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Ah, the cowbell. Some call it the "cymbal's evil third cousin." It may well be the only prescription your fever ever needs. At least, that's what Christopher Walken says. And when Walken speaks, you'd best listen. He extolled the virtues of the cowbell in an April, 2000 "Saturday Night Live" sketch that parodied the VH1 show "Behind the Music." Featuring a faux version of the band Blue Oyster Cult, the sketch introduced Walken as a famous record producer. He was going to make the band's next song, "Don't Fear the Reaper," a mega-hit, and the key to success would be the cowbell. The band's lineup included a fictional cowbell player, portrayed by SNL regular Will Ferrell. In the
course of the sketch, Walken kept demanding "more cowbell," much to the ire of the band. Unlike some SNL-inspired catch phrases, "more cowbell" wasn't an immediate hit. It slowly percolated over the years, turning up on web sites and hipster T-shirts. These days, both Blue Oyster Cult and Christopher Walken say they hear it all the time, and they don't seem to mind the clanging addition of this unique instrument.
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