Episode 4: Paul Shaffer

## Official Episode Description

"Musician, comedian, actor, and composer Paul Shaffer was heavily influenced by the musical (and comedy) acts he grew up watching on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” so it was only fitting that we interviewed him in the “Ed Sullivan Room” of the famed New York Friars Club. Not many people can say they worked with James Brown, John Belushi, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jerry Lewis, Brian Wilson, Chevy Chase, Mickey Rooney, AND the infamous Phil Spector, but Paul has — and he shares memorable anecdotes about every one of them. Also, Gilbert and Paul discuss their mutual obsession with a certain Cindy Crawford/Valerie Bertinelli infomercial."

## Hosts & Guests

* Gilbert Gottfried
* Frank Santopadre
* Paul Shaffer

## Plugs

* *We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-Biz Saga*, by Paul Shaffer and David Ritz

## Rumors & Legends

* Gilbert tells a story about Vaughn Meader, a performer who at the time was best known for his John F. Kennedy impression, getting into a cab. The cabbie says "Did you hear about Kennedy?" with Meader thinking it was setup for a joke, only for the cabbie to say "He's just been shot."

## Impressions

* Gilbert
	+ Alan Thicke
	+ "Old Groucho" (Groucho Marx)
	+ "Serious Jerry" (Jerry Lewis)
	+ Sammy Davis, Jr.
	+ Dean Martin
* Paul Shaffer
	+ Alan Thicke
	+ Ed Sullivan
	+ Sammy Davis, Jr.
	+ Don Kirshner

## Firsts

* First appearance of Gil's story about he and Gino Salamone visiting Sid Melton at his house.
* First appearance of Gilbert saying "Well, he was always nice to me!" (here in reference to both Jerry Lewis and Chevy Chase).

## Gilbert Sings

* Both Gilbert and Paul sing bits of the theme to *Thicke of the Night*, "Thicke of the Night".
* Gilbert sings a portion of "Problem Child" by The Beach Boys.
* Gilbert sings the theme to *The Disorderly Orderly* as Sammy Davis, Jr. ("The Disorderly Orderly").

## Running Jokes

* Gilbert says "Well, he was always nice to me!" (here in reference to both Jerry Lewis and Chevy Chase).
* Paul says multiple times "We're gonna have to schedule this when we can be face to face" in reference to the Shecky Greene episode.

## Mentioned People

* Dee Anthony
* Dan Aykroyd
* John Banner
* The Beach Boys
	+ Brian Wilson
* The Bee Gees
* John Belushi
* Richard Belzer
* Tony Bennett
* George Benson
* Valerie Bertinelli
* Tony Bill
* Bill Bixby
* Jack Black
* James Brown
* Lenny Bruce
* Sandra Bullock
* John Byner
* Johnny Carson
* Charlie Chaplin
* Chevy Chase
* Joe Cocker
* Nat King Cole
* Cindy Crawford
* Billy Crystal
* Altovise Davis
* Sammy Davis Jr.
	+ According to Paul Shaffer, Shmuel or Schmuel was Sammy's Yiddish name.
* Bo Diddley
* Tom Dreesen
* Bob Dylan
* Greg Evigan
* Tina Fey
* George Fenneman
* Anton Fig
* Greg Fitzsimmons
* Tony Franciosa
* Connie Francis
* Al Franken
* Drew Friedman
* Bruce Jay Friedman
* Jackie Gayle
* Gorgeous George
* Topo Gigio (puppet)
* Greg Giraldo
* Whoopi Goldberg
* Shecky Greene
	+ The Shecky Greene episode (which did not air until later) is referenced multiple times by all parties. Paul says multiple times "We're gonna have to schedule this when we can be face to face".
* Christopher Guest
* Helen Hunt
* William Katt
* Murray Kaufman
* John F. Kennedy
* Carl King
* Don Kirshner
* Otto Klemperer
* Werner Klemperer
* Eugene Landy
* Peter Lawford
* Rickie Layne and Velvel
* Norman Lear
* Will Lee
* Tom Leopold
* David Letterman
* Eugene Levy
* Jerry Lewis
* David Mamet
* Dean Martin
* Groucho Marx
* Vaughn Meader
* Sid Melton
* Lorne Michaels
* The Monkees
	+ Mickey Dolenz
* Robert Morton
* Bill Murray
* Boston Pops Orchestra
* Tessie O'Shea
* Al Pacino
* Valerie Perrine
* Louis Prima
* Juliet Prowse
* Paul Reiser
* John Ritter
* Joan Rivers
* Mickey Rooney
* Gino Salomone
* Jean-Louis Sebagh
* Neil Sedaka
* Martin Short
* Frank Sinatra
* Frank Sinatra Jr.
* Jim McBride
* Phil Spector
* Sylvester Stallone
* Sly Stone
* Ed Sullivan
* Charlize Theron
* Alan Thicke
* Mel Tormé
* Tommy Tune
* Cathy Vasapoli
* Sarah Vaughan
* Bobby Vinton
* Was (Not Was)
	+ David Was
	+ Don Was
* Raquel Welch
* Edgar Winter
* Stevie Wonder

## Mentioned Media

### Movies

* *...And Call Me in the Morning* (1999)
* *Blues Brothers* (1980)
* *Blues Brothers 2000* (1998)
* *Godspell* (1973)
* *Lady Sings the Blues* (1972)
* *One More Time* (1970)
* *Phil Spector* (2013)
* *Problem Child* (1990)
* *Salt and Pepper* (1968)
* *Superman* (1978)
* *The Bellboy* (1960)
* *The Disorderly Orderly* (1964)
* *The Errand Boy* (1961)
* *The Nutty Professor* (1963)

### Television Shows

* *A Year at the Top* (1977)
* *BJ and the Bear* (1979-1981)
* *Charlies Angels* (1976-1981)
	+ "Sammy Davis, Jr. Kidnap Caper" (1977)
* *Comedy Central Roasts* (2003-)
	+ "Chevy Chase"
* *Don Kirshner's Rock Concert* (1973-1981)
* *I Dream of Jeannie* (1965-1970)
	+ "Jeannie, the Hip Hippie" (1967)
	+ "The Greatest Entertainer in the World" (1967)
* *Late Night with David Letterman* (1982-1993)
* *Late Show with David Letterman* (1993-2015)
* Mad About You (1992-1999; 2019)
* Make Room for Daddy (1953-1964)
	+ Later known as *The Danny Thomas Show*.
* *My Two Dads* (1987-1990)
* *Saturday Night Live* (1975-)
	+ "Raquel Welch" (1978)
* *Steambath* (1984)
* *The Ed Sullivan Show* (1948-1971)
* *The Greatest American Hero* (1981-1983)
* *The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon* (1966-2014)
* *The Name of the Game* (1968-1971)
	+ "I Love You, Billy Baker: Part 1" (1970)
	+ "I Love You, Billy Baker: Part 2" (1970)
* The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Chevy Chase (2002)
* *Thicke of the Night* (1983-1984)
* *You Bet Your Life* (1950-1961)

### Books

* *Love Story*, by Erich Segal
* *The Godfather of Soul: An Autobiography*, by James Brown and Bruce Tucker
* *We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-Biz Saga*, by Paul Shaffer and David Ritz

### Music

* "Abraham, Martin, and John"
* "California Girls"
* "Everybody Walk the Dinosaur"
* "For Once in My Life" (Stevie Wonder)
* "I Can't Get Started" (Sammy Davis, Jr.)
* "Little Old Lady from Pasadena"
* "Love Me Tender" (Frank Sinatra)
* "On Broadway" (George Benson)
* "Shadows on a Foggy Day"
* "Thicke of the Night" (Alan Thicke)
* "Wedding Vows in Vegas"
* "Zaz Turned Blue"

### Miscellaneous

* *Meaningful Beauty with Cindy Crawford* (Infomercial)
* "National Lampoon: Lemmings" (Stage Show and Album)
* "Problem Child" by The Beach Boys (Music Video)
* "The First Family" by Vaughn Meader (Album)