry Jacobs]

June 3, 1967. Aretha Franklin's respect, which was originally covered or not covered, but it was originally Otis Redding song. It was her cover of otis's song from 1965 and it was a number one song here in the US an anthem, a rally cry for women. Just a great song. You know, I defy you to not turn it up when it, when it comes on the radio, right?

[Buzz Knight]

Oh yeah. I mean and Aretha, my God, what a.

[Harry Jacobs]

What a voice got crazy. 1967, the Doors released a radio friendly version of Light My Fire. Remember the original was over 6 minutes long and they cut it down to 2 minutes and 52 seconds so that the radio station's top 40 radio. There wasn't really any album rock at that point in time. It was you know, AM radio for the most part. That's where people and you know we.

[Buzz Knight]

Never would play the edited versions.

[Harry Jacobs]

Makes, makes sense. You play the law.

[Buzz Knight]

We always played whatever it was, whatever artists had had created the shorter, you know, top 40 version right. On our radio stations. We, we never played those. We played the, the long one.

[Harry Jacobs]

Did we play the, the unedited version? I'm sure we did the unedited version of Jet Air liner by Steve Miller with in it.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, you Know, here's what we did. And then. And then eventually, you know, as we know how. Love them personally. But when lawyers get a hold of anything, it's pretty much like, no, you can't do it. Why? Because you can't. So eventually that changed, right?

[Harry Jacobs]

You know, there was one. You probably never thought about this. Maybe you did. There's one of those things with a. With a horrible word in it that rock radio played over and over again. The live version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Give Me Three Steps. It's about a guy that gets caught with not his girlfriend, and there's gonna be a fight. Ronnie Van Zant and whoever this guy is. And Ronnie Van Zant, the live version says, man, I ain't going to fight him over his blank. Can't say the word. I wouldn't utter the word here. It's a word that women hate. If you go back and listen to Gimme Three Steps, how did that song, the live version of that song ever get played?

[Buzz Knight]

Someone was probably not. I mean, you.

[Harry Jacobs]

You're aware of that, right? Did you.

[Buzz Knight]

I'm really not. Honestly.

[Harry Jacobs]

Go. Go listen to the live version of it.

[Buzz Knight]

Okay.

[Harry Jacobs]

Live version. And you hear Ronnie Van Zandt said. Say that line.

[Buzz Knight]

All right.

[Harry Jacobs]

I don't know what caused me to think about that, but I was listening to it one day, I thought. Did he just say what I thought? He said, wow, every rock station in America played that one more for the road from that album.

[Buzz Knight]

Wow. I didn't realize that. All right, I'm going to check it out anyway.

[Harry Jacobs]

The radio edit, I'm surprised that never got edited down in 2019. On June 3, Forbes declared Jay Z the first rapper to become a billionaire with 310 million from. From his stake in that champagne that he had.

[Buzz Knight]

I didn't. I didn't. I didn't realize he had a stake in champagne. Sorry.

[Harry Jacobs]

A lot of different businesses. I guess so, yeah. That's one of them. This one's interesting. In 2023, Lauryn Hill staged a surprise Fugees reunion with Wycliffe Jean in. In Philadelphia. You and I have a connection to Lauryn Hill. Before she was really Lauryn Hill. I mean, she was Lauryn Hill. But you think about this for a second.

[Buzz Knight]

You.

[Harry Jacobs]

You remember Lauryn Hill from. From Boston?

[Buzz Knight]

No.

[Harry Jacobs]

Okay. You and I, in 1995, went to an event. Record companies would routinely create showcases, right? So they, like, in this case, Columbia Records, I think Rocky Del Balzo or somebody arranged a showcase of multiple artists at Mama Kin, the Aerosmith Club. You and I went to that show and we heard Lauryn Hill and the Fugees play Killing Me Softly for the first time. And we looked at each other as the. I remember this like it was yesterday. We heard Killing Me Softly two years before I think it came out.

[Buzz Knight]

This is now coming back to me as you're telling me this story. Somehow you've unlocked, right, the, the Swiss cheese up here on the left side of my head. Yeah, I, I do recall it. And I wonder if it was Rocky or the person who I just recently interviewed. I don't know. The episode probably will be close to be out when, by the time this comes out, Paul Rappaport. So I'm sure he would know about that as well.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, think about it. We, we were at Mama Kin, the Aerosmith Club on. What's that street behind Fenway Park? Is it Lansdowne Street?

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah.

[Harry Jacobs]

Where, where the rumor is that the late great Patrick Murray from, from the Charles Laquadera show got a speeding ticket going 75 miles an hour down that street. Long live the memory of Patrick Murray. Those of you from Boston will get it. How ridiculous 75 miles an hour would be down Lansdowne Street. But that's where we heard Killing Me Softly.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, good one, good one. It's coming back to me.

[Harry Jacobs]

All right, June 4th. This is the next three and this is the last for the week. There's a Springsteen connection. We're both Springsteen fans, but, but this is what popped up during this week. 1984, June 4th, was the release of Born in the USA. That song was co opted by Ronald Reagan. Was a big deal because people, you know, pump their fists when they hear. You know, you go, even now, you go see Bruce and, and he plays Born in the USA and everyone's pumping their hands and holding up their flags. The song was about as anti American as it gets.

[Buzz Knight]

Totally misunderstood.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, people don't get it, so.

[Buzz Knight]

I know, I know.

[Harry Jacobs]

But that changed the world for, for Bruce in, in 1984, that album. Now I remember.

[Buzz Knight]

I remember all of that time with that release most vividly due to my wonderful time that I adored while working in New York at WNEW fm. Because you want to see a way for a radio station to, quote, unquote, own that album when it came out. That was new at its, at its greatest at that moment. And you know, Bruce was a, was a big fan of the radio stations.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, yeah. Lived in, in the backyard. So two years later, after the Born in the USA tour was over, Bruce ended up connecting on that Amnesty International tour. And there were a whole bunch of people that, you know that were there for part of it. U2 and Sting and Tracy Chapman and Peter Gabriel. If you remember that tour, Bruce recorded a little EP that got played along, but I remember he really helped Tracy Chapman, you know. And then in 2000, Bruce released American skin, 41 shots. And that appears on the New York City concert, the dvd. A very moving song, you know, about shooting of an unarmed young man. The message from, you know, the mother to the son, you know, keep your hands where they can see him, don't do anything. You know what I mean? It's just.

[Buzz Knight]

It is.

[Harry Jacobs]

There you go with. With this week and music for the first week in June.

[Buzz Knight]

Well, good. And ending it in a Springsteen fury. I like that as well. Yeah. So. Well, thank you, Harry Jacobs for another look at this week in music history. And it was a quite a week the week of June 2nd, and we love talking about it. And thanks for listening to the Taking a Walk podcast. We are available wherever you get your podcasts.