Takin' A Walk – Music History with Buzz Knight

Weekly Music History: From Johnny Cash to The Rolling Stones

Air Date: January 12, 2026
Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Harry Jacobs (rock fan, media personality, industry insider)
Theme: Highlights from music history during the week of January 13th — memorable moments, unusual stories, and pop culture intersections.

Episode Overview

Buzz Knight welcomes Harry Jacobs to the “Music History Desk” for a lively conversation centering on music milestones and turning points that occurred during the second week of January throughout history. This episode features reflections on genre-bending artists like Johnny Cash, high-stakes moments for Eric Clapton, censorship brush-ups with The Rolling Stones, bizarre Beatles inspiration, and even an infamous Boston disaster. The discussion seamlessly blends music lore, nostalgia, and insider commentary.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison (1968)

[00:42 – 03:15]

• Landmark Album: Johnny Cash’s legendary “At Folsom Prison” live album was recorded and released this week in 1968. The significance lies in Cash performing for an audience of inmates as a former felon himself — a move that was deeply provocative and emblematic of his rebel authenticity.

• Influence on Rock: Harry points out that Cash, “not necessarily a rock guy,” heavily influenced rock musicians including Bruce Springsteen: “Bruce Springsteen will often talk about that Johnny Cash influence...” [00:44]

• Cultural Context: Buzz and Harry reflect on how “unlikely” such a performance would be in the modern era and how Cash bridged country and Americana with rock ethos.

• Notable Quote:
  “Johnny Cash, a former felon, by the way, play at the prison. That was a big deal at that time.”
  – Harry Jacobs [01:05]

• Memorable Image: Harry describes the iconic photo of Cash giving the finger at Folsom, as a symbol of the era’s spirit:
  “He looks really angry…to me that describes the times, right, that we were in at that time.” [02:51]

• Related Anecdote: Buzz recalls interviewing Jelly Roll, who had deep respect for Cash’s “badass” authenticity and recommended the “Tricky Dick Johnny Cash” documentary. [01:38–02:25]

2. Eric Clapton & The Rainbow Concert (1973)

[03:15 – 06:26]

• Eric Clapton’s Crisis: January 1973 marked Pete Townshend of The Who organizing the Rainbow Concert in London to “support Eric Clapton,” who was at the height of heroin addiction and professional withdrawal.

• The Event: The concert was an all-star jam with Steve Winwood and others, not a sequence of solo sets. The group reflects on how such events were less polished and orchestrated compared to modern tributes. [05:03–05:21]

• Critical Reception: Buzz recalls the record of the Rainbow Concert being “received fairly tepidly” despite the lineup’s star power. [04:12]

• Production Changes: Discussion on how live event production and direction have evolved since then, comparing it to improvements in broadcast sports. [05:39]

• Notable Quote:
  “Clapton was arguably a disaster. He was struggling with the situation with Patty Harrison, George Harrison's wife at the time, being…in love with his best friend's wife. It created all kinds of angst and added to the drug use...”
  – Harry Jacobs [06:03]

3. The Rolling Stones on Ed Sullivan (1967)

[06:37 – 07:47]

• Censorship Moment: The Rolling Stones were compelled by Ed Sullivan to change the lyrics of “Let’s Spend the Night Together” to “Let’s Spend Some Time Together” due to the suggestive original line. [06:37]

• Ed Sullivan’s Role: Imagining the awkward negotiation between Sullivan and the Stones, Buzz muses, “I could only wish that we could have been a fly on the wall…” [07:00]

• Notable Quote:
  “This was tame compared to anything else.”
  – Harry Jacobs, referencing the Stones’ notorious reputation [07:44]

4. Paul McCartney's Tokyo Arrest (1980)

[08:00 – 08:53]

• Weed Arrest: January 16, 1980, Paul McCartney was arrested for marijuana possession in Tokyo while touring with Wings, resulting in deportation and nine days in Japanese jail.

• Changing Times: Reflection on the shift in attitudes toward marijuana:
  “It is kind of mind blowing thinking about how far we've come.”
  – Harry Jacobs [08:53]

• Notable Quote:
  “Imagine that bag of weed…he gets nine days in Tokyo in jail.”
  – Harry Jacobs [08:20]

5. Beatles' "A Day in the Life" – Inspiration from the News (1967)

[08:53 – 09:32]

• Lyric Origins: January 17, 1967 — The Daily Mail reports “4,000 potholes in Blackburn, Lancashire" and the demise of the Guinness heir, both of which inspired lyrics for “A Day in the Life.”

• Research Find: Harry discovered this story while prepping for the week and brought it to Buzz's attention.

• Songwriting Genius:
  “What was so awesome…Lennon and McCartney…scanning every possible source for some inspiration and finding that in the Daily Mail.”
  – Buzz Knight [09:32]

6. Johnny Rotten Fired from the Sex Pistols (1978)

[09:52 – 10:31]

• Punk Irony: On this week in 1978, Johnny Rotten was fired from the Sex Pistols for not being “weird enough” — a move that effectively ended the band.

• Notable Quotes:

  • “They said he wasn't weird enough.”
    – Harry Jacobs [10:07]
  • “Isn't that the definition of punk anyway, getting kicked out of a band?”
    – Buzz Knight [10:09–10:22]

7. Boston’s Great Molasses Flood (1919)

[10:31 – 11:13]

• Strange History: January 15, 1919, the Great Molasses Flood in Boston killed 21 people and injured 150 when a massive molasses tank burst.

• Local Lore: Buzz, from Massachusetts, finds it remarkable that the tragic event isn’t common knowledge, even among locals. [10:56]

• Notable Quotes:

  • “Death by molasses. Kind of slow and painful.”
    – Harry Jacobs [11:09]

  • “And traffic was terrible at that moment. And to this day it's still hellacious in Boston.”
    – Buzz Knight [11:13]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Show:
  “One of my favorite pictures of Johnny is that, that picture where he's given the finger to the camera…to me that…describes the times.”
  – Harry Jacobs [02:51]

• On The Rainbow Concert:
  “This was the jam session…pre…what they're doing now as an example for the Rock and Roll hall of Fame.”
  – Harry Jacobs [05:03]

• On the Stones’ Ed Sullivan Lyric Change:
  “This was tame compared to anything else.”
  – Harry Jacobs [07:44]

• On Change in Marijuana Laws:
  “It is kind of mind blowing thinking about how far we've come.”
  – Harry Jacobs [08:53]

• On Johnny Rotten’s Firing:
  “They said he wasn't weird enough.”
  – Harry Jacobs [10:07]

Timestamps to Key Segments

• Johnny Cash & Folsom Prison Album: [00:42 – 03:15]
• Eric Clapton’s Rainbow Concert & Struggles: [03:15 – 06:26]
• Rolling Stones on Ed Sullivan – Censorship: [06:37 – 07:47]
• Paul McCartney’s Tokyo Arrest: [08:00 – 08:53]
• Beatles' “A Day in the Life” Lyric Origins: [08:53 – 09:32]
• Johnny Rotten Fired from Sex Pistols: [09:52 – 10:31]
• Boston’s Molasses Flood: [10:31 – 11:13]

Tone & Flow

• Conversational, witty, and peppered with inside music lore.
• Full of humorous asides, personal reminiscences, and appreciation for music history’s quirks.
• Both hosts bring decades of music fandom and industry backdrop, giving color to each story.

This episode of Takin' A Walk is a parade of classic music headlines, underlying how moments from decades ago continue to shape the story and culture of popular music — with more than a few laughs and surprises along the way.