Lennon and McCartney on The Tonight Show (with pics and audio)

Photo of John and Paul with guest host Joe Garagiola

complete audio of Tonight Show appearance

The above photo is the only photograph I've seen of the "lost' 1968 Lennon and McCartney Tonight Show appearance. It's a pretty strained interview although John and Paul were good sports. Tallulah Bankhead seems impossibly hammered. Apparently John and Paul didn't know that Johnny Carson wasn't going to be there Of course this episode no longer exists as the network wiped all of the late 60's Tonight Show episodes to save space. All the survives is a few minutes of silent footage a fan shot by pointing their home movie camera at the TV screen..

 

Thanks Chris. That is just wonderful stuff. Still boggles my mind that NBC erased thousands of hours of videotape to save a few dollars. Just boggles my mind. Oh man! The money they could have made in later years with this historic footage, and all the great shows and people and performances that are lost forever...... OH MAN!

For those that don't know that much about Tallulah Bankhead (including myself), here's a link that's pretty entertaining.

Her quotes are hilarious.

 

The cost of Sgt. Pepper's

Fun listen, thanks for posting it. So Paul says they lost some fans when Pepper's came out in the same way he says they lost fans when they went from leather jackets to suits. Does anyone have memories of fans giving up on the band upon the release of Pepper's? Also, the bit where Paul and John describe Apple sounds very much like the clip I've heard in documentaries. Is it the same clip?

 

It is just amazing that NBC dumped all that footage. The Hendrix Tonight Show episode (with guest host Flip Wilson) is long gone as well save for an off air audio recording.

 

Wow, this story sounds familiar. Didn't the BBC also do this in the 60's?

 

I'm interested in the comment that Paul makes, during the Tonight Show appearance, in regards to giving an interview earlier in the day for an "educational program."

Reason being: When I was a kid the local public library system here used to have a cassette tape audio interview with John and Paul (together) obviously done in 1968 where they talked about Apple, politics, current news headlines, etc. I can't remember if I copied this tape as a kid, but I don't think I've seen any other references to it in recent years. As I recall, it was fairly long. Maybe an hour or so.

Anyone here have any info about this interview? Judging by Paul's comments (i.e. "serious questions"), it sounds like the tape I heard as a kid - the interview having a very serious tone to it. I'm wondering if it was something that was produced strictly for schools and libraries? It probably would've been around 1975-76 when I heard this tape, if that's any help.

 

Yes.

"NOT ONLY....BUT ALSO", starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore is one of those lost treasures. There are a few episodes left but not many. Click Here

 

Remember how ABC bulked their Ernie Kovacs shows? Genius that will never be recovered. The contempt for the programming is damn near tangible. That they didn't take some of those Carson shows and dub them onto 3/4" shows how little they cared.



Dan

 

That was a hoot. Thanks for the link.

 

Metromedia apparently bulked all of Paul Winchell's tapes as well in a legal dispute.

 

There is a story to that. In 1971, when Carson was up for a contract renewal, he found out they erased most of the tapes and was furious. As part of his new contract, he was to have ownership of all the tapes. From 1971 till he left, he carefully stored all of his tapes in a salt mine somewhere. Today, his son runs johnnycarson.com and all of those tapes that Carson owns.

 

You are correct SIR!

 

That move was one of the biggest losses in pop culture history. Seriously, the middle management schlub who ordered the dumping should be named and shamed for all of history to know. Idiot.

dan c

 

Great clip! It's amazing how amaturish this show seems, but in a very charming way. TV was pretty laid back, different world.

dan c

 

Everytime I hear this, I feel embarrased for them. What a lame interview. I mean, damn, it's 1968, it's John & Paul. Heck, I was 16 and could have done a better interview as could any of my friends at the time.

They must have been pissed.

 

Joe should've let Tallulah Bankhead run the interview.

 

I agree. What a short-sighted decision.

 

That sounds a LOT like the interview style of Larry Kane.

I believe Kane interviewed John & Paul on that day. The interview was filmed.
I've seen bits and pieces of it - but I think the complete interview is now available
as a bonus DVD in Kane's 2nd Beatle book (the one about John - that I believe
is titled something like "Lennon Remembered")

I dont have the book - but I've been meaning to get it.

Kane was a young Miami news reporter who sent a letter to Brian Epstein
in 1964 asking for a chance to interview the Fabs. Apparently his letter
was so well written (or so unusual) that Epstein invited Kane along for the
ENTIRE tour.

Kane said 30 years later he got SO many requests to talk about
The Beatles - that he finally wrote a book. I remember
him saying something about when he met the (then) president
of the United States (Jimmy Carter), the prez kept asking Kane
about The Beatles - LOL

There are some spoken word albums of Kane interviewing The Beatles
recorded during the 1964 US summer tour. Some of it in hotels, some
on planes. The discussions are a LOT different than your standard press
conference was. Kane would ask stuff about topics like Vietnam or
Civil Rights.

Lennon actually kept urging Larry to burn his draft card (Kane
served in the army in 65 or 66) but he wouldnt listen and told
John that he planned to serve because it was his duty.

Kane also stood up on the tour plane once when someone made
what he didnt realize was an anti-semetic remark. The comment
might have been made by John. I believe Kane got a sincere apology.

The other thing on the DVD in the Lennon book is the legendary
"John Lennon does the weather report" that aired one night
on Channel 6 in Philadelphia (where Kane was the news anchor)
circa 1974 or 75.

Kane had invited him to town to do a 3 day radiothon for WPVI's
sister radio station (WFIL - 56 AM - home of the boss jocks )
and someone asked John to do the weather on the news. He
completely ignored the teleprompter - LOL

Theres a WFIL webpage with some very low fidelity air checks
of Lennon on 56 AM that weekend. Mostly John hanging out by
the fish bowel in the parking lot as people stopped by with
donations. I specifically remember John offering to sell
his socks to someone who said they would up his or
her donation !!!

Kane said Lennon seemed taken aback that the people
from Philly were down to earth. He tried to hit on a
some woman and she responded "Oh no Mr. Lennon -
I am HAPPILY MARRIED !" Apparently that wasnt
a response most people provided to a Beatle on
the prowl.

 

Thanks for posting this Chris, it was a terrific listen.

 

Bulk erasing is so typical of a lot of programs from the 60's (Soupy Sales, Paul Winchell, Bandstand), it boggles the mind to think that $$$ was that tight that they couldn't afford to buy new stock and archive their material. If it was a question of space, NBC has a North Bergen, NJ Archive they could've used to store them. What a shame...

 

This is true. The sad part is that even though all those later shows are archived, Johnny Carson productions has refused to release any of it, except for a couple of "greatest hits" clips videos. Grrr....


Kwad

 

And they also use that insufferable 'fake film' look to dirty up those pristine tapes.

dan c

 

I checked the website...it looks like most of 1970 also survived the scrapping. You can do a search of the guests by year/date.

There are only a couple of shows (under 10) from 1969.

Janis Joplin
Tiny Tim (wedding)
Woody Allen

are some of the guests.

 

Very interesting. Thanks.

However, wasn't some of the interview footage used in "The Beatles Anthology?" Could Apple possibly be sitting on a copy?