-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?