NBC | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | July 1, 1971

[@juancastro4259]

Just listening to Johnny's voice puts me at ease and makes me feel like everything is going to be alright.

[@Rob_Kates]

I feel the same way about David Letterman's voice.

[@markfromct2]

Agreed Juan

[@JackForbes-sh4cc]

I was a little kid whose life was about to unravel before his eyes when this aired. Somehow Johnny brought some sense of calm and routine and I survived.

[@somuchtruth2306]

I was an overweight teenager struggling with feelings of depression and unreality. Somehow Johnny Carson made me feel more normal and more positive for 90 minutes. He was better than therapy or Zoloft. Glad you and I both made it through with a little help from Johnny!

[@CapAnson12345]

Incredibly Doc Severinsen is still alive. 96 years old as of today.

[@chirelle.alanalooney8609]

OMG !!! WOW HOW INCREDIBLE !! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR LIVING A SUPER CLEAN LIFE. 😊

[@tommybridges7143]

He’s 97 now!

[@lyndapierson6338]

i sat next to him on a flight from sf to la. he was studying his music sheets. he was very humble

[@mandygill9727]

He was an absolute amazing musician. What a talent!!!!!

[@FlavioGirl]

God Bless him

[@Trace7173]

July 1st 1971 was my 8th birthday. I actually remember this one because I went to see a Detroit Tiger baseball game with my parents. A great memory!..Love & miss you mom and dad!

[@ricarleite]

And now you're 61

[@paulypooper2]

July 1, was 11 days before my 9th birthday and living only 80 miles north of NYC I remember the heavy rains and storms Johnny was referring to in the beginning of the show, my mother was a night owl and I would stay up late on Friday night watching the Carson show

[@danielerickson5175]

Wow. I was seven years old and two days later was a Saturday morning and I was watching cartoons with my brother and sister. My paternal grandfather had been ill lately and was in the hospital. My father came through the door, very teary-eyed and said “Pa died.” It was very upsetting as my first major brush with death. he was very gentle and kind Norwegian immigrant

[@Edgar-q5n]

You're older than the hills.

[@johnsjohnson448]

Man, you are old. LOL. Not really. It is dfferent today. Mr. Carson is 45 here. He looks older than forty-five year olds today.

[@reedgrele6673]

I'm 68 and grew up watching Johnny Carson. Even remember some shows from when I was a pre-teen. I wish I knew the year it was (but it had to have been early 1970's) when Johnny was doing a Carnac spot he uttered the curse: "May a diseased yak drop its cud in your cuff!" I thought that was a funny line and for the following several months that's all my parents heard out of me whenever I was scolded for something. If anyone has that episode, I'd love to see and hear that again.

[@willswalkingwest7267]

Oh my gosh, it was so nice seeing Della on here. A major talent. These were such awesome times. Thank you for sharing!!!!!

[@mikestevenson576]

Amazing to think Rodney was still more than a decade away from his career peak.

[@badad0166]

For those wondering, the first minute or so of commercial time was national and came down the pipe with the rest of the show. The next two or three minutes were allocated for the local affiliate to cut in and place their local spots. The "More To Come" card covered the time so affiliates could come back whenever they needed to and there would still be something for the viewer. I like how we get to hear the band in these affiliate free re-runs!

[@boggy7665]

"Bumper cards" or "bumper art" or something. Thanks for the explanation.

[@badad0166]

@@boggy7665 Yeah, just "bumpers". A little pad to allow Master Control to get in and out of commercial clean. Back when you had to push buttons to run a TV Station.

[@Rob_Kates]

Right, it's a bonus to hear that fantastic band.

[@christophercox8237]

@@Rob_Katesabsolutely agree. The best ever. I could have listened to Doc and the boys all night long.

[@brianarbenz1329]

People used to joke that on Johnny's tombstone would be inscribed, "Finally, no more to come."

[@FlavioGirl]

Della Reese doing a Carpenters' song is so amazing. such a lovely lady she was

[@SticksAandstonesBozo]

Something magical about the early 70’s episodes

[@Dan_KM8DAD]

1971 the networks were still using copper Telco lines for distribution. You can tell by the lower-fidelity audio. It was around 1977 when networks upgraded to inter-station microwave relays which expanded bandwidth and improved audio quality significantly. Not long after they switched to satellite feed distribution.

[@will89687]

In this case the muddy audio is the result of generational loss.

[@PhilMoskowitz]

I remember when that happened and used to ask people why television sounded different. Oddly enough I didn’t like the new audio. It sounded too “sweet” and I could hear the high ringing tones. I had young ears back then.

[@RageTVHTX]

When did that switch happen? Could it have happened in the middle of prime time programming? Something I remember from my childhood I was watching an episode of Eight Is Enough on ABC (KTRK Houston) and I noticed the way the audio sounded changed. I didn’t understand what had happened and wondered if it was just some technical issue that would be corrected but it stayed that way. I want to say that was around early 1978

[@jameswest8280]

This is when the show aired from New York. I was 9yo when this episode aired. This makes me really nostalgic.

[@johnlang1933]

It’s so great to hear someone sing a song “straight”and beautifully!!!

[@brycewilson1909]

thanks for the upload!!!

[@markfromct2]

I am 70 Never missed a show back then as I recall, he came on at 11:30 (ET) after the local news and then late night with Tom Snyder was at 1:00 (ET)? If I could stay awake. (Tom was cool) LoL I would fall asleep on the couch downstairs.

[@markfromct2]

70 here as well I loved it back in the day

[@beakt]

The game at Shea Stadium took 4:19 to finish, including 76 minutes of rain delays. The scheduled start was 2:05 p.m. I think they recorded the Tonight Show around 6 p.m. So Willie Stargell didn't make it. He hit a single and a double, knocked in one run, and caught two fly balls playing left field in the Pirates' 3-0 win.

[@2nostromo]

Now ya'll know why I was alway sleepy at school. I actually remember this episode. This is Johnny the way I remember him...and the others of course. brilliant

[@JonasQuigly]

Same here. I was 11 in 1971 and watched him every night after the 11 o'clock news. Wonder how I got up for school the next day also.

[@chirelle.alanalooney8609]

DELLA REESE IS TRULY DELIGHTFUL AND ENTERTAINING, SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING HER ON YOUR SHOW, SHE MADE IT ALOT OF FUN !

[@jonncockrell3606]

53 years ago.

[@chuckdieselkicksdisks2380]

thanks for a rare episode of the 1962-1972 era! POPS! DELLA! Chuck , Pittsburgh, PA

[@FredLord-sp4ym]

This is truly terrific. Thanks for sharing.

[@ErrenG-f9w]

I remember my 4 year old self sitting up late with my dad watching johnny carson...

[@jeffrey6618]

I was 4 then to and remembet the 1971 earthquake in la

[@davidpoinc6161]

I was also 4

[@Mike-mo5yy]

The final year in NY before the move to Burbank

[@robroy6374]

Yup. 1972-92.

[@Rob_Kates]

Thanks for posting this rare gem. I was 2 years old when this aired. I loved the 90 minute episodes. Often the musical guest would do 2 numbers. Interviews would last more than one segment. The 60 minute shows seemed rushed.

[@sjm5482]

I recognize the name and face of Della Reese from various shows growing up, but never saw her this young or heard her sing till I was today years old...

[@mistersurrealist]

Della Reese!!! I will always remember her as the angel Tess from the 90s series "Touched by an Angel". RIP.

[@idlertire]

There are very few of episodes that were saved before mid 1972.

[@kevinnelson66]

The really cool stuff happened when Doc filled in for Ed.

[@gm12551]

Ed was a yes man while Doc was not.

[@jamesconnolly1201]

Free Way are a great band !!! And that drummer blew everyone Away !!!. Buddy Rich would have called him a Poseur !!!

[@johnj7002]

I remember this age of fashion. Wide ties and wide lapels.

[@vanmamawannabe6360]

,,,and when the fashion went back to “skinny” it looked so weird!

[@daytripperhd]

rodney was still finding himself in 1971. his routine was so so

[@austinstone1598]

that was the most perfect cereal commercial segue, ever!

[@MrTexxan8]

Classy man.....unlike the guys on late nite tv now

[@vanmamawannabe6360]

Did we even know what political party Johnny belonged to? As I remember it, Johnny was an equal opportunity razzer.

[@dougmilesmedia]

Della Reese was as good a singer as anyone ever in the business. Great talent as an actress too on "Touched by an Angel". And a classy lady.

[@garyrasberryjr.552]

She was a guest during Bob Uecker's first appearance on the show. It was hilarious, especially when Uecker showed the team photo where he and Bob Gibson were holding hands and smiling. Cardinals fined them $250 because no one noticed it until right before they were to give them out on Picture Day. The second photo, they put the two of them far apart.

[@CycolacFan]

A decent comedian too, she got some laughs from her stories.

[@davidcurran-z8g]

She had a huge hit in the late 1950’s with the song “Don’t You Know”.

[@michaelrochester48]

You forgot Chico and the man where she first got worldwide attention

[@JoeMama-ds8he]

​@@CycolacFanDella Reese's pieces

[@mgoldman60]

This is so wonderful. The ‘Lost’ Show Tapes!

[@beakt]

It always was so amusing the little barbs Johnny would throw when the audience didn't like a joke. He never let up.

[@SuperC888]

The song was originally in a wedding-themed television commercial for Crocker National Bank in California in early 1970, with Paul Williams on vocals. Hal Riney of the San Francisco-based advertising agency Hal Riney & Partners had commissioned the song to help Crocker appeal to young people. The song played over footage of a couple getting married and just starting out. In the song, direct reference to the bank was left out, in part to make the song more marketable. The commercial turned out to be very popular, but it attracted customers in which the bank was not interested: young adult customers with no collateral for loans. The campaign was eventually suspended, and Crocker subsequently franchised it to other banks.

[@mitchelllevine5664]

Before beautiful downtown Burbank!

[@mixon270]

This is so rare

[@daytripperhd]

1971 and they are talking about organic food starting to take off

[@johnjoachim8311]

Dont stop looking at the cue cards of jokes that weren't written by you, Johhny!

[@chuckdieselkicksdisks2380]

10:50 doc really fills in for Ed lol

[@cammieg4381]

OMG dig that gold lamiae tie!! He was Hip!

[@DavidLEzell]

In the last joke in his opening set, Johnny mentioned Tudor City. I almost spit out my lunch-that’s where I live #tudorcity

[@williambaxter4628]

July 1 1971. Birth of the character Dr. Vinnie Boom Botz!

[@longstreet2740]

I was at BSA camp between Grade school 6th and Jr High 7th . It was warm for NW Indiana back then Camp ToPeNeBee. Camp Tamarack ( Wood Lake ) later that summer 71 in Michigan was far better . Best Years of my life

[@MuzixMaker]

New York set was claustrophobic.

[@Rob_Kates]

The Burbank studio held twice the number of people.

[@philipnasadowski1060]

Heh, 4 minutes in, he finally acknowledges that he’s not getting anywhere with the audience.

[@greenmonsterprod]

It seems like, in New York, Johnny got tougher audiences than in Burbank.

[@a.b.s_productions]

I read that Della Reese once suffered a brain aneurysm during a taping of The Tonight Show when Richard Dawson was guest host, is that true? Della was definitely touched with an amazing voice.

[@glen1ster]

Della Reese, Rodney Dangerfield, Jerzy Kosinski, Freeway, and Willie Stargel

[@tomservo56954]

Kosinski was supposed to be at Sharon Tate's house that fateful night, but was delayed by issues at the airport.

[@outtathyme5679]

Doc’s still around!

[@daytripperhd]

i wont eat liver either. i am with Johnny

[@rigeur071]

Six days before I was born.

[@torgman]

I love how they're talking about how humid it is and then cut to the band leader who's wearing a turtleneck sweater 🤷

[@woodlakesound]

Studio was about 60 degrees.

[@brooke8567]

AC

[@davidjenkins4364]

These episodes do exist.

[@tdunph4250]

90-95% of the episodes from the 60's were erased or lost. It wasn't until The Tonight show was permanently in Burbank that the episodes were kept. Carson Productions owns them.

[@brooke8567]

No. This is a figment of your imagination

[@kathleenking47]

He's heavier, than he was in 1965

[@Wolfinger1935]

Very often, local affiliates would actually tape the broadcast. And every now and then, someone will find a tape. Even though NBC erased the tapes, there are some local stations that may have them archived. Fortunately for us!

[@tdunph4250]

@@Wolfinger1935 maybe. Maybe not. You don't know for sure.

[@LilAlpo1]

Wow, 2 days before Jim Morrison died

[@kathleenking47]

27 club

[@LilAlpo1]

@@kathleenking47 That was a helluva club. Janis, Jimi, Jim,...I think Brian Jones from The Rolling Stones.

[@aaronbruceladner1983]

Where Was Ed?

[@judacia]

not sure if the fusion band is called Freeway or New Freeway. I just want to know more about them!

[@johncasciello4123]

@Yester Days==Thanks==Wonder why the camera guys NEVER SHOW THE AUDIENCE as JOHN comes out????

[@dw438]

At 00:48:48: The famed Jonathan Winters as Hefty trash bag sanitary engineer Leslie. I still call it “gahr-barge”

[@jasonbeard4713]

Jonathan said it that way because that's his wife pronounced the word.

[@beakt]

5:40 It was a Thursday. The Fourth was Sunday and Monday the 5th was a federal holiday.

[@garyfrancis6193]

53 years ago.

[@dmorrell2253]

Have ya got “Stump the Band” from Jan 30 1970? I was on it and have the audio, but nbc said the erased all the NY shows. Johnny was the GREATEST!

[@ricarleite]

Post th audio!

[@owlnswan4016]

Beautiful dog with Doc for Alpo...looks like a Wheaton.

[@duckbrew]

These old episodes are fascinating. I was 6. Jim Morrison would be dead 2 days later..

[@EdKazO-Vision]

No doubt Johnny’s monologue did him in.

[@chuckdieselkicksdisks2380]

rodney is great here!

[@daytripperhd]

i said the opposite. his routine was so so. e few years later and i cannot stop laughing.

[@MR-in8bl]

​@@daytripperhd I agree with you

[@blockcl]

These NY shows seem to be surfacing at a fairly regular pace. I suspect most of the NY shows exist in some format.

[@MR-in8bl]

I think they're uploaded by ppl who have them on vhs. Like ppl who recorded them at the time of airing and never taped over them.

[@gibby100]

Weird Della Reese was a guest here and hosting the next night.

[@Rob_Kates]

Willie Stargell must have got bumped, but Johnny didn't make mention of it.

[@Rob_Kates]

Actually in the monologue, he said Willie had a game that day and may not be able to be there.

[@josephlawson9950]

And now hey Johnny

[@jasonbeard4713]

8:02 No, John, that would be on 10/19/53, when Julius LaRosa was let go by Arthur Godfrey.

[@1960sRICH]

It's hard to locate Johnny Carson Tonight shows from New York. Was this a master video tape you obtained from NBC?

[@johnking5174]

I don't think if this was a NBC video tape they would have included adverts. In 1971, some wealthy people had their own video recorders, and this could have come from them.

[@justrosy5]

In the "Special K" commercial, what are those things stuck to the Mom's face?

[@smartluck100]

Where is Willie Stargell? I didn’t see him

[@wiedep]

Seems like bad planning for Stargell. Pirates at Shea for a day game that day then travel that evening to Chicago foe another day game on Friday, not much room for unforeseen events like rain delays.

[@ADAMSIXTIES]

50:00 Rodney Dangerfield.

[@butchie2752]

Yup-but still funny!

[@user-vg2eg7oo5n]

I heard most of the NY Tonight Shows were lost. How were these saved?

[@jasonbeard4713]

I'd also like to know the backstory.

[@tdunph4250]

The Networks back then preferred to recycle video tapes because they were expensive.

[@user-vg2eg7oo5n]

Johnny Carson was not happy about his lost NYC episodes.

[@danielanderson4726]

I've always wondered why Doc Severinsen was the substitute announcer and Tommy Newsom would lead the band. You'd think they'd get an NBC staff guy to do the announcing and Doc leading the band per usual.

[@EdKazO-Vision]

Because that would be boring. It’s fun when Doc announces and sits with Johnny.

[@jasonstegallco.960]

Tommy was part of "NBC Orchestra" before Doc came on board and (I think) subbed for Skitch Henderson (Doc's predecessor) on occasion. In any event, both Doc and Tommy had their own uniquely delightful chemistry with Johnny, and both had no problem "moving over one chair" when Ed, to borrow a phrase from jazz slang, "would lay out".

[@jaredjlinden]

I recall at least one episode where both Ed and Doc were out and Tommy announced. I can’t remember who led the band - I think Tommy might have done both.

[@tonyrizzo3910]

@@jaredjlinden I think Shelly Cohen, assistant music director, led the band at least once when both Ed and Doc were off and Tommy was announcing.

[@jackeppington6488]

@@jasonstegallco.960 At some point in the 1980s, though, Doc in this situation began to just do the announce from his regular spot while also leading the band. Maybe it was only if Tommy wasn't available.

[@perrysar5954]

Long hair,bell bottoms, and a Gibson 335 held up high....how 70s geekey can you get😅😅😅😅😅

[@freddyfurrah3789]

Not one of Rodney's better routines. 😢

[@mackpines]

26:38 Hey look! Pizza Hut!

[@davidpoinc6161]

Guess Willie didn’t make it on

[@SuperC888]

42:53 what’s on the mom’s face near her ears?

[@LancelotTheKing]

Whatever happened to the band Freeway?

[@jasonb9636]

I'm really surprised Doc never came out as gay

[@Scottwilkie18]

Doc filling in for ed

[@selectooldave]

I'd rather watch this than all the late night hacks on the air these days. They have no class.

[@chuckdieselkicksdisks2380]

i guess the game ended too late- willie couldnt make it. still a treat!

[@samuraicrunchbird]

After that monologue, it's no wonder Ed was a no-show.

[@jeffscheiner1553]

Some tie.

[@chuckdieselkicksdisks2380]

58:26 ha ha

[@beakt]

Holy crap he joked about lynching!

[@garyfrancis6193]

Rodney 50:46

[@MartyGlaser-mj5ed]

Monologs were never very fonny.

[@brianarbenz1329]

7/1/71

[@smacdiesel]

That bad was loud and very big. Drummer was going crazy, and the singer was the boss but off key.

[@timwalters8951]

One of Johnny’s lesser monologues and that tie has to go!!

[@freddyfurrah3789]

Mrs Miller certainly made the rounds. 😅

[@user-vg2eg7oo5n]

A regular on Merv Griffen.

[@markstevens1729]

Not a god era for the writer’s room…