Fan Request: Henry Mancini Conducts The "Viewer Mail" Theme | Letterman

[@dongiller]

This is rarer than one might think - the close in full can be heard here for the first time, as both the original broadcast and its repeat abruptly cut it off. And I’m now being told that all of the VM themes that were performed by various artists have been compiled on some obscure YT channel.

[@Some-guy-you-dont-know]

And a real effort from Paul to make that happen! Clearly doing his best to race out and try to cue the finish before the final credit rolled. A longshot but still worth a shot.

[@davewestner]

"some" obscure YT channel, or one that you happen to know quite a bit about?

[@Mark_Brooks]

Cheers Don!

[@gavin4513]

Thanks for the great background info Don. I'm always sure to check the comments for extra details/information.

[@chattiermike140]

The rendition by the Chicago Ukrainian Men’s Chorus was always my favorite

[@johncornell3665]

A true genius is Mr Mancini. Sounded wonderful

[@EdKazO-Vision]

This is so brilliant that it just about brought tears to my eyes.

[@lorip.1110]

I believe Tower of Power alumnus Lenny Pickett was just starting 'next door' at SNL (where he would be a fixture for the next few decades), while Mancini was composing great TV themes like Remington Steele and Newhart. Prolific time for both of them in their respective musical careers.

[@privatepenguin3137]

When Henry Mancini died (in the early 1990s, I think), the first thing I thought of, upon hearing the news, was the Viewer Mail Theme. Another Mancini fun fact: He composed the theme song for the sitcom "What's Happening!!!". I can still see Rerun with the basketball 😜

[@bundangkorea]

Also the theme to the fantastic 80's sitcom "Newhart"

[@Gr8Layks]

Man, this show was almost solely responsible for the proper development of my sense of humor, which is one of my favorite possessions.

[@AlejandroJRamirez]

Dave would apologize

[@samanthab1923]

Always think of my grandparents with their Hi-Fi & Henry Mancini LPs ❤️

[@elizabethlarson9655]

I find it interesting that silly things seem just so much wonderfully sillier when set to great music.

[@KobeforLife25]

God. Thank you. I remember recording a replay of this episode in the 80s to hear Mancini play the theme. I loved that they did this. Wonderful to see a great quality of this online.

[@wagggle]

Such a delightful piece of music.

[@davewestner]

Wow, the viewer mail thing was great of course, but dang, the outtro music with the strings is badass! Unfortunate that the Gods of TV couldn't have let the show roll another 20 seconds so we coulda heard the proper end of it. Paul had a nice try trying to get them all to jump to the tune's tag before fade to black. Don't think I've seen Paul move that fast before

[@carolyncoleman9504]

Yes. That's big. Proud of you...

[@maryipock5315]

I had forgotten this. Sooo cool!

[@catherinegigliotti1368]

In my Bob Hope voice, Thanks for the memories...

[@RobLives4Love]

I love this absolutely.

[@gongqi67]

Paul gets all the fun!

[@babybro70]

I give it a 9. it's got a nice beat & is easy to dance to.

[@royrowland5763]

One of my favorite things in the history of television. Not so much this introduction of the theme by Mr. Manicini (which in itself is cool), but the huge variety of interpretations that would follow, from Johnny Mathis to the Soviet Red Army Chorus.

[@bluebear1985]

Viewer mail, viewer mail. Friday is the day we read viewer mail. First we read it, then we answer it. That's the little thing we call viewer mail. La la la la, la la la la, la la la, la... I guess that's how it goes anyway...

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales41]

Henry Mancini (nacido Enrico Nicola Mancini; Cleveland, Ohio, 16 de abril de 1924-Beverly Hills, California, 14 de junio de 1994) fue un célebre compositor, director de orquesta, arreglista, pianista y flautista estadounidense de música de cine, de jazz y de influencias latinas. Se le considera uno de los más grandes compositores en la historia del cine, ganador de cuatro premios Óscar, un Globo de Oro y veinte Grammys, así como un Grammy póstumo a su carrera en 1995.

[@ChristopherDazey]

The Mancini tune was fine, but the real star of this is the theme song with strings. Too bad they couldn’t have that every night!

[@tomryan4968]

Very cool. I also like how the string section contained players who could have won lookalike contests for Walter Matthau and Bill O’Reilly.

[@GeneSavage]

Incredible! I never knew this happened.

[@gersonkphone]

First we read them, then we answer them.

[@raymondm.9954]

Viewer Mail Viewer Mail Every Friday night we do Viewer Mail First we read 'em Then we answer 'em Every Friday night we do Viewer Mail La la la la la la la la la la la la la La la la la la la la la la la la la la Viewer Mail Viewer Mail Every Friday night we do Viewer Mail.

[@Spiritus_Sanctus]

Don, who owns the Late Night episodes? Is it Worldwide Pants? I wish we could see all the old episodes in the best quality available. Heck, I'd pay a monthly fee.

[@RobLives4Love]

Letterman+ "because it's better to have more Letterman and not need it, then to need more Letterman and not have it"

[@nedwart]

NBC owns the Late Night episodes. Worldwide Pants owns the Late Show and the morning show.

[@yarsee]

Well, Lenny is certainly cleaning up for SNL nowadays.

[@SailorCallie]

He's been an excellent band leader for the SNL Band since 1995.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

Yes, Segment Producer was Frank Gannon? THAT Frank Gannon, Richard Nixon's assistant editor?

[@dianewinters8628]

Loved it

[@crazysnarfy861]

The Viewer Mail theme was something Dave always poked fun at, due to the fact Henry Mancini reportedly charged NBC $300,000 to compose it.

[@petrolbokehlicious]

The World's Most Dangerous Orchestra

[@ruthecker399]

love dave miss him

[@jandreid2023]

Just in time for the new re-recordings of Henry Mancini themes by the legendary composers Quincy Jones, John Williams, and trumpeteer Arturo Sandoval.

[@jonkobler1637]

Classic Dave.....Saw Mancini in KC 40 years ago.

[@tomlichnofsky.7048]

Awesomeness!!! The New Viewer Mail Theme!! 👌😊👍✊👊🍁♈

[@HeyMySock]

Didn't we have words for this song at some point too? While the song was playing I could hear my head singing along, "First we read it, then we answer it..." I can't remember the rest of it. :)

[@stebstebanesier6205]

"Letters, letters, we get lots and lots of letters, letterrrrrrrs....."

[@nedwart]

It would be cool to hear other renditions of the Late Night theme, namely ones including David Sanborn and/or the Tower of Power horns

[@mikemedeiros]

My favorite part was the string section (with the group of Peter Bogdanovich look alikes in the back row) contributing to the show's closing theme

[@privatepenguin3137]

I love when Dave made fun of it several weeks later and said it was annoying 🤣

[@jrpipik]

Yeah, that didn't take long, did it?

[@kinsmed]

All it was lacking was Doc Severinsen in one of his wild vests.

[@davenelson9953]

Or as it’s known in my house, “The Dave Nelson Theme.”

[@stevabobic]

Fan request: Belinda Carlisle retrospective. Thank you in advance.

[@BillyRamirez]

3:30 What show is he talking about? "A Different World" followed "The Cosby Show" at the time and that theme sounded nothing like this.

[@75midge]

Let's get down to brass tacks, blows the CBS MailBag theme out of the water...

[@tristano1984]

So maybe this was the first time the opening theme was also somehow orchestrated at the end... now it is time to upload the Giant Orchestra show from 2001!

[@funforalgernon]

Hey thanks Hank! Could you tighten it up a bit? 😅

[@vrvaughn]

What happened to “Letters, we get letters, sacks and sacks of letters..”?

[@michaelbaker7825]

A quick search reveals that it originated on the Perry Como Show. I'm pretty sure it wasn't used at NBC. It was used for the CBS Mailbag, as NBC retained "Viewer Mail" as its intellectual property.

[@thefonzkiss]

Saxophone a bit pitchy dawg.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

That's live for ya.

[@Fuliginosus]

What was the show that followed Cosby?

[@RobLives4Love]

this is fall of 88, the show after cosby was A Different World

[@raggededge82]

From 1984-87 it was Family Ties, then from 87-92 it was A Different World. I believe he was actually referring to LA Law here, which aired at 10pm following Cosby and the other Thursday night sitcoms from 87-92.

[@kstepko]

Remington Steele is a possibility. Its theme was composed by Manchini. This isn’t anything like the theme song for A Different World!

[@badad0166]

@@kstepko I was thinking Newhart.

[@kstepko]

@@badad0166 Henry Manchini did compose the Newhart theme song, but that program aired on CBS on Mondays.

[@hinthegroove9740]

Mannheim Steamroller anyone?