Bill Cosby, Tito Puente, Luke Perry on Late Show, March 7, 1995 (full, stereo)

By request. I hesitated putting this up because of the Cosby taint, and I understand those who would be repulsed by his presence here. But I decided to go ahead, because this was one of my favorite Late Shows, long before Cosby's ugliness came to light. This was a show that went off the rails early on, with Dave letting it ride, any pretense to a planned schedule abandoned, that I felt it worth the share, if only to hear the audience chant "Tito! Tito!"
In addition to Bill Cosby, the show included taxi drivers Charlie Bates and Buke Kadikiran; Luke Perry demonstrating a science experiment meant for bumped guest Lee Marek; and sitting in with the CBS Orchestra were the greats Tito Puente on percussion, Hilton Ruiz on piano, and Arturo Sandoval on trumpet.
And, of course, a ladder.
Segments of this show have been uploaded previously by others, but here it is complete in superior video quality and glorious stereo.
Despite Cosby's sordid history, this was one of the great Late Shows.

[@624radicalham]

Dave recently said that what he misses the most is the live music. NEVER before have I ever experienced a Letterman show in full stereo. With headphones on, I was IN the studio. I can't even describe how it felt. You could hear Dave tap his pencil on the desk and when he would clap his hands it felt like if he was standing in front of you. And the MUSIC, my God. How did I miss out on this in the past 30 years. Thank you Don

[@rma6070]

I was always a fan of Letterman, all the way from his original morning show! This episode was one of his best! It was just sheer random madness! From making random cab drivers national stars in seconds to Bill Cosby Tito Puente, Luke Perry and Letterman all climbing up to the balcony on a ladder, to Luke Perry roasting pickles! I mean who does this stuff? Only Dave and his class of characters were able to do it! Dave is the late night king, period! No one ever has, or ever will top him! Thank you Dave for making everyone's days, even their worst ones, end with , at least, a smile!👏👏👏👏🤣😊😁😆

[@Flyingdingii]

This show went from 0-150, and never slowed down. That's freaking impressive.

[@winonafrog]

Certainly! Its got the energy of an anniversary show, cant imagine doing it night after night

[@DJCryptoStix]

I was 5 but I feel like i still watched it

[@hiphopperman963]

Truly a classic episode of Dave when things would just get weird and then build on the weirdness.

[@TypicalGirls]

Wow! That was more than amazing! It reminds me of the old show. Just plain craziness. Also want to tell you how much I appreciate what you are doing with regards to these videos. Much praise.

[@dongiller]

Thanks!!

[@jnadle1]

Commercial Bumpers: Tito's Own - Oye Como Va Dizzy Gillespie - Manteca War - The Cisco Kid Aretha Franklin - Rock Steady Eric Burdon - Spill the Wine

[@TS-qq7vr]

You mean Oye Como Va by Tito Puente, not Santana.

[@moaningpheromones]

Incredible show to get to see now. The ladder climb has so much. It's a good laugh, it was unrehearsed. It's a rare and cool example of the stagehands being crucial during the taping. Drumroll is for a real stunt and of course a band for the celebratory fanfare.

[@rociocanelacastillo]

Oh no please please keep this one up, if only for Tito and Dave & the nostalgia. I know about Bill and yes, it's heartbreaking. Recordings like this keep the memories of 90's NY alive. I'm glad I was able to see it now, I was a baby when this aired. I was searching for Tito Puente appearances on talk shows and this was in the results 😊

[@johnsjohnson448]

16:31 The Great Hal Gurnee's marvelous "LIVE" Direction contributed to the show's identity and success. Mr. Gurnee is one of Television's True Directing Greats and a Gentleman too! Thanks for sharing.

[@siemenstraffic]

This is how I remember the Late Show whit David Letterman. Paul had hair and David was really funny.

[@kevinnelson66]

Rest in peace, Luke Perry(1966-2019).

[@ToiletScribble]

Such a classic example of why this show was amazing and just plain different.

[@moose_runs]

Amazing, I've been trying to find this clip for awhile. You will see me at the top of the ladder pulling Cosby (and Tito, and Dave, and Luke) off to safety blue shirt WITH HAIR!!! Funny and interesting part of this story... you can see for just a second where Cosby misjudges the step off the ladder and was very close to disaster. There was actually about 4 ft from the boom to the ladder. I caught him and he was like "Holy Crap!. I almost died". I was totally tongue tied, only thing I could think to say was "You smell terrific". What a rush and great experience. Thanks for posting.

[@winonafrog]

😅

[@plissken2156]

"Tito Puente's gonna be dead and you're gonna say, 'Oh, I've been listening to him for years and I think he's fabulous.'" Bill Murray in Stripes, 1981. R.I.P. Tito (April 20, 1923. - June 1, 2000.)

[@terifitzg6196]

It was such an epic show-a real New York experience especially the moment when Bill Cosby got off the ladder-grabbed my face and planted a big fat kiss on my lips (a little creepy in retrospect)! Followed by meeting Tito Puente and Luke Perry. So happy to come across this video and see my husband who passed away during the beginning of Covid19. Thank you.

[@winonafrog]

Wow! What a memory, and on tape too. Thanks for sharing ♥️

[@cynthiatheendlesslyambitio6574]

The cab driver scenario has me on the floor, it’s beyond hysterical 😩 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 he should have pulled more random cabbie’s in to the studio

[@lars8711]

What a crazy show. Great guests.

[@jimbenitez]

This was great, Don !! Thanks a lot for setting this show up ... It was great in everything despite the Cosby problem... Such great memories of my home city and its' craziness as it's displayed on this particular Late Night Dave's Show... Thanks again buddy !!!

[@willienobody4156]

This episode is awesome

[@BluesImprov]

Really a great show. . .So sad about Cosby these days. . .But also sad is how the late night shows today, and their "hosts", do NOT even compare to this. . .Letterman in his prime was so much better, and it's not even close. . .This was a terrific show, Cosby was fun, and the audience loved it. . .Wish I'd been there!

[@tvbarn]

Agreed! Pleased to see it up here, just for Tito.

[@ScottFromCanada]

That was a hell of an episode. So much fun! And how I prefer to remember Cosby.

[@YasminAbdull]

Same here!

[@winonafrog]

Here via your recc, and impressed as always. Best to Buke & the cabbies! Great era in nyc.

[@melltenfys]

Dave was so unhinged, i love it lmao

[@njpete987]

Wow, Don. This really is a great Late Show. Thanks much.

[@Qolus]

I would BUY the music for that show. Like, it'd be a valid EP. They're up there playing incredible versions of Manteca and Oye Como Va... I support this tough decision you have made, despite being a survivor myself. It would have been very sad to throw this baby out with the bathwater.

[@dongiller]

Thank you. Your words are important.

[@teeveeparty]

Anybody know if the tow truck part was legit or a bit? Hope it worked out! Thanks for everything you had posted Don!!

[@christopherkotsopoulos701]

Damn, that was such a great show! Thanks for the upload. Any chance of getting you to upload some of your other favourites?

[@dongiller]

I've put up two that come to mind: Parents' Night on Late Night, February 25, 1986 -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZqXh5SthpJ2q6c Late Show with David Letterman, May 20, 2015 -- kzbin.info/www/bejne/aHawpaqBj811f9U

[@myfencingcenter6265]

Thank u for sharing

[@Rattlehead930]

Best. Show. Ever!

[@roberts1572]

Dave was insane, wow.

[@I_WANT_MY_SLAW]

So sad to hear about Luke Perry. His appearance was really funny in this episode.

[@rafaelsiegel]

I love how Dave pushes Tito to go up the ladder and then starts laughing and says he’s going to get killed, haha.

[@3Bullets4Alice]

Haven't yet viewed, as i was reading your much appreciated 'disclaimer' on the Cosby appearence. Almost didn't tune in because of it, so reading this, helped. I clicked on this primaraly for the Tito Puente appearence, as I'm a fan.

[@tontoepstein6860]

An interesting choice of words, Don. "the Cosby taint"

[@ram3621]

Wasn't sure at first but from the SNL jacket Tony had to Dan Rather's cue card girl to the gorgeous San Diego transplant to Dave getting Charlie's last name wrong to Tito (I bet Luke was expecting an interview)... funny show

[@mmdmmj1]

Wow. Exactly 24 years ago. So sad to hear of Luke Perry's passing. Great guy, Talented Actor, and extremely good looking 😍 We love you Luke! You will be deeply missed and forever in our hearts. ❤

[@tveyeonyou]

Yikes - is this speeded up?? wow, Dave's talking fast. Or was that how it was in the 90's??

[@dongiller]

Not sped up.

[@bd8606]

Dave rules

[@GeorgiaOverdrive]

What a fun show!

[@jackreacher.]

DINKs in 95; New quad level home; 32" SONY CRT TV and David Letterman.

[@3Bullets4Alice]

Despit the aforementioned, FUNNY...!!!! SHOW !!! PLUS, Tito Puente, Hilton Ruiz and Arturo Sandoval...in Stereo, through the commercial breaks, and real NYC cabbies !!!!

[@blueearthquake]

Do you have the rest of Luke’s appearances? Thank you so much.

[@shortcircuit04]

Great, great video. The times have most definitely changed since '95

[@monkeymonkey8526]

I remember this and I laughed and cheered! So sad. This just goes to show that you really don't know anything about "celebrities".

[@Rebecca-gc9gw]

It’s such a shame that Bill Crosby his such dark secrets. This is one of my favorite shows. I love Dave.

[@joshpritt2146]

One of few times where we see a horn section before 1997.

[@dongiller]

The horn section became part of the band in November 1993.

[@pincheneo]

fuck i miss classic dave

[@billaroundtheglobe]

Watching this proves how much Letterman was just phoning it in for the last 5-10 years of his career. This show was hilarious at NBC and in the early days of CBS.

[@dongiller]

Folks may forget that he had quintuple bypass surgery in January 2000. That tends to change one’s perspective.

[@teeveeparty]

Not to mention that people can change over the course of more than 4 decades!!

[@HumblyArtsy]

May I request the October 1,1993 episode or the one where the audience goes to the Conan O’Brien show?

[@dongiller]

The audience clip is in this collection: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3LGgHutqdaSlac

[@HumblyArtsy]

Don Giller oh I know! :) I love that collection, I was hoping for the full episode, I would love to see full 1993-1995 Late Shows, thank you for the response!

[@finnibertlunchiken7792]

Wow! What a crazy show this one was! It is inevitable that comments about Cosby will be made but I want to say this. It is terrible what might have happened to any of those women and it is equally as sad for a public to have lost connection to a man so close to peoples hearts. BTW Those cab drivers were great.

[@logofilm8644]

The trumpeter is Arturo Sandoval, he would appear on this show again in November 2000. Anyway you can track the May 1998 show where Maynard Ferguson appears as a guest sitting in the band.

[@dongiller]

As identified in the description beneath the video. That no one reads.

[@logofilm8644]

Don Giller I know who the guy is, but I noticing everyone that the trumpeter is Arturo Sandoval, for those who dont know. Hey, Don. He sat in again in November 2000.

[@dongiller]

Ah, sorry; short fuse on my part. Someone commented on another video, "When was this?!" when the date of the video is noted in the _video title._

[@logofilm8644]

Don Giller It's alright, man.

[@njpete987]

At 8:50 it's the father of WNYW's weather person Audrey Puente

[@DavidTa2]

Im dying laughing

[@corycarpenter4218]

Wonder what was actually planned for the show. Haha so good tho

[@jackleon7471]

Luke Perry is so hot

[@I_WANT_MY_SLAW]

The Cosby taint LMAO. But that's the thing that bothers me most about the Cosby taint. They want to pretend like things like this never happened. And erase them from history, like they never existed.

[@dongiller]

Who is "they," and, well, this video remains available.

[@FeisarX]

This was a GREAT show!! I had never seen it and it's just off the rails in the best way. The current lineup of late night tv look like the laziest attempt at this (and don't forget to ramp up the political BS!) ... It is incredibly sad.

[@monkeymonkey8526]

Thank you for posting this. It is one of my all-time favorite segments despite Bill Cosby's taint. Now you would make my dream come true if you can find the Letterman episode where he was out in the neighborhoods meeting people and came across this kid that kept making this weird barking / honking sound, lmao!