-When people talk about
your "Best of: SNL"
or things that you've done
on the show,
I know what everyone
brings up to me.
-Right. Which is...
-...you're involved in.
[ Laughter ]
Anyway. Let's talk about
something else.
-Cowbell. Cowbell sketch.
-Yes, the cowbell sketch.
That's what I was gonna say.
I was gonna say that.
I was gonna talk
about the cowbell.
-You were a major part of that.
-I was a really major part
of the cowbell sketch.
It was all you. It was all you.
This is a --
This is a picture of...
-Yeah.
-That's me there.
-Right.
-That's Kattan, Parnell.
-Look at that hair.
-Horatio Sanz.
-And --
-That's you.
And that is Christopher Walken.
-Which is...
It's the strangest thing.
[ Laughter ]
-That's Christopher Walken.
-That's Christopher Walken
across...from that.
-Yeah. [ Laughs ]
Look at -- That shirt is insane.
-You maintain that between
dress rehearsal and air
that I went and put
a tighter shirt on.
-I think -- You did, didn't you?
-I thought it just --
I just -- I thought I just put
a little more mustard into it,
and then it hiked up.
-Is that right? I thought --
-But you thought I put
a tighter shirt on, you think?
-I thought you did
because this
doesn't even feel like
a shirt that should...
That's insane.
Everyone else
is wearing other shirts.
I think I would've --
But you were coming up
a little bit in dress.
-Yeah.
-But that was high up.
-Yeah.
-And that was --
That was low down.
-But you might be right.
Maybe I --
-I mean, you barely
have a shirt on.
-Maybe I switched it
to a tighter shirt.
-Because I remember
it was so loud on air
because it was --
-Oh, with -- Yeah.
I banged it much louder
than in the dress.
-No, but, I mean,
the audience response.
-Oh, the response. Yeah.
-Yeah, but, I mean, like, the --
the sketch was on at the end
of the show, I believe.
-Right.
-Which is where usually
the weirder sketches are.
-Yeah.
-And it was working so well
that the floor started shaking.
-Oh, I don't remember that.
-Yeah.
-I was just in a haze.
-Dude, you were
in a comedy haze.
-I was staring you down.
But you --
Because you were laugh--
But I was laughing, too.
But the beard
was just protecting, uh --
You couldn't see it.
-After a series
of staggering defeats,
Blue Oyster Cult assembled
in the recording studio
in late 1976 for a session
with famed producer
Bruce Dickinson.
And luckily for us,
the cameras were rolling.
♪♪
-Alright, guys.
I think we're ready
to lay this first track down.
By the way,
my name is Bruce Dickinson.
Yes -- the Bruce Dickinson.
And I got to tell you, fellas,
you have got what appears
to be a dynamite sound.
-Coming from you, Bruce,
that means a lot.
-Yeah. I mean,
you're Bruce Dickinson.
-This is incredible.
-I can't believe
Bruce Dickinson
digs our sound.
-Easy, guys.
I put my pants on
just like the rest of you --
one leg at a time.
Except once my pants are on,
I make gold records.
[ Laughter ]
Alright. Here we go.
"Don't Fear the Reaper."
Take one. Roll it.
-Alright.
One, two, three, four.
♪♪
[ Cowbell clanging
rhythmically ]
♪♪
-♪ All our times have come ♪
♪♪
♪ Here but now they're gone ♪
-Okay! Wait! Wait! Stop.
Um, Bruce, could you come
in here for a second, please?
-That -- That was
gonna be a great track.
Guys, what's the deal?
-Uh, are you sure
that was sounding okay?
-I'll be honest, fellas,
it was sounding great, but...
I could have used
a little more cowbell.
So let's take it again.
And, Gene.
-Yeah.
-Really explore the studio space
this time.
-You got it, Bruce.
-I mean, really.
-Yeah.
-Explore the space.
-Okay.
-I like what I'm hearing.
Roll it.
-One, two, three, four.
♪♪
♪♪
-♪ All our times have come ♪
♪♪
♪ Here but now they're gone ♪
-Okay! Wait! Stop! Stop!
Bruce, I'm sorry.
Could you come back in here,
please?
-Fellas, now, we --
we just wasted two good tracks.
This last one was even better
than the first.
-Well, it's just
that I find Gene's
cowbell playing distracting.
I don't know.
If I'm the only one,
I'll shut up.
-No, it's pretty rough.
-You know, I can pull it back
a little if you like.
-Not too much, though.
I'm telling you, fellas.
You're gonna want
that cowbell on the track.
-You know what? It's fine.
Let's just do the thing.
-Okay. Roll it.
-One, two, three, four.
♪♪
♪♪
♪ All our times have come ♪
[ Cowbell clanging off-beat ]
♪ Here but now they're gone ♪
♪♪
Come on, Gene!
-No, you come on!
-[ Shouts ]
-Guys, you know...
that -- that --
it doesn't work for me.
I gotta have more cowbell.
-Don't blow this for us, Gene!
-Quit being --
Quit being so selfish, Gene.
-Can I just say one thing?
-Say it, baby, just say it!
-I'm standing here staring
at rock legend Bruce Dickinson.
-I'm the cock of the walk, baby!
-And if Bruce Dickinson
wants more cowbell,
we should probably give him
more cowbell!
-Say it, baby!
-And, Bobby, you are right.
I am being selfish.
But the last time I checked,
we don't have a whole lot
of songs that feature
the cowbell.
-I gotta have
more cowbell, baby!
-And I'd be doing myself
a disservice...
And every member of this band,
if I didn't perform
the hell out of this!
-Guess what! I got a fever!
And the only prescription
is more cowbell!
-Thank you, Bruce.
I think if --
I think if I just leave and --
Maybe I'll come back later
and we can lay down the cowbell.
-Come on, baby.
-Gene, wait.
Why don't you lay down
that cowbell right now?
With us. Together.
-Do you mean that, Eric?
-Oh, yeah.
-Speaks for all of us.
-Thank you.
-Babies, before we're done here,
y'all be wearing
gold-plated diapers.
-What does that mean?
-Never question
Bruce Dickinson.
Roll it!
-Thanks, man.
One, two, three, four.
♪♪
♪♪
♪ All our times have come ♪
-But here's the crazy thing.
So, I go to see
Christopher Walken
years later in a play.
I say hello to him backstage,
and he's like, "You know,
you've ruined my life."
[ Laughter ]
-What? What?
-"People during
the curtain call
bring cowbells and ring them."
[ Laughter ]
"The other day, I went
for an Italian food lunch,
and the waiter asked
if I wanted more cowbell
with my pasta bolognese."
[ Laughter ]
And I think
he was really mad at me.
-Wow. No way.
-He had a little smile, but...
-Well, because he had
such a great career.
-But, you know...
-He's a great actor.
-From "The Deer Hunter"
to "Pulp Fiction"...
-"Pulp Fiction." He's amazing.
-...to "more cowbell."
That's all he gets now.
-That's all he gets now. So it
made a lot of people happy...
-But Christopher...
-Ruined one person's life.
-Ruined one person.
But what are you gonna do?
-That's good odds, right?
That's decent odds.
You know what I'm saying?