“I got a fever, and the only prescription is: More Cowbell!”*
Driving around town the other day, I noticed a rare out-of-state car with an even rarer bumper sticker espousing something other than local church affiliations. Simply stated it said: MORE COWBELL.
For the uninitiated, that bumper sticker and the title of this post mean nothing more than the sum of its words. For the rest of us in-the-know, it is a clever twofold twist on the April 8, 2000 SNL skit: ‘More Cowbell’ with Will Ferrell, featuring the music of The Blue Oyster Cult.
Not to appear standoffish, it should be noted that my own status changed from uninitiated to one-in-the-know a mere three years ago, when my hubby found a video clip on-line and set it up for me to see on my mini-computer one evening after a particularly hard day working retail.
Here it is for you to enjoy a few minutes of mirthful reckless abandon-laugh hearty!
http://www.hulu.com/watch/536145
A few weeks after spying that MORE COWBELL bumper sticker, I was blasting out tunes in the car from a Chicago Greatest Hits CD I got at the Goodwill for $1.99. Apart from rocking out to the music, something in the song, Beginnings, caught my attention. I back-tracked the CD and re-listened to the last bits of the song…could it be? Yes, amidst the claves-clacking percussion playing during the two-minute ending, there it was: More Cowbell!
Why hadn’t I heard this before?
As Gene (Will Ferrell) says in defense of his virtuoso cowbell clanging, “We don’t have a whole lotta songs that feature the Cowbell…”
Well, Gene, there’s at least one more.
How about you? Know of any other songs that feature Cowbell? I say, bring it on! Let’s start a ‘More Cowbell Cult PlayList’ right here. Right now.
Consider this post the (un)official kick-off in the search for MORE COWBELL.
Add yours in the comments below, here’s the first two:
MORE COWBELL CULT PLAYLIST
1) (don’t fear) The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult
2) Beginnings – Chicago
*The Bruce Dickinson (Christopher Walken, Saturday Night Live)
Just got a “MORE COWBELL” bumper sticker in the mail last week from a friend. One can never have enough cowbell!
Welcome Kelley, thank you for taking a peek at my website/blog.
That’s freakin’ awesome 🙂 about your new bumper sticker.
I’m considering having some made up to give as gifts; sounds like your friend is of like mind.
BTW: have any songs to add to the list?
peace
How about:
We’re an American Band – Grand Funk Railroad
Down on the Corner – CCR
Thanks for the input, hon. 🙂
Any more out there?
I had never seen this, oh my goodness! I think the whole world could use a little more cowbell. Less of Will Ferrell’s gut, but certainly more cowbell. 🙂
70srockpeace!
LOL…but the gut is part of the whole vibe, right? So glad you’re now initiated as ‘one-in-the-know!’
loudrockin’peace
Hey,
A bumper sticker that says “More Cowbell”. How cool is that!? I want one! Your “More Cowbell” post got me curious so I Googled “songs with cowbells. Came up with a LOTTA songs where cowbells can be heard. For instance, check out this YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ukstws19D4&list=PLE0FE689306CF2CF8&index=8
100 songs with cowbells!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The first one on the list is one of my faves from back in the day: Stealer’s Wheel, Stuck in the Middle With You. They use what must have been a MONGO cowbell. They only hit it once or twice in the song, but it sounds like a monster. Typical Gerry Rafferty. There’s incidentally some good slide playing on that song. I noticed it because I’ve been messing with slide guitar myself lately on my…NEW TAYLOR. Woo! Woo! Very cool. Good to hear from you again. Still playing and singing I hope.
David R, Frederick MD
David: Funny how we (a luter and cger) have a taste for a bit of Cowbell… 🙂
I think I’ll use that 100 Cowbell Tunes (!!!) YouTube as a reference once my personal memory recollection runs dry. I have at least two more songs in mind that I’m waiting to see if others add to this ‘More Cowbell Cult Playlist.’
So, the list is now:
1)(don’t fear)The Reaper-blue Oyster Cult
2)Beginnings-Chicago
3)Stuck in the Middle with You-Stealer’s Wheel
….Anymore out there?! (and yes, David, you can use your ‘cheat sheet’ if you have more favs that show up on it!)
As for your new Taylor…congrats! I’d love to see all those instruments you’ve acquired over the time we’ve been communicating!!! Actually, more true, I’d love to get my hands on some of them and toodle around on them a bit!HA!
It’s true, I have been a multi-instrumentalist for most of my life, but nowadays due to right hand problems I have had to stop playing plucked instruments. So…I sold my lutes, my strat, my D18, my beloved Gutmeier CG and my Celtic harps. Ouch! I then started all over again, right from scratch, with instruments I don’t have to pluck: Baroque wooden flute, NA flute and viola da gamba. As I’m sure you can imagine, staying away from guitar and harp is just not an option for me…it wasn’t long before I went looking for another guitar. I should never have sold my D18! I have just recently acquired this Taylor, which I am flat-picking on. And then I found James Jones in Bedford, Virginia who made me a folk harp for a reasonable price. So, my friend, you are welcome to drop by us in Frederick, MD any time and try your hand on these various instruments.
Loved this-the true ear of a musician! 😉
Yep, I’ve a mighty fine ear tuned to the sounds of the Cowbell! HA!