As they investigate the crime, shortly after the first commercial break, OJ Simpson is an onlooker watching Ironside show up at the scene. This wasn't a coincidence as Simpson was achieving a lot of notoriety as a college football player. His appearance was fitting since he was born and raised in San Francisco, the setting of the show.
The song being performed by the band, The Poor, in the nightclub scene is, "Always On My Mind." It was written by Randy and Allen Kemp just for the show. That band was never a success, but after they broke up, the members became members of more famous groups: Poco, The New Riders of the Purple Sage, and The Eagles.