Dr. Demento on Letterman, May 17, 1983

[@antisepticmanor]

I grew up in Los Angeles staying up late and taping Dr. Demento on my tape recorder, which was held up to my radio. Thank you for this.

[@kayeplaguedoc9054]

I didn't grow up there but my mom listened to him tons and she collected his various anniversary CDs. Still have 'em somewhere but I always loved it when she put him on

[@carlodave9]

Our old stereo could record radio onto 8-track tapes. Every old 8-track album I could find around the house that I didn’t like got taped over with Shel Silverstein, B52’s, National Lampoon comedy, The Residents, etc.. My kid Demento ritual was intense and contributed to chronic truancy since it would come on at midnight Sunday in my hometown. He certainly contributed to my life-long taste for eclectic music.

[@olivasaz]

me too! I still have old cassette tapes which I recorded as a kid in the 80's! I acutally uploaded them to my youtube channel!

[@timmmahhhh]

I grew up roughly 50 mi north of Letterman and listened to this syndicated on an Indianapolis radio station. My last couple years of high school 1983-1985 Sunday nights 10 to 12:00 with the tape recorder. I still have those cassettes.

[@ec1628]

KMET!!!!!!

[@mattwuxx3888]

42 years old here. 82 years old now and still going strong. Live on and keep spinning the essence of eccentric deep tracks, Dr. Demento.

[@DropDMurphy]

He's definitely on the spectrum.. Loved listening to his show back in the 80's.

[@PaisleyGreene63]

I remember Sunday nights in my early teens. I’d lie awake watching the clock, waiting for Dr. Demento to come on. I’d tune in with my little transistor radio held to my ear.

[@YourFreeBeats]

This was LIFE CHANGING for me. As someone who layed down in bed in 1976 with a transistor radio every Sunday night weirded out by the songs he would play, seeing him for the first time as. 13 year old here is something I will never forget. And guess what? He looked JUST like I thought he would. Ha ha

[@fetishisticrose]

Makes me think of WKRP in Cincinnati. Much love thank you for sharing

[@babeena_gt_3645]

I remember when I was really little my dad playing this guys show. The fish head song sticks in my head to this day

[@acffh]

this is great! The Doc seems nearly breathless with excitement, as am I to view!!!

[@iprey4surf]

The good doctor shaped who I am. Never missed a Sunday as a tweenager with the headphones on as my parents thought I was asleep. Mom always wondered why I was soooo tired Monday mornings.

[@ZaneRichards-pk3bb]

Same here!

[@craigcorson3036]

I miss Dave's show, AND Dr. Demento's as well. I once sent in a recording of an offbeat song I had acquired, and the good doctor actually played it on his show. It was called "In Juneau Park".

[@hummakawula]

Не нашел эту песню. Может у вас сохранилась песня, или вы знаете где ее можно послушать? В интернете мне ничего не выдало(

[@craigcorson3036]

@@hummakawula Извините, но песня ОЧЕНЬ редкая и ее трудно найти. Я потерял свой экземпляр много лет назад и понятия не имею, где можно найти еще один. Мой опыт поиска в Интернете был таким же, как и у вас; Я не нашел ничего, кроме упоминаний самого парка и города, в котором он находится, Милуоки, штат Висконсин, США. Я даже проверил архив шоу Доктора Дементо, но ничего не нашел. В любом случае, насколько я помню, это была не очень хорошая песня. Вы не упускаете ничего важного.

[@hummakawula]

@@craigcorson3036 Thanks for the reply. I am also very pleased that you translated the text for the sake of the answer :)

[@deaddocreallydeaddoc5244]

I was listening to Dr. DeMento in the 1970s from early on. He was on every Sunday night at 6:00. While I was in college, and traveling back to school from home or from my girlfriend's back to my place, I would listen to the radio. I hardly ever missed the show. I have the CD collections now, but hardly play them.

[@lunatom3]

WOW! I cannot believe I'm seeing this! Memories as a kid in the 80's. If I was lucky I'd listen to him on radio in Phoenix Sunday night's. Always fun. Thanks DG!

[@porshprix4286]

Same here.

[@turekjames1274]

I grew up with him on the radio in Maryland. Love it.

[@carlodave9]

Being a serious Letterman fan and an avid Demento listener I remember this episode. I also remember being disappointed by Dave’s disregard for the Doctor.

[@djmateosegade3974]

Yeah he was really being quite rude! And in contrast Demento came off super kind and sweet.

[@dougcrain5315]

I watched this video 3 times and saw nothing rude towards the Dr.. Dave was very complimentary of the Dr.'s collection of music and laughed very often at his funny comments.

[@joeltravels8983]

I’m 50/50 on this. Saw and understood both sides of your debate.

[@Troy_nov1965]

Dave was always a jerk

[@doomayam]

​@@dougcrain5315 I don't think he was necessarily rude, but he definitely did not go out of his way to reciprocate and get the audience into the interview. Dave just kind of seemed like he was going through the motions here.

[@grecco_buckliano]

LOVED Letterman. Still love him. Late night talk died when he left the business. Glommed onto Dr. Demento back in the 70's when he played live from KMET in LA.

[@TheseYeahThese]

Oh be quiet. Conan O'Brien and the lesser appreciated Craig Ferguson KILLED!

[@markfostercrtgamer3201]

David Letterman was my Doctor Demento when I was 13. Letterman exposed my isolated existence to many things I still love.

[@swistedfilms]

It's the Weirdo With The Beard-o! Add a few pounds to him and give him a guitar and he could be the stunt double for Jerry Garcia! Assuming William M. Gaines III wasn't available that is! What a show! Not only did they have Dr. D but also Pee Wee Herman, may he rest in peace! Thank you for sharing this wonderful piece of TV history with us!

[@voicetube]

So wild to think that now all of that music from 150,000 records could fit on a couple or a few external hard drives that would not even fill a briefcase! My how times have changed :-)

[@samsungtelevision695]

voicetube conversely, the time to listen to and enjoy all those hours of music can still be hard to come by 🤔

[@craigjensen6853]

Yeah it would be around 11TB at 256kbps. Coincidentally it would take about 11 years straight to listen to them all.

[@voicetube]

@@samsungtelevision695 I hear you, there ST!

[@voicetube]

@@craigjensen6853 wow! With small SSD external hard drives being as large as 2 TB now, you could easily fit all of them in a briefcase. Wow.

[@SNESdrunk]

That practically sounded like Weird Al himself cheering his own name in the audience

[@Estonius]

Thank you very much for sharing this. I listened to and recorded his show every Sunday for many years. I got to meet him once, and he was kind enough to play one of my amateurish "songs" on air once.

[@cowapocalypse75]

thanks Don! listened to the good dr every saturday morning as a hs student. most entertaining thing ever on radio!

[@Doggeslife]

He has such a unique and recognizable voice. I started listening to him in 1975.

[@porshprix4286]

I used to listen to him with my mother in the 1980s but I had no idea he ever appeared on David Letterman. Good entertainer.

[@ZaneRichards-pk3bb]

It's 2024. I'm remembering listening to Dr. Demento on KY102 out of Kansas City week after week and year after year, often while cassette recording. This guy is an underrated hero of music and an underrated historian of the wonderfully weird. I'm seeing so many comments that make me feel seen. Long live Dr. Demento!

[@l.a.raustadt518]

The good Doctor! Big love from Minneapolis Minnesota your simply the best!😝

[@sorendomaschofsky6617]

Very cool record collection wish he showed more

[@coleman6131]

Thumbs up if you used to listen Sunday nights on "Rock 103" in SLC!!!

[@fretlord4201]

Same! This show literally saved my mental health when I was 13!

[@joescott8877]

What fun! Two of my favorite broadcasting personalities during my Northern Virginia high school years! made many a Dr Dimento cassette tape, and taped many an ep of Letterman on that cutting-edge invention, the VCR machine!

[@DjangoThunders]

Back when late night shows were not to be missed.

[@KM-bc3lm]

Letterman ends, well time to go bed. I watched every night.

[@georgeandrews6454]

I was Sooo fortunate to grow up in Southern California during the 1970's, when the radio stations were great. Many fans only knew Dr. Demento for his 1 hour syndicated radio show, often heard late on Sunday nights ( normally a dead time for commercial radio.) In Los Angeles we lucky listeners could tune in to FOUR HOURS -- LIVE -- on KMET FM ( " Little Bit o' Heaven - Ninety - Four point Seven " ). Many live guests & interviews; Wierd Al Yankovic would often try out new material with accordian. KMET - BTW - was also the home of Westwood One Radio. Good Times & memories...

[@ThomasTallant]

Adore this! I'm 10 years old again

[@MsSmitty9]

I would listen to Dr. Demento on WBCN In Boston in the late 70s on Sunday night. It definitely was the way to end a weekend. I was definitely one of his faithful listeners or as we were called , Dementoids and Dementites. And Yes , Dead Puppies aren’t much fun. 😂Thanks for the memories Dr. Demento. One last thing , I am still Demented !!

[@tamathawalden2037]

Ur we're out of ur freaking skull

[@nina8679]

Oh lordie! Miss BCN! Born and raised in Boston, too🎉

[@TheAyeAye1]

Fond memories of Dr. D.

[@voicetube]

I was recently going through my stuff (doing a big purge etc.) and found that old letter I have from Dr. Demento himself! I had submitted a song from my father who wrote this tune called "I'm Nervous" which I submitted for the DD show in LA. Although it was a rejection letter, he did praise my "sense of dementia," which was pretty awesome coming from him - and the letter does have his signature! BIG fan from back in the mid-70s when my brother and I used to listen to him weekly. And he actually did his show from literally like less than a mile away from where we lived near Fairfax and Wilshire in Los Angeles!

[@madtownangler]

I used to listen to him every sunday night because I worked that shift and had Sunday night off

[@TapCat]

To this day, I enjoy listening to some of the songs that were highlighted on the Dr. Demento radion show (including Dead Puppies). He had such a deep love of the unusual and that really came across on his show. Many thanks to him for all the hours of entertainment he brought, RIP.

[@dongiller]

He’s still alive and well.

[@TapCat]

@@dongiller OMG, that's embarrassing! I was sure I had heard he had passed away years ago, but am very happy to hear that he's still with us.

[@royalsfan]

I think "Bambi Meets Godzilla" is now in the National Archive. I'm not kidding.

[@craigfazekas3923]

He himself was kind of a novelty act that covered ventures of other novelty acts. Think "Weird Al" was a weekly listener ? I remember hearing Frank Zappa material on his show, as well as much Spike Jones. Giller, you've done it again !! Thanks as always, man. My favorite of your compilations, dear Giller, is the Kenny The Gardener one (not to exclude Donny The Baker or Kenny's nephew, Tad, was it ?- that cigar chomping snide one, so un-Kenny like was he... He reminded me of other Letterman regulars; but just can't seem to place him...👊🤓. As well as the girl from the Simon & Schuster subsidiary. Damn, was she cute as a button or what ? Keep 'em coming- oh, Brave Giller, Giller Of The Killer Compilations from the best late night show ever, period...🕴

[@kenlieck7756]

And never any filler!

[@michaelb9537]

lol I just came here from the peewee compilation- that was great hearing him mentioned at the end like I didn’t know it was the same episode of what I just watched.

[@marktabla5434]

As a kid, I used to listen to his show on Sunday nights on WOXY Oxford, Ohio, FM 97. "We're getting deeeee-MENT-ed on WOXY Oxford." He'd play "Fish heads" and its parody, "Girlfriends", "Kinko the Kid-loving Clown", Weird Al's "Another Rides the Bus" and "I'm Fat" ("Lock me in the freezer and throw away the key") and Cheech & Chong's "Sister Mary Elephant" ("class, class,,, SHUT UP!!!... thank you.")

[@DonaldCroswhite]

The good Dr. still lives in Lakewood, CA.

[@HighwayStar71]

I had no idea he lived in Lakewood all these years. Probably wouldn't even recognize him now.

[@chrisjohnston4445]

Love that Paul & the band played "Pico & Sepulveda" as the Good Dr. came out.

[@scottburton9701]

Huge fan of this guy!

[@vicaldama9314]

Fish heads fish heads rolly Polly fish heads fish heads fish heads eat them up yum!

[@jeffrey-k5y]

vic aldama yes! And the “Existential Blues”

[@cowapocalypse75]

i took a fish head out to see a movie; didn't have to pay to get it in.

[@HubertofLiege]

Roly poly fisheads are never seen drinking capacino in a restaurant with Italian women

[@Finnatese]

He is even more eccentric than the Weird Al movie portrayed him, but what an awesome guy. Aside from all that even, he does the thing he enjoys, not out to provoke anyone with, just promoting the strange and peculiar

[@goodiesguy]

British/Aus and NZ viewers saw that Bambi clip years earlier on The Kenny Everett Video Show in 1978.

[@The_real_Marcoman]

When I read Bambi's wardrobe by I couldn't stop laughing. 😂

[@Fireship1]

Marv Newland sure was a busy guy!

[@Danimal77]

If that is his true manner in which he always spoke, he strikes me as being a very high functioning autistic person.

[@kenlieck7756]

No, that's not his "normal" persona. In fact, interviewing him out of character was one of the most aggravating, exhausting experiences I ever had as an entertainment reporter because he was so timid and low-key and his responses to questions were completely lacking in vibrance...

[@andyrose5616]

I've known a lot of radio DJs who come across this way on TV. They are accustomed to *sounding* excitable on the air without actually having to look that way in the studio, leading to this sort of visual incongruity unless they learn to overcome it.

[@fakeyawns]

My thoughts exactly. His mannerisms, the way he stares, how he speaks etc.

[@brucebrainard653]

i wasn't sure I had ever heard the doctor - until I saw this and heard him speak

[@jorgelopez-pr6dr]

Among his treasures was the song Christmas in Jail 😄.

[@sharbear3646]

i think he just narrated the Ad Astra flight take-off.

[@Mrshoujo]

Barret Hansen (aka Dr. Demento) is quite the musical historian.

[@annecohen8927]

Yay!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@SirMixALotRareMusic]

Had to check if he was dead! I appreciate the clips but come on Don!

[@termeownator]

Same here. He usually puts em up for folks that've passed after the news has already made the rounds though

[@reedyd]

He just celebrated his 79th birthday last week.

[@geraintno-ears6996]

Is this not one of Terrence McKenna alter egos?

[@rustybeltway2373]

DMT. DeMenTed. I think you're on to something. I think you're on 2 somethings.

[@hanginlaundry360]

Wow, you hit that on the head!

[@jaimhaas5170]

Anyone have an idea what those last 5 records he showed might be valued at?

[@kenlieck7756]

Not as much as you might think. In fact, depending on condition, the Doc's own picture disc would likely be the most valuable one of the batch - it could net you up to $50 for a sealed copy...

[@dhpbear2]

6:30 - "Oh, by the way, this is nothing like 'Dave's Record Collection'" :)

[@Manfromron]

5:14 "...as a singer he's a fine third base man..."

[@wetdroidedition2549]

Bambi meets Godzilla is the grandpa of Too Many Cooks

[@BrianKishreviews]

I would say that's more Bring Me the Head of Charlie Brown

[@siggylloyd3566]

And perhaps Bambi Meets Godzilla is itself the child of almost any Terry Gilliam opening/closing “Big Crushing Foot” animation for Monty Python?

[@chloehamid8065]

I have absolutely no idea who this guy is but I like him! He’s really cool, looks like Terry Pratchett and fun like that chicken guy!

[@samsungtelevision695]

Chloe Hamid This analogy may be a little out there but if you consider Weird Al Yankovic Jesus then this guy would be John the Baptist.

[@kenlieck7756]

But then who would be the elephant the turtles are standing on? Religion confuses me so!

[@d-logan5280]

Bart's other archenemy?

[@jeffrobodine239]

I like the good doctor, doesn't seem like dave was really there for the interview, he was just kind of work-a- day , going through the motions.

[@jaredniemann1754]

I was thinking the same exact thing, didn’t live up to a great Hosts potential

[@paulaharrisbaca4851]

I think they should make albums with pictures in them again for collectors, the way I hear Taylor Swift apparently does in multicolored vinyl. I had a little kids record that came with a special spindle called "Toot-Toot-Toodles the Tugboat" that featured an animation of the tugboat going up and down the waves if you watch the faceted spindle. Kinda like a zoetrope where you look through the slots and you saw a short animation as you spun the drum around.

[@tidalboxer]

He’s gotta be on the spectrum.

[@Skibble5150]

KZbin copyright flagging for a chord...fucking preposterous!

[@dongiller]

Best to not take the risk.

[@johnmilner6484]

The doctor looks petrified...

[@BrianKishreviews]

Bart Simpson's mortal enemy

[@anthonykaiser974]

I never knew he had a "Sports" section 😂

[@attorneysteve]

They didn't mention Existential Blues, my childhood fav. Enjoy - kzbin.info/www/bejne/bp-tZGOapMmpmsU

[@Mozart1220]

Of course, going silent at the end of the film ruined the entire joke, and it was only one piano note...

[@dongiller]

It’s an unmistakable Beatles recording, and the entire video would have been either blocked or taken down had it been heard. I stand by the edit.

[@infinitestare]

is he a frieind of Nardwuar's

[@snowoman8832]

he is 5'5 short & skinny that why he will live a long time

[@kenlieck7756]

"Overt Racism"? He rejected my Not Daniel Johnston song "Bacteria" for having the word "Chinaman" in it! (He's cool, though, and played a different NDJ track on his show instead -- as well as playing numerous songs by my late pal "am" Daniel Johnston!)

[@matthewlo55]

Dwight: Identity theft is not a joke Jim

[@ebythebeach]

People voting Rep give them a boot to the head ...nah nah... Boot the head nah nah boo to the head nah nah.... That song was hilarious

[@bronsondeliac2625]

There's something really off about this guy, i can't put my finger on it

[@markconn6534]

Barry is the last person I'd expect on Letterman.

[@warplanner8852]

Pico and Sepulveda..Pico and Sepulveda..

[@mushroomhead3619]

Why is Bart Simpson scared of him?

[@electrohacker]

I was like number 666!

[@JKerr-iy2jr]

Stay Demented, Doctor!

[@bobbychess3452]

Is he nardwuars dad? Haha or at least the OG version he is awesome!!

[@kevinclick9026]

Thermos loneliest

[@spuzzlightyeartoo]

I somewhat loathe segments like this, where the guest takes over with his own shtick. Later Letterman would have had a better control over this.. But Demento was fun.

[@miaouew]

We are witnessing peak proto-autism

[@ghrohrs2025]

Dave was so bad during this interview. He killed the mood multiple times.