Carl Posted July 18, 2011 Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 It might be the most famous Saturday Night Live skit of all time: Christopher Walken as Blue Oyster Cult producer Bruce Dickinson, running the session for "Don't Fear The Reaper" and constantly demanding "More Cowbell" from Will Ferrell. I'm sure most people could just sit back and enjoy the skit (which Jimmy Fallon almost ruined by laughing), but those of us in the Songfacts orbit were puzzled: Bruce Dickinson? In the skit he plays a revered super-producer, but the only Bruce Dickinson we've heard of is the lead singer for Iron Maiden. Fortunately, Eric Greenberg, who runs the outstanding podcast Just My Show, tracked down both the REAL Bruce Dickinson, and the guy who actually did produce that song - David Lucas. Lucas, who wrote the GE "We Bring Good Things to Life" jingle, told Eric the song "needed some momentum," so he grabbed a cowbell from a nearby recording studio and played four on the floor. Eric, always the professional, resisted the urge to ask if he "explored the space" in the studio. Bruce Dickinson, it turns out, is an archivist who works on restoring albums when they are re-released. He worked on a reissue of the Agents of Fortune album that got his name on the credits, which apparently some SNL writer used to name Walken's character. This is maybe the best example of the versatile and sometimes confusing use of the word "producer." Lucas and Dickinson both seem amused by the skit, and apparently Iggy Pop can't resist screaming "More Cowbell" at Dickinson whenever they speak. More Cowbell Explained Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLizard Posted July 18, 2011 Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 Cool! I always wondered about the Bruce Dickinson thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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