Back when Paul Schafer played along with the musical guest on Letterman

To be fair,it's really only some of the fills that I'm not feeling, as far as the drums go (and more-so it's the way that the toms are tuned -- just sounds odd for that song) in the Van Halen clip.

x-post

Jordan OTM on RHCP and abs.

I saw Urge Overkill play Bottle of Fur with the house band. Paul Schaffer was pounding the chimes at the end. They sounded better than they had any right to.

oh man i thought the same thing about abs when watching the video

maybe that's why they went through like 6 different guitarists at the time, dudes just didn't have the abs for it.

It's not every band that plays with the house band. It's actually quite rare. I always thought it was just bands with a cool sense of humor who were free wheeling enough to do it as a way to shake things up.

I think they did this with Stevie Ray Vaughan. I've seen it. It was on either Letterman or Carson.

I don't think a band would play on national tv w/out their regular drummer just for a laugh.

I thought it was a rule. A buddy of mine was in Poi Dog Pondering back in the day and when they did the Letterman show there were major negotiations to get every member of their own rather large band out on the stage- one of the two drummers ended up banging a stick on a soda can!

I'm trying to imagine what it would've been like had G.E. Smith played along with the Replacements on SNL, and I don't like what I'm seeing in my head right now.

I'll have to ask Ted about that, Ken.

Ha! You do that, John.

Found that SRV clip. The WMDB backed him on "Wall of Denial".

...and here's Sonic Youth

Here's a clip from a time when Dinosaur Jr. played and the house band guitarist took a little lead break that I don't think Mascis appreciated, as he proceeded to subsequently bitch slap him with a blazing solo in response.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV6b4eij7ZQ

I heard Tito Puente was on there once and they made him play the drum kit while Anton played the timbales.

Maybe it's a way for the guys in the show band to let real bands know that they're studio musicians for hire and they're available for recording?

Yeah, Will Lee never did a single jingle vocal until he was discovered during that Chili Peppers performance.

Okay so this is pretty fucking hysterical too, The La's "There She Goes" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVd2x0EpnYA&feature=related

funny becuase Shafers on the tambourine, the guitarist brought out the old Rickenbacker AND for the lead singer who supposedly demanded a mixer with the original 60's dust still on it when recording the album, this must surely be the sound he had in mind...

plus a Beatles bonus in the end. I LOVE it

This is great

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwhyGz2tQJc

Is that the clip where Paul throws his tampon into the crowd?

I had never seen that Dinosaur jr clip before - Mascis just SLAUGHTERS that house guitarist!

If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up
Posted: August 26, 2007 5:33:29 PM
Something to do with budgets? I can't really remember. When the Letterman group played with L7, they had something like a total of six guitars going. Pretty crunchy.

I'm glad that we have that shaky version of "Trompe le Monde" (Black Francis in fine voice though) with bad Schaffer soloing and somewhat forced literate skronk guitar-work from Sid McGinnis.

Was watching this clip for a while before I realized it must be from Letterman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jeZtxB_pGI&feature=related

Aargh the dreaded end page, try again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jeZtxB_pGI&feature=related

Forget it. It's The Bangles singing "If She Knew What She Whats."

"Wants"

Tarfumes mentioned this over on the VU thread.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2u_xYIEOCg

The Kinks on Leno in '93 except it's really Ray & Dave with Leno's rhythm section and pianist.

Back to Letterman:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o11abgxUxsc

The B-52's doing "Love Shack" backed by The World's Most Dangerous Band.

with Kate doing the "TIN ROOF...RUSTED" cause clearly Cindy is under the weather.

I also love how they walk out and just instantly go into the song, no hesitation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zizL69E362E

ZZ Top: "Pincushion" w/the CBS band

I think I remember a band (Pere Ubu, early 90s?) where only two or three members had been invited to play on the show, and were complaining about it somewhere.

Looking at the longest version of their appearance, in the intro Dave mentions that the band had to pay their own way to New York after both their label and NBC refused to. So if that's true, and Letterman's people where like, "Only three of you can be on the show, and Paul gets to sing harmony"...yeah, I'd be pissed too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7dhvuq0cEY

"Oh, one more thing: Anton gets to play congas AND regular drums!"

Here's an interesting one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRC2yPiqyU0

XTC's first performance _period_ in 7 years, doing "King For A Day" in the summer of '89, and needing the backing since there were only three guys in the band by then.

Pere Ubu’s label at the time (Fontana) refused to pay for their flights to play on Letterman because the album wasn’t selling. Someone — probably David Thomas — helpfully pointed out that $2500 was not a huge expense for a major label for a national US TV appearance that might help boost sales. Due to the publicity surrounding this, Jane’s Addiction, R.E.M., and others helped pay for Ubu’s travel. I was a huge Ubu fan at the time, but I missed the show. When I eventually saw it, I wondered why such a startlingly unique band would waste this opportunity by playing one of their dullest songs.

The only band I know of that turned down a Letterman appearance because of the house band stipulation was the Replacements, but I assume there were others. And Anton Fig is one of the worst drummers in the history of sound.

Yeah, what is the deal with that guy? I actually saw him play live once and it did not change my opinion.

The only band I know of that turned down a Letterman appearance because of the house band stipulation was the Replacements, but I assume there were others. And Anton Fig is one of the worst drummers in the history of sound.

I wasn't surprised to see his name pop up in the credits for Dylan's "Clean Cut Kid" on Empire Burlesque - it makes the complete suckage of that track all the more understandable - but he's also on Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual and I love that album. I guess he works with that album's production because in a way they wanted something like a drum machine without completely sounding like one.

FWIW, this is still one of my favorite 'Viewer Mail' moments.

Not Letterman's band, but re: the Replacements, when Westerberg returned to SNL, I liked how he made use of the show's horn section for "Can't Hardly Wait." It's one of the few times I've seen a musical guest benefit from the house band. (I still prefer the "Tim" version, but the horn arrangement on the Pleased to Meet Me version is actually pretty good in its own right.)

I guess he works with that album's production because in a way they wanted something like a drum machine without completely sounding like one.

Fig is on a few records where his awfulness doesn't intrude, but he's also on no fewer than NINE Joe Bonamassa albums, which cancels out any positives in his discography.

I actually saw him play live once and it did not change my opinion.

I almost went to see Booker T and the MGs in 1991, but decided against it when I found out Fig was the drummer on that tour. I can't think of a worse possible choice for that band.

Imagine Metallica on Letterman with Paul on keyboards and no Lars

...or Lars in the back thrashing a triangle!

I would've liked to have seen the whole Grateful Dead or .38 Special on there. Three drummers!

But but but...one of them would be Anton Fig.

_I guess he works with that album's production because in a way they wanted something like a drum machine without completely sounding like one._

Fig is on a few records where his awfulness doesn't intrude, but he's also on no fewer than NINE Joe Bonamassa albums, which cancels out any positives in his discography.

_I actually saw him play live once and it did not change my opinion._

I almost went to see Booker T and the MGs in 1991, but decided against it when I found out Fig was the drummer on that tour. I can't think of a worse possible choice for that band.

Named.

Anyway, when I saw him in more recent times he was playing with a jazz-metal guitarist and actually taking solos. There are some things one shouldn’t hear.

As good a thread as any to marvel at the very of its time guest band Paul put together for the 5th anniversary show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niVcUXN_8gs
(starts at 8:05)

Freddie Hubbard
Clarence Clemons
Grover Washington Jr.
Peter Frampton
Andy Summers
Felix Cavaliere
Herbie Hancock

Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians's appearances meant Morris was either not there or playing a tambourine instead of his drums. And I think Andy once just had his arms crossed the entire time.

I was curious about Fig, because I hate his playing and his sound but he seems to get a lot of work, and indeed, almost everything he played on (at least as listed on Wiki) is pretty shitty. But he was the principal drummer on "Erotica."

Now Anton Fier, he was pretty dope, but I think he's retired.

For a while he was working in a coffee shop/restaurant until it closed. Thought he most be the owner, but nope, just an employee.

There's a little montage of musical guests starting at 1:17:30 here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdncPaRZZek

Some are during the Anton years, and some (thankfully) during the Steve Jordan years. I also remember Shaffer and Carole King playing a killer "Chest Fever" on the Radio City Wurlitzers, but it either got cut from this, or I imagined it.

Posted before, but was taken down:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8Y_3t629YM

Breeders: "So Sad About Us" (with bonus Who from TWMDB afterwards)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3MxcmfEtxo

Ray Davies (no Kinks, not even Dave): "How Do I Get Close?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVgeAK6IN4s

Los Lobos: "Reva's House"

I stayed up for that Ray Davies appearance (hey, 11:30-12:30 Central was LATE on a weeknight for a high schooler who had to get up at 6am for Jazz Band practice). I was disappointed that Dave wasn’t there, but liked the performance anyway. And Letterman’s wrong: it was their 26th album (counting live albums, not counting compilations), not their 48th.

It’s hard to see the hype sticker, but it calls the Kinks “The World’s Premier Rock & Roll Band!” They really wanted to fill the stadiums that the Stones and Who had filled in the summer of ‘89, but UK Jive topped out at #122 in the US, and the best they could hope for was 1/2-empty sheds on their 1990 tour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yo6V2V6luLY

Liz Phair: "Supernova"

WOW

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYifslpfSq8

The Feelies: "Doin' It Again"

oh big cheers for that one - they sound good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaoEuyObRkY

Bo Diddley: "Bo Diddley Put The Rock In Rock-'n'-Roll"

Lol @ Dave's bit of business with the LP cover at the start of the Liz Phair clip

(Liz doesn't sound her best there... too bad)

https://consequence.net/2023/01/paul-shaffer-fill-in-the-roots-jimmy-fallon/

(posted today)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnUI4a7BKpE

Letterman did one of his primetime anniversary specials not long after the SNL incident, including part of that clip in a musical guests montage, and there was audible booing.

On a related note, here's Julee Cruise w/the SNL band when she and the Spanic Boys pitch-hit for Sinead in '90.

https://vimeo.com/145203027

Borrowing from the "Controversial Opinions" thread

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29mx2bYvrJk

Herbie Hancock

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htqlOFuO-QM

#onethread

Slightly fixated on that Jon Lovitz-looking background dancer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-LZodq5Qxg

Ray Davies & The Max Weinberg 7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYB22jmw3YY

David Johansen & The Max Weinberg 7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQR52G6gvSk

📹

There's a bunch of Lou Reed clips like this, but singling this one out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVFcj-QLpu0

"Busload of Faith" during a Chicago residency. The Lou Mullet is OUT OF CONTROL

^^James Cotton on harp!

an example of this I quite admire is when XTC were on the show in 1989. I *think* this is the one and only time they played live on television after 1982 and PS and his band do a pretty good job.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amx5CK7vdoc

from an interview with the plugz' bassist re: their famous/great turn as bob dylan's band on letterman in 1984:

Paul Shaffer tried to jam along with us at soundcheck. It didn't go well for Paul. Bob told Bill Graham, “Lose the clown on the keyboard.”