Arnold Schwarzenegger on Letterman, June 27, 1984 Don Giller 2026-09-22 | Arnold Schwarzenegger on Letterman, June 27, 1984
Tad Lathrop & Don Giller, I Dont Want to Hear It (November 29, 1972) Don Giller 2022-11-29 | Tad and my early acoustic period hit its peak with a concert at our home college, Antioch, exactly 50 years ago tonight. Towards the end of the evening, something special clicked when we performed "I Don't Want to Hear It."Tad had composed the song in June 1971. "I remember coming up with the main melody and chords for 'I Don't Want to Hear It' at 12th Street [in NYC], sitting at the desk in my boyhood bedroom, and feeling a surge of rightness." (Email from Tad, Apriil 2003)Tad quickly recorded it at a relatively fast tempo with his friends uptown.On this night, though, we slowed it down, and I felt something was afoot when Tad suddenly changed his opening lyric from the past to present tense. Then, during the last verse, an unintended mild feedback occurred at just the right moment. It's tough to explain, but we knew as we were playing that this was one of those magical performances, all the mysterious elements converging.Thirty years later I added another acoustic guitar to the mix, and Tad overdubbed some extra harmony vocals. Twenty years after that, here it is.Note: The video opens with a portion of a letter Tad wrote to his dad describing this performance shortly after the concert.
Tad Lathrop & Don Giller, Song in D (1972) Don Giller 2022-11-27 | Another song resurrected from Tad and my early acoustic period. I had worked on it in the Fall of 1972, and Tad then helped arrange it with me.This is one of several songs we recorded in my dorm room at Antioch on the evening of November 28, 1972, exactly 50 years ago today.Most of the images come from my first and last days at the college in late June 1969 and mid-June 1973.
Tad Lathrop & Don Giller, Red Horizon Don Giller 2022-11-17 | "Red Horizon" is a rather complex song that Tad composed in California. There's no discernible tonal center, yet the song is firmly rooted.Tad would send me the work-in-progress over a number of months in early 2004 until he felt it complete. He plays both the acoustic and electric guitar parts and is the sole vocalist. I then added basses and basic drums, which were later complemented by an actual drummer, Elan Fish.This is the title track to our CD, released in 2006.All of the videos elements come from the online sources below. The photos are mostly from friends, notably Scott Raile and Shirlee DiBacco, who allowed us to use their creations.youtube.com/watch?v=yGLnCc4NuDUyoutube.com/watch?v=SydAOvnH_sQyoutube.com/watch?v=YZKFRc_uiDAyoutube.com/watch?v=DN914fnNNGUyoutube.com/watch?v=pawZ55zyJFIyoutube.com/watch?v=GBwbFwItO2Ayoutube.com/watch?v=D57rJ2d__H8youtube.com/watch?v=J_7eMFknatkRed Horizon© 2006 Tad Lathrop / Stomp-on-Henry Productions
The Musicians on Late Show with David Letterman 1993-2015 Don Giller 2022-09-21 | New blog essay: The Musicians on Late Show with David Letterman, featuring a brief history of the band and loads of PDF spreadsheets containing full rosters of performers, song titles, band sit-ins, and subs.Music track: Tad Lathrop and Don Giller, "Untitled Idea," May 19, 1989.© 1989 Stomp-on-Henry Productionshttps://donzblog.home.blog/2022/09/20/the-musicians-on-late-show-with-david-letterman/
Tad Lathrop & Don Giller, Tell Me What You See (1972) Don Giller 2022-09-10 | "Tell Me What You See" is a throwback to our earliest years creating music together. I had been working on it for a while, little bits and pieces that finally came to fruition by the time we first recorded the then-lyric-less song in my college dorm at Antioch in February 1972.Tad's interest in the tune was what made it tick. He helped compose the lyrics and melody, and his added guitar part gave the song a dimension I could not have hoped to conceive on my own. It was a realization that we could do much more.By the summer we were in New York City, spending the evening hours writing and arranging new songs, either all Tad's, mostly Tad's with input from me, ideas I offered that Tad helped flesh out, or fully-collaborative. For 20- and 21-year-olds, it was a heady time.Back on campus that Fall, we organized our own concert in late November. This performance of "Tell Me What You See" comes from that event.The song is of its time, with moments we both now cringe. But it represents what we were then capable of, a peek into our early development as players fifty years ago this Fall.Note: The End-Credits track comes from a 1971 home recording.
Tad Lathrop & Don Giller, Price of Diamonds Don Giller 2022-08-03 | Tad composed "Price of Diamonds" in June 1991. We spent months that summer fine-tuning the arrangement and mix, using all of the music gear and software available in my apartment -- a MIDI guitar, two electric guitars, a synthesizer for the bass, a programmed drum pattern fed into a sampler, and an 8-track reel-to-reel tape recorder/mixer to record it all, including Tad's lead vocal.We returned to the recording in January 1995 for more guitar and vocal overdubs.Another eight years would pass until Spring 2003, when I had the tools to digitize all 8 tracks simultaneously. From there the mixing entered a far more flexible phase, where I was able to edit and automate to a much finer degree than on analog tape. By late August the mix was finally complete.Nineteen years later, we're finally sharing the song with our online community with an accompanying video that celebrates the joy producing it.Note:Much of the footage included here comes from other YouTube videos, all credited below:For the Tascam 388 8-track analog tape recorder and mixer:youtube.com/watch?v=_j4v2DHtmZAyoutube.com/watch?v=RJ1o1RZr2hEyoutube.com/watch?v=Ady3rWQ3uQEyoutube.com/watch?v=TDSnmYLEdLIyoutube.com/watch?v=Rgmi0H79pPoFor the S1000 Sampler:youtube.com/watch?v=CrFvVK9lnZYFor the DX7 synthesizer:youtube.com/watch?v=T-eVg4dZErIFor the diamonds footage:youtube.com/watch?v=cHiykIeC5Boyoutube.com/watch?v=hfK4Sjd3P7oyoutube.com/watch?v=BXnTA_1eJwMyoutube.com/watch?v=zJzk9ckiQ-U&t=25s
Tad Lathrop & Don Giller, Army of Ants Don Giller 2022-06-20 | It was in the Summer of 1972 when Tad and I, both at the end of our third year at Antioch College, began to get serious with our music-making. I traveled to NYC and met up with Tad and his close friend Steve Kelly, who played bass. The three of us would rehearse in Tad's mom's art studio in Soho, at that time a desolate, dark and foreboding neighborhood. We wrote a lot of songs there together, among them an instrumental called "Army of Ants." Tad had brought in the main body of the tune; he and I then added a middle section.The recording here comes from mid-May 1974 in San Francisco. There was a building South of Market called Project One, an arts community that housed artists, musicians, and rehearsal spaces, not unlike Westbeth in NYC. We had earlier set up rehearsal space there in the Fall of '73 for a jazz/rock/salsa band we had put together then, and on the same floor was a small room rented by a fellow named Steve Thiel who owned a Revox tape recorder. For some forgotten logic we called Steve's place "Jack's Studio."Tad was to leave the Bay Area soon, so we spent an afternoon recording a number of acoustic-guitar songs there, one of which was "Army of Ants." In 2003 I digitized the tape, worked on equalization and ambiance, and edited out a bridge within the bridge that I considered a too-cute musical artifact, and then created a fading loop at the end.This version is on our CD "Red Horizon," which we released in 2006.The animated background comes from Turtle Interactive's "The Ants go marching one by one song/Ants at war," available in full here:youtube.com/watch?v=Pjw2A3QU8Qg
Tad Lathrop and Don Giller, “Husted Story,” NYC, July 29, 1972 Don Giller 2022-05-17 | Fifty years ago this coming July, Tad Lathrop, his high-school-and-beyond best friend Steve Kelly, and I recorded this Lathrop/Giller tune in a townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where Tad and I had been house-sitting. It was conveniently next door to Steve’s place, where he was living with his dad, Pogo’s Walt Kelly.During that summer of ‘72, in between quarters at Antioch College, Tad and I decided to get serious with our music-making. We wrote quite a number of songs, both instrumental and with lyrics, in that townhouse and, earlier, in Tad’s mom’s art studio in a then-desolate and foreboding Soho. Most if not all of those compositions are now quite dated, the exuberance of 20- and 21-year-olds in our own little bubble, performing in a number of coffeehouses in the city, and one memorable 24 hours at an Air Force base in New Jersey. Mercury Records was mildly interested, and we had been scheduled to back up two fellow musicians on The Dick Cavett Show had it not been preempted for network coverage of one of the national conventions.“Husted Story” was named after a curious fellow Tad and I both knew at Antioch named Jim Husted. He would drop by to listen to us rehearse in that townhouse, so we decided to honor his devotion with this song title. Jim is no longer with us, having played with a loaded gun shortly after this summer sojourn and lost. Likewise Steve, who passed away in 2007.Tad and I are playing our acoustic guitars, and Steve is on bass. This is not a professional recording; rather, it’s a home tape for our own preservation.The picture here is an announcement for a concert Tad and I put together when we returned to Antioch that Fall. It appeared in a weekly community listing of events.
The Musicians on Late Night with David Letterman 1982-1993 Don Giller 2022-04-17 | I have a new blog post titled "The Musicians on Late Night." It includes spreadsheets on the guest performers and song titles; network television debuts; musicians sitting in with the band; band member subs; and more. All preceded with an extensive essay on the band members' individual pivotal moments that changed their career trajectories and how they came to form the World Most Dangerous Band.Here's the link:https://donzblog.home.blog/2022/04/17/the-musicians-on-late-night-with-david-letterman/
Tad Lathrop & Don Giller, “Luck Tonight” Don Giller 2022-03-21 | In the Spring of 1987, Tad had secured for us a music project where we'd compose and record two-minute samples of various music genres. Tad would then write an article about each. We recorded samples of Blues, Rhythm & Blues, Rockabilly, Heavy Metal, Funk, Reggae, New Wave, and Fusion.To prepare for the project, we bought ourselves a 4-track cassette recorder to allow for actual multitracking. We had previously been using the sound-on-sound feature on my reel-to-reel tape recorder, but this was an entirely new dimension for us. We became more efficient and inventive with each new genre as I discovered the process of layering different tracks to create combinations of sounds.Two years later, I purchased an 8-track reel-to-reel recorder/mixer, and with this new monster we began recording a number of songs onto it. One was a Tad composition originally called "Harbor Town" but revised years later to "Luck Tonight." We first recorded the basic tracks that Spring, 1989, then added vocals and guitar solos in the Summer of 1991.There it sat until reliable digital transfers into the computer were made possible for me in 2003 as we began preparing work on our CD "Red Horizon," released in March 2006.With all eight tracks of "Luck Tonight" now in the computer, in 2005 I extracted vocal tracks from other choruses in the song to create a new acapella introduction.We didn't include "Luck Tonight" in our "Red Horizon" CD but are now presenting it with a new video that Tad has prepared, my contribution to it the first of our two solo bridges.Enjoy.
My YouTube Message, March 16, 2022 Don Giller 2022-03-17 | As most viewers and subscribers have likely noticed, I haven’t uploaded much content since the Louie Anderson compilation this late January. I owe everyone an explanation.The reason is related to the newly-launched official Dave channel. I was told many moons ago that should it ever materialize, it would have a substantial impact on my channel.Well, it has, and it has. Throughout the life of this channel, the powers-that-be have given me an enormous amount of leeway with the content I’ve been able to share here. And that’s a gesture for which I’ll always be grateful.Due to your unbelievable support for this channel, these same powers-that-be have taken notice, and they've hired me as a consultant for their new Dave channel. What that means is that the long-established status quo has changed, and how it's affected my own channel should be apparent.What my new job will entail remains to be worked out. But I'm encouraged to believe that there may be some nice surprises down the road.So please fret not. This isn’t necessarily the end of the book, just the end of one chapter. This channel lives on, just not in as active an uploading state as it once was.Thank you all a thousand times. You’ve all made this work.Music:“Sparky’s Theme,” by Don Giller, recorded October 28, 1984, with Tad Lathrop.© 1984 Stomp-on-Henry Publishing and Productions. All Rights Reserved.
Shout-Outs from Steve ODonnell, October 20, 2017 Don Giller 2022-02-25 | I became aware of this podcast interview with Steve O'Donnell just today from a link on Twitter. It comes from Louise Palanker's YouTube upload "Things I Found Online - Steve O'Donnell & Comedy Writing," with Joe Cipriano and Larry Morgan.With her permission I've extracted three segments to share here.The full podcast can be seen here: youtube.com/watch?v=sh2qstaAwgsThe Gordon Cooper compilation is here:youtu.be/69HXvTcBYWoAnd the Peace Through Dramatization set here:youtu.be/4osvNHI1W1M
An Incredible Letterman Pastiche Created by Sébastien Tremblay Don Giller 2022-02-11 | When I had reached out to everyone here in early October regarding my financial issues, Sébastien Tremblay was among the first to respond and donate. He sent me a message shortly after, explaining that he would like to put something together for me. I was skeptical and wary, so I told him I wouldn't have anything to do with it, but go ahead with what you're planning. I didn't hear from him again.Until yesterday afternoon, February 10. He sent me what he had been working on for the last four months, and it was spectacular. I had utterly no idea how expert he was with video production and the care and intense attention to detail he had brought to this. When we re-connected last night, he told me that he had spent over 150 hours, all a labor of love. I know what that feels like, but this left me awestruck.I can't begin to adequately express how flattered, stunned, amazed, and honored I felt about this video. With his permission, I'm sharing it here. This is about his creation.He asked me to help promote his own YouTube channel, which is devoted to sophisticated guitar lessons on Steely Dan compositions. This is the least I can do to thank him:youtu.be/Gji1gjcTpBkI should also add: I figure many of you may have noticed that I haven't uploaded any new content since the Louie Anderson obit compilation on January 21. I would like to explain candidly what's going on, but I can't. I think I can say that It is related to the launch of Dave's official YouTube channel, and there'll be some news soon about that as well.But for now, things are where they stand. It may or may not change; I honestly don't know yet.In the meantime, though, enjoy this masterpiece, again and again. You'll find new details every time.
Louie Anderson on Letterman, 1988-1997 Don Giller 2022-01-22 | Late Night:1. November 29, 1988. Stand-up and chat.2. March 12, 1991. Stand-up and chat.3. November 27, 1991. Stand-up and chat.4. November 13, 1992. Stand-up and chat.5. May 28, 1993. Stand-up.Late Show:6. September 15, 1993. Stand-up and chat.7. May 24, 1994. Stand-up.8. September 9, 1997. Stand-up.
Countdown to the Debut of LN with David Letterman, 40th Anniversary Don Giller 2022-01-18 | Late Night with David Letterman premiered forty years ago this February 1. Since I've put together Countdowns to the final Late Night (June 25, 1993) and the first and last Late Shows (August 30, 1993, and May 20, 2015), now is the appropriate time to complete the cycle by documenting a timeline leading up to and including an expanded edition of the first Late Night. Some clips are contemporary while others are later retrospectives.All content is used under the Fair Use Doctrine and for no financial compensation.1. The script cover for the debut Late Night, February 1, 1982. Courtesy of and great thanks to Mark Malkoff.2. Hal Gurnee interview conducted by Ron Simon on December 14, 2018, for the Television Academy Foundation. Source here:interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/hal-gurnee?clip=chapter4#interview-clips3. New York Times, November 10, 1981.4. Dave guest-hosts The Tonight Show, December 1, 1981.5. Hal Gurnee interview, 2.6. Paul Shaffer interview conducted by Dan Pasternack on June 24, 2009, for Television Academy Foundation. Source here:interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/paul-shaffer#interview-clips7. Will Lee interview conducted by George Farmer on his live Facebook chat on October 29, 2021, later uploaded here:youtube.com/watch?v=c44PJIGITYw&t=11s8. Dave appears with Willard Scott outside Rockefeller Center, January 14, 1982.9. Dave guests on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson the next day, January 15, 1982.10. Hal Gurnee interview, 3.11. Dave is interviewed by Jane Pauley on The Today Show, January 29, 1982. (Pieced together from two sources.)12. Late Night promos air the week before its premiere. Clips courtesy of the YouTube creators Stan Merrell and Charles Wieland.13. Calvert DeForest on Entertainment Tonight, late January 1984.14. Hal Gurnee interview, 4.15. Edward van Sloan, Frankenstein opening, 1931.16. Late Night with David Letterman, February 1, 1982.During the breaks:Break 1. Hal Gurnee interview, 5.Break 2. Hal Gurnee interview, 6.Break 3. Paul Shaffer interview, 2.Break 4. Paul Shaffer interview, 3.Break 5. Hal Gurnee interview, 7.Break 6. Paul Shaffer interview, 4.Break 7. Dave's publicity head shot from January 1982, then bumpers.Yes, there’s a glitch in the second segment with Don Herbert I should have caught but, of course, didn’t. Dammit.Update: Ok, I see now that the glitch was YT’s doing. It’s fine on my end but got screwed up when processing onto YT.The other Countdowns:Countdown to Final Late Night + Full Show, June 25, 1993 (stereo)youtu.be/L3lAF2qeYTECountdown to Late Show w/David Letterman, July, August 1993youtu.be/C_3cp-AtjPsCountdown to the Final Late Show, May 17-21, 2015youtu.be/doHA7rrtWeA
Ronnie Spector Collection on Letterman, 1983-2010 Don Giller 2022-01-13 | Late Night:1. September 28, 1983. "Be My Baby," chat wit Dave, and "Walking in the Rain."The short music video just before Dave introduces Ronnie has been deleted due to copyright caution.2. February 18, 1985. Paul mentions that he played with Ronnie Spector over the weekend at the Bottom Line.3. October 9, 1986. "Take Me Home Tonight" with Eddie Money, then a short chat with Dave.4. December 18, 1987. "Sleigh Ride/Frosty the Snowman."Late Show:5. August 27, 2009. Sits in with band throughout show. The video's pretty chopped up selecting just her clips. But, hey, it's Ronnie Spector.6. December 15, 2010. "Light One Candle."My now-obligatory ask: I have a Patreon account that helps me pay the bills. It'd be wonderful if anyone is so inclined to donate.patreon.com/user?u=26278592
Viewer Mail Collection on Letterman, 1982: Part 2 of 2 Don Giller 2022-01-12 | To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Late Night with David Letterman's debut on February 1, 1982, I'm launching a compilation series of all of the Viewer Mails that aired on the show.First up is 1982, which is in two parts. The first covers the first half of the year; the second covers the second. 1983 and on will follow in due time.This is a video companion to my new blog post that offers a brief history of Viewer Mail. It also catalogues every letter writer and location on both Dave's morning show (1980) and Late Night (1982-93). It's a definitive reference for locating the name of any writer and matching it with the specific show that that person's letter was selected for air. Also included are some trivia details scattered within the data.The blog post can be found here: https://donzblog.home.blog/2022/01/12/viewer-mail/My now-obligatory ask: I have a Patreon account that helps me pay the bills. It'd be wonderful if anyone is so inclined to donate.patreon.com/user?u=26278592
Viewer Mail Collection on Letterman, 1982: Part 1 of 2 Don Giller 2022-01-12 | To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Late Night with David Letterman's debut on February 1, 1982, I'm launching a compilation series of all of the Viewer Mails that aired on the show.First up is 1982, which is in two parts. The first covers the first half of the year; the second covers the second. 1983 and on will follow in due time.(Note: The April 1, 1982, video clip that Andy Kaufman airs has been deleted here due to copyright caution; it had been blocked in my Kaufman compilation.)This is a video companion to my new blog post that offers a brief history of Viewer Mail. It also catalogues every letter writer and location on both Dave's morning show (1980) and Late Night (1982-93). It's a definitive reference for locating the name of any writer and matching it with the specific show that that person's letter was selected for air. Also included are some trivia details scattered within the data.The blog post can be found here: https://donzblog.home.blog/2022/01/12/viewer-mail/My now-obligatory ask: I have a Patreon account that helps me pay the bills. It'd be wonderful if anyone is so inclined to donate.patreon.com/user?u=26278592
Bob Saget Collection on Letterman, 1988-2006 Don Giller 2022-01-10 | All but the last two appearances were promotions for "Full House" and "America's Funniest Home Videos."Late Night:1. January 6, 1988.2. December 1, 1988.3. November 22, 1989.4. May 10, 1990.5. September 6, 1991.6. May 20, 1992.(Clips from "America's Funniest Home Videos" deleted due to copyright caution.)7. December 22, 1992.Late Show:8. October 5, 1993.9. March 28, 199410. January 9, 199511. June 20, 1995.12. June 5, 1998. Film: "Dirty Work."13. January 18, 2006. Film: "The Aristocrats."
Betty White on Late Late Show with Tom Snyder, July 1, 1997 Don Giller 2022-01-03 | This was Betty's only appearance on Tom's CBS talk show. Based on their conversation, it's clear that she had also appeared on one of Tom's earlier, pre-CBS shows.
Allen Ludden and Betty White with David Letterman, 1978-2012 Don Giller 2022-01-02 | There was a special bond established between Dave and Allen and Betty that came about after a 1974 radio interview he had conducted with them in Indianapolis. That connection would end up boosting Dave's career when he moved to Los Angeles the following year. This compilation helps tell the story.Game Show Clips:1. May 15, 1978. Liar's Club.2. May 28, 1979. Password Plus.Dave's Morning Show:3. June 25, 1980. Cold Open.4. August 13, 1980. Allen Ludden.5. October 8, 1980. Edwin Newman's news on Ludden's stroke.Ludden had fallen into a coma. It was later determined to be caused not by a stroke but instead "by high levels of calcium from medication taken to help fight the [stomach] cancer" first diagnosed earlier in the year. (Wiki)He would pass away eight months later on June 9.Late Night:6. June 21, 1983. Dave's Record Collection.7. October 1, 1985. Betty White: "Golden Girls."Late Show:8. May 8, 2000. "Ladies Man."9. January 18, 2011. "Hot in Cleveland."10. May 4, 2011. Book: _If You Ask Me._11. June 13, 2011. Top Ten.12. May 16, 2012. "Betty White's Off Their Rockers"; "Hot in Cleveland."13. Morning show. July 10, 1980. Intro to Animal Fashions.Great thanks to game show historian and nice guy Adam Nedeff for the Liar's Club clip. He's written a wonderful biography of Allen Ludden, well worth a read by any fan of both Allen and Betty. Available on Amazon: amazon.com/dp/B0762NBCDZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_J83TED487090J116FJ8Y
John Madden on Letterman, March 3, 1983 Don Giller 2021-12-29 | John's only guest appearance on Dave. Taped the day before.
Michael Nesmith on Letterman, January 13, 1983 Don Giller 2021-12-10 | Michael's only appearance on Dave, here promoting "Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann" and showing two clips from "Elephant Parts."Peter Tork’s appearance here: youtu.be/TfSuwTGpV5Q
Viewer Mail on Letterman, November 27, 1987 Don Giller 2021-11-30 | Viewer Mail features a Tony Randall cameo and then a little skit that veers off in an unexpected direction.Viewer Mail's cast of characters:Voice of Cheryl Tolcher: Jude BrennanRoast panelists (L-R): Jordan Derwin, Jim Fox, Tony Randall, Pete Fatovich, Jack Rollins, and Larry JacobsonThe skit:Paul ShafferAnton FigMother: Eleni KelakosSon: Phillip DanielsDaughter: Jocelyn ArgentoDavid SanbornPreceded by two Opening Remark jokes, various discussions with Paul, and an invited home-base walk-on by Late Night's sound-effects master Hope Vinitsky.Playing with Ron Wood into the commercial break is the Stones’ first number 1 single in Great Britain, “It’s All Over Now.”
Bulgarian Choir on Tonight Show, April 5, 1990, re-up Don Giller 2021-11-26 | I first heard these remarkable singers on a Nonesuch Explorer LP in 1972 and instantly fell in love with their music.Uploaded years ago by someone else, this version is in glorious stereo.
Crispin Glover Collection on Carson & Letterman, 1987 re-up Don Giller 2021-11-25 | 1. May 14, 1987: Tonight Show2. July 28, 1987: Late Night3. July 29, 1987 Late Night Cold Open4. August 21, 1987: return appearance on Late NightCrispin Glover did the NBC talk shows to promote "River's Edge." His first spot was on The Tonight Show on May 14, 1987, and, while visibly nervous, he seemed somewhat sane, and Johnny played along.Then his appearance on Late Night happened. Dave's show on July 28 was an hour-long disaster: The opening act tested new sound effects, all of which bombed. Next was the Top Ten list, which wasn't ready. Then Myrtle Young, the Potato Chip lady. Then an awkward interview with Ally Sheedy, promoting her film "Maid to Order." Then an attempted call to James "The Drifter" Baggett, but Dave got an airport by mistake. The Top Ten still wasn't ready.By this point Dave was already on edge from the screw-ups and odd guests. Then came Glover. From a 1992 broadcast of NPR's "All Things Considered" in which movie director Trent Harris explained how his new feature film, "Rubin and Ed," came to be: "[Glover] said, 'Come on over to my place. I've got something I want to show you.' So I go over to the place he lives in Hollywood. It's a big tower with an elevator in it, so I pushed the elevator button, and I'm waiting in the lobby and the doors open up, and this creature steps out of the elevator in striped bellbottoms, platform shoes, strange hair, double-knit tight polyester shirt, thick glasses, and then he started to giggle, and I realized that it was Crispin and he said, 'Wouldn't it be funny to do a film about this character. Wouldn't he be a great character to write a movie about?' And I said, 'No.' I mean, it's a frightening image to see Rubin Farr for the first time. But then this -- he was invited to go on the David Letterman show, and he said, 'Wouldn't it be interesting if I went on as Rubin Farr?' And I said, 'No.'"But Glover went ahead and appeared on "Late Night" as Rubin Farr, the character he'd later play in Harris's film. And what was Harris's first reaction to seeing Glover on with Dave? "I literally had to get in the closet. I started to watch the thing, and then I found myself standing up on the couch going, 'No, no, no,' and then I got in the closet and closed the door, hoping that somehow it would stop."(Quotes here come from LATE SHOW NEWS #164, August 5, 1997.)Dave was not amused. After all that had preceded Glover's appearance that night, his mood had already darkened, and Glover's character was first met with bemusement but then disdain, the kick the final straw.After Glover's segment, Dave discussed the mess with Paul, asked again for the Top Ten (still not ready), and called James again, this time successfully. By the end of the show, Dave thanked his guests, Glover's name conspicuously absent.The next night, Dave, Paul, and Biff exorcised the event in a Cold Open.Three weeks later, on August 21, Glover made a return appearance. It went considerably better.Fun fact: July 28, 1987, was exactly five years after the Kaufman/Lawler appearance.
Bob & Chris Elliotts Book Promotion Tour, Spring 1989 re-up Don Giller 2021-11-25 | Bob and Chris Elliott guested on several shows in May and June 1989 to promote the release of their new book _Daddy's Boy._ Here are the shows I have:1. May 24, 1989: Late Night with David Letterman2. June 9, 1989: WRC-TV, Washington, D.C. (courtesy Richard Handal)3. June 12, 1989: Tonight Show (Jay Leno, guest-host)4. June 22, 1989: Later with Bob Costas
Jay Leno Collection on Letterman, Part 3 of 3: 1986-1993 re-up Don Giller 2021-11-25 | Jay Leno appeared on Late Night forty-one times, forty as a guest and one in a taped cameo. Here are all of his appearances, plus other related videos scattered within.A few clips were edited together from different sources. For one video (January 6, 1983), I chose the E! broadcast, as it's the only source in my collection that didn't mute "Hostess Twinkies."The collection is in three parts:Part 1: Clips #1 to 14 -- youtu.be/_M9yTG19PnEPart 2: Clips #15 to 28 -- youtu.be/QUQvDz7CSF8Part 3: Clips #29 to 50 -- herePart 3 begins with Jay's first Tonight Show as guest-host in 1986. It foreshadowed shifting tectonic plates between Jay, Dave, NBC, and CBS.Before all that, though, there's a reason Jay appeared so often on Late Night, especially up that first guest-host milestone: he was damn funny, and Dave's laughter was genuine. There's much here to analyze their evolving relationship.Part 1:1. April 15, 1982: Jay guest appearance #1 (stand-up #1 and home base chat)2. June 4, 1982: Jay #23. June 30, 1982: Jay #3 (introduced by Harve Mann)4. October 11, 1982: Jay #45. November 10, 1982: Jay #56. January 6, 1983: Jay #67. February 2, 1983: Jay #78. April 5, 1983: Jay #89. July 7, 1983: Jay #910. September 6, 1983: Jay #1011. October 4, 1983: Jay #1112. January 12, 1984: Jay #1213. March 13, 1984: Jay #1314. May 14, 1984: Jay #14Part 2:15. August 16, 1984: Jay #1516. September 26, 1984: Jay #1617. January 9, 1985: Jay #1718. March 21, 1985: Jay #1819. April 24, 1985: Jay #1920. August 21, 1985: #2021. October 10, 1985: Jay #2122. November 19, 1985: Jay #2223. January 9, 1986: Jay #2324. January 30, 1986: Jay #2425. March 25, 1986: Jay #25 (w/Seth Green, then 12 years old)26. May 28, 1986: Jay #2627. June 18, 1986: Chris Elliott's Jay Leno impression #128. August 19, 1986: Jay #27Part 3:29. September 9, 1986: Jay's first Tonight Show as guest-host, monologue30. October 2, 1986: Chris Elliott's Jay Leno impression #231. October 14, 1986: Jay #28 (w/Chris Elliott)32. November 1, 1986: Dave cameos on Jay's television special32. December 16, 1986: Jay #2933. February 7, 1987: Jay #30 (stand-up #2 for 5th anniversary)34. May 13, 1987 (taped April 13): Jay #3135. September 29, 1987: Jay #3236. November 24, 1987: Jay #33 (with 3 kids: Jocelyn Argento, Kristin Symons, and Brian Wilde)37. February 11, 1988: same Condom Week joke setup with different punchlines, Jay guest-hosting The Tonight Show, followed by Dave an hour later38. March 4, 1988: Jay #3439. July 7, 1988: Jay #3540. May 4, 1989: Jay #36 (in Chicago)41. August 16, 1989: Jay #3742. October 11, 1990: Leno guests on Donahue, excerpts43. October 11, 1990: Leno guests on Live at Five44. October 11, 1990: Jay #3845. November 2, 1990: Jay's taped Viewer Mail cameo, taped October 11, 199046. June 6, 1991: Dave congratulates Jay for succeeding Johnny Carson as Tonight Show host47. December 12, 1991: Jay #3948. May 7, 1992: Jay #40 (Jay becomes Tonight Show host in two weeks)49. January 14, 1993: Jay, now Tonight Show host, remarks on Dave's decision to leave NBC for CBS50. June 25, 1993: Jay wishes Dave well before the upcoming final Late Night
A Pete Fatovich Appreciation on Letterman, 1982-2015, Part 2 of 2: Main Course Don Giller 2021-11-22 | After working on The Tonight Shows with Jack Paar and Johnny Carson, then later on SNL, Pete Fatovich became Dave's Associate Director and occasional Acting Director from the first Late Night in February 1982 until he retired on Late Show in late December 1993. He then continued to participate in Late Show comedy segments until the Fall of 2014.Long-running Late Night Head Writer Steve O'Donnell recently told me how sad he felt that when Pete died at nearly 85 on May 23, 2015, he hadn't been given a tribute eulogy from Dave on the Late Show. That would have been impossible, since Pete had passed away three days after Dave's final show. (Pete's daughter Mandy did report that Pete had been able to watch it.)So here's my attempt to rectify that. For a man everyone on both Late Night and Late Show loved and adored.Part 2: Main Course and Dessert9. Live Outside Control Room:1. April 16-20, 1990. Intros to repeats.(Repeats are from February 26, 1988; January 14, 1987; June 29, 1988; July 23, 1987; and June 19, 1987.)2. February 23, 1982. Audience Point-of-View.3. July 9, 1982. Christmas Around the World, with original Polaroid.4. October 27, 1982. The Tenth-Hole Lounge.5. July 29, 1985. Staff Vacation Photos, 1.6. September 10, 1985. Setting a New Fashion Trend.7. April 3, 1986. Viewer Mail: "Potatoes" Kelly.8. March 5, 1987. Viewer Mail: Parade.9. March 25, 1987. Editing out a joke.I uploaded this segment in 2017. Andy Rose posted this comment three years later: I recently bumped into Fran Cimino in a Facebook group and asked her about this. Here is her response:"Yes. Actually, that was one of the last days I worked on Letterman. I was pregnant with my second son, and this was Dave's 'gift' to me, as we were paid for speaking appearances. Needless to say, I am terribly afraid of 'on-camera' appearances."10a. May 18-21, 1987. Las Vegas: Jerry Vale in audience.10b. May 25, 1987. "Jerry Vale" in audience.11. June 10, 1987. Staff Vacation Photos, 2.12. October 27, 1987. Jumper Love-Fest: With Pete's wife and son.13a. August 18, 1989. Mandy Patinkin: "Over the Rainbow."13b. August 18, 1989. Pete: "Over the Rainbow."14. June 20, 1990. New catch phrase.15. November 24, 1987. Who Asked for It: Cabbie.16. November 14, 1990. Who Asked for It: Itch.17. May 3, 1995. Who Asked for It: Nadine and Pete.18. May 4, 1995. Who Asked for it: Pete tries again.10. Videotape Recordings (VTRs):1. April 12, 1982. My Dinner with Pete.2. March 29, 1984. Viewer Mail: Pete's story.3. May 31, 1984. Viewer Mail: Donut shop.4. May 29, 1986. Viewer Mail: Leech.5. January 14, 1987. New Cable Networks.6. January 28, 1987. Today Show Quiz: Stan Musial, 1.7. February 17, 1987. Who Asked for It: Stan Musial, 2.8. July 23, 1987. Dave's gasoline story.9. January 24, 1992. Viewer Mail: Audience during the break.10. January 18, 2005. Flashdancers.11. June 30, 2005. Late Show bear.Pete as Bernie Madoff:12. March 16, 2009. At home with the Madoffs, 1.13. March 17, 2009. At home with the Madoffs, 2.14. March 18, 2009. At home with the Madoffs, 3.15. March 23, 2009. At home with the Madoffs, 4.16. March 24, 2009. At home with the Madoffs, 5.17. March 25, 2009. At home with the Madoffs, 6.18. October 15, 2009. Top Ten Bernie Madoff Observations About Prison.19. December 9, 2009. Tales of Old Hollywood, 1: Bob Hope.20. December 17, 2009. Tales of Old Hollywood, 2: Spencer Tracy.21. September 29, 2010. Frugal Politicians.22. July 30, 2014. Dollar Tree.23. October 30, 2014. Ouija.11. Pete's Accordion:1. February 1, 1982 (Late Night #1). Stein Night.2. February 18, 1982. Taxi Etiquette.3. June 28, 1988. "Lady of Spain," 1.4. June 29, 1988. "Lady of Spain," 2.5. May 15, 2007. Great Moments in Presidential Speeches.6. February 4, 2002. Is This Anything?7. July 29, 2003. Monologue interrupt.12. Remotes:1. June 19, 1987. Visit to Pete's home.2. February 26, 1988. 14th Floor renovations.3. May 3, 1989. Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.4. July 24, 1992. Selling the TripleCast.5. August 28, 1992. Goldfish.6. April 16, 1993. Missing pants.7. September 24, 1993. Birthday celebration, 1.8. July 8 ,1996. Birthday celebration, 2.13. Epilogue:1. February 7, 1990. Killing time.2. December 18, 2014. Pre-show Q&A: Marilyn Sargent's poem.With videos and stills from:February 27, 1985. Bumper and original Polaroids.November 18, 1988. Viewer Mail: Pete and Maria Pope.November 17, 2014. Selfie with Pete and Jay Johnson.March 10, 2015. Selfie with Pete, Biff Henderson, and Tim Kennedy.October 11, 1991. Viewer Mail.3. August 18, 1989. "Over the Rainbow."4. A Pete joke, 2.
A Pete Fatovich Appreciation on Letterman, 1982-2015, Part 1 of 2: Appetizers Don Giller 2021-11-22 | After working on The Tonight Shows with Jack Paar and Johnny Carson, then later on SNL, Pete Fatovich became Dave's Associate Director and occasional Acting Director from the first Late Night in February 1982 until he retired on Late Show in late December 1993. He then continued to participate in Late Show comedy segments until the Fall of 2014.Long-running Late Night Head Writer Steve O'Donnell recently told me how sad he felt that when Pete died at nearly 85 on May 23, 2015, he hadn't been given a tribute eulogy from Dave on the Late Show. That would have been impossible, since Pete had passed away three days after Dave's final show. (Pete's daughter Mandy did report that Pete had been able to watch it.)So here's my attempt to rectify that. For a man everyone on both Late Night and Late Show loved and adored.Part 1: Appetizers1. Prologue:1. March 11, 1988. Intro to repeat from March 19, 1987.2. February 20, 2001. Monologue.3. December 23, 1993. Retirement.2. Audio Punch-ins:A. Songs:1. September 3, 1984 (aired September 24). Who Asked for It: "Butter."2. March 22, 1984. Viewer Mail: "Billie Jean," 1.3. May 14, 1984. Dave's Record Collection: "Billie Jean," 2.4. June 14, 1984. Pre-Viewer Mail. "Billie Jean," 3.5. June 27, 1984. Dave's Consumer Corner: "Jump."6. June 28, 1984. Viewer Mail: "Billie Jean," 4.7. September 20, 1984. Viewer Mail: "Light My Fire."8. January 29, 1985. New Dial-It-Service: "New York New York."B. Affiliate Salutes:1. February 28, 1985. KATN-TV, Fairbanks, Alaska.2. March 21, 1985. WLEX-TV, Lexington, Kentucky.3. March 28, 1985. KXXV-TV, Waco, Texas.4. May 8, 1985. KTUU-TV, Anchorage, Alaska.5. January 13, 1986. KOMU-TV, Columbia, Missouri.6. September 23, 1986. WETM, Elmira, New York, and KTAL, Shreveport, Louisiana.7. January 15, 1988. WALA, Mobile, Alabama.C. Ad Lead-Ins:1. October 30, 1986. Budweiser.2. November 4, 1986 (aired November 17). Magnavox.3. November 25, 1986. Michelob Lite.4. December 11, 1986. Polaroid.5. December 18, 1986. Budweiser.6. February 16, 1987. Budweiser.D. Generic Apologies, Promotional Announcements:1. September 19, 1985. Viewer Mail: Generic apology, Version 1, 1.2. October 17, 1985. Viewer Mail: Generic apology, Version 1, 2.3. August 5, 1986. Generic apology, Version 2..4. June 11, 1987. Generic Promotional Announcement, 1.5. June 17, 1987. Generic Promotional Announcement, 2.6. June 25, 1987. Generic Promotional Announcement, 3.E. Other:1. May 7, 1985. We Redo Late Night's Show: "Apprise."2. September 13 and 24, 1991. Miss America 1992 Carolyn Suzanne Sapp.3. April 21, 1997. Clinton press conference.3. References to Pete:1. January 29, 1986. Dave's bathroom story.2. January 15, 1987. Paul's Pete impression, 1.3. January 20, 1988. Dave hears Pete.4. April 20, 1989. Paul's Pete impression, 2.5. May 25, 1989. Dave's Pete quote.6. December 22, 1992. Hal Gurnee's Time Killer: Contortionist.4. Heard From Control Room:1. March 19, 1984. Round the Horn.2. September 9, 1985. Neena Beber Softball Tournament.3. September 8, 1986. Tama Janowitz.4. September 6, 1988. Radio show.5. October 14, 1988. Viewer Mail: Singing fanfare.6. March 26, 1991. Pete apologizes.7. April 11, 1991. Paul's Pete impression 3.8 August 22, 1991. No response.5. Live Inside Control Room:1. August 22, 1983. Lowell Davis: Introductions, 1.2. April 26, 1989. Brush with Greatness: Introductions, 2.3. April 8, 1992. Hal Gurnee's Time Killer: Introductions, 3.4. May 9, 1985. Viewer Mail: Chili Night.5. March 14, 1989. Exotic Bird Night and Career Day Boy.6. June 14, 1989. Pete's intern.7. September 19, 1989. Pete asleep on "Applause" button.8. September 19, 1990. Round the Horn: Where I Stand.9. December 13, 1990. Round the Horn: Christmas Wishes.10. August 20, 1991. Network Time Killer: Pete as Acting Director.6. Who Gives a Rat's Ass?1. June 19, 1986. Dave begins the tradition, with "ass" censored.2. August 11, 1987. New Dial-It-Service: Dial the NYC Welcome Wagon, 1: "Who the hell gives a damn?"3. September 6, 1989. New Dial-It-Service: NYC Welcome Wagon, 2: "Who gives a rat's ass?" 4. Dave guides Pete with the phrase.5. April 13, 1990. Viewer Mail: New York City send-off.6. June 15, 1990. Two Viewer Mails: Yale or Harvard; Teeth-gap measurement.7. June 22, 1990. Tasteless tomatoes. 8. October 5, 1990. Viewer Mail: Wedding dress.9. May 8, 1992. Top Ten Rejected Plots for the Final "Golden Girls": Phrase from Dave.10. May 15, 1992. Viewer Mail: SP.7. Cold Shoulder and Hot Tongue:1. November 4, 1986 (aired November 17). Autumn in New England.2. January 16, 1991. Art Donovan.3. April 6, 1993. Hal Gurnee's Network Time Killer: Introductions, 4.4. April 13, 1993. A Pete joke, 1.8. Phone Answering Messages:1. January 20, 1993. Joey Buttafuoco.2. November 5, 1993. Rudy Giuliani.
LATE NIGHT BUMPER Sampler of Marc Karzens Photographs Don Giller 2021-11-18 | I've uploaded this Sampler to help promote Late Night Staff Photographer Marc Karzen's just-released book on his remarkably unique -- and award-winning -- bumpers collection. These photos were incorporated into every ad break on the show for ten years, beginning with the very first Late Night on February 1, 1982. The photos here are prefaced with a clip from June 16, 1986: Dave is celebrating the Bumpers graphics team with its just-won Gold Award from the Broadcast Designers Association.Marc's book is titled _LATE NIGHT BUMPERS: THE 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION,_ and it includes a forward by Dave. Its cover is included at the end of this video.Marc's book can be purchased on Amazon:tiny.cc/5skluzHis book-publishing site features sample pages, linked here:blurb.com/books/10905016-late-night-bumpers-40th-anniversary-editionHere’s the link to Marc’s Bumpers site:lettermanbumpers.comMarc is a great guy and a gifted photographer. His new book is well-worth a purchase from both Dave fans and photography enthusiasts.
Dean Stockwell on Letterman, November 2, 1988 Don Giller 2021-11-09 | Dean's only appearance on Dave.
Lionel Hampton on Letterman, 1980 (m) and 1987 (st.) Don Giller 2021-11-05 | The word "legend" has been tossed around until it's lost its real meaning, but there was only one Lionel Hampton.Dave's morning show:1. August 7, 1980. "Summertime," “Mr. P.C.” (thank you, EP’s Vault 2!), and a duet with Dave. (mono)With audio during the second break as Lionel leaves the stage.This is a performance that hasn’t been publicly seen in over 41 years.Dave's Late Night:2. March 17, 1987. "Boogie Woogie Blues" and a chat with Dave. (stereo)This has been previously uploaded by someone else but in mono.With a little Chris Elliott on St. Patrick's Day.
Keith Emerson, America, on Letterman, September 18, 1986 (full video; partial stereo) Don Giller 2021-11-04 | Here's Keith's full performance of "America" with The World's Most Dangerous Band, presented in better video and audio quality than previously uploaded by others.My source is in mono, but I edited in the stereo audio from BetaGems Lost Media's partial performance that's uploaded here: youtube.com/watch?v=hcTzWfkerEA.The stereo kicks in at 2:00; the mono returns after the performance.
Tori Amos Collection on Letterman, 1992-2009 Don Giller 2021-11-04 | By request from the most dedicated and knowledgeable Tori Amos fan on the planet.Late Night:1. April 23, 1992. "Crucify." Network television debut.Late Show:2. March 28, 1994. "Cornflake Girl."3. June 28, 1994. "Precious Things."4. April 8, 1996. "Muhammad My Friend."5. October 4, 1996. "Father Lucifer."6. January 29, 1997. "Silent All These Years."7. April 10, 1998. "Spark."8. July 27, 1998. "Jackie's Strength."9. August 12, 1999. "Bliss."10. September 18, 2001. "Time." The day following Dave's first show after 9/11.11. October 29, 2002. "A Sorta Fairytale."12. February 17, 2005. "Sleep with Butterflies."13. May 3, 2007. "Big Wheel."14. December 10, 2009. "Pink and Glitter."
Alan Kalter Highlights Collection on Letterman, 1995-2015 Don Giller 2021-10-31 | In tribute to Alan Kalter, Dave's announcer but so much more. He passed away on October 4, 2021. This is a small sample of his work on Dave's Late Show. A more comprehensive collection is forthcoming.I. OpenPrologue. October 14, 2014. Alan announces himself.1. July 25, 1983 (taped July 11) Dave's "Don LaHerman" story.2. September 4, 1995. Alan's debut announce and, later, Dave's welcome.3a. Early May, 2015. Alan on his "first day."3b. September 7, 1995. Day 4: The swim.4. October 10, 1997. Visine with bleach.II. Alan punches1. April 3, 1998. Mailbag.2. June 9, 1998. Top Ten.3. October 23, 1998. Mailbag.4. April 29, 1999. Jerry Foley.III. Alan punched by Brian Donahue1. July 11, 2001. Round the Horn.2. July 12, 2001.3. July 16, 2001.4. July 17, 2001. Pizza, 1, and replay from last night.5. July 18, 2001. Pizza, 2.6. July 19, 2001. Pizza, 3.7. July 20, 2001. Beaten up, a followup, and Billy Crystal.8. July 23, 2001. Pizza, 4.9. July 24, 2001. Beaten up and followup during Psychic Sandwich.10. July 25, 2001. Audio guy. 11. July 26, 2001. Band sit-in. 12. July 27, 2001. Boy Scouts.13. July 30, 2001. Lance Armstrong.14. July 31, 2001. Rupert Jee.15. August 1, 2001. Maria Pope, Rupert Jee.16. August 3, 2001. CBS Page; Mailbag.IV. Seductions1. September 25, 1998. Mailbag: Big Red.2. January 10, 2000. Seduction #1: Ellen Degeneres & Ann Heche.3a. Alan discusses vamping with no light on cue cards.3b. April 28, 2000. Seduction #2: Janet Reno.4. March 13, 2001. Seduction #13: Camryn Manheim.5. June 4, 2002. Seduction #22: Queen Elizabeth.6. September 8, 2004. Seduction #34. Hillary Clinton.7. November 3, 2004. Seduction #36: Laura Bush.8. March 16, 2005. Seduction #38: Condoleeza Rice.V. Campaign Round-Ups1. October 6, 2000. Campaign Round-Up #1.2. October 10, 2000. Campaign Round-Up #2.3. October 13, 2000. Campaign Round-Up #5 with Calvert.4. October 17, 2000. Campaign Round-Up. #9.VI. The Kalter Twins1. August 27, 2001. "Don't Go Breaking My Heart."2. September 7, 2001. "Up Where We Belong."3. December 12, 2001. Entertainment Tonight profile.VII. Rants1. June 5, 1998. Why Alan accepts Dave's insults.2. September 18, 1998. Sailor skit cancelled.3. January 19, 2001. Red Hulk.4. January 29, 2002. Would You Like Something from Alan Kalter's Office?5. February 6, 2002. Who Asked for It?6. March 18, 2002. Liza Minelli's Wedding.VIII. Alan Kalter Stars in Famous Fred MacMurray Movie Roles1. April 3, 2002.2. April 10, 2002.3. April 24, 2002.4. May 2, 2002.5. June 10, 2002.6. September 27, 2002. I Love Lucy.IX. Will It Float?1. October 17, 2003. Sewing Machine. 2. April 14, 2006. Deluxe Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner and Tarnish Remover.3. July 13, 2007. Miracle Gro Plant Food.X. Languages1. July 7, 2000. Korean. Carter Bays on Twitter 10-10-21: "So many of the things [Craig Thomas and I] wrote for Alan were just us trying to find the limits of what he was capable of, because he was such a showbiz pro. It was like, 'Do you think Alan could deliver an entire monologue in Cantonese?' 'I don't know, let's find out!'"2. July 12, 2002: French.3. February 7, 2003. Kurdish.4. March 15, 2006. Arabic.XI. Closing Clips1. February 27, 2006. Kaltershank Redemption. Encored on the April 21, 2015 show. Shown here is the original broadcast from 2006.2. October 29, 2012. Late from Hurricane Sandy.3. April 1, 2015. Late again.4. October 25, 2005. Lookalikes.5. May 7, 2007. Rapprochement..6. Costumes Montage.7. Show close with Margaret Hall.8. September 4, 1995. "A little more energy."Note: The full collection of Alan Kalter's Celebrity Interviews can be seen here: youtu.be/ViGh-ZCj9TkAll credit for first noticing the “Don LaHerman” echo years ago goes to Adam Nedeff.
Mort Sahl Collection on Letterman, 1988-2002 Don Giller 2021-10-27 | Late Night:1. January 20, 1988Late Show:2. November 26, 2001.3. December 27, 2002. Stand-up.
Peter Scolari Collection on Letterman, 1987-89 Don Giller 2021-10-22 | 1. February 26, 1987.In his second segment, Peter mentions that "Newhart" writers are friends with Late Night writers. Merrill Markoe had written the February 16, 1987, episode of "Newhart" then in its fifth season.2. September 1, 1988.3. December 22, 1989.
Tom Snyders Love for Model Trains, November 30, 1993 Don Giller 2021-10-22 | One of Tom Snyder's talk show episodes on CNBC, here devoted to nothing but model trains with his guest Tom McComas, founder of TM Books and Videos.Tom's fascination with model trains was genuine, and there was nothing he loved talking about more than his lifelong hobby.In development is a documentary on Tom's legacy called "Tom Who." See the official links below.The "Tom Who" YouTube channel:tinyurl.com/i1eoee4kThe "Tom Who" Instagram page instagram.com/tomwho2021
My Followup YouTube Message, October 10, 2021 Don Giller 2021-10-11 | Greetings again from my underground bunker. And listen --- no background music! Some complained that it was too loud in last week's video, or too distracting, and I apologize. So no more of that. Just dead silence between breaths.I just wanted to give you all an update.The response has been so overwhelming, so unexpected, I can't and won't even try to adequately convey how stupefyingly amazing you all are. You've turned my life around, and I'll never forget it. I'm still a bit short of my target number, but that's not important. What's important is what you've all done to get this far. I could not have ever imagined how this would develop.Friends have suggested some things that I might consider doing for all of the contributors who have signed on to Patreon on my behalf. One might be to provide "teaser" videos, or complete advance uploads via email. Apparently there's a way to do that. It'll all be figured out. I want to do something.What I'm beginning to work on now is an Alan Kalter retrospective. As you all know, he passed away last week. The Tony Mendez compilation took around 5 weeks to put together, from the initial preparation to the final uploads, and I suspect this will take even longer.So please have patience. Other clips may take precedence from time to time while all this is being prepared; I just haven't thought it all that far in advance.But whatever I'm working on, please know that it'll all be towards earning what you've all given me, and I'll try not to disappoint.Again, thank you all. It's been an astounding week.My Patreon account: patreon.com/user?u=26278592
My YouTube Message, October 4, 2021 Don Giller 2021-10-04 | Hi, everybody, Don Giller here. I'm doing something I've never done before and am incredibly uncomfortable doing it in the first place.But some good folks on Twitter made this suggestion, so here goes:First, I want to say how much I appreciate this platform and the joy it's given me sharing so much of my David Letterman inventory. That will continue as long as I'm allowed from the various content owners.As you might know, I monetize nothing on this channel. I decided that from the start, recognizing that it would just be ethically wrong to profit from others' creations. And that decision may be a big reason why this channel still exists.My intent here has solely been to preserve and share such culturally-important material that would otherwise have been either lost or forgotten. I can't tell you the number of comments I've read in here acknowledging just that.And with over 139 million views and 134 thousand subscribers, it looks like there are a lot of people out there who seem to appreciate the effort. And I can't thank you enough for that.The reason I'm presenting this little clip is that I've recently taken a big hit to my financial solvency. I don't want to expand on that, other than nothing illicit was involved, nor any sort of gambling or foolish investments. It's just one of those unexpected things that happen.So I hope I'm not too presumptuous asking for your help. I've set up a Patreon account, where folks contribute whatever they're comfortable with on a monthly basis, or for however long they wish to be involved. Here's the link to my account, and I've also included it in the pinned description underneath this video.patreon.com/user?u=26278592I hope this isn't seen as one of those easily-disguised get-rich-quick schemes on the backs of others. This is only to help ensure my continued ability to pay my rent and bills. And nothing more.So thank you for watching this, and watch for more uploads once I land back on my feet.
Tad Lathrop and Don Giller, Smokeys Theme & Margos Theme Don Giller 2021-10-01 | The third and likely last installment of a selection of songs Tad Lathrop and I had recorded during a particularly creative period in 1984-1985. The first, "Eventually About You," can be seen and heard here: youtu.be/vTolRarTS2w. The second, "Don't Stop Now," is here: youtu.be/vr8EjVJLSZwHere are two more from the Fall 1984 recording sessions in my Manhattan apartment. We hadn't given much thought then to song titles for the instrumentals we had both singularly and collectively composed. There was one called "Kevin's Theme," named after Tad's brother written by both of us. There was "Smokey's Theme," another tune jointly written, named after Tad's long-since-abandoned cigarette breaks. One evening Tad's college friend Beth visited us while we were playing, and she brought along her baby, Margaux. So we named the song we were working on at the time "Margo's Theme.""Smokey's Theme" is a little vignette we had recorded in early November 1984. The accompanying video includes likewise little vignettes captured around the city. The woman breaking out in laughter is my dear friend Pamela Zimmerman, who left this world to cancer in April 2020. The birthday boy is my dad, celebrating his 95th and 97th."Margo's Theme" is all Tad's. We began working on an arrangement in early September 1983. I had struggled to come up with an appropriate counterpoint in the bridge until we both realized that the simpler, the better. The version here was recorded in mid-November '84, with snippets of subsequent takes edited into the mix; it was included on our CD, "Red Horizon," released in 2006.The backdrop in this video consists of canvases created by Tad's mom June Lathrop within her "late" period, 1983 to 1991. The photos were taken by Lynn Saville in mid-August 2003.Tad and I have a CD we’d love to have you consider purchasing. Here’s the Amazon link: tinyurl.com/5cz2ra3d
George Frayne (Commander Cody) Collection on Letterman, 1982-83 Don Giller 2021-09-29 | 1. March 24, 1982. "We're Drinkin', We're Nuts" and panel with Dave.2. April 22, 1982. "Rock That Boogie" and panel.3. September 15, 1983. Panel and "We Used to Ride."
George Carlin on Letterman, Part 2 of 2: 1994-2001 Don Giller 2021-09-28 | The Late Show Years:11. January 13, 1994. "The George Carlin Show." Stand-up and panel.12. October 28, 1994. "The George Carlin Show."13. September 26, 1995.*14. June 16, 1997. Stand-up and panel. Book: _Brain Droppings._15. June 5, 1998. Stand-up and panel. Book: _Brain Droppings._16. November 25, 1999. Stand-up and panel. " The Little David Years."17. March 26, 2001.18. November 16, 2001. Stand-up. HBO: "Complaints and Grievances."* The guy sitting next to George: Earlier in the show, Dave had instructed a live camera into the apartment building next to the Ed. After no responses to two apartments, the third yielded a tenant named Steve. After chatting remotely with Dave, Steve was invited into the Ed for some cake and coffee. He then remained at home base during George’s two segments and then in the following segment when Dave read the Top Ten list.
George Carlin on Letterman, Part 1 of 2: 1984-1992 Don Giller 2021-09-28 | The Late Night Years:1. May 7, 1984. Panel and stand-up.2. July 12, 1984. HBO and LP: "Carlin on Campus."3. November 12, 1984. Book: _Sometimes a Little Brain Damage Can Help._4. July 15, 1986. LP: "Playin' With Your Head."Why Rob Burnett was sitting in Dave's chair, guest-hosting: Before the show taping, Dave had staffers put their ID cards into a drum-bin, then, throughout the hour he would select at random three who would host the show. Rob, then Late Night's Talent Assistant, was the first to be selected. Later in the show were Stupid Pets Coordinator Sue Hall and Production Assistant Bridget Jackson.5. February 17, 1987. Film: "Outrageous Fortune."6. November 17, 1988. LP: "What Am I Doing in New Jersey?"7. November 9, 1989.8. April 26, 1990.9. April 22, 1992 ."George Carlin Live at the Paramount."10. November 6, 1992. "Classic Gold."
Tad Lathrop & Don Giller, Dont Stop Now Don Giller 2021-09-23 | This is the second installment of an ongoing selection of songs Tad Lathrop and I had recorded during a particularly creative period in 1984-1985. The first, "Eventually About You," can be seen and heard here: youtu.be/vTolRarTS2w Tad began composing the outlines of this new song in the spring of 1985. We recorded several guitar takes on home tape recorders in both Tad's Brooklyn and my Manhattan apartments from April until a final version emerged that August. There were no lyrics at the time, so the song was given the placeholder title "Bop Bop." There it sat for eighteen years until 2003, when I overdubbed the rest of the backing tracks. Tad, having moved to California in 1991, then added lyrics and vocals, and the song now had a proper title, "Don't Stop Now." I then mixed it all together.And there it sat again for another eighteen years when we put together a video to accompany the song. A simple concept, a subway journey in New York City.Closing-credits photograph by Lynn Saville, August 2003.Tad and I have a CD we’d love to have you consider purchasing. Here’s the Amazon link: tinyurl.com/5cz2ra3d
A Tony Mendez Retrospective on Letterman, Part 7 of 7 Fixed Don Giller 2021-09-20 | Chapter 16: Staff Top Tens1. August 29, 2003. 10th anniversary of Late Show: Things I Have Learned Working for the Late Show.2. February 1, 2007. 25th anniversary of Dave at night: Things I Have Learned Working for Dave.3; August 30, 2007.14th anniversary of Late Show: Things I Have Learned Working on the Late Show.4. March 11, 2014. 4,000th Late Show: Thoughts I Have Dad 4000 times.Chapter 17: Tony Mendez Shows/Closing Clips1. June 5, 1998. The debut Tony Mendez Show, which was audio only for the first two years.From Dylan Behan's upload, whose collection is here: youtube.com/watch?v=uI77dJ627GQ&t=917s2. July 5, 2000. Dave promotes TMS for the first time.3. August 23, 2001. Dave plugs redesigned LS site and TMS. 4. August 24, 2001. Dave airs excerpts from two Tony Mendez Shows from July 2001.5. August 29, 2001. Dave airs another TMS clip.6. November 13, 2001. Dave airs a fourth TMS clip, featuring Tony's celebrated ballet dancer Josefina.7. June 19, 2003. Dave plugs the 1,000th TMS; Peter Lassally as Executive Producer.8. September 11, 2003. A TMS clip: Tony Meets Sharon Stone.9. June 14, 2004. TMS: DaveCon 2004.10. February 23, 2007. TMS billboard.11. March 30, 2007. Dave promotes TMS.12. October 7, 2014. Tony's final TMS: " Cleaning Out My Office.**From Tyler Branch's upload, link here: youtube.com/watch?v=TL1olu9P8lQThe following day, Wednesday, October 8, Tony and Bill Scheft have a dust-up in Dave's presence while preparing the cue cards before the show’s taping. On Thursday, as the New York Post told it, Tony reportedly grabbed Bill by his shirt and threw him against the wall. However, in a phone call to a friend, Tony says he never threw Bill anywhere. He did grab him by his shirt, but Bill was sitting down, and Tony never went beyond the grab. Regardless, he was immediately booted from the theater.On Monday, October 13, Executive Producer Rob Burnett informed Tony that he was "officially terminated." The following Friday, October 17, the New York Post allegedly talked to Tony, and a resulting article is published two days later, on Sunday, October 19. What actually happened was that Tony said nothing to the Post; his quotes were fabricated from others that the Post had interviewed.Closing Clips:Tony Mendez Shows:1. June 14, 2000 TMS.2. Fall 2011 TMS clip from "Yoo-Hoo Man."From Tyler Branch's upload, link here: youtube.com/watch?v=4Ohd-I7e7vc3. July 25, 1994. Dave salutes Tony.4. December 15, 1997. Close.5. April 27, 1990. First appearance on Late Night.
A Tony Mendez Retrospective on Letterman, Part 6 of 7 Don Giller 2021-09-19 | Chapter 15:Goofs & GumA. Open, Monologue(1) Late Montage:1. February 23, 2011.2. January 16, 2012.3. June 19, 2012.4. August 16, 2012. 5. October 26, 2012.8. November 9, 2012. (2) Retrievals:1. February 3, 2012. At open.2. May 8, 2009. Dave retrieves.3. June 17, 2010. With Harold Larkin.4. January 6, 2011. Tony consults.(3) Out of Order:1. January 11, 2010. Blackjack.2. May 7, 2010. "Is this a bit?"(4) Dave and Tony Out of Sync:1. April 25, 1994. Wrong date.2. November 6, 1998. JFK check.3. September 9, 2002. Gazelle.4. March 4, 2004. Martha Stewart.5. August 27, 2008. DNC.6. November 27, 2008. McCain float.7. December 10, 2008. Rod Blagojevich.8. January 12, 2009. Clinton intern.9. October 27, 2009. Wager.10. February 5, 2010. Lizards.11. March 11, 2010. Bush book.12. June 14, 2011. "Speaking of Spiderman."13. April 27, 2012. Newt Gingrich.14. September 24, 2012. Emmys.(5) Other Monologue Glitches:1. April 27, 1998. Tony's shorts and gum, 12. September 24, 1998. Tony's shorts and gum , 2.3. October 30, 2009. Human paperweight.4. April 13, 2011. Air France a380.5. October 23, 2012. "Just read the joke."B. Gum & Toothpick 1. September 2, 1996. What's Tony's eating.2. January 7, 1997. Gum on camera.3. April 21, 1997. Gum on cue card; Martin Mull.4. June 23, 1997. Gum taken out.5. September 29, 1998. A break for gum.6. November 5, 1998. Gum on camera.7. November 17, 1998. Gum and tape.8. December 2, 1999. Spits out gum.9. November 16, 2000. Tony with gum.10. July 26, 2005. Toothpick.11. May 22, 2009. Gum on camera, later blocks card.C. Other Acts, ACT 1:1. September 14, 2007. Snake joke.2. October 23, 1998. Tony's eye itches.3. March 10, 2000. Drinking.4. October 11, 2002. Money. "Leave me alone," 1.5. January 24, 2003. Jacket. "Leave me alone," 2.6. December 20, 2004: Justin Stangel's baby.7. August 5, 2005: Shoelaces and gum. "Leave me alone," 3.8. September 12, 2007. From hiss to "Hey!"9. January 22, 2008. From "psst" to coughs.ACT 2:1. October 28, 1997. Blue card.2. February 28, 2011. Dance while squatting.ACT 3:1. June 17, 1998. Tony forgot a cue card.2. October 6, 2003. "Promise you won't hit me."3. September 12, 2014. Prohibited songs.ACT 4:1. February 20, 2007. Bothering the guests.ACT 5:1. September 10, 1997. Cue card screwups.ACT 6:1. January 13, 2009. Ted.ACT 7:1. November 14, 2006. PWS 44.
A Tony Mendez Retrospective on Letterman, Part 5 of 7 Don Giller 2021-09-19 | Chapter 14: Odds & Ends1. December 17, 1996. Tony's double Eric.2. February 5, 2014. Tony's twin Toby.3. September 17, 1993. Super Dave's book. This was Tony's first on-camera mention and sighting on Late Show.Jackets:4. March 7, 1995. SNL jacket.5. March 8, 1995. Late Show clothing.6. April 16, 2008. Late Night jacket.7. September 5, 1995. Tony's hair, a day after Alan Kalter's debut on the show. 8. May 17, 1996. Tony kicked out, gets in cab.9. June 24, 1998. Proper audience behavior.10. October 6, 1998. Card trick.11. February 26, 2001. Lunch with Les and Fidel, 1.12. February 28, 2001. Lunch with Les and Fidel, 2.13. January 24, 2006. Emma Thompson.14. June 23, 2006. "Sweeds."15. August 17, 2006. Jamba Juice story.16. April 25, 2007. Great Moments in Presidential Speeches. 17. January 16, 2008. Spanish Wheel of Fortune.18. June 12, 2008. What's in the Cargo Shorts?, 1: Cole Slaw.19. August 27, 2008. What's in the Cargo Shorts?, 2: Guacamole.20. January 28, 2013. Naticias Actuales 1.21. May 22, 2013. Naticias Actuales 2.22. May 9, 2013. Cicadas. 23. January 24, 2014. Tony's Reality Show.24. April 1, 2005. Massive water leak off-stage
A Tony Mendez Retrospective on Letterman, Part 4 of 7 Don Giller 2021-09-19 | Chapter 10: Dragged Away 1. April 2, 1999. Mailbag: Apprehended.2. May 12, 1999. Dave's Record Collection.3. April 7, 2000. Mailbag: Tony Castro.4. April 24, 2000. INS, 1.5. April 25, 2000. Live Remote; INS, 2.6. April 26, 2000. INS, 3.7. April 27, 2000. INS, 4.8. April 28, 2000. Mailbag: INS, 5.9. November 24, 2000. Mailbag: Burial.10. May 15, 2002. Who Asked for It? Souvenir.11. May 22, 2006. 'Round the Horn: Advice to Grads.12. April 29, 2010. Immigration.Chapter 11: Rants with Guests1. November 16, 2000.Gwyneth Paltrow.2. August 22, 2001. Julia Stiles.3. January 11, 2002. Tom Cruise.4. March 30, 2005. Penelope Cruz.5. December 11, 2006. Matt Damon.6. April 17, 2006. Eva Longoria.7. July 10, 2007. Michael Cera.Chapter 12: Cold Opens 1. February 18, 2009. Oscar Party.2. March 4, 2009. Zorro.3. March 11, 2009. Vacuum cleaner.Chapter 13: Simulations00a. December 1, 1993. Hal simulates solar eclipse.00b. June 8, 1994. Hal simulates solar eclipse with live outside hose camera.1. September 27, 1996. Lunar eclipse.2. August 11, 1999. Solar eclipse .3. December 15, 1999. Solar eclipse cue card glitch.4. December 26, 2000. Partial solar eclipse.5. November 10, 2003. Lunar eclipse.6. October 9, 2006. North Korean nuclear test.7. April 16, 2007. Rain.8. July 31, 2007. Old Faithful eruption.
