Blue Öyster Cult Debates ‘More Cowbell’ Legacy in New SNL Documentary

NEW YORK — Members of Blue Öyster Cult and the producers of their iconic 1976 hit “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” are revisiting the legacy of the legendary “More Cowbell” sketch in the new documentary series SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night. The sketch, which aired on Saturday Night Live in 2000, humorously depicted a fictionalized recording session for the song, featuring Christopher Walken as producer Bruce Dickinson demanding “more cowbell” from Will Ferrell‘s character, Gene Frenkle.

Buck Dharma, the guitarist who wrote and sang “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” reflected on the song’s creation in the documentary. “I was just playing guitar, and the iconic riff just sorta happened,” he said. “It was our second gold record, and it eventually went platinum.” Eric Bloom, another guitarist for the band, added, “It sort of lifted us up.”

The documentary delves into the debate over which of the song’s three credited producers — Murray Krugman, Sandy Pearlman, and David Lucas — most closely resembles Walken’s fictional Bruce Dickinson. Krugman believes Walken’s character is an amalgamation of himself and Pearlman. “I think Christopher Walken is an amalgam of Sandy and I,” he said. Lucas, however, disputes this, declaring, “I was the producer of Blue Öyster Cult’s ‘(Don’t Fear) The Reaper.’ Murray read the paper and drank coffee.”

Adding to the confusion, there was a real Bruce Dickinson, a Sony compilation producer, who had no involvement in the original recording. “I kinda thought it was hilarious, but it was like, ‘Why are they using my name?'” the real Dickinson said in the documentary. Ferrell revealed that he found the name on the back of a Blue Öyster Cult CD. “It’s kind of a funny-sounding name. That was the extent of my research: the back of a CD cover,” he said.

The documentary also explores the enduring mystery of who actually played the cowbell on the track. Former drummer Albert Bouchard claimed, “I played the cowbell,” while Lucas insisted, “I played it on the record.” Krugman, however, questioned whether the instrument was even a cowbell, suggesting it might have been a woodblock. “It had that hollow sound of a woodblock, whereas a cowbell has a really shrill metal top-end sound,” he said.

Despite the disagreements, the band members and producers expressed mutual respect. “Albert played it his way, I played it my way, and who cares,” Lucas said. Bouchard echoed the sentiment, adding, “I don’t care either! Fantastic that I get to see you.”

The sketch’s popularity has had a lasting impact on Blue Öyster Cult’s live performances. “People started bringing cowbells to our shows — most people cannot play a cowbell,” Dharma said. “Everybody thinks they can, then it all falls apart.”

SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night is now streaming on Peacock.