Paul Shaffer
Music Director
About This Interview
In his Archive interview, Paul Shaffer talks about serving as a musician/performer on Saturday Night Live, as well as his long association with David Letterman as music director of Late Night with David Letterman and The Late Show with David Letterman. Paul Shaffer was interviewed in New York, NY on June 24, 2009; Dan Pasternack conducted the three-and-a-half-hour interview.
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Featured Content
Embeddable video clip: Paul Shaffer creates a theme song on-the-fly for his autobiography, We'll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives
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Highlights
Paul Shaffer on missing the opportunity to co-star onSeinfeld
Paul plays a theme song for his new book
Paul Shaffer on joining Late Night with David Lettermanand their approach to the show (16m 59s)- Paul Shaffer on various skits he was involved with on SNL.
Paul Shaffer on the working schedule of Saturday Night Live; working with Lorne Michaels- Paul Shaffer on becoming a castmember on Saturday Night Liveand accidentally swearing during a live broadcast (05m 24s)
Chapters
- Chapter 1
- On his family background; on the musical influence of his parents and their musical tastes; on seeing acts in Las Vegas as an adolescent; on watching The Ed Sullivan Show with his parents growing up, and their knowledgeability of the acts
- On watching the CBC and recalling that between 5 and 7 PM, the network ran a test pattern during dinner hour; on the types of shows he saw on the CBC and the parody done of the CBC by SCTV; on his interest in rock 'n' roll
- On joining the musician's union at the age of 15 and being in a band, but not yet seeing a career in music; on his studies at the University of Toronto; on playing music by ear (rather than sight); on getting back into music in Toronto by taking a summer course in jazz arranging and playing in a bar band; on deciding to pursue a music career; on meeting Tisziji (Mike) Munoz, who taught him "avant-garde" jazz
- On becoming involved in the Toronto production of "Godspell" (and hanging out with many pre-Second City people, including Martin Short) which led to his move to New York
- Chapter 2
- On joining Saturday Night Live as it was being developed
- On Saturday Night Live's early years
- On some of the musical guests on Saturday Night Live including John Sebastian, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith, and ABBA
- On the development of Saturday Night Live's"lounge singer," "The Blues Brothers" musical sketches; playing Don Kirshner; and working with castmembers Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, and Laraine Newman
- Chapter 3
- On Saturday Night Live castmembers Chevy Chase (and hosting 2002's Comedy Central Presents: The N.Y. Friars Club Roast of Chevy Chase) and Bill Murray
- On becoming a castmember on Saturday Night Live and accidentally swearing during a live broadcast; leaving the show after five years
- On joining Late Night with David Letterman and their approach to the show
- On David Letterman and working on his shows
- On Sonny and Cher's reunion (November 13, 1987) on Late Night with David Letterman
- On Letterman guest James Brown
- On Bruce Springsteen's performance on the final Late Night with David Letterman Show
- On David Letterman's move from NBC to CBS and the changes made to the new show, Late Show with David Letterman
- On his favorite musical performances on Late Show with David Letterman (Iggy Pop, Fat Boy Slim, Warren Zevon)
- On how David Letterman's health issues affected Late Show with David Letterman
- Chapter 4
- Full Chapter Four
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