This week in Music History on the "takin ' a walk" podcast.

Summary

Podcast Summary: "takin' a walk" – This Week in Music History
Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Harry Jacobs
Release Date: January 20, 2025

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Introduction

In the January 20, 2025 episode of "takin' a walk", hosted by Buzz Knight and featuring musicologist Harry Jacobs, listeners are taken on a nostalgic journey through significant moments in music history. The episode delves into iconic events, legendary artists, and pivotal releases that have shaped the landscape of rock and popular music.

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Key Topics Discussed

1. Ozzy Osbourne Bites the Head Off a Bat (January 20, 1982)

One of the most infamous incidents in rock history was dissected in detail. On January 20, 1982, during a live performance in Des Moines, Iowa, Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off a bat thrown onto the stage.

• Harry Jacobs reminisces, “This cemented Ozzy's reputation as a wild figure” (02:57).
• Buzz Knight adds context to the event’s aftermath, stating, “After the incident, he had to go, you know, undergo a whole bunch of rabies shots and all that” (03:03).
• The discussion highlighted how, without the pervasive presence of the internet, news of the incident relied on local sources like the Worcester Telegram and WAAF radio.

2. Pink Floyd Begins Recording "The Dark Side of the Moon" (January 24, 1972)

The episode explores the inception of one of the most acclaimed albums in music history.

• Harry Jacobs shares his admiration: “This is top, I mean, certainly on my list, maybe one or number one or number two of all time” (04:58).
• They discuss the intricate production process, mentioning the significant role of engineer Alan Parsons. Harry comments, “There's some footage out there I have seen and now I'm gonna go down the rabbit hole to find the making stuff” (05:33).
• The hosts reflect on the album's enduring legacy, noting its 741-week presence on the charts, a testament to its timeless appeal.

3. Paul McCartney's Arrest in Tokyo (January 25, 1980)

A lighter yet impactful moment in music history was highlighted through Paul McCartney's legal troubles.

• Harry Jacobs recounts, “Paul McCartney had been arrested in Tokyo. January 25, 1980 was the day that he got out of jail. He spent nine days behind bars for weed” (10:15).
• Buzz Knight reminisces about local radio's support for McCartney, mentioning petitions and fan audiences aimed at his release.

4. Fleetwood Mac Releases "Rumours" (January 26, 1977)

The discussion shifts to one of the best-selling albums of all time, despite the band's internal turmoil.

• Harry Jacobs elaborates on the band's struggles: “They were caught up in drug use and drama and breakups, infidelity” (11:04).
• Buzz Knight marvels at the juxtaposition of personal chaos and professional success: “What's so amazing is that they would put out that, you know, monumental release in the midst of being a wreck” (11:32).
• They touch upon the album's enduring impact and its place in rock and roll history.

5. Eddie Van Halen’s Birthday and Al Capone’s Death (January 26 & 25)

Concluding the historical roundup, the hosts pay homage to influential figures in both music and gangster lore.

• Harry Jacobs notes, “January 26, 1955, Eddie's birthday. Rest in peace. May he rest in peace, the great Eddie Crazy” (13:28).
• They also mention the demise of notorious gangster Al Capone on January 25, 1947, adding a touch of historical breadth to the episode.

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Notable Quotes

• Harry Jacobs: “This cemented Ozzy's reputation as a wild figure.” (02:57)
• Buzz Knight: “After the incident, he had to go, you know, undergo a whole bunch of rabies shots and all that.” (03:03)
• Harry Jacobs: “This is top, I mean, certainly on my list, maybe one or number one or number two of all time.” (04:58)
• Buzz Knight: “That's an amazing, I tell you.” (09:23)
• Harry Jacobs: “Proudly. We, we played it proudly. No, I actually think we were not proud and we may at times have played it and not backselled it like DJs would.” (12:37)
• Buzz Knight: “Visit OmegaXcel.com getmore Stop hitting snooze on.” (14:47) – [Note: Although intended to skip ads, this quote appears to be part of an advertisement and can be excluded if adhering strictly to content-only summaries.]

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Conclusion

The episode of "takin' a walk" offers a rich tapestry of musical milestones, blending storytelling with insightful commentary. From Ozzy Osbourne's notorious antics to the genius behind Pink Floyd's masterpieces, Buzz Knight and Harry Jacobs provide listeners with both historical facts and personal reflections. The discussion not only celebrates iconic moments but also underscores the complex interplay between artists' personal lives and their creative outputs, making it a compelling listen for music enthusiasts and history buffs alike.

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Timestamp References:
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Transcript

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[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 for the week of January 20th. And we'll go to the music history desk to Harry Jacobs, my pal a long time from my radio days. He's a former radio programmer, radio host and musicologist. Hello, Harry at the Music history desk.

[Harry Jacobs]

I just want to let you know that I'm using this entire experience to get my certification as a musicologist. How does it feel to be used in that way? This is my thesis.

[Buzz Knight]

I like that. I like it. Dr. Jacobs.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, there you go.

[Buzz Knight]

All right, so let's take a look at the week. It sounds like it might be a fairly interesting week. They all are. But this one in particular, this is a good one.

[Harry Jacobs]

This is, you know, we started at the end of the year, which is typically kind of slow. And now we're starting to get into where things happened in history. This is one of my favorite Stories in Rock. January 20, 1982. That was the day that Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off the bat. Live bat in concert. You remember where that was?

[Buzz Knight]

I did not remember where it was.

[Harry Jacobs]

Des Moines, Iowa, of, of all places.

[Buzz Knight]

I'm sure Des Moines was never the same after that.

[Harry Jacobs]

After the incident, he had to go, you know, undergo a whole bunch of rabies shots and all that. This, you know, it's funny, I remember where I was when I, you know, when I heard this story. I, you know, I grew up in and Worcester. We got information in 1982 from. From, you know, a couple places. We got them from, you know, the Worcester Telegram. We got them from WAAF or we got them from our pals on a landline. Right. This is, you know, think about if that were to happen now, the viral video that would be out there of Ozzy biting the head off a bat.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, I would agree. I think there was a period of time I was going regularly to a thing that Lee Abrams and company put on which was called the Superstars Convention. And we were consulted by Lee and, and his consultants John Sinton, who, you know, and Dwight Douglas and. And others were part of that. Dave Logan was ultimately part of that whole group as well. And I seem to remember Ozzy had come that year to the Superstars event. And then afterwards I think this story broke. So it was particularly interesting because we had encountered the Oz at the event and then suddenly this story happens. Plus there was a pretty notorious record label head who we dealt with, who you might remember a gentleman by the name of Harvey Leeds, who. Who represented O label. So I think we got extra color on the story from Harvey as well.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah, this cemented Ozzy's reputation as a wild figure. And Harvey's had already been cemented at that point.

[Buzz Knight]

And it still is, it still is true of Harvey.

[Harry Jacobs]

Right. 1972, January 24th. This is big day. This is when Pink Floyd started recording Dark side of the Moon. This is top, I mean, certainly on my list, maybe one or number one or number two of all time.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, Just thinking about, like, can you imagine if, you know, we had a behind the scenes that would have taken us, you know, deeper inside that sort of creative process, the whole Alan Parsons aspect of things as the engineer. Right, Alan Parsons, yeah.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah. I'm going to mention I got an Alan Parsons connection to this as well. But you, you mentioned the, you know, the behind the scenes. There's some footage out there I have seen and now I'm gonna go down the rabbit hole to find the making stuff. But there is some stuff that's out there on the making of it and, and one of the other things they're doing and all across all boards with music or they're. They're putting out these video series on how certain things were made. So they're Going back into the studio so you actually can get a sense of how they made it. But I've seen some stuff on Dark side of the Moon and it's fascinating to me to watch that whole process. Those guys were just, just brilliant.

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah. And you think about where, where it is now, you know, the relationship aspect of things where it's never going to be. Be together at all. And you just think about then and the magic that they were ultimately able to create. It's pretty spectacular thinking about that.

[Harry Jacobs]

There is this kind of, you know, wives tale or folklore about Dark side of the Moon and Wizard of Oz. Did you ever, you ever do that? You ever, you ever watch it, see it together?

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, well, we were part of this where. You remember George Taylor Morris, of course, who is our.

[Harry Jacobs]

Would be a great guest for, for what we're doing here if he were still with us.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, yeah, your partner in this. Yeah, you got that right. Our dear late friend George Taylor Morris. When he was on wzlx, he somehow encountered this story. I don't know who told him about it, but some would say he was the guy that really fueled that thing, you know, from a publicity aspect of things nationally. Because then ultimately after, after George leaned into it, and then ultimately ZLX leaned into it, you saw it start popping up in. In New York at my old station, WNEW fm. I think Dave Herman latched on to the story and then it sort of sprouted its own, you know, wings across the country, you know, of course, because radio people like to steal a good bit if they can, so they can turn it into their own thing.

[Harry Jacobs]

So this was again, the days really before the Internet where, you know, you weren't. If George Taylor Morris were doing it and, and in Boston and someone else were, you know, Bob Rivers was doing it at, you know, KISW in Seattle. The world didn't know that.

[Buzz Knight]

That's right.

[Harry Jacobs]

General public didn't. Didn't know that.

[Buzz Knight]

What it has been refuted, by the way. I, I think I just recently saw that David Gilmore spoke about it and said that there was no association that he believed with the two, you know, products.

[Harry Jacobs]

I asked Alan Parsons about it, and I'll tell you when this was. This was either on July 4, 1997 or July 4, 1998, because I had a July 4 interview with Alan Parsons and I was filling in on the afternoon show on WCMF and Rochester and I asked him about it and he had no idea about it.

[Buzz Knight]

Of course.

[Harry Jacobs]

He was, you know, in the United Kingdom. He was in you know, somewhere maybe outside of London. When we talked, there was again, no, no YouTube at that point. But he played dumb on it too. But you look now you look at, at YouTube, some of the stuff where it syncs up, it looks like it's the soundtrack. I mean, it's the score. So crazy thing. But 1972, January 24th, Floyd started recording that and that that album was on the charts for 741 weeks, which is unheard of.

[Buzz Knight]

Amazing, I tell you. And I loved when, I think we talked about this when Pink Floyd showed up and played in Columbus at Ohio Stadium for one of the first big, big stadium shows, you know, that they would ultimately have there, you know, with, with acts like Pink Floyd. And one of my favorite marketing ploys that, that we did at QFM96, the radio station that I was working at and programming, we had a billboard and the billboard said QFM96 welcomes. And then we had the graphics say Pink. And then we had a picture of Floyd the Barber from the Andy Griffith Show.

[Harry Jacobs]

Very funny, Very funny.

[Buzz Knight]

That was in the days when, when radio advertised on billboards or radio advertised just in general.

[Harry Jacobs]

Radio spent money. There we go. But we did. I digress. This is the day, by the way, we talked about this. Last week, Paul McCartney had been arrested in Tokyo. January 25, 1980 was the day that he got out of jail. He spent nine days behind bars for, for, for weed. And when you get out of jail and he was asked about it, he said he brought the weed with him because it was too good to leave behind.

[Buzz Knight]

That's funny.

[Harry Jacobs]

Nine days in jail. McCartney.

[Buzz Knight]

I think at my old station, i95 too. I think we did some kind of little sign a petition for us to give to the embassy in Japan to release Paul McCartney. We did some kind of little fan audience thing.

[Harry Jacobs]

That's funny. January 26, 1977, Fleetwood Mac released Rumors. This was a band. You think about it kind of the, you know, now we can say yacht rock, but, you know, soft rock, you know, kind of band, but they were caught up in drug use and drama and breakups, infidelity. I mean, for, for a group of calm adult contemporary kind of artists, there was a lot of drama in that band.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, there was a wreck at what it was. And, but what's so amazing is that they would put out that, you know, monumental release in the midst of being a wreck.

[Harry Jacobs]

Do you think, think about the COVID How funny was that? For those that are listening, think, think about this or, or jump on the Google and look at the COVID of Rumors where Mick Fleetwood's leg is up and he's wearing a shirt that has two black, you know, orbs hanging between his legs. Was that a, like a little, you know, this is how far we could push it?

[Buzz Knight]

Yeah, I think so. And, and we were amused by it for sure.

[Harry Jacobs]

Cornerstone of rock and roll history as well, you know.

[Buzz Knight]

That's right. No doubt.

[Harry Jacobs]

1984. This always amused me. And, and the album got rock play. Thriller ended up in the. In the top spot. Billboard 200 Best Selling Album of all time was originally released in 1982. Two years later, they got to the. To the top of the charts again. You play. You mentioned you, you played Beat It.

[Buzz Knight]

That's right. You sure did.

[Harry Jacobs]

Big deal for rock.

[Buzz Knight]

Proudly. We, we played it proudly. No, I actually think we were not proud and we may at times have played it and not backselled it like DJs would. So we were not. We, we were trying to skate under the radar in our own weird way about it, which in retrospect was kind of dumb.

[Harry Jacobs]

You know, you had to, in a sense, you had to play it. It had that great, you know, guitar solo. It was, it was Eddie Van Halen on that. I mean, Steve Lukather and Eddie Van Halen both played on that, on that album and I think. And I think on that track. So.

[Buzz Knight]

Oh, definitely. No, it's. The whole album actually is great. We couldn't play anything other than that. But it was pretty interesting for rock radio to co opt a little bit of MJ.

[Harry Jacobs]

And speaking of Eddie Van Halen, January 26, 1955, Eddie's birthday. Rest in peace. May he rest in peace, the great Eddie Crazy. And I'll close with this a little history. January 25, 1947, Al Capone died in Palm Island, Florida. He died from complications related to syphilis.

[Buzz Knight]

That's a heck of a way to go.

[Harry Jacobs]

Yeah.

[Buzz Knight]

Ouch.

[Harry Jacobs]

And there's this week in history of Rock and Gangster Deaths.

[Buzz Knight]

Harry, thanks for giving it to us. It was quite a wild week. And that's another one for this week in music history, the Taking a Walk podcast. Do check us out on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Harry Jacobs]

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[Buzz Knight]

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