Who doesn’t love the sound of cowbell? There’s something about it that says “Dairy Products, Clean Living and Rock’n’Roll.” It is unquestionable that the resonating clack of a cowbell has elevated many a rock song to icon status. Would Mississippi Queen by Mountain mean the same to us if it didn’t kick off with the driving metronomic cowbell that compels us to nod our head in an acknowledging soft head bang? Probably not. I know there’s already some rather extensive cowbell song lists online, but I didn’t want to just look them up and copy it down. You deserve better than that, so instead, this list is off the top of my head. OK, so not so better. You will undoubtedly find songs missing that you might consider essential to this category, but as I said, this list was put together with no internet prowling, copying, research or crowd pleasing, these are just my personal favorites (which is another way of saying that I was too lazy to google a more accurate list). Let me know what you think and be sure to read the below tribute to one of music’s forgotten geniuses.
In no particular order, here’s the list of my favorite cowbell songs.
Couldn’t Get It Right - Climax Blues Band
She’s A Lady - Tom Jones
Mississippi Queen - Mountain
Drive My Car - The Beatles
Hair Of The Dog - Nazareth
We’re An American Band - Grand Funk Railroad
Honky Tonk Woman - The Rolling Stones
Don’t Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
We’re Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
Walk This Way - Aerosmith
Rock of Ages - Def Leppard
Come and Get Your Love - Redbone
Rock the Nation - Krokus
Got Nothin’ to Loose - Kiss
Lady Love - Robin Trower
Dolly Dagger - Jimi Hendrix
Down On the Corner - CCR
Working for the Weekend - Loverboy
In no particular order, here’s the list of my favorite cowbell songs.
Couldn’t Get It Right - Climax Blues Band
She’s A Lady - Tom Jones
Mississippi Queen - Mountain
Drive My Car - The Beatles
Hair Of The Dog - Nazareth
We’re An American Band - Grand Funk Railroad
Honky Tonk Woman - The Rolling Stones
Don’t Fear the Reaper - Blue Oyster Cult
We’re Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
Walk This Way - Aerosmith
Rock of Ages - Def Leppard
Come and Get Your Love - Redbone
Rock the Nation - Krokus
Got Nothin’ to Loose - Kiss
Lady Love - Robin Trower
Dolly Dagger - Jimi Hendrix
Down On the Corner - CCR
Working for the Weekend - Loverboy
Calling Dr. Love - Kiss
Rapper’s Delight - Sugarhill Gang
Cold Ethel - Alice Cooper
Time Has Come Today - The Chamber Brothers
Change Your Evil Ways - Santana
Cross Eyed and Painless - Talking Heads
Last Child - Aerosmith
Think About You - Guns n’ Roses
Stuck in the Middle with You - Stealers Wheel
Play That Funky Music White Boy - Wild Cherry
Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan
Low Rider - War
Hitchin a Ride - Paper Lace
Funk 49 - James Gang
COWBELL
BONUS SONG!!
Let’s not forget Eric Clapton’s song tribute to the beloved metallic
instrument: Cowbell Bottom Blues
Honorable Mention
Best use of Bottle Tapping
We’re Jamming by Bob Marley and The Wailers
A couple of years ago, an industry insider told me the interesting backstory on the making of "We’re Jamming” and I’d like to share it with you right now. Back in 1976 when Bob Marley was writing We’re Jamming (released in 1977 on the Exodus album), he sensed that this rough draft of an idea could become a world uniting anthem and knew the subtle bottle tapping parts he had written into it would be key to the song’s success.
Many very well respected bottle tappers, local and from all over the world heard through the grapevine that Marley was looking for a virtuosic bottle tapper to propel this song to icon status. Some auditioned in person, others sent in 8-Track demos and one hopeful musician even sent a famous mime (whom will remain unnamed) to mime out what it would have looked like had he actually showed up and auditioned. But all were turned down.
Marley already knew he would need the best bottle tapper in the world to play the “Glass Taps” (as they call it in the music biz) parts in the song, and that meant only one person: Fuersteen Glochenhmer. Sparing no expense or effort, he tracked down Fuersteen, legendary bottle tapper and part time Amway sales person, who at that time was living in a monastery in Bakersfield, CA, learning to “become one” with bottle instruments. The Bottle Monks were putting Fuersteen through rigorous transcendental training and one of the daily exercises consisted of rubbing a bottle all over his body for 3 hours. At the end of the Bot-Rub, he would sit cross legged in front of the bottle and simply stare at it for
another three hours. The purpose of this exercise was to lose himself in the crystal perfection of this “glass temple” and actually “become” the bottle itself. One day, he achieved the height of this transcendental practice when two monks mistook him for a large glass container and tried to fill him with a Monastery favorite of espresso mixed with Red Bull.
After 6 hours of bottle rubbing and meditation, he would then be allowed to tap the bottle.. only once. Limiting him to a single tap a day would heighten the act of tapping the bottle to an almost spiritual experience… That and the monks decided on this being part of the training so they wouldn’t have to hear some idiot smack a bottle all day long.
When finally reached and asked if he would consider playing the bottle tap part in We’re Jamming, Fuersteen asked “Who is this Robert Marley fellow?” After being told that Marley was using the power of music to elevate the world to a level of love, peace and understanding between all races and creeds and that this song would probably be an important stepping stone towards that goal, Fuersteen then asked “so how much does this gig pay?” After discussing the details and fine print, he accepted the offer. Always the consummate musician, he brought his own instruments to tap on (he downed a couple of Cokes on the flight to Jamaica).
However, sound engineers and musicians do recall there was some tension in the recording studio when Glochenhmer loudly complained that the thick herbal smoke fogging the room was making it hard to see the “tap point” (for bottle tap novices, a tap point is the prime location on a bottle from which the optimum resonance can be achieved). However, those that were present also recall that after standing and breathing in the smoke for a few minutes, he did stop complaining and seemed to start taking a much more relaxed and jovial view of the recording session.
Fuersteen, or Furry Baby, as he was nick named, was well known for his many off the cuff sayings, but he will probably be most remembered for his quote “I don’t need to drink, I just hit the bottle!” His family and fans all agree that the crowning moment of Glochenhmer’s career was when an action figure was created in his likeness for Hasbro's “Bottle Battalion Heroes” toy series. The family was quoted as saying “It’s just so cool to see him like that, holding a glass bazooka with glass tipped rockets that actually shoot out, and look at this, he’s holding a broken bottle in the other hand as a weapon. I mean, come on Dude, is that wicked or what!?!”
Sadly, Glochenhmer passed away in 1985 as the result of a meditational bottle exercise on a Wyoming Indian reservation. Believing he had reached a level of nirvana, he demanded that the Indians force fill him with tea (to the brim please). After drinking 10 gallons of tea, he died on the reservation in his tea pee.
Clearly, the bottle tapping world will never again see the likes of Fuersteen Glochenhmer’s trailblazing genius. His God given talent and extreme passion for the bottle instrument will forever hold the bar at an unattainable high. A glass house memorial honoring Fuersteen and his work has been in progress for several years now. Unfortunately construction has had to be restarted several times due to unruly rock-throwing ruffians in the neighborhood. Fuersteen would no doubt have been the first to tell these miniature miscreants "Kiss My Glass!"
Rapper’s Delight - Sugarhill Gang
Cold Ethel - Alice Cooper
Time Has Come Today - The Chamber Brothers
Change Your Evil Ways - Santana
Cross Eyed and Painless - Talking Heads
Last Child - Aerosmith
Think About You - Guns n’ Roses
Stuck in the Middle with You - Stealers Wheel
Play That Funky Music White Boy - Wild Cherry
Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan
Low Rider - War
Hitchin a Ride - Paper Lace
Funk 49 - James Gang
COWBELL
BONUS SONG!!
Let’s not forget Eric Clapton’s song tribute to the beloved metallic
instrument: Cowbell Bottom Blues
Honorable Mention
Best use of Bottle Tapping
We’re Jamming by Bob Marley and The Wailers
A couple of years ago, an industry insider told me the interesting backstory on the making of "We’re Jamming” and I’d like to share it with you right now. Back in 1976 when Bob Marley was writing We’re Jamming (released in 1977 on the Exodus album), he sensed that this rough draft of an idea could become a world uniting anthem and knew the subtle bottle tapping parts he had written into it would be key to the song’s success.
Many very well respected bottle tappers, local and from all over the world heard through the grapevine that Marley was looking for a virtuosic bottle tapper to propel this song to icon status. Some auditioned in person, others sent in 8-Track demos and one hopeful musician even sent a famous mime (whom will remain unnamed) to mime out what it would have looked like had he actually showed up and auditioned. But all were turned down.
Marley already knew he would need the best bottle tapper in the world to play the “Glass Taps” (as they call it in the music biz) parts in the song, and that meant only one person: Fuersteen Glochenhmer. Sparing no expense or effort, he tracked down Fuersteen, legendary bottle tapper and part time Amway sales person, who at that time was living in a monastery in Bakersfield, CA, learning to “become one” with bottle instruments. The Bottle Monks were putting Fuersteen through rigorous transcendental training and one of the daily exercises consisted of rubbing a bottle all over his body for 3 hours. At the end of the Bot-Rub, he would sit cross legged in front of the bottle and simply stare at it for
another three hours. The purpose of this exercise was to lose himself in the crystal perfection of this “glass temple” and actually “become” the bottle itself. One day, he achieved the height of this transcendental practice when two monks mistook him for a large glass container and tried to fill him with a Monastery favorite of espresso mixed with Red Bull.
After 6 hours of bottle rubbing and meditation, he would then be allowed to tap the bottle.. only once. Limiting him to a single tap a day would heighten the act of tapping the bottle to an almost spiritual experience… That and the monks decided on this being part of the training so they wouldn’t have to hear some idiot smack a bottle all day long.
When finally reached and asked if he would consider playing the bottle tap part in We’re Jamming, Fuersteen asked “Who is this Robert Marley fellow?” After being told that Marley was using the power of music to elevate the world to a level of love, peace and understanding between all races and creeds and that this song would probably be an important stepping stone towards that goal, Fuersteen then asked “so how much does this gig pay?” After discussing the details and fine print, he accepted the offer. Always the consummate musician, he brought his own instruments to tap on (he downed a couple of Cokes on the flight to Jamaica).
However, sound engineers and musicians do recall there was some tension in the recording studio when Glochenhmer loudly complained that the thick herbal smoke fogging the room was making it hard to see the “tap point” (for bottle tap novices, a tap point is the prime location on a bottle from which the optimum resonance can be achieved). However, those that were present also recall that after standing and breathing in the smoke for a few minutes, he did stop complaining and seemed to start taking a much more relaxed and jovial view of the recording session.
Fuersteen, or Furry Baby, as he was nick named, was well known for his many off the cuff sayings, but he will probably be most remembered for his quote “I don’t need to drink, I just hit the bottle!” His family and fans all agree that the crowning moment of Glochenhmer’s career was when an action figure was created in his likeness for Hasbro's “Bottle Battalion Heroes” toy series. The family was quoted as saying “It’s just so cool to see him like that, holding a glass bazooka with glass tipped rockets that actually shoot out, and look at this, he’s holding a broken bottle in the other hand as a weapon. I mean, come on Dude, is that wicked or what!?!”
Sadly, Glochenhmer passed away in 1985 as the result of a meditational bottle exercise on a Wyoming Indian reservation. Believing he had reached a level of nirvana, he demanded that the Indians force fill him with tea (to the brim please). After drinking 10 gallons of tea, he died on the reservation in his tea pee.
Clearly, the bottle tapping world will never again see the likes of Fuersteen Glochenhmer’s trailblazing genius. His God given talent and extreme passion for the bottle instrument will forever hold the bar at an unattainable high. A glass house memorial honoring Fuersteen and his work has been in progress for several years now. Unfortunately construction has had to be restarted several times due to unruly rock-throwing ruffians in the neighborhood. Fuersteen would no doubt have been the first to tell these miniature miscreants "Kiss My Glass!"